Prior to the Act of Union in 1801, Ireland had its own Parliament and voting rights were strictly limited with eligibility generally based on land ownership and religion. Early records include poll books introduced in 1694 and freeholders lists. Freeholders were those entitled to vote. Along with the rest of the United Kingdom, the Great Reform Act of 1832 introduced formal electoral registers to Ireland. After the Formation of Northern Ireland in 1921, electoral registers continued to be compiled. The main difference between electoral registers in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom is that a rolling register was introduced in 2000 that could be continually updated, whereas England, Wales and Scotland are compiled annually.
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Poll booksPoll books
Poll books were introduced in Ireland in 1694[1] and recorded the names of the men who voted, their reason for voting qualification along with the candidate(s) that they voted for. This practice continued until 1872 when the secret ballot was introduced. This means from 1872 onwards we cannot find out who our ancestors voted for in elections. Depending on the date other information may be supplied, such as details of the property that qualified a person to vote and the name of a person's landlord where relevant. They are normally arranged by county.
Poll books for areas that are now within Northern Ireland are held at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), British Library and local archives.
Freeholders recordsFreeholders records
Irish people who had the right to vote were known as freeholders. The voters lists for this period are known as freeholders records, naming those who were entitled to vote and those who actually did vote (as not all did). The records are arranged by county. The registers name those who were eligible to vote whereas the poll books list those who actually voted. All voters at this time were adult males.
Where they survive, the registers contain a great deal of useful information including:
- The freeholder's name and address
- The freeholder's occupation and religion
- A description of the freehold, including it's location and value
- Name and address of the landlord
- Date and place of freeholder's registration
The original copies of freeholder's registers have not all survived. Some only exist in the form of transcripts or published copies. Freeholder lists pre-1840 for Northern Ireland can be searched via the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
Electoral RegistersElectoral Registers
The Great Reform Act of 1832 introduced standardised electoral registers across the United Kingdom, including in what is now known as Northern Ireland. Further changes were made periodically until 1928 when all adults over the age of 21 could vote, both male and female. This can help you understand who you are likely to find in electoral registers for certain years.
The information contained within electoral registers varies depending on the year but can include:
- The name of the eligible voter (their appearance in a register does not mean they exercised their right to vote)
- Their address and/or district
- Their parliamentary consitituency
- The reason why they qualified to vote
- A description of their qualifying property (may be an address or a description of the type of property)
Electoral registers can help you to trace ancestors if they relocated. Whilst relationships between voters are not given, you can see who resided at the same address which may help to open a new avenue of research. Electoral registers are also especially useful at tracking down more recent relatives, including those still living today. Be aware however that registers were compiled several months before publication, so a person may have moved or passed away in the meantime. Whilst an Absent Voter List was compiled for Northern Ireland in 1918, only those for Armagh and Derry-Londonderry survive.
Where to find Electoral Registers for Northern IrelandWhere to find Electoral Registers for Northern Ireland
Electoral registers are held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) with copies also available at local libraries and archives. More recent electoral registers are held by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI).
Eligibility to VoteEligibility to Vote
As with most countries, initially the qualifications to vote were very strict allowing only wealthy males to vote before conditions the were relaxed and enabled a greater majority of the population to vote. In Ireland there were also relgious restrictions. Between 1727 and 1793 only Protestants with a freehold worth at least 40 shillings annually were qualified to vote. The vote was extended to Roman Catholics in 1793, but only those who possessed a 40-shilling freehold.
With the introduction of the Great Reform Act of 1832, the eligibility to vote followed the same pattern as the rest of the United Kingdom. From 1832 around 15% of the male population could vote, based on property ownership. The Second and Third Reform Acts of 1867 and 1884 further widended the voting criteria until around two-thirds of males could vote. Further change came with the Representation of the People Act in 1918 which granted the vote to all men aged 21 and over and women over 30 (if they met certain property qualifications). The Representation of the People Act of 1928 gave equal voting rights to women, removing the previous property qualification and lowering the age to 21. The voting age was further lowered for both sexes to 18 following the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) of 1969.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about electoral registers in Northern IrelandExplore more about electoral registers in Northern Ireland
- United Kingdom - Census & Voter Lists record collection at MyHeritage
- Electoral Registers/Poll Books/Freeholder Lists for Ireland at Genguide
- Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI)
- Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
References
- ↑ Researching your ancestors from Great Britain and Ireland. State Library Victoria