Findmypast has added 32 million names, spanning 1910-1919, to its collection, England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1910-1932, making this its biggest release this year.
The electoral registers are lists created annually of people who are eligible to vote and include their reason for eligibility, such as their residence or ownership of a property.
As the collection title indicates, the entire indexed collection covers 1910-1932, making it a valuable census substitute. This record set currently holds records for 1910-1931 and a smaller number of records for 1932.
Knowing my great-grandfather, George Jones, left England for Toronto in 1912, I looked for him in the 1910 and 1911 registers.
Usually, trying to find a Jones can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, but in the small town of Rettendon in Essex where he lived, it’s rather easy. I also knew, from the 1911 census that my great-grandparents lived on Woodham road.
In the list of electors, I didn’t learn much beyond what I already knew about my great-grandfather, but I did discover his cottage was near Vale farm. So, now the challenge is to find out if a detailed map of the town exists that shows where the farm was located.
All in all, a good collection to search.
Findmypast’s next big release will be the 1921 Census of England and Wales in early 2022.
