Wales, Monmouthshire Electoral Registers 1832-1889 Image Browse

Explore the Monmouthshire electoral rolls through Findmypast’s browse search format. Search the registers by year or constituency. The format of each register can vary depending on the constituency or the year of the register. Each register page will display the following facts about your ancestor:

• Name

• Abode

• Property - whether it was land, a freehold, a farm, a house, or a rental

• Location of property – for example, near the church, near the cross, on the far hill, etc.

• If the property was known by any other name – for example, Holly Burch farm, Green Court farm, etc.

Electoral registers are lists of people eligible to vote. After the Representation of the People Act 1832, the right to vote was extended to those who were paying at least £50 a year in rent. Then in 1867, voting rights were extended to all male ratepayers in boroughs. This was extended again, in 1884, to give all rural ratepayers the right to vote. Finally, in 1918, the right to vote was given to all men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30, regardless of property ownership or tenancy. Equal voting rights for women came in 1928.

Electoral registers are a powerful resource for family historians. With the registers, you can trace your ancestor every year and fill in those missing years between census records. In addition to adding information to your family tree, you can also trace the history of your home.

The records can be organised by the different constituencies: Monmouthshire; Monmouthshire, Northern Division; Monmouthshire, Southern Division; and Monmouthshire, Western Division. Each transcript will explain if the register was for parliamentary elections or county council elections. The earlier registers from 1832 are handwritten. These early registers are not available in Findmypast’s complimentary record set Wales, Monmouthshire electoral registers 1839-1889.