Norfolk: Great Yarmouth Voting Registers

Great Yarmouth returned two members (also known as burgesses) to parliament. To vote before 1832 one had to be a freemen of the Borough.

Following the Reform Act in 1832 the number of voters was estimated at :- 1063 Freemen, 492 £10 house holders in Yarmouth, and 144 £10 house holders in Gorleston in all totalling 1,699.

The following is a list of poll books and election registers. The description is followed by publishing information where known and links to transcriptions.

• 1754 - [896 voters].
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 18th Apr 1754
    [Yarmouth?: Richard Fuller & William Browne, 1754]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
• 1774
• 1777
  • The poll for a member to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on taken 11th June 1777
    [Norwich: W.Chase, 1777]
• 1790
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 18th June 1790
    [Yarmouth: Downes and March, 1790]
• 1795
  • The poll for a member to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on Friday 29th May 1795
    [Yarmouth: J.D.Downes, 1795]
• 1796
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 26th Oct 1796
    [Yarmouth: J.D.Downes, 1796]
• 1797
  • The poll for two? members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on _? 1797
    [Yarmouth?: T.Foster, 1797]
• 1807
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 8th & 9th May 1807
    [Yarmouth: P.Forster, 1807]
    [Yarmouth: J.Keymer(of Old Broad Row), 1807]
  • A list of Freemen who did not vote at the General Election in May 1807
    [Manuscript sm.4to]
• 1812
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 6th Oct 1812
    [Yarmouth: J. Keymer, 1812]
• 1818
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 17/18/19th June 1818
    [Yarmouth: Ch. Sloman, Jun., 1818]
• 1820
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 7-11th March 1820
    [Yarmouth: J. Barnes, 1820]
• 1826
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 9th & 10th June 1826
    [Yarmouth: J.Barnes(Regent Street) & W.Meggy(Quay), 1826]
• 1830
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on Friday and Saturday, 30th and 31st of July, 1830: with the candidates addresses, squibs, songs, &c.
    [Great Yarmouth: J.Barnes, 1830]
    [Yarmouth: W.Meggy, 1830]
• 1831
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 29/30th Apr
    [Yarmouth: W.Meggy, 1831]
• 1832
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 10/11th Dec
    [Yarmouth: W.Meggy, 1832]
    [Yarmouth: J.Barnes, 1832]
• 1835
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 6/7th Jan
    [Yarmouth: C.Sloman and B.Gooch, 1835]
• 1837
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 25th July 1837
    [Yarmouth: J.M.Denew, 1837]
  • The poll of the Freeholders registered in Great Yarmouth, for two Knights of the Shire for the Eastern division of Norfolk taken 8th & 9th Aug 1837.
    [Yarmouth: J.M.Denew, 1837]
• 1838
  • The poll for a member to serve in parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on Thursday, the 23rd day of August, 1838: candidates; William Wilshere, Esq., Thomas Baring, Esq.
    [Yarmouth: J.M.Denew, 1838]
• 1841
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 29th June 1841
    [Yarmouth: J.M.Denew, 1841]
• 1847
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 29th July 1847
    [Yarmouth: Sloman, 1847]
• 1848 - Freemen voting stopped.
  • The poll for two? members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on taken 8th July 1848
    [Yarmouth: Sloman, 1848]
    [Yarmouth: C.Barber, 1848]
• 1852
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 8th July
    [Yarmouth: J.Cooper, 1852]
    [Yarmouth: L.A.Meall, 1852]
• 1857
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 28th March,1857
    [Yarmouth: L.A.Meall, 1857]
• 1859
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 29th Apr 1859
    [Yarmouth: J.Cooper, 1859]
    [Bibliopolis CD Books, 2005]
• 1865
• 1867
  • Borough of Great Yarmouth was disenfranchised (ie. lost its right) to send members to Parliament.
• 1885-1913
  • County Electoral Registers
• post 1914
  • There are many Electoral Registers after this date.

Online Copies

Online images of Great Yarmouth Voting registers from 1832 to 1915 are available at the

• LDS familysearch website (European records)

1. Go down the "Historical Record Collections"
2. Select Title - "England, Norfolk Register of Electors, 1844-1952"
3. Select "Browse through xxx images"
4. Under County pick - "Norfolk"
5. Under Division pick - "Yarmouth"
6. Select required election.

Notes

• 1. Norfolk Record Office Information Leaflet 22 is entitled The Freedom of the Borough of Great Yarmouth.

See also the main Voting page and the Great Yarmouth pages (which includes a book listing freemen).

Copyright © Mike Bristow.
April 2011