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)
• 1756
  • Charles Townshend beat Richard Fuller - No known list of voters.
• 1761
  • Charles Townshend and Sir Edward Walpole elected unopposed.
• 1765
  • Charles Townshend elected unopposed.
• 1768
  • Election - Charles Townshend and Richard Walpole elected unopposed.
• 1770
  • Charles Townshend elected unopposed.
• 1774
  • Charles Townshend and Richard Walpole beat William Beckford and Sir Charles Saunders
• 1777 - [701+ voters]
  • 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]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
• 1780
  • Charles Townshend and Richard Walpole elected unopposed.
• 1783
  • Charles Townshend elected unopposed.
• 1784
  • Sir John Jervios and Henry Beaufoy elected unopposed.
• 1790 - [712 voters]
  • 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]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
• 1795 - [829 voters]
  • 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]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
• 1796
  • 25th May - Lord Charles Townshend and Stephens Howe elected unopposed.
• 1796 - [975 voters]
  • 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]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
• 1802
  • Sir Thomas Troubridge, Bt. and Thomas Jervis elected unopposed.
• 1806
  • Hon. Edward Harbord and Stephen Lushington elected unopposed.
• 1807
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 8th & 9th May 1807 - [c.951 voters]
    • [Yarmouth: P.Forster, 1807]
              (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
    • [Yarmouth: J.Keymer (of Old Broad Row), 1807]
              (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
  • A list of Freemen who did not vote at the General Election in May 1807
    [Manuscript sm.4to]
• 1808
  • 25th June - Giffin Wilson elected unopposed on retirement of Mr Lushington.
• 1812 - [740 voters]
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 6th Oct 1812
    [Yarmouth: J. Keymer, 1812]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships)
• 1818 - [1408 voters]
  • 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]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations & Residences)
• 1819
  • 11th Feb - The Hon. George Anson replaced his brother Thomas when he became "Lord Anson".
• 1820 - [1411 voters]
  • 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]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations & Residences)
• 1826 - [893+ voters]
  • 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]
            (Transcription - Voters names, Occupations & Residences)
• 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 December.
    • [Yarmouth: J. Barnes, 1832]
    • [Yarmouth: W. Meggy, 1832]
• 1832-3
  • Register of electors online at :- Familysearch
• 1833
  • The register of electors for any election which may take place, for members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, between 1/Nov/1833 and 1/Nov/1834.
    • [Yarmouth: -Unknown-, 1833]
      Online images available at :- Familysearch
• 1834
  • The register of electors for any election which may take place, for members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, between 1/Nov/1834 and 1/Nov/1835.
    • [Yarmouth: -Unknown-, 1834]
      Online images available at :- Familysearch
• 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]
  • The register of electors for any election which may take place, for members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, between 1/Nov/1835 and 1/Nov/1836
    • Online images available at :- Familysearch
• 1836
  • The register of electors for any election which may take place, for members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, between 1/Nov/1836 and 1/Nov/1837.
    • [Yarmouth: -Unknown-, 1836]
      Online images available at :- Familysearch
• 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 only, for two Knights of the Shire for the Eastern division of Norfolk taken 8th & 9th Aug 1837.
    [Yarmouth: J.M. Denew, 1837]
  • Registers of electors online at :- Familysearch
• 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]
• 1843 [-]/1844 [Gooch]/1846 [Gooch]/1847 [Gooch]
  - Register of electors online at :- Familysearch
• 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]
• 1848 [Gooch and Son]/1849 [C. Barber]/1850 [Charles Sloman]
  - Registers of electors online at :- Familysearch
• 1851 [John Cooper]/1852 [John Cooper]
  - Registers of electors online at :- Familysearch
• 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]
• 1853 [John Cooper]/1855 [John Cooper]/1856 [J. Cooper]
  - Register of electors online at :- Familysearch
• 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]
• 1858 [John Cooper]/1859 [J. Cooper]
  - Register of electors online at :- Familysearch
• 1859
  • The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 29th Apr 1859
    [Yarmouth: John Cooper (Market Place), 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 some Norfolk Voting registers are available at the

• LDS familysearch website (UK+Ireland records section)

1. Go down the "Historical Record Collections"
2. Select Title - "England, Norfolk Register of Electors..."
3. Select "Browse through xxx images"
4. Under County pick - "Norfolk"
5. Under Division pick either :-
   • 1. "xxx Division" - see list of elections in Norfolk. Note that the vote history page describes the areas covered by each division.
   • 2. "Norwich" or "Yarmouth" as required.
6. Select required election.

Notes

• 1. Norfolk Record Office Information Leaflet 22 (follow link to "Local authorities: City and Boroughs" and then see "Great Yarmouth Borough Section") is entitled The Freedom of the Borough of Great Yarmouth.
• 2. For other election results etc. do a search for "Great Yarmouth" at History of Parliament site.
• 3. People from "Great Yarmouth" also voted in the county elections.

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

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Copyright © Mike Bristow.
July 2012