Absent Voters 1918

The following is an important resource for those researching their (local)  family’s role in the First World War.

It lists all those who were not in the parish in 1918 but were still believed to be alive* at the time along with useful notes.

* Note that in some instances the men involved had been killed but no notification yet received. Some notes are not also necesarily accurate. eg  Adams JR may well have been separated from his batallion in the confusion of war.

Background: The Representation of the People Act 1918 allowed ‘absent voters’, that is those away from their home constituency, the opportunity for the first time to vote, generally postally or by proxy, provided their details had been given to the civil registration officers. The “Absent Voters’ Lists” (AVLs) compiled from this information are therefore and extension of  the local electoral rolls.  The first AVLs were published in the Autumn of 1918, the election itself was held on the 14th December 1918, and an updated series of AVLs were published in the spring of 1919. 1918 was the last year of the Great War, and the AVLs provide a most useful identification reference for local men aged 19 or over serving in the armed forces away from home. (Note: the normal voting age was 21 for civilian men)

 

 Link to Absent Voters Alnwick here

(Courtesy fusilier.co.uk)