Electoral registers include all people who could vote in parliamentary elections.
Burgess rolls include people who could only vote in county borough elections.
Electoral registers and Burgess rolls can be useful for finding previous residents at an address.
Burgess rolls held at Oldham Local Studies and Archives:
Oldham 1850-1870
Oldham Borough including Chadderton, Crompton and Royton 1851
Electoral registers held at Oldham Local Studies and Archives:
Crompton & Royton 1973-1983
Chadderton & Lees 1949-1959, 1961-63, 1966-1972
Failsworth 1896-1903, 1906, 1909-10 1913, 1934, 1937, 1956-1983
Oldham borough including Chadderton, Crompton and Royton 1851
Oldham (including Lees,Crompton, Chadderton and Royton) 1870-1915
Oldham 1915-1939, 1945-1984
OIdham Metropolitan Borough (including Lees, Chadderton, Crompton, Royton, Failsworth, Saddleworth) 1984 to present day.
Saddleworth 1861 (New Delph only), 1885, 1973-1983
Not all electoral registers covering Failsworth, Chadderton, Crompton, Oldham, Royton and Saddleworth have survived.
Electoral registers held at West Yorkshire Archive Service
Saddleworth 1920-1973
Electoral registers held by Lancashire Record Office:
Heywood and Royton (including Crompton) 1949-1974 Incomplete run
Middleton and Prestwich (including Chadderton) 1934-1946 Incomplete run
Mossley (including Lees and Failsworth) 1934-1946 Incomplete run
Royton (including Crompton) 1934-1946 Incomplete run
Proof of ID will be required.
Maps - includes list of maps that show constituencies/wards/districts held at Oldham Local Studies and Archives.
Not everyone has been eligible to vote in the past.
| 1832 | Boroughs | The traditional Franchise of each borough with the addition of householders (whether owners or tenants) of property assessed as worth £10 a year. |
|---|---|---|
| Counties outside Boroughs | Freeholders with property worth 40s a year. Copyholders renting property at £10 a year. £10 leaseholders with at least 60 year leases. £50 leaseholders with at least 20 year leases. Any tenant paying more than £50 a year. | |
| i.e. 1 man in 7 had the vote - richer industrialists, merchants & substantial farmers. | ||
| 1867 | Boroughs | Every adult male householder resident for a year and heads of families lodging in unfurnished rooms paying £10 a year in rent. |
| Counties | Any owner or leaseholder of property rated at £5 a year, or tenant of a property rated at £12 a year. | |
| i.e. Most working men in towns and cities but excluding rural labourers (i.e. 1 man in 3). | ||
| 1869 | Some women received a vote in local elections | |
| 1884 | Boroughs | No change |
| Counties | Same voting qualifications as granted to the Borough in 1867 | |
| i.e. 2 men in 3. Most rural labourers now have the vote. Still excluded were heads of householders who shared houses, adult males living with parent(s), soldiers in barracks and women. | ||
| 1918 | All males over 21. Women over 30 who were householders or wives of householders (6 women in 10) | |
| 1928 | Every resident or owner over 21 (97% of adult population) | |
| 1969 | Everybody over 18 | |