Parliamentary Voters (1915)

Post date: Jan 23, 2016 4:29:19 PM

In Kent archives, Maidstone.

The Parliamentary electoral register in force at the outbreak of the First World War continued but all local elections were postponed and registration ceased in July 1915. In January 1916 the Parliament and Registration Act 1916 made provision for the extension of Parliament- Parliament would have had to been dissolved at the beginning of February had no provision been made to extend its life. There was little demand for a general election but the wartime coalition was initially fragile and a general election continued to be a real possibility. This focused attention on electoral registration. The electoral register was becoming increasingly out of date and if a new register was to be prepared only about 50% of electors would be able to register because of war work taking them away from their homes. Many soldiers would be also disenfranchised because they were absent from home.

See Notes at bottom of this page for comments on Wateringbury part of 1915 register.

MEDWAY PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION OF KENT

MEREWORTH POLLING DISTRICT (W)

PARISH OF WATERINGBURY

Parliamentary Voters and Parochial Electors-Ownership Voters, 1915

Number

289

290

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

302

Name of each voter at full length the surname being first

Blest, William Wigram

Boorman, Henry

Boorman, William

Brocklebank, Thomas

Cook, Edwin Berkeley

Fremlin, Richard Henry

Hawes, William James

Jude, William

Leney, Augustus

Livett, Greville Maris, The Rev.

Rousseau, Albert Philemon

Taylor, William

White Henry

White, Herbert

PLACE OF ABODE

Broomscroft, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Old Road, Wateringbury

1 Broad street, St. Paul's, Canterbury

Wateringbury Place, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge, London, S.W.

May Lodge, Wateringbury

Warden House, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Gransden, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Orpines, Wateringbury, Maidstone

The Vicarage, Wateringbury

Little Canon, Wateringbury, Maidstone

26, Northcote road, Tonbridge

The Lodge, Wateringbury, Maidstone

110, Tonbridge Road, Maidstone

NATURE OF QUALIFICATION

Freehold house, buildings and land

Freehold houses (share of)

Freehold house

Freehold house and land

Freehold benefice

Freehold house, buildings and land

Share of freehold houses

Freehold house

Freehold land

Description of Qualifying Property

Broomscroft, Canon Lane

Old Road

Wateringbury Place

Manor Farm

May Lodge

Bow Road

Gransden

Orpines

The Vicarage

Little Canon

1 and 3 High street, Wateringbury

The Lodge

Poisonwell

W.B. PROSSER,

Clerk of the County Council

MEREWORTH DISTRICT (W)-PARISH OF WATERINGBURY

DIVISION II Parliamentary Voters and Parochial Electors-Occupation Voters

NONE

W.B. PROSSER,

Clerk of the County Council

Parliamentary Voters and Parochial Electors-Lodger Voters

Number

303

304

305

306

307

308

309

310

311

312

313

314

315

316

317

318

319

320

Name of each voter at full length the surname being first

Adams, Henry

Baker, Victor Edward

Benfield, George Nettleton

Bodkin, Henry

Curd, Henry

French, Sydney Victor

Gibbs, Edmund

Head, William Charles

Holder, Frederick

Hook, David

Jukes, Frederick

Leney, Frederick Barcham

Levett, John

Pellatt, William George

Shepherd, George

Shepherd, Ernest

Smith, Leonard

Smith, Tom

Description of rooms occupied, and whether furnished or not

One room, first floor, furnished

Street, lane or other place and number(if any) of house in which lodgings are situate

Old Road, Wateringbury

The street, Wateringbury

Tonbridge road, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Near Duke's Head, Wateringbury

New road, Wateringbury, Maidstone

The Limes, Bow road, Waterinbury

Old Road, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Red hill, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Poisonwell, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Orpines, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury, Kent

Near North Pole

Old road, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Mill Cottages, Wateringbury

The Street, Wateringbury, Maidstone

Name and Address of Landlord or other person to whom rent is paid

William Adams, Old road, Wateringbury

Amos Baker, The street, Wateringbury

Mrs Benfield, Tonbridge road, Wateringbury

Mrs. Sales, Near duke's Head, Wateringbury

Harriet Curd, Wateringbury

Richard French, The Limes, Bow road, Wateringbury

Edmund Gibbs, Old road, Wateringbury

Mrs. Head, Old road, Wateringbury

Mrs. Baker, Red hill, Wateringbury

Mrs. Hook, Old road, Wateringbury

Mrs A. Jukes, Poisonwell

A. Leney, Orpines, Waterigbury

H.Levett, Poisonwell, Wateringbury

William George Pellatt, sen., Wateringbury

Mrs. Shepherd, Old road

Mrs. Smith, Mill cottages, Wateringbury

Mrs. smith, The street, Wateringbury

One room, first floor, furnished

Furnished

One room, first floor, furnished

One bedroom, first floor, furnished

One room, first floor, furnished

One room, furnished, first floor back

One room, ground floor, furnished

One room, first floor, furnished

One bedroom, top floor, furnished

Bedroom on top floor, furnished

One room, first floor, furnished

One bedroom and sitting room, first floor, furnished

Back bedroom, first floor, furnished

One room, first floor, furnished

W.B. PROSSER,

Clerk of the County Council

Number

321

322

323

324

325

326

327

328

329

330

331

332

333

334

335

336

337

338

339

Name of each voter at full length the surname being first

Acott, Charles

Adams, William

Addley, Charles

Anderson, Henry

Ashbee, Percy

Baker, Amos

Baker, Amos Bradbury

Ballard, James

Bannister, Ernest Alfred

Barnden, John

Bell, James

Bellingham, William

Benfield, Charles Brown

Bingham, George

Bish, Thomas

Bordessa, Peter

Bowers, Sydney

Bowles, Thomas

Place of abode

Fuller's Corner, Wateringbury

Latter's buildings

11, Bow Terrace

Old road, Wateringbury

The limes, Wateringbury

The street, Wateringbury

The cross, Wateringbury

Vicarage cottages, Wateringbury

Red house, Wateringbury

Red hill, Wateringbury

Poisonwell , Wateringbury

East Malling road , Wateringbury

Vine house, Wateringbury

Red hill, Wateringbury

Latter's buildings, Wateringbury

Near Duke's Head, Wateringbury

The beck, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury

Broomscroft cottages

NATURE OF QUALIFICATION

Dwelling house

Description of Qualifying Property

Fuller's corner

Latter's buildings

Bow terrace

Old road

The Limes

The street

The cross

Vicarage cottages

Red house

Red hill

Poisonwell

East Malling road

Vine house

Red hill

Latter's buildings

Near Duke's Head

The beck

Old road

Broomscroft

Bowles, Thomas

340

341

342

343

344

345

346

347

348

349

350

351

352

353

354

355

356

357

358

359

Brooker, Joseph

Brooker, William

Brooks, Arthur

Butcher, Stephen Thomas

Burt, Willam

Carter, William

Chambers, George

Cheeseman, George

Clark, William

Clements, George

Cole, Arthur

Cole, Aaron Thomas Francis

Collins, Frederick

Cronk, Frederick

Coomber, Edward Horace

Coppard, William

Couchman, William

Cowlard, Harry

Cowlard, William John

Poisonwell , Wateringbury

Dwelling house

Dwelling house (successive)

Dwelling house

Dwelling house (successive)

Poisonwell

Latter's buildings, Wateringbury

Latter's buildings,

East Malling road , Wateringbury

Fuller's Court, Wateringbury

Pelican farm, Wateringbury

Vicarage cottages, Wateringbury

Bow road, Wateringbury

Red hill farm, Wateringbury

Poisonwell , Wateringbury

Phoenix yard, Wateringbury

East Malling road

Fuller's corner

Pelican farm

Vicarage cottages

Bow Road

Red hill farm

Poisonwell

Phoenix yard

Latter's buildings

Old road

Mereworth and Pelican farm

Bow terrace and Red hill

Poisonwell

Red hill

Fuller's corner

Latter's buildings, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury

Pelican farm, Wateringbury

Red hill, Wateringbury

Poisonwell , Wateringbury

Red hill, Wateringbury

Fuller's corner, Wateringbury

Vicarage cottage, Wateringbury

Vicarage cottages, Wateringbury

Bow terrace and Vicarage cottages

Bow stores and Vicarage cottage

400

401

402

403

404

405

406

407

408

409

410

411

412

413

414

415

416

417

418

419

420

421

422

423

424

425

426

427

428

429

430

431

432

433

434

435

436

437

438

439

Hadlow, Stephen

Hammond, Henry

Harris, Jeremiah

Harris, John

Hatwell, James

Hawes, William James

Head, George

Head, Henry

Head, Stephen

Hodge, Henry

Hodges, George

Hodges, James Edward

Holder, Percy

Hollands, John

Hollands, William

Hook, George

Hook, Henry

Horscroft, Stephen

Huggett, Walter Charles

Hughes, Frederick

Old road, Wateringbury

Bow road, Wateringbury

The Street, Wateringbury

Prospect place, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Near the Station, Wateringbury

Dwelling house

Dwelling house (successive)

Dwelling house

Old road

Bow road

The Street

Prospect place

Poisonwell

The Mill and near the Station

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Poisonwell

3, Bow terrace, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Near North Pole, Wateringbury

The Phoenix, Wateringbury

3, Bow terrace

Poisonwell

North Pole

The Phoenix

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Poisonwell

Near North Pole, Wateringbury

Latter's buildings, Wateringbury

Canon court, Wateringbury

Manor farm, Wateringbury

Near the Mill, Wateringbury

The Hermitage, Wateringbury

Near North Pole, Wateringbury

Near North Pole

Latter's buildings

Canon court

Manor farm

Near the Mill

The Hermitage

Near North Pole

Hughes, Walter

Humphrey, George

Humphrey, Robert

Humphrey, Thomas

Hurley, Charles

James, Edward

Jukes, Henry

Kenward, William Francis

Kimber, Charles George

King, Charles

King, David

King, Frank

Kingsnorth, Edward

Kirby, James

Kirby, Walter

Lambert, Alan

Large, Albert

Latter, Frederick

Latter, Miles

Latter, William

Bow terrace, Wateringbury

Bow road, Wateringbury

14 Bow terrace, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Bow road, Wateringbury

North Pole, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury

Pelican farm, Wateringbury

Hermitage farm, Wateringbury

South View, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

The Hermitage, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury

The Limes, Wateringbury

Phoenix yard, Wateringbury

Bow road, Wateringbury

Fuller's corner, Wateringbury

Near the station, Wateringbury

Dwelling house (successive)

Dwelling house

Land

Dwelling house

Red hill and Bow terrace

Bow road

The Street

Poisonwell

Bow road

North Pole

Old road

Pelican farm

Hermitage farm

South View

Poisonwell

The Hermitage

Old road

The Limes

Phoenix yard

Bow road

Fuller's corner

Vicarage cottages and near the station

Dwelling house (successive)

480

481

482

483

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

495

496

497

498

499

500

501

502

503

504

505

506

507

508

Skinner, William

Sloman, Walter

Smith, Edgar Alfred

Smith, James

Smith, Walter William

Snelling, George

Spain, Robert

Startup, Joseph

Stevens, Henry Bingham Rev.

Stone, Thomas

Stowe, Jonathan Joshua

Tapley, Richard

Thorneycroft, William

Tompsett, George

Trowell, Charles

Underhill, James George

Wallace, Charles

Warrington, Frederick

Wellar, William

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Dwelling house

Dwelling house (successive)

Dwelling house

Poisonwell

Latter's buildings, Wateringbury

Latter's buildings

Latter's buildings, Wateringbury

Latter's buildings

The Schools, Wateringbury

Broomscoft, Watreringbury

The street, Wateringbury

1 Bow terrace, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

East Malling road, Wateringbury

The Beck, Wateringbury

The mill, Wateringbury

Thatched cottage, Wateringbury

Thorndale, Wateringbury

Red hill, Wateringbury

Broomscroft, Wateringbury

Manor farm, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Fuller's corner, Wateringbury

Cherry orchard, Wateringbury

Dwelling house (successive)

The schools

Broomscroft

The Street

1 Bow terrace

Red hill and Poisonwell

East Malling road

The Beck

The mill

Thatched cottage

Thorndale

Cook's cottages and Red hill

Broomscroft

Manor farm

Poisonwell

Fuller's corner

Cherry orchard

Dwelling house

Weller, William

Wells, George

Wells, Robert

Whibley, George

Wickham, William

Wilson, Leonard

Winter, Thomas

Woolgar, William

Wolseley, Sir George

Red hill, Wateringbury

Phoenix yard, Wateringbury

Broomscroft cottages, Wateringbury

Lower road, Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Broomscroft, Wateringbury

Red hill, Wateringbury

Fuller's corner, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury

Thatched cottage, Wateringbury

Dwelling house

Red hill

Phoenix yard

Broomscroft cottages

Lower road, Poisonwell

Broomscroft cottages

Red hill

Fuller's corner

Old road

Thatched cottage

W.B. PROSSER,

Clerk of the County Council

No.30, MALLING ELECTORAL DIVISION (2)

PARISH OF WATERINGBURY

DIVISION III.-County Electors and Parochial Electors-Occupation Voters

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

Name of each voter at full length the surname being first

PLACE OF ABODE

Red hill, Wateringbury

Broomscroft, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury

Wateringbury place

The Red House, Wateringbury

Bellvue, Wateringbury

Near "North Pole" Wateringbury

Mereworth Castle

Lime tree hill, Wateringbury

Wayside, Wateringbury

The Mount, Wateringbury

The Street, Wateringbury

Near the Station, Wateringbury

Latter's buildings, Wateringbury

The Street, Wateringbury

Shop, Wateringbury

Fernleigh, Wateringbury

Near the "Duke's Head", Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

NATURE OF QUALIFICATION

Dwelling house

Land, &.

Dwelling house

Shop

Dwelling house

Description of qualifying Property

Red hill

Broomscroft

Old road

Wateringbury place

The Red House

Bellvue

Near "North Pole"

Home farm, etc.

Lime tree hill

Wayside

The Mount

The Street

Near the Station

Latter's buildings

The Street

Near "Queen's Head"

Fernleigh

Near "Duke's Head"

Poisonwell

Baker,Eliza

Blest, William Wagram

Boorman, Henry

Boorman, William

Brocklebank, Thomas

Cater, Mary Russell

Cobb, Margaret

Cronk, Ann

Falmouth, Lord

Featherstone, John

Fremlin, Helen

Fremlin, Richard Henry

Garrett, Rose

Gibbs, Emily

Goodwin, Victoria

Harris, Minnie

Humphrey, Bert

Hutson, Jane

Jeffrey, Mary

Jessup, Jane

Jude, Willam

Jukes, Mary Ann

Keats, Ellen Bertha

Large, Alice

Large, Sarah

Leney, Augustus

Livett, Greville Mairis the Rev.

Mace, Sarah

Rousseau, Albert Philemon

Sheppard, Fanny Jane

Smith, Alice

Smith, Julia

Spice, Mary Ann

Stanford, Eliza Jane

Stannet, Thomas William

Stevens, Elizabeth

Thrift, Eliza Ann

Wells, Mary

Weedon, Maria

White, Henry

Gransdon, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

New road, Wateringbury

Gotherns, Wateringbury

Old road, Wateringbury

Orpines, Wateringbury

The vicarage, Wateringbury

Broomscroft, Wateringbury

Little Canon, Wateringbury

Forge house

Pond row, Wateringbury

The Street, Wateringbury

Poisonwell, Wateringbury

Loose road, Maidstone

Gotherns, Wateringbury

Dwelling house

Dwelling houses and land

Dwelling house

Gransdon

Poisonwell

New road

Gotherns

Old road

Orpines

The Vicarage

Broomscroft

Little Canon

Forge house

Pond row

The street

Poisonwell

Red hill

Gotherns

The Roses

Red hill

The Lodge

Gotherns, Wateringbury

The Roses, Wateringbury

red hill, wateringbury

The Lodge, Wateringbury

W.B. PROSSER,

Clerk of the County Counci

PARISH OF WATERINGBURY

Parochial Electors-Ownership Voters

W.B. PROSSER,

Clerk of the County Counci

Notes:

The right to vote in Parliamentary elections was based on the representation of the People Act 1884 (until 1918). Applied only to men of full age (i.e. over 21 years) not under legal incapacity and not receiving parochial relief in last 12 months. There was a distinction between county seats (and Wateringbury was in a county seat) and a borough. There were 3 categories of parliamentary voters totalling 220 voters (1911 census population including women and children was 1,260):

The first category, "ownership voters" were owners of freehold property worth 40s. p.a.. Copyholders and leaseholders of property worth £5 p.a. also had right to vote but in Wateringbury all 14 in this category were freeholders. There was no residency requirement and William Boorman and Edwin Cook did not live in the village.
The second category were "occupation voters" who occupy property worth more than £10 p.a. There were no such voters in Wateringbury for Division II Parliamentary Voters and Parochial Electors but they come under Division 1 - Parliamentary Voters, County Electors and Parochial Electors and form the largest category of 188 voters. There is a 12 month residency qualification but this can be met by "successive " occupation of 2 or more properties in the same county division in Wateringbury 10 of the 188 had moved in the last 12 months but met the qualification on a "successive" basis. All the properties in Wateringbury (except for Robert Humphrey's "land") which qualified "occupation voters" were dwelling houses".
The third category was "Lodgers" of which 18 were registered in Wateringbury. To be registered the lodger had to have been resident for the previous 12 months in the same house. Although furnished lodgings qualified (and all Wateringbury's lodgers were of furnished premises) the value had to be equivalent to £10 p.a. if let unfurnished. It can be noted that the majority of Wateringbury lodgers were "renting" from family members.
Women's franchise: The History of the Parliamentary Franchise RESEARCH PAPER 13/14 1 March 2013 by Neil Johnson: Between 1869 and 1884 there were almost annual debates on women’s suffrage in Parliament. These were not successful in securing the Parliamentary franchise for women but there was some advancement in local franchises. In 1869 women in England and Wales were first given the right to vote in local elections. In 1834, when enlarged poor law unions were formed, women parish ratepayers could vote to elect poor law union guardians. However, the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 denied women this right by defining the local electorate in the same terms as the Great Reform Act, by inserting the words ‘male persons’. The Municipal Franchise Act 1869 gave the vote and right to stand as poor law guardians to women ratepayers. The right of women to vote and stand for school boards followed in 1870 with the Elementary Education Act 1870. Some married women attempted to register for the local government franchise but a court case in 1872 established that the vote should only be given to single women ratepayers and not the wives and daughters of ratepayers. The courts ruled that the Municipal Franchise Act 1869 could not override the common law principle that a married woman’s rights were subsumed with those of her husband’s. Despite this restriction, by 1900 the number of women registered for the local government franchise in England was over 1 million. In Wateringbury it was 26.