Description:The Sutherland Papers include printed poll books for the elections at Newcastle-under-Lyme in the early 1790s. A document entitled ‘A Copy of the Poll taken at the Borough of Newcastle-Under-Lyme in the County of Stafford, at the Election of Members to Represent the Said Borough in Parliament’ states that the Poll for the 1790 election ran from Friday 18th June until Saturday 26th June 1790.
The printed poll books list the names of voters alphabetically, providing their occupation and stating which candidates they voted for in the election. Handwritten notes in the book indicate which votes were rejected when Fletcher and Kynnersley demanded a scrutiny of the votes by the Returning Officer after the result of the poll was announced.
The poll books are extremely valuable resources for telling us about the composition of the electorate in Newcastle in the early 1790s. The books are useful family history resources, naming men who had the right to vote and detailing their occupation. The poll books also reflect the public nature of voting in the late eighteenth century with votes being recorded publicly for the scrutiny of the Returning Officer.
Click on the images on the left to learn more about the poll books.