Search Leicestershire Electoral Registers 1836-1970

You will find information including -

First name

Last name

Year

Address

District

Electoral registers are a vital resource for genealogists tracing family histories in the 19th and 20th centuries. Compiled annually to record those eligible to vote, they list individuals by name and address, offering a year-by-year snapshot of where people lived between census years.

For researchers, electoral registers help track family movements, confirm addresses, and identify neighbours or extended relatives living nearby. They can reveal when someone reached voting age, moved house, or disappeared from a record, suggesting migration or death.

Because they were produced more frequently than censuses and survive well into the modern period, electoral registers often bridge gaps in the historical record, particularly useful after 1911 and during wartime years when other sources are limited. For urban ancestors, in particular, they provide one of the most reliable ways to reconstruct lives, households, and communities over time.

Leicestershire, located in the heart of England, has a history stretching back thousands of years. Archaeological finds show evidence of prehistoric settlement, with Iron Age hillforts such as Burrough Hill and Beacon Hill marking early centres of activity. The area later became part of Roman Britain, with the town of Ratae Corieltavorum (modern Leicester) serving as an important regional hub on the Fosse Way. Roman Leicester had public baths, temples, and a forum — signs of a thriving provincial town.

After the Romans withdrew, the Anglo-Saxons established settlements across the fertile Midlands, and Leicester became a key centre in the Kingdom of Mercia. By the 9th century, it was one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw, a major Viking stronghold until its reconquest by the English under Edward the Elder. The name “Leicestershire” itself derives from this period, meaning “the shire of Leicester.”

During the Middle Ages, Leicestershire prospered as a centre of agriculture and the wool trade. The powerful Earl of Leicester, most famously Simon de Montfort, played a major role in national politics — de Montfort’s 1265 parliament is often regarded as a forerunner of the modern House of Commons. The county’s market towns, including Loughborough, Market Harborough, and Melton Mowbray, grew around trade and farming.

In 1485, Leicestershire found itself at the heart of national history when the Battle of Bosworth Field took place near Market Bosworth — the decisive clash of the Wars of the Roses, where King Richard III was killed and the Tudor dynasty began. Richard’s remains were rediscovered in Leicester in 2012 and reinterred in Leicester Cathedral, sparking renewed global interest in the county’s past.

The Industrial Revolution transformed Leicestershire in the 18th and 19th centuries. Leicester, Loughborough, and Hinckley became centres of hosiery, textiles, and footwear production, while the Grand Union Canal and later the railways linked the county to major markets. Industrial prosperity led to urban growth and a proud tradition of social reform and nonconformist religion.

In the 20th century, Leicestershire continued to evolve — expanding its industries, becoming home to new immigrant communities, and developing strong institutions such as Leicester University. Today, the county blends its rural and industrial heritage: from the rolling Charnwood Forest and market towns to the multicultural vibrancy of Leicester city, it remains a microcosm of English history — ancient, diverse, and ever adapting.