Too Young To Vote

[AudreyF]

Since the London Electoral Registers 1847 - 1965 came on line I've been re-visiting some of my earlier research on fairly recent ancestors. My grandmother (Alice Toombs) married John Ager in 1922. They had three children: 1922, 1923 and 1928. John died in 1928. I've found John and Alice in the register at their home (in Lewisham) through various years starting 1924. After 1928 John is, obviously, not listed and Alice appears alone in the household. Then, in 1931 she is listed at the same address with her three children: John Charles, Irene Betty and Joan Elizabeth. John Charles was my father and born in 1922 so only nine years old in 1931. His two sisters were younger. Why are they listed in the register - they weren't voters? Tracking through the years Alice appears alone again in 1932, 1933, 1935 and 1937 so was this some sort of administrative 'cock up' from Alice's confusion filling the form in?

Audrey

[Peter Goodey]

On a quiet news day, the popular press still enjoys reporting that "Tibbles the Cat" or something similar is in the electoral register. Cock up seems likely

[AudreyF]

Yes - I wonder if Alice confused the form with the census forms and thought she had to list everyone in the household!