North Yorkshire & Durham electoral rolls

[James18]

Does anyone know if any North Yorkshire and Durham electoral rolls for the 1940s-1960s exist online anywhere? Specifically, I am interested in the Richmond, Middlesboro' and Darlington areas.

Thanks.

[kiterunner]

I don't think so, James.

[James18]

That's a shame. I really want to find where my grandad lived. :(

Oh well, thanks again Kate.

[Merry]

You could try contacting the local main libraries as they may hold the local erolls. Might your granddad have been on the 'phone? You could try the British Phone Books on Ancestry if you can make the search work!

[James18]

Already checked the new BT phone records on Ancestry, Merry. My mum says she remembers they got a phone when she was quite young, but I haven't been able to find them in the phone book for the relevant years. I asked about this in the phone book records thread, but one or two of the years I am after don't appear to have been uploaded yet.

I'll try a library, that's a good idea. I wonder if there are any forum users in Richmond I could ask, though?

I don't know when they moved from Richmond to Darlington but I know they were still there in the mid-late 40s.

I think it very unlikely they had a phone at all in Richmond. They would have been unusual/expensive back then, and I know my grandfather's siblings in Reading never had a phone at the old family home.

[James18]

I have no idea what address to look for (in Richmond) and I can't think any relatives still alive would remember, which is why I was after electoral roll data.

I've got a photo of the front door/porch but it's pretty bad quality and there isn't a house name or number available. The only other photos I have are of a stone wall at the back, with some family members in front of it.

[Merry]

I have no idea what address to look for (in Richmond) and I can't think any relatives still alive would remember, which is why I was after electoral roll data.

But you would need an address to look at the electoral rolls as they will be in alphabetical street order within each electoral ward.

[James18]

:O

Oh no. I thought I could just search by name? :(

[Merry]

That's where phone books help!

Also sometimes there are street directories available that can help you. For instance, for Southampton there are Kelly's Street Directories available online for dates up to 1970 and include alphabetical street listings and alphabetical lists of householders, so presumably other major towns and cities may have Kelly's up to a similar date.

[James18]

I've used Kelly's Directory for Reading to find Eighteen relatives, as a lot of them were listed there back in the days when they had fish shops and the like.

My grandfather never had his own business; he was in the Army and then became a brewery rep, which he did until he retired shortly before his death. I really do not think he would be listed in a Kelly's, but of course I may well be wrong. I was hoping I'd be able to find him in one of the BT phone records, but no luck so far. :(

I'm not sure what to do about Richmond, then. I really don't have anything to go on, but I know that's where they lived at some point in the 50s. I know the address they lived at in Darlington, and in fact I've been up the street, but I've yet to see it listed in a phone book.

[Uncle John]

I keep getting emails from Durham Records Office about new and amended collections. You could email them at [email protected] to see if they can help.

[Merry]

I really do not think he would be listed in a Kelly's, but of course I may well be wrong.

Well, as I said, for Southampton there are alphabetical lists of householders, not just traders. See here:

http://www.plimsoll.org/southampton/streetdirectories/

[James18]

Any idea if / where there would be such a directory for Richmond, Yorks c1950?

[Merry]

Ask the library, or check their website!

[James18]

To my great surprise, one of my mum's older cousins not only remembers the house in Richmond, but has been back to visit since. It's a guest house now, and he gave me the address to look up on Google street view.

I've also managed to solve another little mystery regarding the address of a house I have a photo of my grandparents standing outside. I thought it was the house in Richmond (hence I wanted to find the address) but it's actually the house in Glasgow my grandmother was born in. The remarkable thing is how similar the houses down that road still look after 70 years, which thankfully made confirming the match quite easy.