An interesting aspect of family history research is fitting historic events around people’s lives. I’m not necessarily talking about whether Zachariah Burrows fought at the Battle of Waterloo, more social history.
For example my grandfathers, born in the 1890s, could have had a bicycle, but their mothers and fathers would not; Margaret’s father (born in 1911) witnessed the end of horse-power in agriculture and the advent of tractors powered by internal combustion.
My great, great grandfathers would have seen the building of the railways and my grandfathers would have (in one case) seen heavier-than-air flight progress from birds, to the Wright Brothers to the Moon landings. Sometimes it's more subtle than that. If I'd told my grandfather I was on Cloud Nine this morning, he would have wondered what I was on about. Cloud Nine didn't come into use until after the classification of clouds in 1895 and Cloud Nine in the classification was the Cumulonimbus - the biggest and highest cloud of them all.
A good marker of progress in social history is the right to vote and it’s interesting to consider which of my ancestors would have been able to vote and which would not. The general view of people today is that men have always been able to vote and that women won the vote after the First World War.
Truth is that prior to 1918 only 24 per cent of the adult population were able to vote and the Representation of the People Act of that year was as important in enfranchising men as it was historic in allowing women to vote for the first time, albeit not on an equal footing.
The voting rights we enjoy today, only came into place in 1969 when all men and women over 18 got the vote.
This is a summary of how voting rights have increased across the years; I’ve inserted where the dates approximately match with the generations ...
Great, great, great grandparents
In 1800, the right to vote was based on wealth and gender (male). Fewer than three adults out of every 100 could vote. No wonder there were so many riots. It’s very unlikely my great (x3) grandparents could vote. The women were not allowed to and the men were too poor. I hope one or two of them rioted, although I’ve not found any evidence so far.
Great, great grandparents
The 1832 Reform Act extended the right to vote to certain leaseholders and householders. It meant that five adults out of every 100 could vote, but would have made no difference to my ancestors (of either sex).
Great Grandparents
The Second Reform Act (1867) further extended voting in counties and boroughs. It meant that 13 adults out of every 100 could vote, but the right to vote was still based on wealth.
In 1872, the Secret Ballot Act introduced voting by secret ballot, but it’s very unlikely any of my ancestors were able to place a cross anywhere.
In 1884, the Representation of the People Act passed Parliament. It meant that any male occupying land or property with an annual rateable value of £10 could vote. Now 24 adults out of every 100 could vote. Again, I doubt it made any diffence to my great grandfathers and none whatsoever to my great grandmothers, of course.
Grandparents
After the end of the First World War, the 1918 Representation of the People Act saw all males over the age of 21 given the vote. Women over 30 could also vote. Women could sit in the House of Commons as MPs. Seventy-five adults out of every 100 could vote - my grandfathers might have voted for Asquith or Lloyd-George, but my grandmothers wouldn’t have been old enough.
Parents and Grandparents
Finally, in 1928 the Representation of the People Act meant uniform voting rights were extended to all men and women over the age of 21. Now 99 adults out of every 100 could vote. My parents were the first generation among my ancestors where all men and women would be able to vote.
My generation
The 1969 Representation of the People Act reduced the voting age to 18 for all men and women. It meant that I was able to vote (at the age of 20) in the first general election of 1974 which resulted in a hung parliament and the Lib-Lab pact. Harold Wilson called another general election later in the year and won a majority against Edward Heath. By that time I was 21 and would have been of voting age, but thanks to the 1969 act, I got two votes in that year.
We weren’t quite finished with electoral reform. In the 1985 Representation of the People Act, voters who, at the time of an election, were abroad, either working or on holiday, could apply for a postal vote; and the 2000 Representation of the People Act introduced changes to electoral registration and extended postal vote provisions.
For convenience, I now use a postal vote in all elections.
For example my grandfathers, born in the 1890s, could have had a bicycle, but their mothers and fathers would not; Margaret’s father (born in 1911) witnessed the end of horse-power in agriculture and the advent of tractors powered by internal combustion.
My great, great grandfathers would have seen the building of the railways and my grandfathers would have (in one case) seen heavier-than-air flight progress from birds, to the Wright Brothers to the Moon landings. Sometimes it's more subtle than that. If I'd told my grandfather I was on Cloud Nine this morning, he would have wondered what I was on about. Cloud Nine didn't come into use until after the classification of clouds in 1895 and Cloud Nine in the classification was the Cumulonimbus - the biggest and highest cloud of them all.
A good marker of progress in social history is the right to vote and it’s interesting to consider which of my ancestors would have been able to vote and which would not. The general view of people today is that men have always been able to vote and that women won the vote after the First World War.
Truth is that prior to 1918 only 24 per cent of the adult population were able to vote and the Representation of the People Act of that year was as important in enfranchising men as it was historic in allowing women to vote for the first time, albeit not on an equal footing.
The voting rights we enjoy today, only came into place in 1969 when all men and women over 18 got the vote.
This is a summary of how voting rights have increased across the years; I’ve inserted where the dates approximately match with the generations ...
Great, great, great grandparents
In 1800, the right to vote was based on wealth and gender (male). Fewer than three adults out of every 100 could vote. No wonder there were so many riots. It’s very unlikely my great (x3) grandparents could vote. The women were not allowed to and the men were too poor. I hope one or two of them rioted, although I’ve not found any evidence so far.
Great, great grandparents
The 1832 Reform Act extended the right to vote to certain leaseholders and householders. It meant that five adults out of every 100 could vote, but would have made no difference to my ancestors (of either sex).
Great Grandparents
The Second Reform Act (1867) further extended voting in counties and boroughs. It meant that 13 adults out of every 100 could vote, but the right to vote was still based on wealth.
In 1872, the Secret Ballot Act introduced voting by secret ballot, but it’s very unlikely any of my ancestors were able to place a cross anywhere.
In 1884, the Representation of the People Act passed Parliament. It meant that any male occupying land or property with an annual rateable value of £10 could vote. Now 24 adults out of every 100 could vote. Again, I doubt it made any diffence to my great grandfathers and none whatsoever to my great grandmothers, of course.
Grandparents
After the end of the First World War, the 1918 Representation of the People Act saw all males over the age of 21 given the vote. Women over 30 could also vote. Women could sit in the House of Commons as MPs. Seventy-five adults out of every 100 could vote - my grandfathers might have voted for Asquith or Lloyd-George, but my grandmothers wouldn’t have been old enough.
Parents and Grandparents
Finally, in 1928 the Representation of the People Act meant uniform voting rights were extended to all men and women over the age of 21. Now 99 adults out of every 100 could vote. My parents were the first generation among my ancestors where all men and women would be able to vote.
My generation
The 1969 Representation of the People Act reduced the voting age to 18 for all men and women. It meant that I was able to vote (at the age of 20) in the first general election of 1974 which resulted in a hung parliament and the Lib-Lab pact. Harold Wilson called another general election later in the year and won a majority against Edward Heath. By that time I was 21 and would have been of voting age, but thanks to the 1969 act, I got two votes in that year.
We weren’t quite finished with electoral reform. In the 1985 Representation of the People Act, voters who, at the time of an election, were abroad, either working or on holiday, could apply for a postal vote; and the 2000 Representation of the People Act introduced changes to electoral registration and extended postal vote provisions.
For convenience, I now use a postal vote in all elections.
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