A County Election in Miniature? Electing the Yorkshire Registrars of Deeds, 1704–1884

Abstract

From 1704, when the first registrar of deeds was elected for the West Riding, until 1884, when legislation changed the method of appointment, registrars of deeds for all three ridings were chosen by an open ballot of £100 freeholders, which makes these elections similar to those for Members of Parliament, albeit with a significantly higher property qualification. This article reviews the conduct of the registry elections over nearly two centuries and discusses the issues raised by the election campaigns. It describes how these positions became coveted as perquisites, because of their remuneration, often by the less affluent amongst the landed classes. It also outlines the similarities and differences which characterised these elections in comparison to their parliamentary counterparts.

Keywords:

• Yorkshire
• parliamentary elections
• registry of deeds
• West Riding
• North Riding
• East Riding
• quarter sessions
• poll

The quotations in this article from the Wentworth Woodhouse Papers are reproduced with permission from The Milton (Peterborough) Estates Co. and the Director of Culture, Sheffield City Council.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brian Barber

Brian Barber was awarded the John Nichols Prize in English Local History by the University of Leicester, and holds a doctorate from the University of Leeds where he was a research student of the late Professor Maurice Beresford. For three decades he was employed as an archivist in several Yorkshire record offices and in retirement is researching subjects of interest which arose from his work in archive cataloguing. He has published books and articles on aspects of the history of Doncaster, Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield. His most recent book (2011) is the second edition of his guide to the quarter sessions of the former West Riding of Yorkshire, which is published by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. His latest article, on the West Riding quarter sessions and law reform, 1729–31, appeared in Archives, vol. 38, no. 128 (April 2012).

Correspondence to: Dr B. Barber, 11 Clifford Road, Sheffield, S11 9AQ, UK.