>From a useful site; United Kingdom Electoral Registers and their uses Until 1918 electoral registers were compiled by parish overseers or overseers of the poor and the arrangement was at first in alphabetical order of voters, parish by parish. This began to change in 1878 when it was permitted (later required) to merge parliamentary registers with burgess rolls (the registers for municipal elections). The latter were effectively lists of ratepayers and, as rates were then collected door-to-door, their arrangement was in street order and gradually parliamentary registers followed this pattern. http://www.bl.uk/collections/social/spis_er.html Regards Stan Mapstone