Cosgrove Poll Books 1702 - 1868
Poll Books listed who voted at elections and who they voted for.
The earliest ones are from around 1700 and they continued until 1872 when the secret ballot was introduced.

Cosgrove Electoral Rolls 1833 - 1949

The Electoral system in England was administered by Parish units, developed through the years and transferring power from the Church to elected secular officers and Members of Parliament. Old Stratford was included in the parish of Cosgrove from Watling Street, eastwards, to Cosgrove village. People living on the west side of Watling Street were included in the parish of Passenham. The first Electoral Roll is dated 1833, but only occupiers of property of over £50 were included on the voting list. In 1886 all male householders were included, but also included some women if they were in business.

Records below show the whole of the parish of Cosgrove and include those Old Stratford people who lived on the east side of Watling Street. Also recorded are people entitled to vote because they owned property or land in the parish of Cosgrove, but they themselves lived elsewhere. It is possible that people failed to register for the electoral roll during some years, and qualified under more than one category in others - thus appearing twice. It is not clear whether they voted more than once!
No Electoral Rolls 1916 - 1918 (War Years)



It was not until 1919 that women appeared on the electoral rolls in their own right.
No Electoral Rolls 1940 - 1945 (War Years)


During the years following, Cosgrove voters had their own list, separate from Old Stratford.

Wolverton Express 22nd January, 1932

Postal arrangements

For Deanshanger, Passenham, and Wicken

……. Mr. R L C Ridgway complained about the postal village address of those three villages being Bletchley. People who use their postal address for railway parcels such as “Deanshanger, Bletchley” found that they had to go to the Bletchley railway station to collect those parcels. It similarly applied with Potterspury, Northampton parcels being sent to the Northampton station

…….. Mr. Ridgeway proposed that the Bletchley postmaster be asked that the postal address of Wolverton (the nearest railway station) be added to Deanshanger, Passenham, Wicken, Cosgrove, and Old Stratford and whilst agreeing to the suggested alteration of times requested that the 8.30 pm collection of letters remain as at present. Mr. Montgomery seconded, and this was carried.