Poll books tell the story of local people and their link with national history, and can provide a treasure trove of information. This volume, following on from the first which covered the years from 1685-1716, continues the story of how Bedfordshire voted in the context of local and national politics to the election in 1734. It contains transcriptions of the poll books for four Bedford borough elections and three county elections held between 1722 and 1734, which apart from the 1722 county election have never been previously published.

The introduction to each chapter draws upon letters, giving insights into the political alliances and manoeuvres which occurred in selecting candidates, including the part played by the Duchess of Marlborough. And the 10,000 names [fully indexed], added to the 8,500 names in the first volume, provide evidence for an in-depth study of the people, places and landholding in Bedfordshire, and will offer a crucial resource for local historians.

JAMES COLLETT-WHITE is an archivist at Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service, and Archivist to S. C. Whitbread, Southill Park.