Women Voted Year After Year

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Poll List

Upper Penns Neck Township
Salem County, New Jersey
October 14 & 15, 1806
Ink on Paper

This poll list is from an October 1806 state and congressional election that was held at the houses of Andrew Alston and George Clark, innkeepers at Alston and the Cove in Upper Penns Neck Township, Salem County. The election determined annual officeholders for the New Jersey State Assembly and Legislative Council, and for Salem County Sheriff and Coroner, in addition to Representatives for the 10th Congress of the United States. The town officers presiding over the election included Judge Philip Curriden, Assessor William Darling, Collector Thomas Summerel, and Clerk Gideon Denny. 

The poll list includes the names of 210 total voters. At least 23 of these voters are women, accounting for an estimated 11 percent of the voters on the list. 

Like the rest of Salem County, Upper Penns Neck Township voted Democratic Republican across the board in October 1806. Voters in the township supported Democratic-Republicans Jeremiah Dubois, Daniel Garrison, and Daniel Tracey for State Assembly; Jacob Hufty for Legislative Council; Samuel L. James for county sheriff; Lewis Dubois, Henry Fries, and Andrew Alston for county coroner; and William Helms, Thomas Newbold, Henry Southard, Ezra Darby, John Lambert, and James Sloan for Congress.

Note: The names recorded on this poll list were written by an election official, not by the voters themselves. The spelling of each voter’s name on the poll list may be different compared to how that same person’s name is spelled in other historical records and by the Museum of the American Revolution.

Images: Salem County Historical Society

Where Did This Election Take Place?

This election took place in Upper Penns Neck Township, Salem County, New Jersey.

A Pair of Women Voters

Magdalin Pitman and Rebecca Cole voted together.

Catharine McGill

Mary Sparks

Sarah King

A Group of Women Voters

Christianna Holton, Hannah Hofman, and Mary Katts voted together.

View Christianna Holton Explore Widow Women Voters
Catharine Dolbow

Rebecca Peterson

A Pair of Women Voters

Hannah Cox and Charlote Sevel voted together.

Reginah Almon

A Pair of Women Voters

Elizabeth Bittle and Mary Strimple voted together.

Martha Curriden

A Pair of Women Voters

Hannah Peterson and Sarah Sparks voted together.

A Pair of Women Voters

Margaret Lath and Elizabeth Lath voted together.

Deborah Bradaway

Sofiah Butler

Sarah Nicolson

The Total Number of Voters

A total of 210 voters cast their ballots in this election. What happened next?

The Election Officials

Philip Curriden, William Darling, Thomas Summerel, and Gideon Denny all served as election officials for this election.