Harold Lord

Shaw Tribunal 7 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 8 March 1916

At a meeting of the Shaw Recruiting Tribunal on Tuesday evening, four appeals of conscientious objectors were heard.

…. Harold Lord objected to service on conscientious grounds and also because serious hardships would follow if he was called up. His conscience would not allow him to take up arms to destroy human life.

Councillor Clegg: Did you ever have a fight at school?
- No.
Councillor Clegg: Never! Well I am sorry for you. I think it was the happiest time of my life when I had a school scrap.
Councillor Hopwood said it wasn't the happiest time for him. He could remember getting a few good hidings.
Councillor Clegg: You don't object to saving life? Appellant said he was willing to save life.

He was ordered to a non-combatant regiment.

Councillor Hopwood told Lord he knew his domestic circumstances and if it had not been for him making his appeal on grounds of conscience, he would have supported him strongly and tried to persuade the others to allow him some exemption. If the Germans came here, somebody would have to defend his father and mother and sister. What would he do?
Lord: I should try t defend them but I should not take life.

Councillor Hopwood said it did not redound to the credit of any man who would not defend, aye to the very death, his own parents.

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He has an entry on the Pearce List.
The Pearce List of over 17500 WW1 Conscientious Objectors can be found on the Imperial War Museum's website.

He was enlisted into the Non-Combatant Corps and posted to Kinmel Park in September1916 and in February 1917 to Ormskirk.
He was court martialled at Ormskirk and sentenced to 6 months with hard labour which he served at Wormwood Scrubs and Wandsworth Prisons. He was further court martialled on 15 November 1918 and sentenced to 2 years with hard labour and sent to Winson Green Prison.

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Born Rochdale, 17 March 1888
Died not found

1911 census :
16 Gordon Street, Shaw
Single, age 23, with parents, an older sister, 2 older brothers and a younger sister.
Occ: Yarn packer

1939 register :
44 Manchester Road, Shaw
with wife Martha Ann, no children listed
Occ: Yarn packer

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley