Charles Rodgers

Oldham Magistrates' Court 28 February 1917
Reported Oldham Standard 28 February 1917

Two conscientious objectors were before the Oldham magistrates to-day (Wednesday) charged with being absentees from the army contrary to the provisions of the Military Service Act 1916. They were Charles Rodgers aged 38 and Jno Farmer aged 37…

… In the case of Rodgers, the Chief Constable (Mr D H Turner) said that the prisoner had absented himself from the colours since the 10th of February. The man was a conscientious objector and he had been before the Local and the Appeals Tribunals and had been ordered for service. He had, therefore, to ask that the man be handed over to the military authorities.

Asked by the Chairman (Mr C C Spencer) whether he had anything to say, the prisoner replied, "Nothing only that I have a conscientious objection to the military authorities."
The Chief Constable: I think this case is one in which I ought to ask that in addition to being handed over to the army authorities, the man should be fined.
The man was handed over to the custody of Sergeant Major Bailey and was ordered to pay a fine of 40s.

[No report of an appeal at a Tribunal before this court appearance has been found.]

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He has an entry on the Pearce List.

3 March 1917 Conscripted into 3rd Manchester Regiment at Ashton Barracks and sent to Cleethorpes. Private 49476
14 March 1917 Court martialled at Cleethorpes, 6 months with hard labour at Wormwood Scrubs.
May 1917 Accepted work under the Home Office Scheme and was at the following Work Centres: May 1917 Wakefield, July 1917 Dartmoor, January 1918 Knutsford.

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The WO 363 records for Charles Rodgers survive (held at The National Archives, available online via Find My Past):
They are faint and contain the information detailed on the Pearce List. He was a warehouseman at a cotton mill. He was married and living at 44 Barker Street, Oldham.

Born Oldham, 10 February 1879
Died Chadderton, 9 November 1962

1911 census
14 Huddersfield Road, Oldham
With wife Gertrude, no children listed
Occ: Warehouseman, cotton spinning mill

1939 register Not found

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley