'THE GREAT WAR', 'THE WAR TO END WAR', 'WORLD WAR 1'
'What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
- Only the monstrous anger of the guns.'
from 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'
by Wilfred Owen
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION IN WW1
Redfern Schofield Manchester County Police Court 18 May 1918 At Manchester County Police Court to-day … … In another case heard at the same court to-day, Redfern Schofield (38), a warper and who carries on the business of an ironmonger in Old Road, Failsworth, was charged with being an absentee from the army since May 8 under Section 15 of the Reserve Forces Act 1882 from Ashton under Lyne. The man’s excuse was on conscientious grounds. He was fined 40s and handed over to the military authorities. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The WO 363 records (9 pages) for Redfern Schofield survive (held at The National Archives, available online via Find My Past). They show that he was first conscripted and examined in March 1917. 22 May 1918 Posted to 3rd Manchester Regiment at Cleethorpes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He has an entry on the Pearce List of over 17,500 WW1 Conscientious Objectors HERE 31 May 1918 Court martialled - 1 year with hard labour at Wormwood Scrubs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He is also found (on 'Find My Past') on the register of Parliamentary and Parochial electors from 1911 ... but with a gap for the years 1916 to 1922 inclusive. Conscientious objectors lost the right to vote in Elections, for a period of 5 years, after the war (including the 1918 General Election) on the 1911 Register ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Born Huddersfield, 4 April 1880 1911 census: 1939 register Contributed by Dorothy Bintley |
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