Conscription appeal (1916)

Post date: Apr 08, 2016 7:36:7 PM

Conscription was introduced for the first time in the UK in January 1916 by the Military Service Act for single men (extended after a few months to married men except widowers supporting a family) between 18 and 41 years of age. Many people had at first been very opposed to conscription (see Wateringbury vicar's Review of the war in May 1915) but in the end only very few M.Ps voted against. There were exemptions from conscription for those doing work of national importance, disabled, those able to show they were the sole means of support for their dependants and conscientious objectors. Local panels were set up to judge on those who might have a valid right to exemption. Clergy of all denominations were exempted.

Wateringbury was covered by the Malling Rural panel although there was a right of appeal to a Maidstone Appeal Panel. Probably each decision, on a matter of life or death to the individual, only took a few minutes: the Malling Rural panel reported on 24th got through 58 cases. It had a military representative who could appeal if the judgement was in favour of exemption. frequently it would be the employer rather than the individual that appealed against conscription. Frequently the outcome would be a temporary exemption.

Within the report of the Kent Messenger of 30th September 1916 on Malling Rural Tribunal hearing cases of appeal against conscription is the following:

Mr. Fullager, representing the Executors' of the late Mr. R. H. Fremlin, appealed for

Thomas Edward Shepherd, skilled farm labourer, Wateringbury; January 1st.

The January 1st date was an extension for Shepherd to enlist but not an exemption.

Extract from Kent Messenger and Maidstone Telegraph of 14th October 1916

A. E. Johnson, 41 next February, brewer’s cooper in the employ of Messrs. Jude, Hanbury

and Co., Wateringbury (Mr. H. J. Bracher supporting the application); adjourned for medical board examination.

Extract from the Kent Messenger and Maidstone Telegraph of 17th June 1916.

Percy Holder², 39, North Pole, Wateringbury, fruit tree pruner to Colonel Warde, M.P., asked

for some time on account of his wife’s health, and was granted four months.

Extract from Kent Messenger of 24th June 1916

MALLING

The Tribunal sat at the Public Hall on Wednesday, and disposed of fifty-eight applications.

Mr. J. F. Wheeler presided, and the members also present were Messrs. W. L. Wigan, B. Champion, J. Benjamin, and R. Leese, with the Military Representative (Mr. H.J. Wood), and the Agricultural Representative (Mr. W. H. Cooper).

Mr. Owen English, farming at Wateringbury and Birling, applied for five men: A. Spiddles¹, 40, labourer; S. G. Rye, 36, stockman; A. F. Cole, 29, bailiff; and W. Foord, 37, shepherd, at Wateringbury; and H. Newick 27, shepherd at Birling. These were all married men. Mr. English said he had 110 acres of arable, some of which had not been hoed since last June. Spiddles was his only hop-dryer and thatcher, and his stockman had gone hop-washing that morning. There were nine horses, 300 sheep, 40 horned stock, and 80 pigs on the farms. Twelve men had gone to the Army, including those taken on to replace others, leaving only nine regular hands and casuals, whereas he had employed as many as 50.

Spiddels was granted conditional exemption, and the remainder until October 11th.

.........

Five employees of the Phoenix Brewery, Wateringbury, were asked for—T.H. Read, 32,manager; H. Green, 40 cashier and assistant secretary; W. Pearce, 31, engineer; N. E. Rootes, 33, blacksmith; and T. G. Ralph, 37,drayman. Mr. Tapley, for the Company, admitted that Ralph drove the deer cart for the Mid Kent Hunt, and now looked after the herd of 24 deer up at Red Hill. It had heen arranged not to hunt until the war ends.

—Mr. Green, who will shortly be over age, was given till October 11th; Read and Pearce conditional exemption; and Rootes and Ralph until July 24th.

Extract from Kent Messenger and Maidstone Telegraph of Saturday 27th May reporting on the Malling Rural Tribunal which had heard 50 conscription cases the preceding Wednesday:

Mr. W. Phillips, 35, farmer, of Wateringbury and Teston, sought exemption for himself and two of his employees—George Marden, skilled farm worker, and James Kirby, waggoner.—All three were conditionally exempted

The Hon. H. A. Hannen (the Military Representative at Maidstone) appealed against the conditional exemption granted by the Tribunal to Horace Richard French, 36, married, wheelwright and painter, employed by his father, at Wateringbury. It was elicited, however, that agricultural wheelwrights were still in the list of certified occupations, and claimant having averred that he was doing agricultural wheelwright’s work, and was going to do that work during the ensuing year as his usual occupation, the Tribunal dismissed the appeal.

......

H. Cowland, drayman, employed by Messrs. Jude, Hanhury and Co., Wateringbury, one month.

...

Amos. Baker, jun., manager to his father, grocer, draper, etc., Wateringbury, conditional exemption. Mr. Robert Brennan supported the claim.

Notes

1. Possibly Spittles rather than Spiddles.

2. Percy Holder aged 35 in the 1911 census when he was 35 and described as a domestic gardener. He had 3 young sons. His wife Alice was 32 at the time of the census.