Staffordshire Appeals Study Day 25 th June 2016 ‘What I learnt about the Tribunals’ Richard Benefer MA in the History of Britain and the First World War (University of Wolverhampton, awarded 26 Feb 2016)

Conscription and the operation of Military Service Tribunals in Staffordshire 1916 to 1918 Supervised by Professor Gary Sheffield Primary sources: Challinor and Shaw papers at Staffordshire Records Office (Matthew Blake and Rachael Cooksey) Leek Post and Leek Times held at Leek library Staffordshire Sentinel held at Stoke Records Office (Chris Latimer)

Shaw’s record at Tribunals March-July 1916 Shaw was the Military Representative at the Leek Urban Tribunal arguing the case for men to be conscripted into the Army – heard 200 cases. Late 1916 on Shaw was representing local men applying for exemption from military service – made 200 appeals!

Leek Urban Tribunal John Bagnall (48, company director) Thomas Bishton (67, solicitor) William Bromfield (48, trade union organiser) Arthur Broster (47, silk mill owner) William Provost (41, silk mill warehouseman) Charles Watson (66, silk manufacturer) Job White (45, silk mill owner)

The Leek Tribunal’s workload Usually met every fortnight – Mondays Average number of members met 21 times, heard 637 applications 1917 met 34 times, 734 applications 1918 met 20 times, 635 applications 75 meetings heard 2006 applications, an average of 27 cases per sitting High number of exemptions

Stoke on Trent Local Tribunal William Beechener (48, tailor) James Beswick (67 pottery manufacturer) Philip Elliott (56, draper) John Shaw Goddard (59, pottery manufacturer) William Lightbody (53, draper) Arthur Lewelyn (64, solicitor, secretary of pottery manufacturers’ association) Joseph Lovatt (37, potter, secretary of potters’ trade union) Harper Parker, (52, trade union organiser) Thomas Thornton (42, labour councillor)

The Stoke Tribunal’s Workload Often met twice a week (Tues & Thursday) 1916 met 46 times, heard 4,500 applications 1917 – 18 probably meet on over 100 occasions and heard over 9,000 applications On several occasions only 1 or 2 members were present

North Staffordshire Appeal Tribunal Colonel Robert Clive (70, colliery owner) Thomas Twyford (67, JP pottery owner) George Eliot Meakin (51, borough councillor) William Robinson (53, potters merchant) G. Herbert Heaton (59, land agent/surveyor) Harry Dix (53, brewer) Alfred Brookhouse (59, JP Labour councillor)

Did ‘conchies’ get a hard time? ‘The conscientious objectors have not had justice done them. We have been influenced by bad advice and undue prejudice and as a result they have not received justice.’ Tribunal member William Beechener at the Stoke Local Military Service Tribunal Staffordshire Sentinel 16 July 1917

the work of the Tribunals was of some importance, carried out by volunteers faced with the difficulties of reconciling their civic responsibility (their DUTY) to their local communities (and the individuals therein) with the demands of the British military machine and, not least, the pressures of other government departments (principally agriculture, but also those concerned with industrial output and trade)

NOT a typical Tribunal!