St. Albans Home Front Project Dr. Julie Moore j.p.2.moore@herts.ac.uk University of Hertfordshire St. Albans Architectural and Archaeological Society

Industrial Profile Sector No. of companies Approx. no. of employees Headwear 10 921 Construction - 900 Printing 7 607 Clothing 2 448 Footwear 308 Silk work 1 148 Figures based on an analysis of the 1911 census by members of the St. Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society

The Straw Hat Industry E Day & Co factory, c.1914 Images courtesy of St Albans Museum

City of St Albans Military Service Tribunal Register Courtesy of Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies Off Acc 1162

Estimated number of men eligible for conscription in 1916 2,300 Applicants to the Military Services Tribunal 1,050

Number of cases held by the St. Albans City Military Tribunal 1916-18

Local Government Board Circular on the National Interest (1916) [national interest] ‘covers not only services which minister directly to the prosecution of the war but also services which are essential to the country at the present time, whether, for instance, in the maintenance of the food supply or of the export trade’

Part of the straw helmet production line at E. Day & Co, 1918 © IWM (Q 28672) 6/7/1917: Sidney Page manager of helmet dept in certified occupation; Thomas Jones, foreman in the same – case deferred These two and Alfred Day, the managing director of the company were the only applicants who saw out the war. Possibly Bertram Cook as well, Hat, cap and helmet blocker.

Image courtesy of University of Hertfordshire Press