Samuel Bradbury

Oldham Tribunal 8 March 1916
Reported Oldham Standard 11 March 1916

A painter, at present out of work and named Samuel Bradbury, declared that he conscientiously objected to any form of service and was a member of the No-Conscription Fellowship and had been since January.

He could have had a job on munitions in December but refused it because it would have meant taking a share in war.

The appeal was disallowed.

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South East Lancashire Appeal Tribunal at Manchester Town Hall 30 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 1 April 1916 (the following is an extract)

The South-east Lancashire Appeal Tribunal sitting at the Town Hall Manchester on Thursday afternoon heard appeals for total exemption from service made by a number of young men of Oldham, conscientious objectors, who had been sent to non-combatant service in most cases by the Oldham Tribunal and in a few cases to combatant service ….

…. Samuel Bradbury, a painter of 13 Pitt Street, said that it was wrong to kill human beings. Life was given to us in order to do good.

Chairman: Is it not right to stop others or to try and stop them from coming and murdering women and children?

- No answer and the appeal was dismissed.

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Oldham Police Court 28 August 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 28 August 1916

At the Oldham Police Court today (Monday) Samuel Bradbury of 13 Pitt-street, Oldham was charged with being an absentee under the Military Service Act. Superintendent Prescott said that Bradbury, who was brought up at the close of the court, had been arrested a few minutes before.

Individual notice was posted to him on August 14th and he had failed to report himself.
Mr Mellor: Why didn't you report?
Bradbury: Because I have a conscientious objection to war.
Mr Mellor: So has everybody.

He was fined 40s and ordered to be handed over to a military escort.

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Samuel Bradbury was enlisted into the 3rd Liverpool Regiment. He was court martialled five times and served more than 2 years in prison.

According to Peace Pledge Union statistics, a total of 5973 conscientious objectors were court martialled. Of these:

655 were court martialled twice
521 were court martialled three times
319 were court martialled four times
50 were court martialled five times

843 conscientious objectors spent more than two years in prison

Samuel Bradbury was court martialled 5 times and served more than 2 years in prison.

20 Oct 1916 Oswestry 84 days with hard labour
10 Jan 1917 Oswestry 1 year with hard labour
18 June 1917 Oswestry 1 year with hard labour
24 April 1918 Oswestry 1 year with hard labour
4 March 1919 Cork 1 year with hard labour

The last, in Cork, about 4 months after the Armistice, was for desertion.
Three men deserted, Samuel Bradbury, L Cpl J Hughes and Pte T Davies.
Hughes got 28 days detention, Davies 35 days detention, Bradbury was more harshly punished.

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He has an entry on the Pearce List HERE.
The Pearce List of over 17500 WW1 Conscientious Objectors can be found on the Imperial War Museum's website.

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Born Oldham, 9 December 1889
Died 27 Rothesay Road, Derker, Oldham, home of his married sister Betty Hill
9 February 1963
(Death notice Oldham Evening Chronicle 11 February 1963)

1911 Census :
13 Pitt Street, Oldham
Single with widowed mother and five siblings
Occ. House painter

1939 Register :
127 Abbeyhills Road, Oldham
Single, with family of married sister Sarah Williamson
Occ. House painter

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley