Oldham Historical Research Group

'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

Arthur Hewitt

Oldham Tribunal 9 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 11 March 1916

More claims for exemption from combatant service on conscience grounds were heard before the Oldham Tribunal on Thursday afternoon ...

... Arthur Hewitt, employed as a platelayer by the L and N W Railway Company, was the first to come before the Tribunal.
He was told that he was in a reserved occupation and, when he wanted to refer to his conscience, the Mayor said: We will not deal with your conscience at present. We think you are in a reserved trade. So long as you stay in that trade you are exempt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No definite match found in the 1911 census

[The only man called Arthur Hewitt in 1911 in Oldham lived at 107 Redgrave Street and was a big mule piecer born about 1880.]

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley

Return to :

If you can add to our information about any of the local Conscientious Objectors in WW1 we would love to hear from you.
Email

If you have Oldham and District items that we can include on our website, PLEASE visit the information page to find out how you can help.