Renton Mansley

Oldham Tribunal 9 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 10 March 1916

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

… Renton Mansley a big piecer of 340 Greenacres-road, Oldham and Arthur Mansley of 402 Huddersfield-road, Oldham claimed exemption on conscientious grounds and Joshua Mansley of 402 Huddersfield-road, the Equitable Spinning Company claimed exemption on the grounds of his work. However neither the company nor Joshua appeared to support the last named claim and it was disallowed.

The cases of the two other brothers were adjourned until next week in view of the circular respecting minders which is expected.

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The Oldham Chronicle report of the Oldham Tribunal Monday 13 March 1916 quotes the circular: ".. those single minders, piecers &c born in 1890 or previously and all married minders and piecers would be regarded as being in a reserved occupation …"

Both Renton (b 1886 and married 1916) and Arthur Mansley (b1888) fell into this category

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Oldham Tribunal 31 October 1917
Reported Oldham Chronicle 1 November 1917

At a sitting of the Oldham Tribunal on Wednesday afternoon, Renton Mansley (31), a spinner at the Equitable Mill, submitted an appeal for exemption on conscientious grounds. He wrote: "I think all wars are cruel and abominable. I believe them to be the direct suggestion of the devil. If Adam could have seen in a vision the horrible instruments his children were going to invent, he would have died of grief."

Appellant, in reply to the Chairman, said he had not been examined. He objected to medical examination. He had had notice to be examined. Mansley further said that he had given up work at the present, as he thought he would have a rest. One brother had been before the Tribunal previously with similar views but he was now in the army. Appellants said he had held the views advanced to his claim all his life.

Mr Wood: What sacrifices have you made during the war?
- More than I know of.
Alluding to the fact that he had given up his work for the present, Mansley observed that if he was put in prison, this would buck him up a bit for what was coming.
Lieutenant Eaton: Don't you think it would have been better to have kept at work?
- I was worked up.
Councillor Heywood: You would not go to prison would you?
- Yes, I am holding out to my views. I am willing to go and work on a farm.
In support of his views, a letter was read from Mansley's wife stating that she believed that he was sincere.
Councillor Frith: Have you ever tried to get work on a farm?
- No, I did not know whether it would be right or not. Subsequently Mansley declared that there was nothing gained by war, nor ever could be. His mother was to-day on the verge of desperation through all the lads being taken from her. In further conversation, Mansley said that he had two single and two married brothers at the war, three being in France and one in India. The brother who appealed before the Tribunal and was now serving, had changed his mind and his brothers had written asking him (the appellant) to change his mind but he was firm. If he sacrificed his principles, he sacrificed everything.

Councillor Schofield said that Mansley would be wise to change his mind.
Mansley said he had read Fox's "Book of Martyrs" and he thought they went through a lot. He was willing to do the same.
Councillor Heywood: How should we go on if other people thought as you do?
- There would be no wars. Why not do away with military power?
Councillor Frith: If we could get other people to do it, it would be all right.
Mr J Wood suggested that he had probably been working at war work at the mill.
Mansley said he never inquired.
Councillor Schofield told Mansley he was very sorry for him, as he thought he was on a mistaken course. It was all very well to think about being a martyr and follow the example of martyrs in the past but there was something as important as rights and that was forbearance.
He suggested to Mansley (who did not look in good health) that he should be medically examined. It would not prejudice his position before them if he did. He was not going to make his mother's lot any easier by acting as he was doing. The only man who had such a right was the man who lived on a desert island. If he was living in country he was part of the community and had responsibility.

After further conversation, Mansley still refusing to go for medical examination, the appeal was adjourned for fourteen days to give the appellant an opportunity to get work on a farm to the satisfaction of the Tribunal.

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Oldham Magistrates 9 March 1918
Reported Oldham Chronicle 9 March 1918

Renton Mansley (32) and Oldham spinner, was brought before the borough justices this (Saturday) morning as an absentee from military service. He is a conscientious objector whom the Oldham Tribunal ordered to do work of national importance, i.e. farm work.

Mr Schofield (Chairman of the Bench) said that he had seen Mansley at the sitting of the Tribunal. He had toiled with him for twenty minutes or half-an-hour and suggested that he should go on a farm. Mansley promised that he would go, then flitted away from the farm and no one knew where he had gone. He had asked Mansley to do as his brother had done. They had similar opinions once but changed them.

Mansley said that he went on the farm, worked hard to please the farmer but could not, so he got "proper downhearted".

He was remanded in custody to await an escort.

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The WO 363 records for Renton Mansley survive (held at The National Archives, available online via Find My Past):

8 March 1918 Arrested as an absentee
9 March 1918 Handed over to the military
11 March 1918 Enlisted at Ashton Barracks into RAMC No 19 Company
Posted to Blackpool, No 8 Training Company RAMC
Height 5 ft 1 ¼ ins Weight 7 sts 7 lbs
10 May 1918 Posted to Wrexham Military Hospital
8 March 1919 Discharged to Army Reserve.

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Born Oldham, 7 February 1886
Died Oldham, March 1922
Buried Holy Trinity, Waterhead, Oldham, 28 March 1922

!911 census
322 Huddersfield Road, Oldham
Single with parents, four brothers and two sisters.
Occ: Cotton piecer

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley