Albert Muskett

Middleton Tribunal 23 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 24 March 1916

The first conscientious objectors to appear before the Middleton Tribunal attended the sitting on Thursday …

… Albert Muskett of Long-street, Middleton had a conscientious objection against taking any human life and in consequence could not take part in any war, directly or indirectly. War was fundamentally wrong and his and his father's convictions were opposed to him taking any part in it. The applicant was accompanied by his father.

The Mayor: Has this been a life-long conviction with you?
- Yes, ever since I had any reasoning power at all.
Mr Clark: How did you come to these conclusions?
- The literature I have read has led me to that conclusion to a great extent.
Does the Bible tell you that?
- I have not studied the Bible lately.
The Mayor: On what grounds do you test it then? You have to satisfy us that you have a conscientious objection.
- I cannot say except by telling you I have an objection.
Oh no, that will not do. You must produce proof as you would have to do in ordinary business.

Councillor Monk: Are you connected with any organisation opposed to militarism?
- Yes, the No-Conscription Fellowship.
Mr Ashworth: You have nothing to offer as proof that you held these views previous to the war?
- My father has always taught me absolutely to hate war.
Mr Clark: Have you reasoned it out for yourself?
- Yes.
What has led you to that conclusion?
- Well, I have no right to kill a human being at all.
The Mayor: Do you think it is wrong for the Germans to kill us?
- They would not kill us if we did not try to kill them.
You are not going to suggest that England started the war, are you?
- No, but I have not gone into the subject from a political point of view. The horror of war has not been forced on me so plainly until recently.
The Mayor: I quite agree because you have now a chance to serve.

Mr Clark: Have you no friends in the army?
- Oh yes, many.
Have you ever tried to dissuade them from joining?
- No, if they think they have a right to join, they are at liberty to do so.
Don't you think it right, from a moral point of view, to try and dissuade them from joining as soldiers?
- No, I don't think so. He added that he could not do any work in connection with the army. Shell making was quite as bad to him as firing the shells from a gun.
In answer to the Mayor he said he was a violinist and did not object to playing to soldiers because it was his usual occupation and his living depended on it.
The Mayor: So it is for the soldier. It is his duty to fight.
- They have left other occupations.
Not all of them.
Mr Ashworth: Are you prepared to take any service such as non-combatant?
- No.
You refuse to do anything?
- Yes.
You would not help the wounded?
- Not if it was a case of making them fit to fight again.
Mr Clark: You would sit down and let the Germans invade this country?
- I don't believe the Germans would invade this country.
The Mayor: Do you mean to tell me that if we had had no army or navy, the Germans would not have invaded this country?
- I think so.
The Mayor: I am sorry for you, that is all.

He was granted exemption from combatant service.

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Manchester Appeals Tribunal 17 April 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 21 April 1916

Six Men from Royton and Middleton …. who desired exemption from military service came before the Appeals Tribunal on Monday…. Sir William Cobbett presided …

… Albert Muskett, violinist, of Middleton appeal against the decision of the local tribunal, who had exempted him from combatant service but not from non-combatant. He said that it had been driven into him ever since he was a youngster that it was wrong to kill. He quoted an extract from some sermon: To enlist in the army is to is to enlist in the service of the devil. That was the sort of thing, he said, to which he had been brought up.

The chairman said they would dismiss the appeal and not disturb the decision of the Middleton Tribunal.

Upon this, the applicant's father stood up and said he was very sorry about the decision. It was from his teaching that his son had got that conscientious objection. He ought to suffer, if anyone had to suffer, and not his son. It was a very difficult matter for him, as one who had always fought against war and against militarism. If the tribunal would allow him, he would quote from many poems to show the members what he thought was the best way to bring up a family. He could go on quoting the words of all the poets.
Chairman: No, you must not do that.
Mr Muskett thanked the tribunal for the way he and his son had been received. It was quite different, he said, from the reception he got when he faced the Middleton Tribunal. He would not say what he thought of the members of that tribunal. The lad would have to suffer for the principles of his father. He was downright sorry at it.

He then broke out into prose which excused the chairman's interruption: I am afraid you are doing what I told you you must not do, quoting from the poets. "Punish me," he said, "shoot me; let my body lie in the grave and rest where the grass is growing and the leaves…"
"No, excuse me," Mr Muskett said, when the chairman checked him mildly.

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

11 March 1916 Enlisted at Bury 1 - 4 Western Company Non-Combatant Corps
Refused to sign or provide details of next of kin.

23 March 1916 Appealed at Middleton Tribunal
17 April 1916 Appealed at Manchester Appeals Tribunal

13 May 1916 Joined Kinmel Camp, refused to obey an order, detained in Guard Room
25 May 1916 Court Martial - 2 years with hard labour
2 June 1916 Sent to Liverpool Prison
7 July 1916 Sentence mitigated to 112 days

11 September 1916 Released from prison, accepted work of national importance under the Home Office Scheme.

Worked at Warwick, Wakefield, Dartmoor and Warwick Work Centres.
He signed the Cocoa Petition at Wakefield (page 4)

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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 HERE

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Born Middleton, 24 July 1898
Died Not found [in South Africa?]

1911 census
1 Long Street, Middleton
Single with parents
Occ: Scholar

1939 register
12 Pavilion Square, Scarborough
Widowed (wife Rebecca died 1934)
Occ: Violinist

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24 August 1948 Mr A Muskett (musician), Mrs B Muskett and Mr M [Michael] P Muskett aged 20 (musician) sailed to South Africa. Last address 50 Adam and Eve Mews London W8.

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley