John Parker

Oldham Tribunal 8 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 11 March 1916

Several claims for exemption under the Military Service Act on conscientious grounds were heard on Wednesady before the Oldham Tribunal, the Mayor presiding …

… John Parker of 252 Copster Hill-road, Oldham, a cop packer, said that he attended the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Copster Hill-road at odd times. Mr Jackson pointed out to him that he was working for a firm, the Belgrave Mills, that he was working largely on Government work. Had he no objection against handling those yarns?

Parker: I have no objection if I was doing it before the war.
Mr Jackson: But the yarns were not being used for the same purpose before the war.

Parker was put in the non-combatant section.

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South East Lancashire Appeal Tribunal, Town Hall Manchester, 30 March 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 1 April 1916

The South-east Lancashire Appeal Tribunal sitting in two sessions 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. Judge Mellor K C presided over one section and Mr J M Yates K C over the other …

… John Parker, cop packer of 252 Copster Hill-road, wrote that his conscience was totally opposed to any form of military activity. He held human life sacred and in accepting non-combatant duties he would only be heling men to go out to do work he was not prepared to do himself.

- Non-combatant service.

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Oldham Magistrates Court 7 June 1916
Reported Oldham Chronicle 7 June 1916

John Parker (19 years) one of the Oldham conscientious objectors who was sent to non-conscription service by the Oldham Tribunal and appealed at the Appeals Tribunal in Manchester, was brought up before the borough justices this (Wednesday) morning as being an absentee under the Military Service Act. He had been ordered to report himself at the Swan Hotel on May 31st and failed to report and was arrested.

Mr Booth asked him what explanation he had to give for not reporting.
He replied that he went before the Oldham Tribunal to prove that he had a conscientious objection against military service. The members of that tribunal were under the impression that they could not grant absolute exemption from service. He appealed to the tribunal at Manchester and Judge Mellor referred him and others to the Pelham Committee. Some of "our friends" he said, who had been in prison, had since got in touch with the committee and he wanted to do the same. If he ws allowed it would save the community much expense and trouble.

Mr Dunkerley: Do you object to any other service?
- I was granted non-combatant service at the local tribunal.

Parker was fined 40s and handed over to the charge of Sergeant Major Bailey.

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

8 June 1916 Enlisted at Ashton Barracks 1704 Pte John Parker No 2 Company Non- combatant Corps, refused to sign. Height 5 ft 6½ ins Weight 9 sts 8 lbs
10 June 1916 Sent to 10 Camp Kinmel Park. Refused to obey an order.
22 June 1916 Court martial - sentenced to 2 years with hard labour
26 June 1916 Sent to Liverpool Prison
12 October 1916 Released from Liverpool Prison to go to Wakefield Work Centre
1 November 1916 Transferred t the Army reserve to enable him to take work of national importance under the Brace Committee.

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He has an entry on the Pearce List.

Born Oldham, 11 January 1897
Died Not found

1911 census
252 Copster Hill Road, Oldham
Single with parents and siblings
Occ: Warehouse lad, cotton spinning

1939 register Not found

Contributed by Dorothy Bintley