Michael Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 Has anyone ever seen the actual records of the local tribunals carried out from 1916, where conscripted men had a chance to appeal or defer their call up. The local paper gives brief details but no names. If so, where would they be archived now. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 I have not seen the records but I have an interesting article on the Wiltshire Tribunals in The Local Historian (the Journal of the British Association of Local Historians) this gives names and sources. I would be happy to scan and e-mail it to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 Michael These records no longer exist, except for a couple of local authorities. The tribunals, although organised locally, came under the aegis of the Local Government Board headed initially by Sir Walter Long. In the 1920's the board was abolished and its functions handed to a new ministry. At this point local councils were ordered to destroy their records, which also included I think, those pertaining to the Derby Scheme as well. Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 I agree with Terry's comments. Fortunately for some reason Wiltshire did not destroy their records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 5 February , 2003 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2003 Oh well I thought it was too good to be true. I was after the East Kent area Heritage Plus, but thanks anyway. I'm trying to list the names of men from the area who fought and survived You get the odd name listed here and there in the newspaper but its a difficult task. I've taken those who were of eligible age from the 1901 census and looked for their MIC's. That works for the more obscure names, but impossible for the John Smiths, etc. I've yet to check the absent voters list for 1918. Roll on the 1911 census ! Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Marshall Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 Michael My local paper, the Gravesend and Dartford Reporter ran several articles from very early 1915 onwards through that year entitled Roll of Honour. These gave lists of men serving and in what units, there was also lists issued in 1916 for men who where eligible for conscription and who had not contacted the authorities. Are there any such lists in the local paper for the East Kent area? Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 5 February , 2003 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2003 I'm up to about April 1916 in the East Kent Gazette. Up till then there were a few villages that had listed men and a weekly list of Buffs who were killed / wounded / POW but only name, number and Battalion. Hopefully I'll find something as I plough my way towards the end of 1918. The paper in which the first tribunals were reported did include name, age and occupation. Great I thought, but after the first week the names were dropped. I found one man, William Pawsey, aged 30 who appealed on 4 March 1916 on the basis that he was the sole support of his home. He was refused. I have his service record and he enlisted in the Notts and Derby on 22 March. He arrived in France on 12 July and by 5 August he was dead. 154 DAYS BETWEEN APPEAL AND PASSING AWAY And yes, I did have a lump in my throat when I pieced it all together Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 This will not help directly, but until 1917, when the Ministry of National Service was formed, the Area Recruiting Officer held a register of all men in his area eligible for conscription which was maintained on a card index. A parliamentry enquiry into conscription in 1917 revealed that many thousands of men who were eligible for conscription had somehow managed to "disappear". Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 Although this will not help directly with the original query other forum members may be interested to know that I also have a Local Historian article on The 'War courts of Stratford-upon-Avon Borough Tribunal 1916-18. Major Thomas Bairnsfather, father of Bruce,was the Military Representative on this Borough Local Tribunal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 5 February , 2003 Share Posted 5 February , 2003 Michael Have you tried finding those men who enlisted through places of worship ? The churches etc. often kept lists of their parishioners who were fighting. I have read of some churches in Wales having lists of the serving soldiers pinned to the church doors throughout WW1. These lists were then sometimes the basis for The Rolls of Honour. Regards Myrtle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 5 February , 2003 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2003 Myrtle I'll try that avenue. It is a very small community that I'm looking at, so it sounds promising. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard_Lewis Posted 6 February , 2003 Share Posted 6 February , 2003 A long shot but if the Local Govt Board was the 'supervising' authority it might be worth checking what the PRO holds on it for the period/topic concerned. For example, as regards the Victorian Poor Law, though the detailed records would be held locally difficult cases, certain returns, queries etc. were referred from the locality to the the Poor Law Commission whose records now reside in the PRO under the MH series. These were filed on a poor law Board basis so are effectively (largely) geographically based. Whilst no substitute for the local records you might get just a few gleanings regarding your locality. Depends how desperate you are! Bernard Lewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 7 February , 2003 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2003 Bernard I'm very desperate to leave no stone un-turned. Thanks for the tip I'll seek some advice from the people at the PRO next time I'm up there. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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