Were Bread Bakers exempt from conscription during WW1?

[myquest1]

Adam James Gattung was born in England 1876 son of Naturalised Germans. I cannot see any Military information. His family were mostly Bakers. Big gap in London, England City Directories of businesses from 1905 until Street Directory in Vine Street 1920. Therefore, was he exempt or did he serve as Baker for the Forces?  Any help or advice appreciated. Rosemary

[MaxD]

There was no specific exemption for bakers.  The exemptions process is described in the Longlongtrail articles here:The 1916 Military Service Act – The Long, Long Trail (longlongtrail.co.uk) and the link to the extension found in that article.

Always possible that he served in UK only, hence no medal record, and his military record was among the 60% or so of records lost to bombing in WW2.

 

MaxD

 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

14 minutes ago, myquest1 said:

Were Break Bakers exempt from conscription during WW1?

Bread Baker?

Edited 11 July , 2021 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[michaelpi]

Depends on his personal/business circumstances

Various examples here. 

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch="baker" exemption&retrievecountrycounts=false

[kenf48]

5 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Bread Baker?

Title amended

Born in 1876, if he did not enlist in the voluntary period, aged 40 in 1916.  As in the link above the Military Service Act initially extended to men aged 41 (later increased incrementally).  The default position appears to be an appeal to the Local Tribunal for exemption from military service. A single bread baker over 30 years of age and a married baker of any age were listed in the Certified Occupations under the Act and the list published in July 1916.

Exemptions changed as the war progressed but the likliehood is he would have continued to secure exemption from military service on occupational, age or commercial grounds as outlined above.

[PRC]

1 hour ago, myquest1 said:

Adam James Gattung was born in England 1876 son of Naturalised Germans

As his age and marital status are such significant factors in those exemptions, I thought that should be checked out.

However the birth of an Adam Gattung was registered with the Civil Authorities in the Mile End Old Town District of London in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1878. On the 1881 Census of England & Wales, taken on the evening of the 3rd April 1881, there is a 2 and a half year old Adam Gattung, born London, recorded living with his German born parents at Great Suffolk Street, Suffolk, London. They were Adam, (a Master Baker employing 1 man), and Mary.

The family were recorded at 7 Great Suffolk Street, Southwark on the 1891 Census of England & Wales, with the 12 old Adam shown as a Scholar, born Mile End, London. Mother Mary is now shown as born London. It looks like the couple married in London in 1875.

By the time the 1901 Census of England & Wales was taken on the 31st March 1901 the family had moved to 90 Chatsworth Road, West Ham. The 22 year old Adam, born Bow, East London was now recorded as employed as a Baker - presumably by his father. Neither have ticked the box to say they are working from home, so the Bakers premises must be elsewhere. Mother Mary is again recorded as born London.

Neither father of son appear obviously to be on the 1911 Census of England & Wales. There is a 43 old married Baker Adam Gattung who is living in Bermondsey and who was born Germany, but he lives there with his wife of 17 years Holdina. A bit of wildcard searching brings up the 67 year old Adam "Gattong", a Widower  and Former Baker, born Germany, recorded as an inmate in some kind of institution on Meadow Road, Lambeth. Unfortunately on the source I'm looking at the cover sheet showing the name of the institution isn't present and all the individuals recorded are just shown as inmate, with no staff shown. The Lambeth Workhouse does not appear to have had any facilities at this address. It looks like he passed away in Hackney in 1922. There doesn't not appear to be a marriage recorded in England & Wales for the man you are interested in.

I'm not coming across either Adam on the pre-war Electoral Registers for London. An Adam Gattung, an unmarried Journeyman Baker born 29th August 1878, turns up on the 1939 Register at 40 Cruikshank Road, Forest Gate,Newham, West Ham. (You have 42 days after the event to register the birth, and the civil records shows quarter registered, so a child born at the end of August could quite legally turn up in the October to December quarter registrations). That individual is probably the 73 year old Adam Gattung whose death was registered in the Essex South-Western District in Q2 1952. There is no obvious Probate record.

So while there can be errors in the official record so far I'm not finding any sign of an Adam James Gattung born in 1876, and the Adam there is a paper trail for was born in 1878 and has no middle name. He and his brothers and sisters seem to have gone their own way after the death of their mother and are also proving difficult to track down There is no obvious sign of them on the outward bound passenger lists, but that doesn't cover Europe or crew. You can't therefore rule out that they went to Germany.

Hope some of that helps,
Peter

[myquest1]

Thank you so much for all this information Peter. The Gattungs are proving to be quite a challenge due to different spellings. Of course, during WW1 Germans became aliens overnight. Some were interned, others went returned to Germany as suggested. I believe Naturalised Germans were exempt from internment. The Royal Family changed their surname also.  Very interesting about the institution. Yes indeed this helps a lot. Thank you again for all the work you have put into this for me. Rosemary

[rolt968]

It is a very long time since I saw it but I can remember a newspaper report of a tribunal receiving reports of how many bakers there were in a town. I cannot remember of it resulted in a baker being conscripted.

RM