A Look Around Ealing’s First World War Dissidents

(some of them)

Over the past year it has become increasingly recognised in many places, including the Imperial War Museum, that remembrance of the First World War is not complete without at least some acknowledgement that opponents of the war existed, many of them prepared to suffer for their beliefs. In several cases evidence has already emerged to challenge the prevailing view of them as a tiny, eccentric and universally reviled minority, as estimates both of their numbers and of the extent of their support keep mounting up.

The Pearce Register of British COs (Conscientious Objectors)  shows that Ealing (as in the present-day London Borough), like other places, had its share of such dissidents – over 40 at least, as listed below and discussed previously on this blog. The database from which most of these names and details are taken has more than doubled in size since the early version used here (its promised appearance, updated and interactive, on-line has been eagerly awaited by researchers for about a year) so that we may extrapolate a total of 100 or more whose objection was explicit, open and in some way acknowledged.

name	Address		Age	Occupation		affinity		Prison etc.		notes
	Acton
Baker, Hinman J.				Chemistry Student		Quaker
Baker, Paul William	21, Cumberland Park, W3		21 in 1916	Mechanical Engineer		Quaker
Carter, Percival Charles	St. Mary's Villa, Beaumont Road, Acton Green		20 in 1916	Printer		FOR - Dartmoor Branch; Quaker Attender		Winchester Case study on blog
Cook, Albert James	39, Mill Hill Grove, Acton		22 in 1916	Solicitor's Clerk
Davidson, James Tisdall	50, Grafton Road		18 in 1917	Solicitor's Articled Clerk		Christian Brethren
Nicoll, Samuel Arthur John	373, Uxbridge Road, Acton Hill		35 in 1916	Grocer		Christadelphian
Spencer, Reginald Ackland	38, Birkbeck Road		28 in 1916	Motor bodymaker
Boxell, Percy	42, Grafton Road, Acton		33	Sanctioning  Clerk		Quaker (Willesden PM)
Green, Albert	3, St.Dunstan's Gardens		32	Civil Servant - Inland revenue		Quaker (Acton PM)
Greenwood, John Danforth Herman	39, Hillcrest Road		26 in 1916	Musician, composer				Winchester CP Case study on blog
	Ealing/West Ealing
Bromberger, Frederick Cole	10, Sutherland Road		21 in 1916	Accountant's Clerk		Christian		Dyce; Dartmoor		Case study on blog
Brown, Thomas Arthur	73, Adelaide Road		29 in 1916	Outfitter's assistant
Burford, H	152, Murray Road
Caws, Geoffrey Tulloh	38, Clovelly Road		18 in 1916	Junior Insurance Clerk		Christian
Cox, Rivett Johnson	19, Gloucester Road		30 in 1916	Bank Clerk		Christian; Plymouth Brethren
Denne, Ronald Davidson	61, Westfield Road		19 in 1916	Shop Porter		Christadelphian
Gibbons, A. H.
Gibbons, Henry G.	37, Culmington Road							Durham
Hodgson, H. G.						Quaker Attender (Ealing PM)		30.3.17 Wormwood S.;20.7.17(2nd)3.8.17,26.10.17 Canterbury - 7.12.17; released and  'discharged' on health grounds (Illness)
Household, William Scott	80, Leighton Road		26 in 1916	Commercial Clerk		Quaker (Ealing PM)		Lewes MP 16.6.16; Crawley Aug.1916; 1.9.16, 8.9.16 Lewes CP
Hustler, Henry William	14, Claygate Road		38 in 1916	Salesman, Company Director		Christian
Irwin, Harold Maude	37, Corfton Road		25 in 1916	Salesman and Sub-Manager		Christian but also because his four brothers already serving -				"The family has done enough"
Johnson, Samuel	34, Alacross Road		33 in 1916	Gardener and florist		Plymouth Brethren
Jones, S. L.						Quaker Attender (Ealing PM)		13.3.18 (2nd),26.4.18,26.7.18,25.10.18 Pentonville
Luxford, Thomas	26, Holyoak Walk		39 in 1916	Insurance Clerk		Christian - Brotherhood Movement				member of NCF since "late 1915"
Mather, Archibald Montague	72, Adelaide Road		30 in 1916	Journalist		Christian - formerly Baptist, then "Brethren" because...				... objected to the pro-war stance taken at Baptist chapel.
Melhuish, A. G.	68 Meadvale Road		32	Optician						Case study on blog
Muirhead, Douglas Cogill 'F'	40, Oxford Road		30 in 1916	Shop Assistant - ironmonger		NCF; Internationalist and Co-operator		Pentonville CP serving 2nd sentence 9.5.19. Case study on blog
Preece, Arthur John Stewart	66, Windsor Road		23 in 1916	Estate Agent's Clerk		Christadelphian
Ricketts, Oscar Gristwood	73, Mayfield Avenue		21 in 1916	Bank Clerk		Christian and pacifist		Winchester CP	Case study on blog
Rodwell, William. E. G.	25, Neville Road		29 in 1916	Bank Clerk		Quaker (clerk to Ealing P M)		Nov.'16 to 2.2.17 Wormwood S.; 16.3.17(2nd.CM),4.5.17 (letter), 18.5.17, 26.10.17, 25.1.18, 26.4.18, 26.7.18(3rd), 25.10.18, Jan.'19 Pentonville - Illness - suffering from TB and in isolation. Subject of appeal to War Office
Sim, Alexander	44, Fowler's Walk, Brentham		26 in 1916	Worker for Alliance of Honour		FOR; present job WNI; Quaker				Religious and moral objections to war
Smith, A. W.								HOS 19.9.16 released from Dyce Camp on health grounds - Illness
Sutherland, H. H. D.	32, St .James Avenue
Thackway, Hubert Charles	85, Woodfield Road		36 in 1916	General manager Tailors		Christian				International Bible Students Association
Thorn, Frank
Thorogood, H.
Watts, Leonard C.						Quaker (Ealing PM)
Reynolds, C.	1, Neville Road, Brentham
	Southall
Burr, William Hugh	61, Oswald Road		18 in 1916	Joiner	Plymouth Brethren - willing to join RAMC					Case study on blog
Evans, Alfred  William	26, Endsleigh Road		20 in 1916		Roman Catholic		Winchester CP; May 1917 Pentonville; Maidstone - released 12.4.19			Case study on blog
Gobell, Arthur George	122, Townsend Road		22 in 1916	Notary's Clerk	Christian
	Hanwell
Jones, M.										[= Arthur Morley Jones?]
Jones, Arthur Morley	24, Grove Ave.	31 in 1916			Bank Clerk					Case study on blog
Locke, H. W.	12, Milton Road						Friends Ambulance Unit

Abbreviations:                 

CP           Civil Prison

FOR        Fellowship of Reconciliation

HOS       Home Office Scheme (for alternative service)

NCF        No-Conscription  Fellowship

PM         (Quaker) Prayer Meeting

WNI       Work of National Importance

More data on many of the above individuals may be found by referring to the records of the Middlesex Appeals Tribunal; files usually include personal statements and some have letters of support (images of original documents can be downloaded free).