Arthur Watts
Arthur Watts, 1888-1958, was from a Quaker family in Manchester that strongly opposed militarism and conscription. Arthur volunteered at national level on behalf of the Friends Service Committee and abroad as part of the Friends...
Conscientious Objectors
Conscientious Objectors from Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) has historical links to the armed forces and a relationship with the local regiment. With the onset of war in 1914 it was perhaps natural for Old Lancastrians (OLs) and...
Norman Hoyle Witham
Norman Witham’s story stands in contrast to some others in that his objection to war service was based on his membership of the Wesleyan Church. He agreed to serve in the Non-Combatant Corps and did...
Northern Friends Peace Board Women
The Northern Friends Peace Board was founded by Quakers in the north of England in 1913 and still exists today as a witness for global peace. Zephyrine Barbarachild describes the context in which the Board...
Harry Ainsworth
Harry Ainsworth grew up amongst the cotton mills of Blackburn, moving to Preston to work as clogger. His political affiliations led to his conscientious objection and, after being judged to be a genuine CO, he...
Emanuel Nunes Ribeiro
Emanuel Nunes Ribeiro of Salford, Manchester, was conscripted. He was denied exemption from military service by a tribunal. Ribiero was an absolutist and refused to co-operate with conscription or to do work of national importance....
Joseph Garstang
Ann Berry tells the story of her great uncle, Joe Garstang, from Preston. As a committed socialist and member of the No Conscription Fellowship, Joe took an absolutist stance and refused to have anything to...
Fred Crossley
Fred Crossley was a Lancastrian Quaker who, at the outbreak of war, was living and working as an engineer in Bentham, North Yorkshire. When conscripted, he joined the Friends War Victims Relief Committee and worked...
Walter Ashworth
The experience of Walter Ashworth, brother of Albert Ashworth, as a conscientious objector in World War One is far from typical. As a man with artistic training he was able to seek out work of...
Albert Tatham Ashworth
Albert Ashworth, brother of Walter Ashworth was the fourth generation of boot and shoe makers and sellers to help run the Rochdale family firm. He was anxious to keep the firm going during World War...