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Military Tribunals

On 27th January 1916, the first Military Service Act, introducing conscription for single men of military age, became law.  All British single or widowed males aged 19-41 were deemed to have enlisted with effect from 2nd March 1916.

Men who were due to be called up for military service were able to appeal against their conscription.  Throughout the country, a very large number of men appealed.  In the Badsey region it was usually because of the nature of the man’s job which was overwhelmingly in connection with market gardening; at the time of the 1911 census, 80% of households had been involved with market gardening.

Applications for exemption were heard at the weekly Evesham Rural District Tribunal meetings.  Men could apply on the grounds of work of national importance, business or domestic hardship, medical unfitness and conscientious objection, requesting either absolute, conditional or temporary exemption under one or more of seven different grounds.

Most were initially given some kind of exemption, usually temporary (between a few weeks and six months).  A number of men came before the tribunal or the Worcestershire Appeals Tribunal on more than one occasion.  Some men gained exemption on the condition that they joined the Volunteer Training Corps for part-time training and home defence duties.

The act was extended to married men by a second Military Service Act on 25th May 1916.  The lower age limit was also dropped to 18.  A further extension of the Military Service Act on 10th April 1918 reduced the maximum age of recruitment to 50 and allowed soldiers aged 18½ to be sent overseas as long as they had six months’ training.

As is the case with so many parts of the country, tribunal documents no longer exist (the official records of the Tribunals were destroyed during and after the Great War because of the sensitive nature of the issues involved).  The Evesham Journal, however, was a regular source of information, sometimes reporting verbatim.  The table below gives information on military tribunals which has been extracted from the Journals of 1916-1918 by Tom Locke, Chris Smith, Maureen Spinks and Peter Stewart.  In particular, Chris Smith is to be thanked for providing transcriptions of Journal articles relating to the proceedings of the Military Tribunals, which may be seen in the Newspaper Articles section.

Name Sort descending Age Married Address Occupation First Hearing
ALLARD, George 36 Yes Badsey Market gardening 3 Oct 1916
ALLCHURCH, Charles Tasker 34 Yes Badsey Market gardening Unknown
ANKER, Alfred Charles 34 Yes Badsey Market gardening Unknown
BALLARD, Edwin 39 Yes Aldington Market gardening 19 Dec 1916
BANNER, Frank 39 Yes Wickhamford Pub landlord and fruit and vegetable dealer 11 Jul 1916
BARNARD, Arthur Edward 18 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1917
BARNARD, Frederick Joseph 19 No Badsey Market gardening 14 Mar 1916
BARNARD, George 19 No Badsey Market gardening 22 Jan 1917
BATES, William Henry 21 No Badsey Grocer's manager 3 Jul 1917
BELL, Alfred 18 No Aldington Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
BOALER, Archie 23 Yes Badsey Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
BREWER, A J [Albert Joseph] 25 Unknown Badsey Baker Unknown
BREWER, George 19 No Badsey Baker 11 Apr 1916
BROTHERTON, George H E 34 Yes Wickhamford Market gardener 25 Oct 1916
BUTLER, Wilson Henry 35 No Aldington Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
BYRD, Cecil Henry 19 No Badsey Gardener's labourer 20 Mar 1916
BYRD, Thomas 36 Yes Aldington Farmer and fruit grower 20 Jun 1916
CANNING, J A [John Albert] 36 Yes Aldington Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
CHAMBERLAIN, Arthur Henry 26 Yes Badsey Horseman 19 Dec 1916
CHURCHILL, George Henry 35 Yes Badsey Manager of Badsey Sewage Works and Market gardener 18 Apr 1916
CHURCHILL, William Henry 38 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
COCKERTON, Victor Charles Edward 34 Yes Badsey Market gardening 23 May 1916
COLE, George William 26 Yes Badsey Market gardening 11 Apr 1916
COLLETT, Ernest Hubert 33 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
COLLETT, George 28 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
COLLETT, Samuel John 20 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
COLLEY, Jesse 18 No Wickhamford Carter 4 Jul 1916
CRANE, George 35 Yes Badsey Market gardening 30 Apr 1918
DAVIS, Clarence Thomas 20 No Badsey Market gardening 14 Mar 1916
DAVIS, Jesse Arthur Percival 26 Yes Wickhamford Market gardener 20 Mar 1916
DORE, Walter Henry 26 Yes Badsey Market gardening 11 Apr 1916
EMMS, George Henry 36 Yes Blackminster Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
EMMS, George William 34 Yes Badsey Groom and motor car driver 23 May 1916
ENSTONE, John 28 Yes Aldington Miller's labourer 28 Feb 1916
ENSTONE, William 26 No Aldington Market gardening 6 Mar 1916
FRANKLIN, C Sutton 32 Yes Badsey Sadler and market gardener 31 May 1916
GEDEN, Arthur William 32 Yes Badsey Market gardening Unknown
GEDEN, William G 29 Yes Badsey Market gardener 25 Oct 1916
GISBORNE, John 23 Yes Aldington Market gardening 11 Apr 1916
HALFORD, Charles William 35 Yes Wickhamford Market gardening 11 Jul 1916
HALFORD, Henry 23 No Wickhamford Market gardening 11 Jul 1916
HALL, Arthur Richard 27 Yes Badsey Market gardening 31 May 1916
HALL, Edward Charles 39 Yes Badsey Bricklayer and smallholder 6 Jun 1916
HALL, Henry 36 Yes Badsey Market gardening 17 Oct 1916
HALL, Percy 34 Yes Badsey Market gardening 28 Nov 1916
HALL, Theodore James (Junior) 32 Yes Badsey Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
HAMPTON, David W 31 Yes Wickhamford Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
HANCOX, William Joseph Unknown No Badsey Cowman 21 Feb 1916
HARDIMAN, George H 34 Yes Wickhamford Foreman 18 Apr 1916
HARDIMAN, Thomas William 29 Yes Badsey Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
HARRIS, John Thomas 18 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Feb 1917
HARTWELL, John 26 Yes Badsey Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
HARTWELL, Raymond Percy Marston 20 No Wickhamford Market gardening 21 Feb 1916
HARTWELL, Richard 21 No Badsey Market gardener's foreman 6 Mar 1916
HARWOOD, George Oliver 19 No Aldington Market gardening 6 Mar 1916
HARWOOD, Walter Wilson 21 No Aldington Market gardening 6 Mar 1916
HATCH, Frederick William 39 Yes Badsey Market gardener 6 Jun 1916
HAYWARD, William Leslie 30 Yes Badsey Pub landlord and fruit and vegetable dealer 14 Aug 1916
HEATH, Allen 37 Yes Badsey Pig breeder and market gardener Unknown
HERITAGE, Arthur 36 No Wickhamford Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
HILL, Arthur 33 No Aldington Market gardening 22 Jan 1917
HOPKINS, Francis Edward 32 No Badsey Market gardening 21 Feb 1916
HORNE, Lionel Edward 35 Yes Badsey Market gardening 11 Jul 1916
HOWELLS, John 24 Yes Badsey Market gardening 11 Apr 1916
HOWELLS, William George 30 Yes Wickhamford Carter, motor lorry driver, oil engine driver 18 Apr 1916
HUTCHINGS, George Henry 24 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
JELFS, Edmund Joseph 18 No Badsey Carter 3 Jul 1917
JELFS, Frank 24 No Badsey Carter and horseman 1916
JELFS, Walter Henry 24 Yes Aldington Stockman, slaughterman and market gardening 18 Apr 1916
JELFS, William Herbert 27 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
JINKS, Frederick John 19 No Badsey Market gardening 28 Nov 1916
JINKS, Harry 21 No Badsey Foreman gardener and horseman 6 Mar 1916
JONES, Frederick Charles 21 Yes Badsey Market gardening 11 Apr 1916
JONES, John K 18 No Badsey Market gardening 3 Jul 1917
JONES, William James 36 Yes Wickhamford Market gardener 25 Oct 1916
KEEN, Albert 19 No Badsey Market gardening 6 Mar 1916
KEEN, Cecil Alfred 21 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
KEEN, Henry 33 Yes Badsey Market gardener Unknown
KEEN, John Henry 31 No Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
KNIGHT, Lawrence Richard 18 No Badsey Market gardening 8 Jan 1918
KNIGHT, Sidney Valentine 20 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
KNIGHT, William 29 Yes Badsey Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
KNIGHT, William 39 Unknown Badsey Market gardener's labourer Did not apply
MALIN, Walter Frederick 18 No Wickhamford Market gardening 20 Mar 1917
MARSH, Allen 48 Yes Offenham Tailor 1918
MARTIN, Charles 24 No Bengeworth Market gardening 6 Mar 1916
MASON, Charles Robert 37 Yes Wickhamford Market gardening 11 Jul 1916
MASTERS, Frederick James 35 Yes Bengeworth Clerk/Manager fruit growing business 1916
MITCHELL, Mark E 18 No Badsey Market gardener 5 Mar 1918
MOISEY, Theodore James 34 Yes Wickhamford Market gardening 3 Oct 1916
MORGAN, George 30 Unknown Evesham Market gardening; groom 18 Apr 1916
MOULDER, Wilfred Iva 17 No Evesham Market gardening 1916
MUSTOE, Arthur Henry 33 Yes Badsey Market gardening 28 Nov 1916
MUSTOE, Ernest E 40 Yes Badsey Market gardener 30 Apr 1918
NEWBURY, Wilson James 37 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
NIGHTINGALE, Francis Edward 40 Yes Badsey Market gardening 17 Oct 1916
NIGHTINGALE, William Francis 20 No Badsey Market gardening Unknown
PENSON, George 37 Yes Aldington Market gardening 18 Dec 1916
PERKINS, Charles John 40 No Badsey Market gardener 6 Mar 1916
PERKINS, George W 21 No Badsey Market gardener 30 Apr 1918
PERKINS, John 18 No Badsey Market gardener 25 Oct 1916
PERKINS, Thomas 37 Yes Badsey Butcher's carter 4 Jul 1916
PETHARD, Henry G 31 No Wickhamford Market gardening 14 Mar 1916
PETHARD, Joshua John 31 Yes Badsey Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
PETHARD, Vernon J B 30 No Wickhamford Market gardening 21 Feb 1916
PHILLIPS, Archibald 26 Yes Evesham Unknown Unknown
PITMAN, Wilfred Charles 24 Yes Wickhamford Market gardener 25 Oct 1916
PITTS, George Henry 38 Yes Wickhamford Market gardener 1916
PORTER, Edward John 33 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
PRATLEY, Charles 18 No Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1917
REEVES, Samuel Francis William 24 Yes Blackminster Foreman market gardening 14 Mar 1916
RUSSELL, Allen 26 Yes Badsey Market gardening 20 Mar 1916
SADLER, Arthur Franklin 32 Yes Badsey Market gardening 28 Nov 1916
SADLER, Charles Walter 22 Yes Badsey Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
SADLER, Ernest 38 Yes Badsey Market gardening 31 Jul 1916
SADLER, Henry Robert 36 No Badsey Market gardening 6 Mar 1916
SALTER, Arthur 36 Yes Badsey Market gardening 31 Jul 1916
SANDFORD, William 38 Yes Badsey Foreman market gardening 6 Jun 1916
SAVAGE, Charles 37 Yes Badsey Bricklayer and market gardener 6 Jun 1916
SEARS, Frederick 34 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
SEARS, Thomas 35 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
SHARP, John 26 Yes Aldington Miller 18 Apr 1916
SIDERFINE, Hamilton John 29 No Wickhamford Market gardener 14 Mar 1916
SPARROW, Alfred Cecil 40 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
STANLEY, Ernest 32 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
STEWART, Frederick Charles 19 No Badsey Market gardening 21 Feb 1916
STEWART, Walter 26 No Aldington Market gardener 14 Mar 1916
STEWART, William Henry 33 No Aldington Market gardener 14 Mar 1916
STYLES, Stephen 34 Yes Wickhamford Market gardener and basket maker 11 Jul 1916
TANDY, Frederick 18 No Badsey Slaughterman and butcher's manager 30 Apr 1918
THORNE, A E [Arthur Edwin] 39 No Wickhamford Not given 14 Mar 1916
THOULD, Frank 38 No Badsey Market gardener and fruit grower 20 Mar 1916
VINCENT, Lewis 39 Yes Badsey Market gardening 18 Apr 1916
WALKER, George Henry Unknown Unknown Badsey Market gardening 21 Feb 1916
WALTERS, Robert William 26 Yes Wickhamford Market gardening Unknown
WARMINGTON, Richard Smith 26 Yes Badsey Market gardening and innkeeper 11 Apr 1916
WILKINS, Alfred Cecil 21 No Badsey Market gardening 6 Mar 1916
WILKINS, Charles William 21 No Badsey Carter 6 Mar 1916
WILLIS, Thomas H 35 Yes Badsey Market gardener 25 Oct 1916
WILLMORE, James 39 Yes Badsey Market gardener 6 Jun 1916
WILSON, Thomas John 19 No Badsey Foreman 6 Mar 1916
WORMINGTON, William Percy 27 Yes Wickhamford Market gardening 4 Jul 1916
YEATES, Ernest Albert 28 Yes Badsey Market gardening Unknown