William Brown was one of a group of Quaker Conscientious Objectors from Greenock, Scotland that would become known as the Greenock Eight. The Greenock Eight would share the same experience of the war, and the same reasons for refusing to participate in it.

At the beginning of the war, in 1914, William, born 1886, was a plumber, working alongside fellow Quaker and Greenock CO Robert Boag. William attended the Greenock Quaker meeting, and would have been part of the tight-knit community of Quakers in the area. It was his Quaker belief that inspired his resistance to war, and led to his conscientious objection after the introduction of Conscription in 1916.

Refusing to be sent into the army by conscription, William applied for exemption as a CO to the Greenock Tribunal, appearing on the same day as the seven other COs who would join him as part of the Greenock Eight. They argued as one, allowing the same statement to stand as a testament to all their individual beliefs. Robert Boag declared on their behalf that as “all war to be inconsistent with the teaching of Christ and being fully convinced of the sacredness of human life, and also bearing in mind the Divine Command “Thou shall not kill” I must therefore refuse to take part in that which means the inflicting of death and consequent engendering of hatred and bitterness between nations. In regard to non-combatant duties I would also claim exemption from undertaking same, under a Military Oath which necessitate obedience to all orders and makes one part of the military machine, such action on my part tending to make the work of killing more efficient. In putting forward these my main reasons I do so under the firm belief that in no other way can the principles of Universal Brotherhood be attained.”

This was what would become known as an “Absolutist” stance, one that refused to participate in warfare in any way, shape or form. It was - almost inevitably - unpopular with the Greenock Tribunal, who, despite the unified stance taken by all the COs before them, ignored the majority of the declaration - passing them all with “Exemption from Combatant Service Only”, a verdict which would send them to the Army regardless of his stance - a clear suggestion that the Tribunal neither understood nor respected William’s absolute refusal to carry out this kind of work.

William appealed against this decision, but achieved little and the Paisley Appeal Tribunal would confirm the verdict in May 1916. Absolute resistance to conscription meant giving no compromise to the system, and for William this meant refusing to obey a summons to barracks. As Conscription was law, refusing such a summons meant arrest - and the other Greenock men were arrested together, on the 20th of June.

They were tried as absentees from the Army, fined 40/- and handed over under escort to the military. Out of civilian control, they were sent to the Stirling barracks and expected to willingly play the role of Non-Combatant soldiers in the 2nd Scottish battalion of the Non-Combatant Corps. All refused. Putting on uniforms under duress - while protesting - they would soon refuse orders, and receive a quick, perfunctory court martial resulting in six months hard labour, to be served in Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow.

They did not serve the full six months in Barlinnie. Shortly after arrival at the prison they were sent before the Central Tribunal, which passed them all acceptable for the Home Office Scheme. Sent from prison to employment under the scheme, the Greenock Eight worked at the Wigtown Home Office Centre, felling trees for mining lumber. Robert would be retained at Wigtown until April 1918, when they would be sent to Wakefield Camp until the end of the year. In October 1918 William was released to “exceptional employment” near to home in Greenock. Still monitored by the Home Office and officially undergoing punishment as Conscientious Objectors, he was for all intents and purposes, free to return to the life he had before the war.

You may be interested in Objectors & Resisters: Opposition to Conscription and War in Scotland 1914-18