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THE MEN WHO SAID NO | ROAD TO CONSCRIPTION | CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION | PRISONS | SENTENCED TO DEATH | TRIBUNALS | WIDER CONTEXT | INDEX
HENRY JAMES FARISH 1894 -  

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Brothers Frederick and Henry Farish were living in Tooting when Conscription came into force in 1916. Little is known about their reasons for objecting, but it is possible they did so on the grounds of nationality - both were born in the USA - and an ethical objection to war. Their American citizenship would have put off Conscription until 1917 with the extension of the Military Service Act to the Conscription of Friendly and Allied Aliens. It is likely that they were first formally subjected to Conscription just before America formally entered into the war, as they were both facing court martial on the 13th of March 1917, a full month before America declared war on Germany. Both brothers received the same court martial sentence, two years hard labour in Wormwood Scrubs. There, they both faced a Central Tribunal hearing which graded Henry as a "Class C" CO - men whom the Central Tribunal did not believe were genuine in their objection. There could be many reasons for this decision, but even at this high level, Tribunal members were still reluctant to engage with many arguments put forward by COs and they could simply have rejected out of hand the ethical position Henry put forward.  Frederick, in turn, rejected the Home Office Scheme and chose to stay in prison. The brothers were sent back to prison, both sent to Wandsworth to serve out their sentence. Though the Armistice on November 11th 1918 effectively put a stop to the fighting, the CO struggle went on and Frederick and Henry were put through another court martial and a further prison sentence. In protest at this cruel and pointless treatment, Henry went on Hunger strike which seems to have succeeded, as he was not force fed and earned an early remission of his sentence. Frederick and Henry were released under the two year rule in February and January 1919 respectively, on a temporary basis which soon became permanent with the end of the war.

 

 

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CO DATA

Born: 1894
Died:
Address: 40 Glasford Street, Tooting, London
Tribunal: Wormwood Scrubs
Prison: Wormwood Scrubs, Wandsworth, Maidstone
HO Scheme:Rejected [1]
CO Work:
Occupation:

Motivation: Ethical

ABSOLUTIST

 


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