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MEN WHO SAID NO | ROAD TO CONSCRIPTION | OBJECTION | PRISONS | SENTENCED TO DEATH | TRIBUNALS | WIDER CONTEXT |
RICHARD MEYNELL PEARSON 1881 -  

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We have little information about Richard at present. We do know that he refused to accept the Home Office Scheme, was court marital a number of time and sentenced to 2 years hard labour. A year into his sentence he withdrew his refusal and was moved to the Home Office Scheme in Knutsford. He had escaped from prison previously and was no more stalled in Knutsford. He noted in a letter to the Brace committee ‘Last time I ran off from barracks I nearly got abroad. I ran off three times.’

Any information you may have about Richard would be welcome and we would be pleased to add it to this page. Let us know.

The following is a brief outline of what happened to most COs at the start of their resistance to the war.

Dealing with conscientious objectors was a new and confusing situation for the authorities and the Army. The CO might have appealed to his Local and later to the Appeal Tribunal, or he might have been deemed to be genuine but refused the offered form of exemption. Whether an objector appealed to a Tribunal or not from the moment he was instructed to report to camp, whether or not he did so, he was ‘deemed to be enlisted’, and his absence made him liable to prosecution for desertion.

After a few days when his absence was noted he would be visited by a policeman, arrested, and taken first to the recruiting office and then to the police station, where he would probably spend the night in a cell. The next day he would be brought before the magistrate. The police or a recruiting officer offered evidence of his liability to serve, and the, now, prisoner again declared his conscientious objection. He would be fined for failing to report under the Military Service Act, and handed over to a military escort. This would take him to the barracks to which he had first been ordered to report. There he was required to change into uniform, to sign his paybook and generally submit to routine orders. If such orders were refused he would be charged with disobeying a lawful command and placed in the guardroom.

After an initial period of confusion the procedure outlined above emerged and quickly became standard.

 

 

 

 

  Do you have more information or photos of RICHARD MEYNELL PEARSON? Let us know
 

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CO DATA

Born: 1881 in Cullercoats, Northumberland
Died:
Address: Huts Corner, Hindhead, nr. Farnham, Surrey
Tribunal: Central
Prison: Wandsworth CP
HO Scheme: Knutsford [1]
CO Work:
Occupation: Dentist

Motivation:
[2]
ALTERNATIVIST

 


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WIDER CONTEXT | more
ROAD TO CONSCRIPTION
| more
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION
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TRIBUNALS | more
SENTENCED TO DEATH | more
PRISONS | more
HOME OFFICE CENTRES | more

READ | more

ONLINE RESOURCES
Conscientious objection in WW1
Conscientious objection today
White Poppies
Remembrance

EDUCATION | more

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