News from the WDYTYA Magazine site, which may be of interest:
Project set to reveal conscription truths
Family historians will be able download thousands of WW1 records for free following completion of a major digitisation project next year
The records of almost 9,000 men who appealed against military conscription will be made available to download for free following completion of a major digitisation project next year.
Held at The National Archives (TNA) in Kew, the 162 volumes of case files were created following the introduction of the Military Service Act, which came into force in March 1916 and required all unmarried males between the ages of 18 and 41 to be conscripted into the armed forces.
Although the majority of papers for England and Wales were destroyed, sample records of the appeal hearings from the Central Tribunal in London and the more complete Middlesex collection were kept as a representative sample. Analysis of the collection has already revealed some surprising statistics, debunking many myths about the men who applied for exemption and often had to appeal against tribunal decisions.
Whereas attention has regularly been drawn towards conscientious objectors – men who refused to fight for moral, political or religious reasons – the overwhelming majority of those who submitted their applications in fact did so on grounds such as economic hardship or ill health.
Just 577 out of the 8,791 case files actually relate to conscientious objectors – under seven per cent of the sample. More commonly, the men were business owners who already found themselves facing financial ruin after their employees and male relatives were sent abroad.
Matters were complicated further when liability for military service was extended to married men in May 1916. While private companies are still submitting tenders for the digitisation process itself, much of the preparation work is being undertaken by volunteers, who are helping to conserve and prepare the fragile records for scanning. Throughout its duration, the project will be funded by TNA, along with The Friends of the National Archives and the Federation of Family History Societies.
Upon completion in November 2013, researchers will be able to download scanned images of the papers via TNA’s Discovery Catalogue, free of charge.
Project set to reveal conscription truths
Family historians will be able download thousands of WW1 records for free following completion of a major digitisation project next year
The records of almost 9,000 men who appealed against military conscription will be made available to download for free following completion of a major digitisation project next year.
Held at The National Archives (TNA) in Kew, the 162 volumes of case files were created following the introduction of the Military Service Act, which came into force in March 1916 and required all unmarried males between the ages of 18 and 41 to be conscripted into the armed forces.
Although the majority of papers for England and Wales were destroyed, sample records of the appeal hearings from the Central Tribunal in London and the more complete Middlesex collection were kept as a representative sample. Analysis of the collection has already revealed some surprising statistics, debunking many myths about the men who applied for exemption and often had to appeal against tribunal decisions.
Whereas attention has regularly been drawn towards conscientious objectors – men who refused to fight for moral, political or religious reasons – the overwhelming majority of those who submitted their applications in fact did so on grounds such as economic hardship or ill health.
Just 577 out of the 8,791 case files actually relate to conscientious objectors – under seven per cent of the sample. More commonly, the men were business owners who already found themselves facing financial ruin after their employees and male relatives were sent abroad.
Matters were complicated further when liability for military service was extended to married men in May 1916. While private companies are still submitting tenders for the digitisation process itself, much of the preparation work is being undertaken by volunteers, who are helping to conserve and prepare the fragile records for scanning. Throughout its duration, the project will be funded by TNA, along with The Friends of the National Archives and the Federation of Family History Societies.
Upon completion in November 2013, researchers will be able to download scanned images of the papers via TNA’s Discovery Catalogue, free of charge.
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