Resources Subheading
Conscientious objectors
Twin brothers Garnet Round and Gordon Osborn Aston, were born in Cannock in 1885. They moved to Wolverhampton by 1891, when they lived at Newhampton Road. By 1901 they had moved to Penn, where Garnett worked as a Factor’s Clerk and Gordon as a Railway Clerk.
During the First World War they were conscientious objectors. They appeared in the Pearce Register of British Conscientious Objectors.
Following the introduction of compulsory conscription in January 1916, men who had reasons for being excused from military service, were called before local tribunals. These Military Service Tribunals were held regularly and in the case of Wolverhampton were held at Wolverhampton Council Chamber.
Due to the sensitive issues that surrounded compulsory military service, only a small handful of the tribunal papers survived, as the Ministry of Health dictated in 1921 that these should be destroyed.
The local newspapers, including the Express and Star and the Wolverhampton Chronicle reported on the tribunals, but details of the individuals who came before them were anonymised. However, individuals who were then later taken to court, are identified so their stories can be tracked back.
In the case of the Aston twins, they appeared before Wolverhampton County Magistrate’s Court on 3 April 1916, charged with having failed to report themselves under the Military Service Act. They defended themselves by saying that “they could not have deserted from something they had not joined”. The Magistrates’ Clerk responded by saying that they were not accused of being deserters, but “appear to be absentees from the Army”.
Their cases had already been considered by the Seisdon Tribunal and were not allowed. Their appeal was also dismissed. Despite these two hearings, the defendants insisted that their case had not been properly heard. Both brothers were fined 40 shillings and were remanded to await an escort.
A further article appears on 9 February 1917 in the Express & Star, entitled ‘Wolverhampton Conscientious Objectors Sentenced’, about the brothers. By this date they were Privates in the South Staffordshire Regiment. This infers they had joined the army, but were still trying to subvert the system. They had been court-martialled at Whittington Barracks “on charges of desertion and of losing their clothing and regimental necessaries by neglect.” Additionally, the brothers were each sentenced to 84 days’ imprisonment without hard labour. The article noted that they had already been sentenced to imprisonment by court-martial on two previous occasions for refusing to obey orders.
Garnet married a Hilda Blackett in Bournemouth in 1926, and died in 1953. Gordon does not appear to have married, and died (also in Bournemouth) in 1955.