A call to Prayer - Peace

 

Bradford Daily Telegraph 1st August 1914

National Archives, Choices, YMCA and more

The last two weeks have been very busy. I spent three days in London two at the National Archives conducting research for my book and one at the History Press WW1 Centenary event where I was able to meet some of the other authors in the Great War Town Series.

The National Archives were great I found many wonderful documents relating to, amongst other things, local munitions factories, war charities, anti-German riots and industrial unrest. I could happily have spent another couple of days there researching and may plan other visit combined with a trip to the Imperial War Museum.

The History Press event was a great opportunity to meet some of the other authors not only from the Great War Town series but also other authors writing on various aspect of the subject. There are a number of Great War Town books that are in the pipeline including Leeds, Sheffield, Kiddiminster, Shropshire and Swindon to name but a few.

While I was away the Peace Museum launched their ChoicesThen and Now project which I have been involved with. It is a cross curricular approach to teaching about World War I and recent and current conflicts, considering the choices available to and made by people in response to key events and ‘days that changed the world’. 

Bradford YMCA also approached me to see if I can help them with their Heritage Lottery Bid which has already gone through the initial stages. They plan to work with young people who will decide which aspect of the First World War they want to research more deeply, it will provide them with research skills and practical cross curricular knowledge of some of the issues around the War and how it impacted on people at home and the front.

I was also contacted by BBC Radio Leeds to see if I can input into their WW1 Centenary broadcasts.

This week has also been busy pulling together a new talk “Musical beds – Military use of Bradford’sHospitals in WW1” which will be aired for the first time next week at the Bradford Family History Society meeting on 3rd October at Shipley Library. The topic will also be a chapter within by book Great War Towns: Bradford.

Conscientious objectors

While researching the Bradford Trades Council minutes three names of conscientious objectors have so far emerged. The Trades Council had even before the war broke out been looking for peace, attending the Ninth National Peace Conference in Leeds in 1913. This effort continued throughout the war as demonstrated by a survey of their members in March 1918 to see if they were in favour of a negotiated peace. They had been adamantly against conscription and working to “safeguard the historic right of individual freedom of conscience.”

One of the conscientious objectors named was Revis Barber (full name Mark Revis Barber) who was the son of the Secretary of the Trades Council. His father Walter had previously been a stuff dyers labourer but was secretary of the Trades Council from at least 1911. He was 50 when war broke out in 1914 and too old to go to the front. He and his wife Alice had four children, in 1911 they report that the eldest two sons, Charles and James, had died, both were in the 1901 census as apprentices age 16 and 14. Their third son Mark Revis Barber was 18 when war broke out and their youngest Walter Vereen Annistage Barber was 13. The Trades Council in December 1918 “agreed to make an application for the release of Revis Barber from the Home Office Scheme having served 12 months imprisonment.”

I don’t know what happened to his two older brothers what caused them to die when they had survived infancy and seemed to be doing well as apprentices, or what happened to his younger brother and whether he too was a conscientious objector.

UPDATE 
I have just discovered that Revis Barber went on to be an Alderman of Bradford Council and "supported and led the dream of a University for Bradford for many years. In 1965, Alderman Barber signed the Petition to the Queen to create a Royal Charter, thereby establishing the University; he died very soon after."

The other two conscientious objectors that were named in the minutes were  Mr A Emsley a member of the National Union of Woolsorters and Mr W J Greene. This hasn’t given me enough information to confirm any more details about their families but if you know more please get in touch.

Source

Bradford Trades Council minutes 1914-1918 

There is more information about Revis Barber at the Bradford University Archive

Peace and Remembrance

The war which lasted 4 years and 3 months was called to an end when the Armistice was signed on the 11^th November 1918 and 6 hours later military operations ceased. Everyone felt the impact of the war and we should take time to remember not only those who sacrificed their lives or were wounded but also those who contributed to the war effort at home. Remember those who worked in a munitions factory, nursed the wounded, volunteered, who struggled to survive emotionally and financially and the communities that supported them.

I’m sorry that I cannot provide details of the reaction to the armistice in Bradford as the newspapers are currently unavailable. However I thought it might be appropriate to record the Peace Day Celebrations that were arranged by Bradford Poor Law Board of Guardians on 19^th July 1919.

Inmates, who were still dispersed at different locations due to the use of Union House and St Luke’s Hospital as a War Hospital, were allowed special fare consisting of:

·   Breakfast – bread, margarine, tea, bacon, sausage.

·   Dinner – beef, plum pudding, vegetables, oranges.

·   Tea – bread, margarine, cake, cheese.

·   Extras – sweets, tobacco, snuff, biscuits.

Visiting regulations were relaxed and entertainments arranged. The children at the children’s home at Bowling Institution were provided with sports and outdoor amusements with a marquee erected for the provision of tea and, with the approval of the Minister of Health, the sum of 6d each for pocket money. The members of the Ladies Cottage Homes Visiting Committee were invited and arrangements made to hold the event in a vacant block at St Luke’s in case the weather was wet.

Staff at the various institutions were granted a days holiday and 2/6 in consideration of the extra work they had to perform on the actual day (given at the discretion of the master/superintendent).

I hope the memories of a wide range of people who lived during that time can be maintained forever. If you would like to preserve the memory of your Bradford ancestors and their families who experienced life during through the war by sharing it online please contact me.