How to look for records of... Conscientious objectors

How can I view the records covered in this guide?

How many are online?

  • Some

This is a brief guide to researching records of British conscientious objectors. Those records which do exist are mostly available at The National Archives and local record offices.

What do I need to know before I start?

Records of British conscientious objectors are varied and incomplete. Few records of conscientious objectors survive, especially after 1921. Those which do survive are generally samples.

The Military Service Act of 1916 introduced compulsory conscription to Great Britain for the first time in modern history. Before this act, the armed forces were generally made up of volunteers.

While conscientious objection was not specifically defined in the act of 1916, the government recognised those whose ‘objection genuinely rests on religious or moral convictions’.

Only a small number of conscientious objectors were exempted from service absolutely. Most were obliged to serve in non-combatant roles or faced courts martial.

Britain abolished National Service in 1960.

In 1921 the Ministry of Health decided that all papers relating to individual cases of exemption from National Service and tribunal minute books (except those of the Central Tribunal), should be destroyed. Thus the vast majority of files do not survive.

Online records

Middlesex military service appeal tribunal records (1916–1918)

Search case papers from the Middlesex Appeal Tribunal and a sample from the Central Appeal Tribunal in London.

The case papers are for those applying for exemption from conscription and include conscientious objectors.

Browse MH 47 for minute books and letter books of the tribunal, and other related material.

Records available only at The National Archives in Kew

To access these records you will either need to visit us, pay for research (£) or, where you can identify a specific record reference, order a copy (£).

Nominal lists of appeals (1939–1962)

Browse Discovery, our catalogue, for sample documents and nominal lists of conscientious objectors during and after the Second World War in LAB 45. These are arranged by surname.

Records of Ministry of National Service (1915–1918)

Browse the following policy files:

  • NATS 1/909 and NATS 1/935 for those who had fled to Ireland to avoid conscription
  • NATS 1/964 for a plan to ‘comb out’ hunting and racing establishments for people evading military service
  • NATS 1/975 for the problem of men enrolling as war work volunteers in order to avoid the call-up

Names of individuals are not given although they are all generally referred to as ‘shirkers’.

Additional material (1916–1918)

For additional material related to conscientious objection or exemption tribunals, search our catalogue using terms such as ‘conscientious objection’, ‘conscription’ or ‘military service tribunals’.

Records include:

  • policy papers in WO 32
  • examples of conscientious objectors seeking employment from the Civil Service Commission in  T1
  • Home office papers in HO 45
Date range (YYYY):

Records in other archives and organisations

Lothian and Peebles tribunal records

Contact the National Records of Scotland for sample records of the Lothian and Peebles tribunal (ref: HH 30).

Cardiganshire (Ceredigion) tribunal records

Browse digitised records of the Cardiganshire tribunal on the website of the National Library of Wales.

Bury St Edmunds Local Military Tribunal

Browse the website created by Suffolk Archives.

Records held elsewhere

The National Archives’ catalogue contains collections and contact details of local archives around the UK and beyond. To locate these records, search our catalogue with keywords and refine your results to ‘Other archives’ using the filters.

Other resources

Newspapers

Consult local newspapers at libraries or the British Library Newspaper Collection which may provide details of tribunal hearings at local level.

Books

Search The National Archives’ shop to see whether any of the publications below may be available to buy. Alternatively, look in The National Archives’ library catalogue to see what is available to consult at Kew.

William Spencer, ‘Family history in the wars’ (The National Archives, 2007)

Will Ellsworth-Jones, ‘We will not fight!’ (Aurum Press Ltd, 2008)

James McDermott, ‘British military service tribunals, 1916-1918’ (Manchester University Press, 2011)

Websites

Read our blog on Commemorating Conscription.