A Refusal to Obey Orders - Sheffield December 1916

It has been a rough week on the Hill. On Wednesday it was the funeral of my dear mother in law Mary who sadly passed away on 23rd April 2015 at the age of 87. Mary was the last of the Simpson family to die and so her passing represents the end of an era. We will miss her.

And then yesterday the Hill witnessed another dreadful second half display by the Blades in the League One Play-Offs. And then to cap it all the Party of the Toffs, despite all predictions, are set to govern my life for the next five years.

And then when you think things could not get worse I find out that my Great Uncle Albert was prosecuted for failing to do his duty in World War 1


The following is from the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star dated 14th December 1916

He was brought in front of Sir William Clegg in the Sheffield Munitions Court for refusing to obey orders. Refusing to obey orders however unreasonable was deemed to be a dereliction of duty to one's country.

Sir William obviously took a dim view of the workers conduct and fined them the equivalent of £185 in today's money which seems rather punitive to say the least. But on the plus side at least Albert was not in France serving in the British Army. If he had refused orders there he would have in all probability been court-martialed and then executed

This has not been the best week in my life!