Description
Object description
British civilian student at Newnham College, Cambridge University and pacifist member of Cambridge Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship in Cambridge, GB, 1913-1916; worked as shadow secretary with Stoke on Trent Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship in Stoke on Trent, GB, 6/1916-9/1916; worked as assistant organiser with Women's Trade Union League in London, GB, 9/1916-12/1916; worked as assistant to geneticist William Bateson in Merton, London, GB, 1/1917-3/1917; worked for market gardener in Evesham, GB, 8/1917; worked as assessor with Forestry Commission in GB, 9/1917-4/1918; member of Women's Co-operative Guild in Stoke-on-Trent, GB, 4/1918-11/1918
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1895-1913: family; house parties given by paternal grandmother Emily Wedgwood; father's military service in Boer War; period in South Africa, 1902-1904; return to GB, 1904; family awareness of politics stimulated by father's standing as Liberal Party parliamentary candidate for Newcastle-under-Lyme.
REEL 2 Continues: nature of education; interest in political events; father's historical interest; listening to Winston Churchill speaking in 1909 Budget from Ladies Gallery of House of Commons; pro-Irish sympathies; mother and grandmother Emily Wedgwood support for striking coal miners.
REEL 3 Continues: obtaining place at Newnham College, Cambridge University; mother's political and social views. Recollections of period as student in Newnham College, Cambridge in GB, 1913-1916: first year at Cambridge; outbreak of First World War, 8/1914; question of nature of war; father's enlistment in Royal Naval Division.
REEL 4 Continues: father's military career in Belgium; problems with accommodating Belgian refugees in family home; how father gave her an independent income as student; contact with pacifists and membership of Fabian Society; lack of personal contact with Rupert Brooke.
REEL 5 Continues: effects of war on Cambridge; public attitude towards men who didn't join the services; attitude to completing degree before doing something; reaction to sight of wounded men; public antagonism towards moderate pacifist groups especially Union of Democratic Control; Zeppelin raids in East Anglia; introduction of British Summer Time, 1915; formation of Cambridge Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship.
REEL 6 Continues: George Lansbury's support for pacifist cause; memories of and G D H Cole and Clifford Allen at Fabian Conference in Keswick, 1915; further contact with Clifford Allen; receiving news of father's wounding with Royal Naval Division at Gallipoli, 1915.
REEL 7 Continues: nature of father's wounds; question of mother's activities during First World War; discussions on vegetarianism; father's job in War Office and enlistment in army, summer 1915; family activities summer 1915; return with sister to Newnham College, Cambridge University, 10/1915; father's embarkation for East Africa, 12/1915.
REEL 8 Continues: work for Cambridge Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship; lack of support from Bertrand Russell; work of supporters in securing political protection for conscientious objectors; attending conscientious objector tribunals; opinion of conscientious objector tribunals; reasons for Quakers resigning from Friends Ambulance after introduction of Military Service Act, 1/1916.
REEL 9 Continues: discussion of absolutist and alternativist conscientious objectors; collecting money for dependents of absolutist conscientious objectors; reasons for to Indian Communist brothers' refusal of military service; memories of Catherin Marshall; attending No-Conscription Fellowship conference at Devonshire House, London, 1916; number of women in Cambridge Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship; organisation of Cambridge Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship.
REEL 10 Continues: Recollections of period as shadow secretary of Stoke-on-Trent Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship in Stoke-on-Trent, GB, 6/1916-9/1916: leaving Cambridge University and return home, 6/1916; comparison between Cambridge and Stoke-on-Trent branches of No-Conscription Fellowship; visits to guardroom at Lichfield Barracks; method of smuggling correspondents; soldiers' attitudes towards conscientious objectors; opinion of conscientious objectors accounts of imprisonment.
REEL 11 Continues: memories of cousin Cecil Wedgwood, killed in First World War; attitude towards First World War; memories of Catherine Marshall; work for Catherine Marshall with No-Conscription Fellowship in London, summer 1916; father's attitude towards her support for conscientious objectors; authorities opening of her father's letters; fear of arrest due to contact with conscientious objector with German name.
REEL 12 Continues: legality of pacifist organisations and activities; attending Union of Democratic Control conference, 7/1916; nature of Union of Democratic Control conference; work as shadow secretary with Stoke-on-Trent Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship.
REEL 13 Continues: visits to Lichfield Barracks; nature of in fighting within conscientious objector groups. Recollections of period as assistant organiser with Women's Trade Union League in London, GB, 9/1916-12/1916: move with family to London, 9/1916; employment with Women's Trade Union League; nature of work; attitude towards life in London; attempts to organise women at No 7 National Filing Factory, Hayes.
REEL 14 Continues: methods of persuading women to form trade union committee; occupational hazards and working conditions for female munition workers; questions of improvements obtained by union; continuing work for Stoke-on-Trent Branch of No-Conscription Fellowship.
REEL 15 Continues: formation of 1917 Club; memories of Mary Macarthur and Susan Lawrence; reasons for poor opinion of Sylvia Pankhurst; sight of German Zeppelin raids on London, 1916; reasons for father's visit to US, Christmas 1916; reasons for leaving Women's Trade Union League, 12/1916.
REEL 16 Continues: question of attitude towards unpaid volunteers within Women's Trade Union League. Aspects of employment as research assistant to geneticist William Bateson in Merton, London, GB, 1/1917-3/1917: nature of employment; William Bateson's attitude towards Russians; celebrations and attitude of pacifists to news of Russian Revolution, 3/1917; attitude of No-Conscription Fellowship to America's entry in First World War.
REEL 17 Continues: Aspects of period working for market gardener in Evesham, GB, 8/1917: reasons for not joining Women's Land Army; work in aunt's garden in Birmingham; work for market gardener in Evesham; character of women working as market gardeners; attitude towards work. Aspects of period as assessor with Forestry Commission in GB, 9/1917-4/1918: recruitment to work; origins of forestry workers; working and living conditions; continuing work for No-Conscription Fellowship
REEL 18 Continues: question of morality amongst Land Army and forestry workers; contact with German POWs working as forestry workers; reasons for leaving forestry work, 4/1918. Aspects of period as member of Women's Co-operative Guild in Stoke-on-Trent, GB, 4/1918-11/1918: return to Stoke-on-Trent, 4/1918; accommodation in Shelton area.
REEL 19 Continues: story of brother Charles being shot down and being made POW whilst serving with Royal Naval Air Service on Western Front; father's protest against British intervention in Russia; public speaking in Hanley area; election canvassing in Newcastle-under-Lyme; activities with Women's Co-operative Guild; public reaction to Armistice, 11/11/1918; father's unopposed election during General Election, 1918.
REEL 20 Continues: election campaign in Stoke-on-Trent, 1918; reasons for joining Independent Labour Party; post-war concern for housing reform; post-war activities with Independent Labour Party; release of conscientious objectors, 1919.