B111 - Benjamin Walker & family, 1874

Benjamin Walker was born at Hay-a-Park, near Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England on 18 Sept. 1874, the 1st child of Benjamin and Sarah (born Chipchase) Walker.

Benjamin was educated at the Quaker Ackworth Boarding School from 1885 to 1890. Upon finishing school, at age 16, he spent the next 5 years, from 1890 to 1895 in apprenticeship to the grocery trade with Bartholomew Smith & Sons of Thirsk. The 1981 CR for Thirsk gives six young people as John William and Mary Ann Hall's apprentices, including Benjamin. See Biography 111-D for a picture and a short history of the shop. After his time at Thirsk Benjamin spent a short time with Thomas Pumphrey of Darlington, in County Durham. In 1897 he joined the staff of Rowntree & Co. of York and served them for 33 years as a representative in the Lewisham area of South London.

On 24 July, 1901 Benjamin married Mabel Susan Hall at the Quaker Meeting House at Thirsk, where Mabel lived. Mabel was born on 18 Sept. 1873, the daughter of John William Hall, a draper and Grocer, and Mary Ann Smith, of Thirsk. The wedding ceremony was recorded as follows:-

Benjamin Walker of Number 100 Ladywell Road, Lewisham in the County of London, Commercial Traveller, Son of Benjamin Walker of Hay-a-Park Knaresborough in the County of York (farmer), and Sarah his wife, and Mabel Susan Hall, daughter of John William Hall of Thirsk in the county of York, Grocer and Draper and Mary Ann, his wife, having declared their intentions of taking each other in MARRIAGE before the MONTHLY MEETING OF FRIENDS, commonly called Quakers of York in the County of York the proceedings of the said Benjamin Walker and Mabel Susan Hall after due inquiry and deliberate consideration thereof were allowed by the said Meeting they appearing clear of all others and having consent of Parents---- NOW THESE ARE TO CERTIFY that for the accomplishment of their said Marriage this twenty fourth day of the seventh month in the year one thousand nine hundred and one, they the said Benjamin Walker and Mabel Susan Hall appeared at a public assembly of the aforesaid people in their Meeting House in Thirsk and he the said Benjamin Walker taking the said Mabel Susan Hall by the hand declared as followeth: “Friends, I take this my Friend Mabel Susan Hall to be my wife; promising through Divine Assistance to be unto her a faithful and affectionate Husband, until it shall please the Lord by death to separate us. AND the said Mabel Susan Hall did then and there in the said Assembly declare as followeth; Friends, I take this my Friend Benjamin Walker to be my Husband promising through Divine Assistance to be unto him a faithful and affectionate Wife, until it shall please the Lord by Death to separate us”. AND the said Benjamin Walker and Mabel Susan Hall as a further conformation thereof and in testimony thereunto did then and there to these presents set their Hands.

See here for a labelled version of the wedding photograph, identifying the guests

Mabel was educated at Ackworth School from 1886 to 1889, which was during the same time period as Benjamin attended. At 19 Mabel was a companion housekeeper for two years to her grandfather for “Keep and Pocket Money”. Her great interests throughout her life were adult schools, temperance societies, and activities of the Society of Friends.

Benjamin and Mabel had 3 children, all born in Lewisham, South London.

See separate biographies for the children.

During this time period the family were active members of Deptford Meeting, then of Peckham Meeting and later of Woolwich, a Meeting which Mabel helped to found. It would appear that this was the time they removed to 35 Glenhouse Road, Eltham Park in London SE. Benjamin was a convinced pacifist and the power of his convictions resulted in the following remarkable decision of a Woolwich Military Tribunal in 1918, during World War One; “Complete exemption from military service while holding the same views.” He was a lifelong worker for the Society of Friends, mainly in south London. He served as Clerk to two Preparative Meetings, Eltham 1917 - 1918 and Woolwich 1919 - 1924. He had a lively interest in history and was able, in his planned retirement at age 56, to pursue his studies by visits to all the countries surrounding the Mediterranean. While on his travels, in company with his wife, Mabel, he made a point of contacting Friends centres and isolated members of the Society.

During the last years of his life Benjamin lived on the outskirts of Brighton, in Sussex and his last activities, besides encouraging lapsed members of the Ackworth Old Scholars Association, were organizing the raising of funds for Bedford Institute and the Friends Service Council.

Benjamin Walker of “El Kantara” at 40 Withdean Crescent, Brighton, died on 3 Mar. 1941, at age 66, a retired Commercial Traveller. He was buried in the Friends Burial Ground at Brighton. After his death his wife, Mabel, went to live with her unmarried daughter Madeline at 23 Moberly Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire. She died on 31 Dec. 1949 at The Retreat Hospital in York City, Yorkshire, of pneumonia, at age 76.

THE WAR OF 1914 – 1918 & CONSCRIPTION

When the war of 1914 – 1918 started, men and boys in England enlisted in large numbers, believing the newspapers, that it would not last long, and to die for King and Country was a creditable thing. By 1916 the death toll was exceedingly high and the number of volunteers had fallen far short of those that were needed as replacements. Conscription was therefore implemented by the Military Service Act of 1916. The Act allowed an individual to complete an “Application as to Exemption Form” and subsequently appear before a Tribunal to present their case for exemption. If they failed to convince the Tribunal and refused to sign-on they went to prison for a month. When released they were immediately put before the Tribunal again. Refusal meant back to prison, and so it continued.

When Benjamin Walker received his “Call-Up” papers in May or June of 1818 he completed the “Application as to Exemption” on the grounds of a conscientious objection to the undertaking of combatant service. Conscientious objectors, as they were known, were ridiculed by the public and sorely tested by the judges and all cases were reported in the daily papers. Against this background Quakers stood their ground.

Benjamin’s answer to the Tribunal was in the form of the following written documents:-

Coming before this tribunal and court I feel there are two distinct commands:-

The state which has brought me here.

The voice of God which can speak or does speak to those who listen..

Holding the view that all war is unchristian (not this particular war anymore than any other war) it brings many of us into conflict with the State because to us the commands of Christ must and shall take first place be the consequences what they may. Christ’s love of all mankind transcends mere racial hatred,

War cannot be reconciled with Christ’s gospel of love. If war could kill war it would have done so long ago. The mere attempt of the leading Christian nations to carry out their Foreign policies under the teachings of Him whom they claim to follow would cause all wars to cease.

For over 250 years The Society of Friends of which both my wife’s family and my own families have been members for many generations have consistently held this view. Not only is this view held by many Christian bodies but in support of this it is well known that for nearly 200 years after Christ’s death Christians would not and could not be made to take up arms. Only when Constantine annexed the church to the State did it become lawful for a follower of Christ to fight.

To take up arms or in any way to take part in the military machine is therefore quite impossible for me to do. I therefore ask for absolute exemption which the Act allows your Tribunal to give. In support of my sincerity I send three letters.

Ackworth School

17 IV 1918.

I have known Benjamin Walker since boyhood. He was for many years at Friends School Ackworth and has three children here at the present time. His father was a prominent member of the School committee. The family for generations have been members of the Society of Friends one of whose religious tenants is the incompatibility of war with the teaching of Christ. I know that Benjamin Walker himself holds this view.

Signed Frederick Andrews B.A., J.P.

Headmaster of Ackworth School.

P.C Road,

April 30th 1918.

This is to certify that Benjamin Walker of 35 Glenhouse Road, Eltham Park London SE. has been well known to me for about thirty years, first in his business capacity as a commercial traveller, then more intimately twelve years ago when I joined the Society of Friends (he having been a life long member of that Society). During the latter part I have regarded him as one entirely opposed to war in all phases from Christian principles and conviction.

During the whole acquaintance I have found him to be a man of integrity and reliability.

Signed Wm. Yolland.

Society of Friends,

Devonshire House.

London

29 IV 1918.

This is to certify that Benjamin Walker of 35 Glenhouse Road, Eltham SE has been a member of the Society of Friends all his life, several generations of his family having been members of the same Society.

I have known him personally for 33 years and believe that he is absolutely genuine in his adherence to the views of the Society of Friends in respect to the wrongfulness of all war.

W.F.N. Sec. of Soc. of Friends.

The Chairman of the Tribunal awarded Benjamin exemption “Conditional whilst holding views of a Conscientious Objector” with a condition that he might be called again to appear before them.

Following his Tribunal appearance Benjamin wrote a letter to his sister, Ethel Hannah Kaye, of Thirsk in which he says in part:-

The whole lasted five minutes and I wasn’t asked a question. If the clerk had been my barrister he couldn’t have advocated my case better! I’ve got as good as absolute and no restrictions, not even “whilst in same employment”. I feel like a warrior gone up to fight, but when there found no enemy. Mabel says the room was full to standing and unlike the previous cases there was perfect silence, almost like a “Friends Meeting”.

Associated Records:-Link Art.-7-Pg-1, 2 & 3

Sources

• Richard B. Walker, Formby, Lanc. Eng.

• Society of Friends Library, London, Eng. - Ackworth School archives.

By:- R. B. Walker, Eng. & H. L. Walker, Can. – Rev. 29-Feb-00

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