Local Tribunals for Hornsey Tottenham and Wood Green

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Most of the men associated with Hornsey, Tottenham and Wood Green appeared before one of the three local Military Service Tribunals. However, some who worked outside these areas appeared before the Tribunal where they worked.

Unfortunately, in 1921, the Ministry of Health ordered that all papers relating to individual cases of exemption, and all local MST minute books, should be destroyed as they were not considered of sufficient public value to justify preservation. The only exceptions were the Middlesex and Lothian appeals, which were to be preserved as examples. Recently a number of records have been discovered which survived the 1921 order and the National Archives produced a list of record offices holding these papers.

The three local tribunals for Hornsey, Tottenham and Wood Green were established in February of 1916 on advice and instructions of the Local Government Board. In view of the experience which they had already obtained the existing Local Tribunals, established under the Derby scheme, were to be modified to a minimum of seven members and to include an independent representative of the local working men as required by the Military Service Act.

Unlike the Derby scheme recruitment Tribunals, the Military Service Tribunals were concerned with hearing applications for exemption from military service.

Hornsey Military Service Tribunal for the Municipal Borough Council of Hornsey was held in the Town Hall on Southwood Lane Highgate.  It was set up as a panel of eight men; the Mayor, three Aldermen, two Councillors, one of whom was considered as adequate representation of working men, and two other men closely associated with the Council. All these men were prosperous figures and well known to the leading Councillors of the Borough. The absence of an independent representative of working men was eventually corrected, after well supported protest, to include a representative, nominated by the Hornsey Trades Council, of the local working men.

Tottenham Military Service Tribunal for the Tottenham Urban District Council was held in the Town Hall, Town Hall Approach Rd, Tottenham High Road. It was set up with eleven members, viz.: – the seven male members chosen for the Derby Scheme, and four others, one of whom was to be a woman – in this case the chairman’s wife – the remaining three were chosen from representatives of local Labour and Trades Council.

Wood Green Military Service Tribunal for the Wood Green Urban District Council was held in the Town Hall in the middle of Woodside Park, by Earlham Road. It  initially consisted of five councillors, one representative of the local labour force and one representative of employers. This eventually turned out to be too small for the work-load and had to be increased.

Each Local Tribunal also included a Military Representative, who as a full member, was the only individual who had the right of appeal against the Tribunal’s decision, of which they were a party to.

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