Description

Admin History:

The Fellowship was founded by Fenner Brockway after the outbreak of war in 1914 to organise opposition to conscription amongst men of military age. It was an explicitly pacifist organisation and its members committed themselves to 'refuse from conscientious motives to bear arms, because they consider[ed] human life too sacred'.

Membership reached 10,000 at its peak, two thirds of whom were members of the Independent Labour Party; the next largest group were Quakers. The National Committee was also dominated by young ILP activists, including Clifford Allen, Morgan Jones and James Hindle Hudson (who later became a Quaker), and the treasurer was the Quaker Edward Grubb. The introduction of conscription in 1916 transformed its political prospects and the Fellowship became 'the acknowledged voice of the whole conscientious objection movement' (Martin Ceadel).

Its role expanded to include provision of information and welfare services for its members, many of whom were imprisoned during 1916-1918. The Records Department of the NCF, which kept detailed information on the cases of every known conscientious objector, was later renamed the Conscientious Objectors Information Bureau (COIB). The NCF worked closely with the Friends Service Committee and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, through the Joint Advisory Council. The movement went underground following state harassment and was wound up in November 1919 after the release of the last conscientious objectors.

Some NCF members were involved in the formation of the No More War Movement in 1921 its counterpart during the Second World War was the No Conscription League, but this in contrast had little impact.

Description:

These case files contain letters sent by conscientious objectors to other branch members and to their friends and families, as well as statements made to military service tribunals. The national series of NCF case files survives amongst the papers of Catherine Marshall, its secretary.