PROTECTED: CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS
There are two known Blencowe men who could be considered a Conscientious Objector by the definition given in Wikipedia ie. A conscientious objector (CO) is an “individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion.In general, conscientious objector status is only considered in the context of military conscription and is not applicable to volunteer military forces. The men are Albert Victor Blencowe 1886-after 1942) and Claude Frank Blenco 1900-1980.
ALBERT VICTOR BLENCOWE
CONCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
Albert Victor Blencowe had emigrated to the USA from Canada having left Gt. Britain in 1910 , In 1917 when the US Draft system asked all men to complete the draft and to state why they should not serve if they didn’t wish to. The details of this act and the subsequent records show Albert was treated as a non citizen at this stage and was in that case not subjected to US laws regarding CO’s.
1886 –
Father Nm: John Blencowe 1857- Oldest Known Ancestor: John Blencowe C1828 died Leamington Priors?
Mother Nm: Maria Horley 1856.
Marriage Dt:
Spouse comments:Elizabeth.
K comments: Brothers
- Harry served with the Oxford and Bucks LI.
- Richard served with the New Zealand Rifles.
- Alfred Edward emigrated to USA 1913 and served with U.S. Army 101st Engineers Division in France.
- George Herbert served in India (Alfred’s testimony) and in WW1 the Somerset LI.
(Research):GR[B] Nuneaton Sept 1886 Ellis Island records 1905.
1891 CENSUS ATTLEBOROUGH WARWICKS.
John Blencowe 33
Anne Blencowe 34
Walter Blencowe 9
George Blencowe 6
Albert Blencowe 4
Harry Blencowe 2
1901 CENSUS NUNEATON
Blencowe Walter Son Bricklayer 19
Blencowe John Head Milk Dealer 43
Blencowe Maria Wife 45
Blencowe Harry Son 11
Blencowe George Son Carpenter 16
Blencowe Alfred Edward Son 7
Blencowe Albert Son Milk Dealer 14
Blencowe Richard Son 9
1905 EMIGRATED TO CANADA VIA USA
New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 about Albert Blencowe
Name: Albert Blencowe,Arrival Date: 1 Apr 1905, Birth Date: abt 1887, Age: 18
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England, Port of Arrival: New York, New York, Ship Name: Campania
Travelled to Canada prior to 1910
1910
Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1954 about Albert Blancowe
Name: Albert Blancowa, Arrival Date: Jun 1910
Port of Arrival: Blaine, Washington, United States
Age: 24, Birth Date: abt 1886, Birth Country: England
Note George Blencowe (Uncle?) London, Ontario given as nearest relative living in Canada.
Living in Vancouver prior to 1913
1913 RE-ENTERS USA FROM CANADA
As per 1925 disclosure he travelled on Primrose Victoria CPR line from Vancouver to USA
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| Online War Photo Album |
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
Albert claims to be a conscientious objector and at this time is still a citizen of Great Britain. In 1930 Census Albert does not affirm or deny that he was a war veteran, I take this to mean he didn’t serve.
On 2 Jun 1917 Albert Blencowe from Nuneaton was drafted to the US Army. On the draft card he wrote that he claimed he should get exemption from service as he had a dependent and that he was a Conscientious Objector.
One unofficial US source states that 3,989 men declared themselves to be conscientious objectors when they had reached the camps: of these, 1,300 chose non-combatant service; 1,200 were given farm furloughs; 99 went to Europe to do reconstruction work for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); 450 were court-martial and sent to prison; and 940 remained in camps until the Armistice was discharged. These numbers have been rounded off, but at least give a general picture of the number of C. O’s.
Albert may have escaped any response at all from the US authorities as he was a British subject at this time but if they did react then he was likely sent to Ft. Lewis (Washington State ) where they had to convince officers & other officials that they were sincere in their conscientious objection to war. He may received a Farm Furlough as an alternative to serving.
Some C. OR’s were held in local jails/prisons before being sent to army camps or to federal prisons. These included the Tombs (New York, New York), and Jefferson Barracks (Missouri).
Most C. OR’s who had been imprisoned were released by May of 1919, though some of those thought to be the most recalcitrant were kept until 1920. Some C. OR’s were released in 1917 or early 1918 from camps because of health problems or “mental” problems — the latter were probably made up in order to get rid of these annoying men who would not cooperate. The camp psychologist at Camp Cody (Henry T. Moore), on the other hand, seemed to go out of his way to find the C. OR’s he interviewed to be unintelligent, defiant malingering who did not deserve anything but imprisonment, and his “evidence” was used in court-martial.
WW1 1917
U.S., WORLD WAR I DRAFT REGISTRATION CARD
Name: Albert Blencowe, City: Minneapolis, County: Hennepin, State: Minnesota
Birthplace: England, Birth Date: 10 Aug 1886, Draft Board: 5
Note: claimed exemption from service; reasons a dependent and a conscientious objector, for this reason he may not have served, however drafted again in 1942
1920 CENSUS 413 SOUTH FOURTH ST, YAKIMA WASHINGTON
Albert Blencowe 33 Brick Mason
Elizabeth Blencowe 32
1925 U.S., NATURALIZATION RECORDS –
U.S., Naturalization Records – Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) about Albert Blencowe
Name: Albert Blencowe, Age: 39, Birth Date: 10 Aug 1886, Birth Location: Nuneaton, England
Spouse: Elizabeth, Arrival Year: 1913, Issue Date: 12 Nov 1925, State: Washington
Locality, Court: Yakima, Washington, District Court
1940 CENSUS 808 LA FOLLICLE ST. FAIRVIEW, YAKIMA
Albert Blencowe 53 Married
WW2 1942
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 about Albert Blencowe
Name: Albert Blencowe, Birth Date: 10 Aug 1886, Birth Place: Nuneaton, England, Residence: 808 E Lenox Ave. Yakima, Washington
Note: unlikely to have served at age 55.
1950 Census
1950 Census
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2012 South Second Ave, South Broadway, Yakima, Washington, United States
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Lodger 63yrs Divorced
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