Gipsy Dan Boswell

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                                      Sunderland daily Echo and Shipping Gazette



                                                       Monday 5 august 1918



When Tom Jones 46. a gipsy living in a hut on the top of a mountain,
was charged at Newport Mon with not registering and with being an absentee,
he said he knew nothing of the Registration Act and that he was of military age.

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                                                Yorkshire evening post 25 may 1916



                                                GIPSIES ARRESTED AS ABSENTEES.
 


At Snaith to-day, Phoenix Smith (23), and George Smith (23), two members of a gipsy tribe who camp at the Goole district, were charged with being absentees from the Army under the Military Service Act. It was stated that the men had not registered or attested, and were simply travelling about the district with every intention to evade service. Both remanded to await military escort.

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                                      Northampton mercury Friday 15 September 1916



                                                        A WARNING TO FARMERS.
 


                                             GIPSIES AND THE MILITARY SERVICE ACT.



The danger of employing gipsies without making quite certain they are not liable for military service was shown when came before the Daventry Divisional Magistrates on Tuesday before Sir V Knightley, Bart, (chairman). and Mr. C. J. W. liodhouse. William Batchelor, Canons Ashby, was summoned for unlawfully employing Nathan Smith, Henry Bale, and Nathan Smith, jun., being men belonging to the Army within the Reserve Forces Act, 1882, part 111, section 17, and the Military Service Act, 1916, at Canons Ashby Aug 12, 1916. P.C. Barrel said that on Aug. 21,the defendant,   admitted he had employed the three gipsies in question. He said they told him they had been medically rejected, and he did not ask see their rejection cards. Batchelor never thought of asking for the cards. They had told him they were rejected, they where arrested and sent to Northampton.  Fined 40s. and costs. 

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                                     Evening dispatch Thursday 26 September 1918



                                                      VAN DWELLER ABSENTEE.



                                             SEQUEL TO ASSAULT CASE SMETHWICK



 Birmingham van dweller named Sidney Smith, who was before the Smethwick magistrates Monday for assaulting a constable, was again before the Bench to-day charged under the Military Service Act with being an absentee. Lieutenant Matins gave evidence to show that Smith lived in a  traveling van in Milk-street. Birmingham. He. should have responded in March. 1916. defendent, who recently came from Ireland, said he had no call-up. he also said he had three brothers in the Army. The Clerk said that fact did not discharge the prisoner’s liability to serve. The magistrates imposed a fine of £2 and ordered Smith to be handed over to the military.

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                                             Hull Daily mail Tuesday 6 June 1916



                                                              Gipsies Conscripts



James Pearce 30 and Robert Smith 28, Gipsies were charged at Stratford as absentees under the Military Service Act.The accused. It appeared live in a caravan, and when at South Mimms the Police were in search of Gipsies who had absented themselves from Army service. Several were arrested, but the prisoners absconded, leaving their Women folk in their vans. On Saturday Sergeant Shepherd heard of their arrival at Higham Hill Walthamstow. And under the pretext of examining their registration cards, got into conversation with the Gipsies, and the prisoners were ultimately arrested. A fine of 40s was imposed in each case. And the prisoners were handed over to the Military.

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                                   Lancashire Evening Post Monday 27 November 1916



                                                                 Gipsy Mother



                                                      Fined for concealing Absentee



Elizabeth Smith a Gipsy was summoned at Blackpool, this morning, for concealing a deserter. Detective Seed said that on the 18th inst in consequence of defendants son being a deserter from the R.F.A. he visited her and inquired for her son. She said she had not seen him since he left the Army. Her daughters and two sons denied he was in the house, but when witness made a search he found the man crouched in the corner in the pantry.
Answering Mr. R.W. Robinson, who defended, witness said that when he found the deserter in the pantry the defendant expressed surprise at him being in the house. Detective Ashcroft said that when detective seed knocked at the front door he thought the deserter past the window on the way to the pantry. Defendant was in the kitchen at the time and when the deserter came out he had to find his cap in the kitchen. Defendant said she went to Preston on the morning in question, and when she returned she did not know he was in the house. She had not seen him since he was in hospital at Preston in September.
A fine of 40s was imposed

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                                              Hull daily mail Tuesday 3 October 1916

Two gipsy absentees arrested by the police yesterday informed the local magistrates that they did not know a war was on. they were fined 40s and handed over to the escort

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                                           Birmingham mail Saturday 12 august 1916



                                                     GIPSY ABSENTEES ARRESTED.



Six men described as of the gipsy class were before the magistrates in the First Court of Birmingham Police this morning, charged with being  absentees under the Military Service Act. Their names were; Henry Cheesman 21. Thomas Woodward 2O. Walter Henry Grant 21. Arthur Lowe 27, Wm. Todd 21, and George David Moore 25. Detective Draisey spoke to paying of two visits to caravans inhabited by gipsies on land in Garrison Street, in company with Detective Elderion. Last night they arrested the two first-named prisoners who were hiding in a stable at the rear of the caravans. Cheesman said he had tried join the Army Veterinary Corpe, but had been told it was full up. The other four prisoners were arrested from the same caravans early this morning. All the men were remanded in custody till Wednesday, for the military authorities to be communicated with.

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                                               Hull Daily Mail Friday 29 June 1917


                                                         The Gipsy Absentees


                                                Bridlington Constable Commended


                                                     From our own Correspondent


Three Gipsies were brought before the Bridlington Bench on Wednesday charged with being absent without leave from a Military Camp. Their names were Albert Edward Smith 35 Jonas Smith 36 and Gilroy Smith 28. P.C. Elvidge, of Wold Newton, told of a thrilling story of the arrest. He was in search of the Gipsy soldiers early on Tuesday morning, and came across their van near Rulston Grange .He was accompanied by an Inspector of the R.S.P.A, who assisted in heading of the men through a wood. Witness gave chase, and by good luck came across the men before they could get clear of the fence. He took them back to the van. They were Albert Edward and Jonas and both were in private cloths. At his suggestion Jonas donned his uniform. Albert Edward could not find his. The Police Officer searched in vain for Gilroy from 9.a.m. until 6.p.m. but discovered a Soldiers uniform in the van. He spoke to the mans wife, asking what she had to say about the uniform, and she admitted it belonged to her husband Gilroy Smith. The Officer then arrested her and was conveying her and the other two prisoners to Bridlington when Gilroy, who was in hiding, came out of a corn field and surrended. He changed his clothing for the uniform by the roadside, and the Police Officer thereupon exchanged him for his wife. The prisoners were handed over to the Military escort. And the Bench awarded the Constable Elvidge 7s.6d, in each case and commended him very highly on his courageous perseverance.