Ormskirk Advertiser

How the Great War was hitting the home front 100 years ago this month

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LIKE every town in the country during WWI, Ormskirk was carrying on, struggling with food shortages and labour shortages and awaiting news from the Front.

In June 1917, Ormskirk was struggling to produce food for local consumptio­n, for sale on the market and to meet the demanded quotas for the Ministry of War.

Prices of a wide variety of the crops and farm produce had been set by the ministry and anyone selling at higher rates could be prosecuted.

One Maghull farmer’s wife was prosecuted for exactly that by Ormskirk Police Superinten­dent Hodgson.

The farmer’s wife had knowingly sold potatoes at a farthing over the set rate per pound. This saw her taken into court, found guilty after several witnesses came forward and she was fined £15, which in today’s money is close to £1,100.

During 1917, increased U-boat activity in the North Atlantic had caused serious food shortages and the country was only months away from rationing.

Local farmers were struggling for labour due to the loss of men to service, and one such local farmer appeared before the local exemption tribunal at Ormskirk asking for the exemption of his cowman.

The farmer stated that he kept 10 milk cows and delivered fresh milk twice daily at a very low rate to help the local poor.

The tribunal granted the submission and the cowman was allowed to stay on at the farm.

Another enterprisi­ng grocer in the town appealed to the same tribunal on the grounds that he had 50 pedigree breeding rabbits and expected 400-500 baby rabbits by the end of the year and his only motivation was food supply.

The tribunal upheld the man’s appeal and left him to his endeavour.

Lists of those who had not turned up for service after being issued with their papers at their attestatio­n were published regularly, and men who were seen about the town who could not prove why they were about and show any exemption certificat­e were taken before the court. This included those on leave who were without documentat­ion.

In Ormskirk in June 1917, a man named George Smith, whose address was given as The Fairground, Park Road, was listed as a deserter as he had not presented himself for service when ordered.

Alice Stanley, Lady Derby, wrote to the Ormskirk Labour Exchange offering to provide training in agricultur­e to any woman who wanted to join the National Service for Women in Agricultur­e.

The committee at Ormskirk organising women land workers was struggling to find suitable accommodat­ion for those who had volunteere­d for these roles.

In June 1917, the news of the loss of well-known local postman John (Jack) Arkwright was also received by his mother, Elizabeth, at her home in Cottage Lane.

He had enlisted at the outbreak of war in August 1914 having been with the post office since 1900.

Jack is remembered on the Ormskirk Post Office Memorial.

A postcard he sent his sister, Cissy, in 1907 who was the housekeepe­r at St Mary’s Presby-

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 ?? The Post Office memorial featuring John Arkwright’s name ??
The Post Office memorial featuring John Arkwright’s name
 ?? John Arkwright’s index card for his time as a serviceman, above left
Above, the front of the postcard sent sent by the Ormskirk postman to his sister Cissy, housekeepe­r at the St Mary’s Parsonage, Aughton in 1907
Left, images of the postcard in further  ??
John Arkwright’s index card for his time as a serviceman, above left Above, the front of the postcard sent sent by the Ormskirk postman to his sister Cissy, housekeepe­r at the St Mary’s Parsonage, Aughton in 1907 Left, images of the postcard in further
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