WWI Defence of The Realm Permit Book (Isle of Sheppey)

[leigh kitchen]

Britains entered into The Great War on 4th August 1914, on the 8th the British Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, requested that Parliament pass the Defence of the Realm Act 1914.

The Act enabled the government to seize property, apply censorship guidelines, make regulations regarding criminal offences, & control labour as deemed necessary for the duration of the war (the act continued in existence beyond the war) & was added to as the war progressed.

Forbidden to the public were such pastimes as flying kites, lighting bonfires (which could signal Zeppelins & bombers), feeding wild anmals (a waste of food), buying binoculars, discussing naval and military matters or buying alcohol on public transport. Alcoholic beverages were watered down and pub opening times were restricted to midday and 3PM and 6:30-9:30PM to keep workers off the drink & at work.

Censorship of journalism and of letters coming home from the front line was imposed..

People who breached the regulations with intent to assist the enemy could be sentenced to death - 10 such executions took place.

Movement was restricted in some areas, The Isle of Sheppey on the Kent coast was some such area ? Sheerness was a Royal Naval Base & dockyard, there was an airodrome on Sheppey, a Royal Naval air base nearby on The Isle of Grain & other military bases in the area.

Along with other forms of passes ?The Permit Book? was issued, controlling access by the public to areas such as The Isle of Sheppey.

Edited April 9, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

This book was issued on 16/4/17 at Sittingbourne, Kent, to Florence Mary Mapp of The Bull Hotel, Sittingbourne.

[leigh kitchen]

It does?nt specify why the pass book was issued, but the photograph of Florence Mapp shows that she was a nurse, perhaps a Volunteer Aid Detachment nurse, & there were hospitals including V.A.D.on The Isle of Sheppey.

The book is stamped by The Kent County Constabulary, Sitingbourne Division, on 16/4/17.

Edited April 3, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Guest Rick Research]

:Cat-Scratch: This is VERY interesting-- the DUPLICATE photo on a removable page and in the book suggest files were kept...

so where are those file copies?

To my understanding, British MILITARY personnel did not have photo IDs...

so the file copies of these books could be the ONLY photographic portraits for hundreds of thousands of very near ancestors.

Kept locally and tossed away?

Carefully preserved at vast expense for 90 years only to be destroyed recently for the ever-popular "privacy" reasons?

[leigh kitchen]

I don't know where the file copies of photos etc ended up - presumably they were kept at local level, county police or similar?

As individual one page permits were issued one copy stayed in the book, & agan, another copy was removed for records.

I wonder if some still survive in various dusty boxes in various police "museums" or county records offices?

Edited April 10, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

A Britsih subject, born 23/6/1896 at Kings Heath Police Station, Worcestershire, Florence was a lady's maid, with no no previous military or police service.

Her father, "J. Mapp" was British, as was her mother.

Edited April 9, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

She states that she has & has had "no male relatives............. in arms for or against His Majesty & Allies during the present war".

She has signed her signature twice in her declaration that "the foregoing particulars" are true as rather than signing once, witnessed by both witnesses, she has signed seperately for the two.

The first witness was a "natural-born male Brtish subjectand householder", as required by the declaraton that he signed - John Lusting(?), a draper of Sttingbourne. The date given for his signature is 13/4/1918, it looks like he's accidentally written "1918" instead of "1917".

The second witness was originally Julia M......, who signed on 16/4/1917, propriotoress(?) of The Bull Hotel, Sittngbourne, which is the address of both herself & Florence.

As the requirement is for the witness to be a male, Julias details are lined through & those of Caleb Smythe(?), a papermaker of Albion Road, inserted.

Edited April 10, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Brett Hendey]

Hi Leigh

I have a friend with the surname Mapp and, since Florence Mary might represent a twig on his family tree, I have passed on copies of your postings to him. I will let you know if anything transpires. The Natal branch of the Mapp tree until recently owned the farm on which the Boer War Spioenkop battlefield is located. It is still one of the unspoiled and most atmospheric battlefields in Natal.

Regards

Brett

[leigh kitchen]

Interesting, Mapp does'nt sound as if it would be a "scarce" surname, but then I can't recall ever having met a Mapp.

By 23/4/1918, Florence has an address at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, & is visiting The Isle of Sheppey. The permit is signed on 23/4/1917 by is a Captain Gardner(?) on behalf of The Commandant, Isle of Sheppey Area.

Valid until 4/4/1918, it has been overstamped "Permit Cancelled" at some point.

[leigh kitchen]

.

[leigh kitchen]

A further permit for visiting is issued on 15/4/1918, valid until 15/4/1919, signed by a Captain on behalf of "Commandant Isle of Sheppey Special Miltary Area".

[leigh kitchen]

.

[leigh kitchen]

An unused section of the permit book, the form which used as the request for the permit & which is to be detached from the book & "retained by the Competent Naval or Military Authority", as would have been done with the previous entries in the book.

[leigh kitchen]

The reverse of the above shown detachable page, & its mate which would be completed & left in the book, as per the previous photos above.

[leigh kitchen]

Extracts from The Defence of The Realm Act relating to offences concerning the permits.

[leigh kitchen]

.