Quote Originally Posted by Peter Goodey View Post
But this site says "in 1917 he had an address in Dublin".

(a) conscription didn't start until 1916.

(b) there was no conscription in Ireland.

I know what that suggests to me!

Thanks Peter!

The Dublin address was his sister's. She had moved to Ireland around 1902 and remained there for the rest of her long life.

Sidney was a long time exhibitor and Committee member of the Southampton Art Society. Then in 1911 he started also exhibiting at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts in Dublin. He listed his address as that of his sister but English censuses show he still lived with his father in Southampton. I always assumed he used his sister as something of an art agent - to be a local contact for enquiries in Ireland - but something I hadn't considered was that perhaps he actually lived part of each year with his father and at other times with his sister.

In Sep 1915 the Hampshire Advertiser reported he had "volunteered". In Dec 1915 his father died in Southampton but Sidney was not present at the funeral. I assumed he was at war but perhaps he was avoiding potential conscription which appears to have commenced very soon after in Jan 1916. He continued to exhibit at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts through the war which again I assumed was handled by his sister acting as his agent. Now I'm not so sure.

This is strating to look like he was simply a draft dodger but I want to explore all possibilities before I accuse him in case this is wrong. What other scenarios might exist in which he actually volunteered but where a service record can't be located?

Thanks for your help,
Steve