The appeal papers can give information on various industries throughout the North Riding.  We have a number of men on the North Riding Appeal Tribunal who were engaged in the Iron industries at Middlesbrough: Lawrence Farrar Gjers who was Chairman and managing director of Gjers, Mills and Co Ayresome Ironworks, Middlesbrough; Herbert Straker and William Fry Whitwell both Iron masters at Head Wrightson and Co Ltd and George Bernal Hobbs: Secretary of Cleveland Miners and Quarryman’s Association.

However the appeal case papers reveal other minor industries, such as the manufacture of mineral water.  John Thomas Espiner, a mineral water manufacturer from Loftus near Whitby objected to his conscription on conscientious grounds.  His appeal was allowed as long as he took up work of national Importance. A photograph of  John Thomas Espiner and his family can be found at:

http://lostworld.org.uk/gallery3/index.php/other/family/ancestors/10a_Espiner_Family

There were 11 other men involved in the manufacture of mineral water in the North Riding.  Once such was Frederick Dowson of Shawl Terrace, Leyburn.  He was the Manager and Bottler for Wensleydale Mineral Water Company of 3 Richmond Terrace, Leyburn.  Frederick Dowson was supplying the army at Sutton, Barden and Scotton camps with mineral water.

The ZLP collection at the North Yorkshire County Record Office includes papers about the Wensleydale Mineral Water company, which was sold at auction in 1928.

Amongst the particulars of machinery are a syrupper, a soda water pump, a syphon filler, a crown coker a beer filler and a bottle washing machine. One manufacturer in York used 405 tons of sugar per year in the manufacture or ‘aerated water’.

Mineral water manufacturers and those involved in delivering mineral water to various military camps in the North Riding of Yorkshire listed in the appeal papers are:

Herbert J Young, Mineral Water Manufacturer of Redcar; George Porter, Motor Rolley Driver from Reeth, supplied the camps – possibly at Catterick and Hipswell; John Blenkinsop, Grocery Store Manger in Hawes who also ran his own mineral water business; John Maughan, Mineral Water Traveller from Middlesbrough; Walter Albert Nash, Manager of Mineral Water company in Middlesbrough; Frederick Newson of Brough Hall, Catterick, a Mineral Water Foreman; Lister R Coverdale, a Motor Rolley Driver of Brewery House, Normanby who delivered mineral water for Richardson Brothers of Normanby wholesale beer bottle and mineral water manufacturers; Charles Tindale of Greatham House, Southend Gardens, Whitby, Chemist and aerated water manufacturer; Fred Sanderson of York, a Foreman of bottling department, ale and porter stores for a company which manufactures aerated water and Francis Dunston of York was a carter, delivering mineral waters to shop-keepers, licenced houses and military barracks. His employers supplied all army establishments within 12 miles of York. They had only two left of twelve drivers.

Most of these men were deemed not to be carrying out work of National Importance and their appeals were dismissed.