A scheme introduced in July 1915 to allow men to say they would be willing to fight in the war when they were needed. It came about due to controversy over whether conscription should be introduced. People who supported the war but opposed conscription hoped that the Derby Scheme would make conscription unnecessary. It did not produce as many volun [..]

Broadly speaking, this refers to opponents of the war who refused to compromise at all with the armed forces or the state. More specifically, it describes conscientious objectors

Work carried out as an alternative to joining the armed forces. In late 1916, the government was struggling with large numbers of conscientious objectors (COs), and introduced a scheme – known as the Home Office Scheme

Conscientious objectors who were willing to carry out “work of national importance” as an alternative to joining the armed forces. Alternativists differed over what sort of work they would accept. This was usually about whether they considered it to be related to the prosecution of the war.

Broadly speaking, conscientious objectors (COs) are people whose conscience does not allow them to take part in war or preparations for war. More specifically, the term refers to those who refuse to accept conscription into the armed forces.

A system by which the government forces people to join the armed forces without their consent. Conscription was not in place in the UK at the start of World War I, although there was political conflict throughout 1915 over whether it should be introduced. It was introduced in England, Scotland and Wales from 2 March 1916 by the Military Service Act [..]

The Defence of the Realm Act (known as DORA) was passed by Parliament in the week that Britain entered the war, and extended periodically over the next four years.

People who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a more formal term for Quakers

The more informal name for the Religious Society of Friends or its members. Quakerism began in the north west of England in the 1650s, shortly after the Civil War. It drew on several trends in radical, inclusive forms of Christianity that were then becoming more widespread.

See Religious Society of Friends