“Hello?” I croaked. I cleared my throat, coughed, and then tried to speak again, “Hello?” “Alvin!? Where the heck are you, man?” I knew straightaway that it was my friend Meek; the exuberant tenor of his voice gave him away. I again cleared my throat, ran my hand through my hair, and queried, “Meek?” Meek […]
Diaper Dimension Scene 66
The Principal stood up and walked over the eight year old Amazon. “Jeremy. Your parents are waiting for you up front.” The kid stood up. “But first,” she said. “I think you owe Mrs Grange an apology for lying and putting her in an awkward position.” Yeah, that tracked. Even acquitting me, Brollish was gonna […]
Whipping as Penalty
The Times, London, 11 December 1947 Amendments to new Bill From Our Parliamentary Correspondent Further amendments which have been tabled in the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Criminal Justice Bill seek to restore whipping as a punishment for male offenders. An amendment by Mr. Manningham-Buller and Mr. Gage proposes that a male offender may be […]
Wide Reform of Penal Code
The Times, London, 5 November 1947 Sentences less punitive Whipping to stop From Our Parliamentary Correspondent (extracts) In the Criminal Justice Bill, the text of which was issued yesterday, the Government propose to enact a series of penal reform measures which will make important changes in the treatment of juvenile and other offenders and in […]
The Birch
The ‘Isle of Man’ birch was, essentially, a group of canes bound together and, as such, bears almost no resemblance to the birch traditionally used in British schools – which was essentially a spray of twigs. I have no difficulty understanding how the IOM birch caused pain but I’ve always wondered about the ordinary birch. […]
Birch, Gaol for Sailor
Bucks Free Press, High Wycombe, 17 October 1947 Brutal Attack On Wycombe Woman FIFTEEN strokes of the birch, in addition to a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment, were ordered by Mr. Justice Oliver at Bucks Assizes on Wednesday for a 23-years-old sailor who pleaded guilty to committing what was described as a “serious case of […]
‘Birch My Boy’ — Mother
Evening News, London, 14 August 1947 ‘No, No, No,’ Says a Woman Magistrate WHEN a ten-year-old boy appeared to-day at Manchester County Juvenile Court where the Court’s first birching for 15 years was ordered recently, his mother sobbed: “His father told me to ask you to give him one or two strokes just to teach […]
Woman magistrate who had boys birched starts row: ‘It’s back to barbarism,’ says colleague
Daily Mirror, London, 11 July 1947, p.1 A WOMAN magistrate who yesterday ordered birching for two boys — one a first offender — was criticised by fellow-magistrates in Manchester last night. Mrs. Eleanor Kershaw, a vicar’s daughter, presiding over Old Trafford, Manchester, Bench, told the boys, brothers aged ten and eleven, they would each get […]
The ‘Cat’ for a London Gunman
7 Years, Too: No Mercy For Armed Crime — Judge My Duty — No Leniency Masked Raid on an Inn SENTENCE of six strokes of “the Cat” and seven years’ penal servitude was passed at the Old Bailey this afternoon on William Howard, aged 23, seaman, of St. Ann’s-road, Tottenham, for an armed raid on […]
Birch for robbers
The Times, London, 17 April 1947, They all pleaded “Guilty” to being armed with an automatic pistol and together robbing George Sidney Judges, aged 66 and lame, of £132 at his shop in Vassall Road, Brixton.For robbery with arms at Brixton three of a gang of four men were at the Central Criminal Court yesterday […]
Gave Men Lift — They Left Him In His Pants
Brighton Evening Argus, 11 March 1947 Prison And Birching Sentence On Soldiers According to Mr. Anthony Harmsworth (prosecuting) the two men were in the Crow and Gate public house at Poundgate on 26th December when Mr. William Henderson, an Essex veterinary surgeon, called there.HOW a motorist who gave a lift to two soldiers on Boxing […]
Punishment code in the Chindits
The Times, London, 16 October 1946, p.8 House Of Commons Tuesday, Oct. 15, The SPEAKER took the Chair at half past 2 o’clock. Mr. Bellenger’s review Click to enlarge Mr. BELLENGER, in a written reply, made a long statement about the allegations at a London court-martial in July that the commanding officer in Burma had authorized the […]
Robbery under arms
The Times, London, 29 October 1946 At the Central Criminal Court yesterday HAROLD ROY WEBB, 25, soldier, and JAMES GARTH HARVEY, 32, driver, were found Guilty of robbery with violence while armed with a firearm. Webb was sentenced to eight years’ penal servitude and ordered 20 strokes of the birch, and Harvey was sentenced to 10 years’ […]
No Officer to Carry Out Birching Order
The Glasgow Herald, 30 March 1945 So said Sheriff-substitute G.D. Valentine at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday after he had found a 13-year-old boy guilty of reckless discharge of an airgun. Later in the day, after his review of the case, and on the ground that there was no officer appointed by the Sheriff to carry […]
The strange case of Hereford’s birching
Life, New York, 6 December 1943 The strange case of Hereford’s birching A small episode in British juvenile courts blooms into national issue that troubles House of Commons In the small English city of Hereford around last New Year’s Day three small boys, aged 13, 11 and 10, got hold of some keys and stole […]
Birch and prison for three men
The Glasgow Herald, 19 February 1938, p.12 Found guilty of robbery with violence Three men found guilty at the Old Bailey, London, yesterday of robbery with violence and stealing an attaché case containing £409 were each sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and 10 strokes of the birch. They were Peter Richard Hill (28), lorry driver; […]
For corporal punishment
Evesham Journal, Worcestershire, 17 April 1980 Letters to the Editor Sir — I refer to the letter from Tom Scott of Teachers Opposed to Physical Punishment. I was undergoing training as a boy-entrant at an RAF Wireless School in 1937. A trainee was found guilty of stealing a florin (a week’s pay) from a comrade […]
Headmaster Wins Caning Appeal
Boy Says His Mother Told Him to Refuse “Four on the Seat” Mr. Ernest Edwin Black, headmaster of Durham Hill L.C.C. School, Downham, won an appeal at the County of London Quarter Sessions to-day against conviction by Mr. Frank J. Powell, the Greenwich magistrate, for assaulting a 13-year-old pupil. Mr. Powell dismissed the summons under […]
M.P. wants women in flogging inquiry
Evening News, London, 6 May 1937 Hon. E. Cadogan as the Chairman Sir John Simon, the Home Secretary, told the House of Commons today that the Hon. Edward Cadogan, CBE, former MP would be chairman of the committee to inquire into the administration of corporal punishment. The complete list would be announced as soon as […]
Boy In Tears at Portland Court-Martial
Two youths, both with the rank of “boy” aboard H.M.S. Nelson, were at a court-martial on H.M.S. Titania at Portland yesterday ordered 12 strokes with the birch. They were accused of an offence aboard H.M.S. Nelson. The Rev. D. Bunt, chaplain, said one boy’s character deteriorated after he found his mother was in a mental […]
Learnt His Mother Was In Mental Home
Western Morning News, Plymouth, 7 November 1936 Boy disillusioned From our own correspondent Portland, Friday. When two boys appeared before a court-martial in H.M.S. Titania at Portland to-day, on certain charges, the Chaplain of H.M.S. Nelson, flagship of the Home Fleet, in which they were serving, told the Court that one of the boys was […]
Le’ster Recorder Orders Boy To Be Birched
Leicester Mercury, 6 January 1936 From Court To The Whipping Post Le’ster Recorder Orders Boy To Be Birched Lad Who Associated With Older Youths In Shopbreaking Others Bound Over (extracts) The Recorder, at Leicester Quarter Sessions this afternoon, ordered that a 15-year-old boy should be taken straight from the court and birched. JOHN LESLIE SWINFIELD, […]
“Cat” for two “brutes”
Daily Express, London, 12 July 1934, p.7 Attack on crippled shopkeeper Click to enlarge Frederick William Ralph, aged twenty-three, a stereotyper, and Charles Timms, aged twenty-two, an electroplater, were at Birmingham Assizes yesterday ordered by Mr. Justice Lawrence to receive twelve and ten strokes of the “cat” respectively. They were also sentenced to nine months’ […]
Bandit to be Birched
Daily Mirror, London, 16 January 1934, p.8 It was stated that Smith, with a stolen motor-cycle, snatched an attache case containing £18 from Miss Careman in Commercial-road, E. He snatched an attache case holding £21 rent money from Miss Balmer and her collar-bone was broken.Fifteen strokes with the birch and fifteen months’ imprisonment was the […]
Schoolboy flogging charge fails
Daily Mirror, 18 November 1933, p.3 Master Denies “Brutality” Story of Nine-Year-Old Boy Who “Bullied” Dormitory Whipping Mother’s Summons Dismissed The headmaster is Mr. S. de Moyse Bucknall, principal of Harrow View House Preparatory School, Ealing, and he was summoned by Mrs. Mona Alice Goodwin, of Cleveland-road, Ealing, wife of a City solicitor, for assaulting […]
Birching of Young Offenders
Times Educational Supplement, London, 3 June 1933 House of Commons Mr. Godfrey Nicholson (for Viscountess Astor) asked the Home Secretary if his attention had been drawn to recent cases where punishments of birching had been inflicted on boys before the expiration of the statutory period during which the decisions might be appealed against; if he was […]
Robbery at estate office
The Times, London, 29 April 1933, p.4 At the Central Criminal Court on Thursday HUGH HUGHES, 25, draughtsman, and SIDNEY ALBERT BARBER, 25, wireman, pleaded “Guilty” to being armed with a dummy revolver and robbing Cecil Thomas Stickings of the sum of £6 at the estate office of the Worshipful Company of Skinners in Skinner […]
Garage proprietor robbed
The Times, London, 6 April 1933, p.11 Sentences in Camden Town case Mr. Naylor, a garage proprietor, of Bristol, was on a business visit to London, when he was attacked outside a flat in Mornington Crescent, N.W., and robbed of £204. So serious were his injuries that for a time his life was despaired of.After […]
Shooting gallery incident
The Times, London, 17 November 1932, p.9 Sentence for theft of firearms Mr. Anthony Hawke, prosecuting, said that two men were present when Mr. Salt was knocked down and injured so severely that his life was at one time in danger.Sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour and 18 strokes with the birch was […]
Young Men’s Crimes
The Times, London, 23 September 1932 Record On Robbery With Violence Sentence of three years’ penal servitude was passed at the Central Criminal Court yesterday on ALBERT WATSON, 23, a labourer, who was found Guilty of robbing with violence Mr. Nathan Ducker, assistant manager of the Standard Cinema, Hackney, and stealing from him an attaché-case containing £9 […]
Youths ordered prison and the birch
The Times, London, 17 June 1932, p.11 News in Brief Before the Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) at the Central Criminal Court yesterday, HARRY GOLD, 20, salesman, and PHILIP GOLD, 16, salesman, pleaded “Not Guilty” to an indictment charging them with breaking and entering the Locarno Dance Hall, Streatham, and stealing therein £608 10s. 6d., […]
Armed Youth Chased By Schoolmaster
The Times, London, 15 June 1932 Police Officer’s Death From Shock The RECORDER ordered Greenwood to be sent to a home for mental deficients. He sentenced Shrodinsky to eight months in a boy’s prison and 18 strokes with the birch.Before the Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) at the Central Criminal Court yesterday, WILLIAM GREENWOOD, 21, […]
Robbery With Violence
The Times, London, 12 March 1932, p.4 Young Men Sentenced Mr. Eustace Fulton prosecuted; Mr. A.C. Douglas defended Gardener; and Mr. Marston Garsia defended Whitehouse. Mr. J.J. Davies appeared for Richardson.Before the RECORDER (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.), at the Central Criminal Court yesterday. GEORGE WALTER GARDENER, 26, engineer, and DOUGLAS ARCHIBALD WHITEHOUSE, 18, clerk, were […]
Prison and the Birch
The Times, London, 20 January 1932, p.6 The RECORDER (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) sentenced Howitt to 17 months’ imprisonment and 20 strokes with the birch; Boothright to 14 months and 16 strokes with the birch; and Biggs to 11 months’ imprisonment without a birching, there being a medical certificate that he was unfit for such […]
Woman robbed at Leatherhead
The Times, London, 21 November 1931, p.14 Birch for four young men Sentence of 11 months’ imprisonment in the second division, with 18 strokes of the birch, was passed by the RECORDER (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) on HORACE STANLEY CHARLES CANT, 22, lorry driver, who, with three other young men, pleaded “Guilty” to charges of […]
Recorder and undisciplined youth
The Times, London, 20 November 1931, p.4 England was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment in the second division, with 15 strokes of the birch, and Elvins to nine months’ imprisonment in the second division, with 18 strokes of the birch.At the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, before the Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.), GEORGE ENGLAND, […]
Youth’s assault in shop. Imprisonment and birch
Illustrated Police News, London, 26 September 1929 . That a young man’s mind was affected through seeing films and reading stories relating to crime was put forward at the Old Bailey when Alfred Barnett, nineteen, described as a musician, pleaded guilty to assaulting Rachel Elgrod with intent to rob her. Mr Samuels, prosecuting, said that […]
Birch For Attempted Robbery
The Times, London, 24 February 1926 Sentence of eight months’ imprisonment in the second division and 16 strokes with the birch was passed by the Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) at the Central Criminal Court yesterday, on PHILLIP GOUROVITCH, 16, salesman, of Russo-Jewish parentage, who pleaded “Guilty” to a charge of, while armed with a […]
Robbery With Violence
The Times, London, 17 November 1925 Sentence of six months’ imprisonment in the second division and 24 strokes of the birch was passed by the RECORDER (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.) at the Central Criminal Court yesterday, on WILLIAM ALLAN MAYLIN, 19, motor driver, for robbery with violence upon Benjamin Mayer and stealing from him a […]
Recorder On The Punishment Of Flogging
Central Criminal Court. Click to enlarge The Second January Session of the Central Criminal Court was opened yesterday at the Sessions House, Old Bailey, by the Lord Mayor, who was accompanied by Alderman Sir Charles Johnston, Mr. Sheriff J.E.K. Studd, Mr. Sheriff S.H.M. Killik, and Mr. Under-Sheriff W.H. Champness. Mr. Justice Salter will sit this […]
Wild scenes as men are doomed to be flogged
The Vancouver Sun, Canada, 31 December 1922, p.34 BELFAST, Dec. 30. — There were distressing scenes here when eleven men, convicted of robbery and attempted robbery under arms, were sentenced to terms of penal servitude ranging from seven to three years, and to receive from 10 to 15 strokes of the cat. The public gallery […]
Johnstone Boys and a Humane Killer. 80 Shots Fired
Glasgow Citizen, 1 April 1920 Day’s Shooting. “Miracle someone wasn’t killed”. “Citizen” Office, Paisley, Thursday. An extraordinary story of a boyish prank was related today by Sheriff Blair, in Paisley Sheriff Court. A lad named Henry Blackley, jun., residing in Johnstone, admitted having stolen a pistol or humane killer and 120 live cartridges from the […]
Bad Boys Birched
Weekly Dispatch, London, 5 August 1917 Two Lads Scared by Result of Their Misdoings. Charged with stealing a lady’s handbag containing 45s. and securities worth £37.10s., at Cleethorpes, two lads, aged 13, explained at Grimsby yesterday that the theft arose out of a boyish prank. The owner of the bag was lodging with the mother […]
Birch for the Boys 16 September 1911
Eastern Morning News, Hull, Yorkshire, 16 September 1911 Birch for the Boys. An Evening Out with a Pony and Cart. An extraordinary story was told in the Grimsby Children’s Court yesterday, when two twelve-year-old boys, Horace Cox and Michael Brannan, were charged with stealing a cycle lamp. The lads broke into a stable and stole […]
Boy Chapel-Breakers
Shoreditch Observer and Hackney Express, London, 19 September 1908 North London. . Click to enlarge Two Stoke Newington boys — Edward Arthur Gault, 14, and John James Larkin, 13 — were charged on Tuesday with breaking into the Wordsworth-road Baptist Chapel, Stoke Newington, and stealing a cornet, trombone, and some wearing apparel, the property of […]
Naval Courts-Martial, 1904
The Times, London, 26 September 1905 Naval and Military Intelligence Returns of the number of Courts-martial held and summary punishments inflicted on seamen of the Royal Navy, &c., during the year 1904 have been issued as a Parliamentary paper [Cd. 2677]. These returns show that the number of Courts-martial which took place during the year […]
Ragging” in H.M.S. Kent
The Times, London, 19 May 1905, pp.6,7 House of Commons, Thursday, May 18. Navy Estimates. (extracts) The House went into Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates, Mr. Jeffreys (Hants, N.), in the chair. […] “Ragging” in H.M.S. Kent. Mr. PRETYMAN (Suffolk, Woodbridge) — In September, 1903, it came to the knowledge of the Admiralty […]
Corporal Punishment 1904
The Times, London, 27 August 1904, p.8 A return of all sentences of corporal punishment inflicted under 26 and 27 Vict., c.44, upon persons convicted of offences against section 43 of the Larceny Act, 1861, and section 21 of the Offences against the Person Act, 1861, in England and Wales for the year 1903 has […]
Corporal Punishment In The Navy.
The Times, London, 13 June 1904 To The Editor Of The Times. Sir, — Certain doubtless well-intentioned but mischievous persons have of late devoted themselves to raising an agitation against corporal punishment in the Royal Navy. I propose to set forth exactly what are the King’s Regulations on the subject. Section 729. — “It being requisite […]
The Naval Manoeuvres.
Daily News, London, 10 August 1903 By A.G. Hales. (extracts) […] The Life of the Sailor. Work, Play, and Punishment. H.M.S. JUPITER, AT SEA, Later. A British ship of war is capable of supplying a journalist with more pen and ink studies than any place of its size I have ever lived in. The life […]
Grenadier Guards Scandal
The New York Times, 12 February 1903 Circumstances That Led to the Expose of the Methods of Punishment of Subalterns — Lord Roberts’s Indignation. Circumstances which led to the exposure of methods of punishment of subalterns in the Guards regiments, I am told, had their beginning one night when two subalterns of the Grenadier Guards […]
Sensation Caused by Rear Admiral Cochrane’s Revelations.
The New York Times, 11 February 1903 British Guards Scandal Subalterns Compelled to Submit to Severe Floggings for Various Social and Military Offenses. LONDON, Feb. 11. – A letter from Rear Admiral Basil Cochrane on the treatment of subalterns in the Guards regiments, which was published yesterday in The Times, is republished throughout the press […]
Corporal Punishment in Gaol.
The Times, London, 4 January 1901 A report to the Birmingham justices presented by the Visiting Committee stated that there had been 36 serious assaults on prison officers and prisoners at Winson-green Gaol during the year. In some cases the assaults on officers had been found to warrant corporal punishment, but as the interval between […]
Youthful Offenders
HOUSE OF LORDS, Tuesday — Lord James of Hereford, moving the third reading of the Youthful Offenders Bill, stated that a meeting of Chairmen and Deputy-Chairmen of Quarter Sessions had had the measure under consideration and had suggested an amendment, the effect of which was that the magistrate should have power in any case they […]
Youthful Offenders Bill 2
The Times, London, 29 March 1900 A Parliamentary return has been issued giving a list of the sentences of corporal punishment passed in England and Wales from March 31, 1898, to December 31, 1899. The total number of such sentences was 65, being 17 in cases of robbery with violence, and 48 for robbery with […]
Youthful Offenders Bill.
The Times, London, 13 March 1900, LORD JAMES OF HEREFORD moved the second reading of this Bill, the object of which is to substitute whipping for imprisonment as a punishment for children and young persons. Various causes had contributed to reduce the number of convictions for indictable offences in recent years, yet still there was […]