Daily Mirror, London, 29 August 1947 Spanking Story By Ronald Bedford Press cutting — CLICK TO ENLARGE — Image will open in a new windowHERE’s some hot news for the five million boys and girls who are going back to school in England and Wales for the autumn term. Britain has cut the imports of […]

Evening News, London, 13 June 1947 Says This Headmaster Appealing to them to support him if he has to punish their children, Mr. H. Bates, headmaster of Montem School, Slough, told members of the Parents’ Association that although he detested corporal punishment, there were some children who understood only one thing — pain. Referring to […]

Evening News, London, 27 May 1947 Head talks of boys who are “wreckers” COMPLAINT that “the dignity that should attach to the headmaster is rapidly being ground out by the indignities put upon him by things that have nothing to do with teaching” was made at the conference of the National Association of Head Teachers […]

Daily Mirror, London, 26 April 1947 Eric A. Wildman, 26, ex-Merchant Navy, would probably be Public Enemy No. 1 if schoolboys had any say in the matter. For Eric is a firm believer in corporal punishment — it’s his business. To more than 100 schools he supplies canes and birches and — oh! — everything […]

Daily Mail, London, 6 July 1946 Court-martial sets great jungle-war problem By Murray Edwards Daily Mail Reporter The right of General Wingate of Burma to order any of his Chindits to be flogged, shot, or turned loose in the jungle for an offence that would endanger comrades’ lives, was discussed in a third-floor back attic […]

The Times, London, 19 October 1945 High Court of Justice: King’s Bench Division Feldman v. Evans; before Mr. Justice Wrottesley The plaintiffs’ case was that on March 10, 1944, Mr. Evans beat the boy by striking him on the leg with a stick or other instrument, drawing blood.HIS LORDSHIP gave judgment for the defendant in […]

Daily Mirror, London, 18 October 1939, p.5 The mother describes the punishment in a letter she has written to the Richmond Women Conservatives, who, at a recent meeting, condemned and described the wearing of slacks by women as “disgusting.”BECAUSE her daughter, aged nineteen, wore slacks, a Liverpool mother, assisted by the girl’s two sisters, held […]

News Chronicle, London, 22 March 1939 – Says Judge “A CHILD of 12 who wants to have her hair permanently waved should be taken over her mother’s knee and spanked,” said Judge Richardson at the County Court at Sunderland yesterday when a claim against a hairdresser for negligence came before him. Click to enlarge “If […]

The adventure of the boys — Charlie Parsley and Ronnie Parsons, of Wood Green — really began when they saw the film “Crime School,” in which “The Dead End Kids” stow themselves away aboard a train.TWO schoolboys of thirteen were caned yesterday for playing truant. But, as they say, it was worth it, because they […]

Daily Mirror, London, 17 May 1938, p.10 A BOY of eleven who was punished by a schoolmaster for flicking pellets at him — “Just like Will Hay,” the boy said — gave evidence at Wandsworth County Court yesterday in cross-actions. All the boys, he said, were doing the same, but he was the only one […]

Evening Standard, London, 25 May 1937 A HEADMASTER said at Epsom Juvenile Court to-day that he thought the old-fashioned discipline with corporal punishment was best. He was giving evidence in a case in which a 12-year-old boy was summoned for stealing a bicycle. It was stated that the boy was continually committing acts of dishonesty. […]

Daily Mirror, London, 14 April 1936, p.4 Easter Talkies Men Teachers Demanded for Them “If he acknowledged that he would have lost the dignity and recognition of his own importance.””In schools where headmistresses inflict corporal punishment on boys of eight or nine, the lads all go out laughing at the punishment they receive because not […]

British Medical Journal, 16 February 1935 Correspondence It is impossible to believe that the medical department of the Board has not formed any opinion on a medical question so obviously affecting the health of the school child, and it seems to me to be very curious that when so many memoranda and annual reports are […]

British Medical Journal, London, 19 January 1935, p.130 Correspondence A few months ago two little girls, smiling happily, entered my consulting room, one of them having some trivial complaint. When I spoke to the child, who was 10 years of age, she suddenly burst into hysterical and causeless sobbing. Evidently her emotions were on a […]

I am no advocate of corporal punishment, and favour every other form of correction being tried first before recourse to this brutal method, which is more suitable for creatures that can only be made to feel through their skin. If the corporal punishment of girls is as rare as I think it is, the question […]

British Medical Journal, London, 5 January 1935, p.39 Correspondence I remember on several occasions as a teacher inquiring of girls of 12 and 13 who arrived at school crying why they were crying, and receiving the reply: “Mi father (or mother)’s just given me t’belt.” Further inquiries revealed the fact that the belt was practically […]

British Medical Journal, London, 5 January 1935, p.38 Correspondence Corporal Punishment for Girls I feel very strongly that Dr. Kitching did not go far enough, and that the time has come when caning or birching of any child under sixteen years, whether by policemen, school teachers, or parents, should be illegal. Our sailors and soldiers, […]

British Medical Journal, London, 22 December 1934, p.1178 Correspondence A Plea for the Exemption of Girls SIR,-I would be grateful if you would publish the attached correspondence with a view to finding out what is the opinion of the profession on the question whether the caning of girls can be justified on medical grounds. I […]

Daily Mail, London, 20 February 1934, p.11 Council May Order An Inquiry From Our Special Correspondent ALLEGATIONS concerning the caning of a large number of scholars at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School for Boys here, which have been made before the Barnet Urban District Council, are now a topic of local discussion.BARNET, Herts, Monday. To-day the […]

Belfast News-Letter, 30 March 1930 Ulster House of Commons Power to Cane Boys in Borstal Institution. The Minister of Home Affairs [Sir Dawson Bates], moving the second reading of the Criminal Law and Prevention of Crime (Amendment) Bill, said it dealt with two distinct subjects. The first was the time limit for prosecutions for offences […]

Daily Mail, London, 24 April 1929, p.9 . Smoking Boy Case Again in Court. Judge and “Taking it Like a Man.” CASE. — The King v. Justices of Newport, Shropshire, ex parte Wright. COURT. — Kings Bench Divisional Court. JUDGES. — The Lord Chief Justice (Lord Hewart) and Justices Avory and Swift. COUNSEL. — For the Justices: Mr. Ronald […]

London, 9 January 1929, p.7   Schoolroom Sequel Bench & Deserved Punishment.   The headmaster and two assistant masters of Newport, Shropshire, Grammar School who took part in the flogging of a pupil for smoking were summoned by the boy’s father, Mr. Ernest J. Wright, at Newport yesterday for assault. The masters were Mr. Walter […]

Daily Mail, London, 13 August 1928, p.8 In the courts. Prefect’s defence. Father withdraws case. John King Day, aged 15, of Coddington Hall, Newark, Nottinghamshire, a prefect at Stamford Grammar School, Lincolnshire, and nephew of the headmaster, the Rev. J.D. Day, was summoned at Stamford on Saturday for assaulting John Henry Davis, aged 10, a […]

Daily Mail, London, 10 September 1927, p.5 Mr. Bingley Was Right. By John Blunt. I sympathize with Mr. Bingley, the Marylebone magistrate, for refusing an application for a summons against a London County Council teacher who had caned a pupil. Nowadays there are a lot of people who seem to think that for a small […]

The Times, London, 19 March 1921 Headmaster of Rugby’s Views At a meeting held on February 15 the members of the association passed a resolution urging that, in view of the evidence of damage caused by caning on the hand, and the possibility of impairment of function, this form of punishment should be forbidden. Yesterday […]

he Times, London, 25 June 1920 Headmaster’s Explanation. The question of the infliction of corporal punishment on a girl pupil, named Brown, by a male teacher, has been discussed by the Canterbury Education Committee. The father of the girl complained that she had been caned by Mr. Randerson, the headmaster of the Wesleyan School. He […]

Daily Mail, London, 5 March 1915, p.3 Assault Charge Dismissed. The boy’s account.Great interest was displayed in a case at Lancaster yesterday, when the Rev. J.H. Shackleton Bailey, headmaster of Lancaster School, was charged with assaulting Harold James Atkinson, aged sixteen, son of Dr. Atkinson, of Smethwick, Birmingham, on February 1. The case raised the […]

Daily Mail, London, 9 January 1912, p.5 Inquiries at Eton show that Lord Ossulston was there for one term some time ago. Lord Tankerville is reported to have said: “I do not want him (Lord Ossulston) to be a youngster with a title who has been kowtowed to by a sycophantic crowd of pseudo and […]

he Mercury, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 13 May 1911, p.10 . Eton’s Innovation. The Birch Abolished. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Click to enlarge LONDON, April 7. In England, possibly throughout the Empire, Eton has come to be regarded as the school of schools. No institution has given more statesmen, military men, and bishops to the country. […]

Daily Mail, London, 16 June 1910, p.6 . To the Editor of The Daily Mail Click to enlarge Sir, — May I take exception to an article in The Daily Mail on “Caning at Eton.” It seems to me a great pity that the public should be given a false impression of the existing state of affairs at […]

Daily Mail, London, 11 June 1910, p.3 . Excessive punishment by older boys. Click to enlarge In his presidential address to the Child Study Conference at Tunbridge Wells last night, Sir James Crichton-Browne, M.D., discussed disadvantages of the public schools, and in advocating regular examination by a public medical official, described the result of his […]

The Times, London, 8 February 1910 [Editorial opinion] . A case of no little interest to schoolmasters and parents was decided by the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE at Bedford last week. It appears that a lady residing at Bedford sent four sons to the Grammar School. On the ground that her children were delicate, especially the […]

The Marlborough Express, New Zealand, 26 November 1907, p.6 . Etonians all over the world will learn with surprise that the famous block on which many of them have been swished has been stolen, seriously or in joke from the headmaster’s room. No trace of it has been found. It dates back to 1770, and […]

Daily Mail, London, 4 November 1907, p.6 A Principal Exonerated. The adjourned summons against Mr. William Gannon, M.A., principal of the Woolwich Polytechnic, charging him with having excessively caned two of his pupils was dismissed at Woolwich Police Court. Giving evidence, Mr. Gannon said this was only the second case during the three and a […]

Daily Mail, London, 24 April 1908, p.3 Headmaster’s offer of caning or dismissal. Under a covering letter headed “Insubordination, not Cigarette,” Mr. E.N. Marshall, headmaster of Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Walsall, sends a statement to the “Daily Mail” concerning the recent incident at the school when a boy was offered the alternatives of being caned […]

March 1907 Statement Issued by Mr. Paton. Click to enlarge We have received the following copy of a letter addressed by Mr. J.L. Paton, the High Master of the Manchester Grammar School, to the parents of the boys at the school: Dear sir or madam, — I have obtained the permission of the Governors to […]

The Manchester Guardian, 17 January 1907 To the Editor of the Manchester Guardian. Sir, — The paragraph on this subject which appears in your issue for Tuesday last is incorrect in one or two important particulars. In the first place, it is stated that “liberty used to be accorded to all teachers to punish as […]

The Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer, 14 October 1905 One had hoped that birching — or, as it is called at Eton, “swishing” — had become, if not altogether unknown, but little used at Eton. In no other country are youths, some of whom are almost grown-up men, punished in the manner which still obtains […]

Berrow’s Worcester Journal, Worcester, 18 July 1903 Wednesday: present – The Mayor […] (extract) […] Corporal Punishment. Mr Hopton moved that corporal punishment should be administered by the head teacher only, or his representative in his absence, and not by certificated teachers as the regulation provided. Mr Hillard accepted the arguments for limiting the infliction […]

Daily Mail, London, 8 May 1903 “It is news to me,” remarked the magistrate, “that a schoolmaster may not correct a scholar in a proper way. I have never heard of a summons against the headmaster of Eton, Harrow, or Rugby, or any of those schools for assault. The boys get swished for all sort […]

Daily Mail, London, 9 August 1902, p.3 How a magistrate would deal with refractory boys. Mr. Webb thrashed your boy for misbehaviour, and ten minutes afterwards he ran out of school and climbed over the wall. I shall not have him here again until his father has thrashed him, and if he will bring him […]

The Times, London, 8 November 1901 The weekly meeting of the members of the School Board for London was held yesterday at the Board-room, Victoria-embankment, Mr. LYULPH STANLEY, the vice-chairman, presiding. […] Corporal Punishment. Miss HONNOR MORTEN moved: — “That corporal punishment be abolished in infants’ schools.” She said there was a great deal of […]

Daily Mail, London, 13 December 1900 For caning a boy at Garrett-lane Board School, Wandsworth, E. Vincent, an assistant master, was summoned yesterday at the South-Western Police-court. The boy, Richard Butler, said he was thrown over a form and caned. “The master told you to hold out your hand: and you refused, eh? asked the […]

The Times, London, 13 April 1900 The annual report of the Executive Committee of the National Union of Teachers, which will be presented to the conference at York on Monday next states that during the past year steady progress has been made in the matter of education throughout the country, and that in this important […]