Some years ago I read an autobiography of an Eton boy written in 1874 – at the height of the Victorian Public School system and in fact the year, the oft-mentioned here, Winston Churchill was born. It described this boy’s first birching in detail and apparently it was far less severe than he had imagined it would be. I think he said the first few strokes stung a little but after that it was nothing. The build up to his birching was the worse part, as he described shivering while ‘letting down’ his britches and kneeling on the block.
I wonder why even the well made films of today can’t keep to such historical facts? There would be no need to show it but I think it should be allured to.
Tom Brown’s schooldays1
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The High Price of Stealing6
Still, he would feel a whole lot better once he and his family were out of the store. Soon...
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And when we got there the Cupboard was Bare26
I’ve noticed too that most of the opposition to CP for girls seems to come from men but I...
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Thoughts of an Abusive but Aparant Wartime Headmaster1
I stress before starting that I refer here only to the war years. I know some will dismiss this...
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Catholic School in New England18
Maybe my mother and Mother Frances just wanted to scare me. If so, they were succeeding. Every time the...
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School Punishment Book46
Even up to 1980 in my private school, at times under certain circumstances, boys were required to lower their...
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The Cane or Anarchy22
Staff and Prefects had looked in and seen this happening …..and laughed. Most educators can’t believe nothing was done...
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What kind of offences did you get caned for1
At my school only boys were caned. The masters wore academic gowns. Caning offences included: arson, back chat, behaviour...
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How was it for you1
I expect that Im not the only one who discovered at an early age that corporal punishment was of...