English School Flogging

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Masham Dale School in Yorkshire was a small fee paying school for the sons of tradesmen and army officers aged from eleven to sixteen years. In the mid-nineteenth century it was divided into four classes (known as forms) for most subjects. Mr Jenkins was a young teacher who had been assigned one of the middle forms with twenty-four boys. Although largely comprising boys aged thirteen or fourteen, it included the brighter boys from the younger age group and the less bright boys from the older age group.

Discipline was usually administered with a birch on the bare buttocks with a form monitor acting as horse and the victim climbing on his back. A smaller boy would be held by his wrists so that his shirt would be pulled up and his trousers would drop freely. With a larger boy the monitor would have to support him under the thighs and his trousers would be pulled down sufficiently to expose his whole bottom.

One morning in the spring, Mr Jenkins was called away to consult with the headmaster. Before leaving he had set a Latin assignment for the form. However, order gradually broke down and soon everyone was talking and some scuffling had started amongst a group of boys. The two monitors, Watson and Jones, were expected to control situations like this but they were taunted by some of the boys when they tried.

Jenkins returned unexpectedly and shouted that he would not tolerate this behaviour and that the whole form would be flogged. The boys were directed back to their assignment and Mr Jenkins contemplated the practicalities of carrying out his threat.

He knew that birches often came apart with repeated use and he would have two spares brought from store. In case of bleeding, he would have some water and rags to hand. Watson was sent to give Megs the housemaid these instructions.

Megs was only aged about fifteen but through a slight deformity and under-nourishment she looked older. She was often taunted by the boys and on hearing of the form flogging, she determined to stay and watch if possible.

The boys who had given most trouble over the years had been grouped together in one row of desks so he decided to start with these while his arm was strong and to finish with the two monitors who might get lighter blows. To avoid delays in adjusting shirts and trousers, he would make the form undress completely and line up naked.

At the end of the lesson he instructed the boys to move into the aisles between the desks and take all of their clothes off. Usually with an individual birching the boy could stand behind the monitor before unbuttoning his trousers but now all would be exposed with Megs able to watch. Watson and Jones were allowed to keep their shirts on but were expected to circle around in front of Jenkins dropping one boy and picking up the next.

As each naked boy was brought in front of him Jenkins laid on four heavy blows of the birch. Some boys screamed at each blow whilst others tried to bear the punishment silently but all were crying or close to tears at the end. As each boy was dropped Megs would make a cursory inspection of his buttocks dabbing any trace of blood with a wet rag.

The first boys to be dealt with started to get dressed but Jenkins instructed them to stand on the desk benches with their hands behind their necks until he gave them permission to get dressed.

One of the younger boys was particularly frightened and by the fourth stroke was peeing freely down Jones’s back. Megs used her apron to wipe Jones’s buttocks and steadied herself by placing her other hand over his genitals. He blushed but did not dare draw attention to it.

After twenty-two floggings Mr Jenkins was rather tired and gave the two monitors lighter taps with them leaning on the desk. The boys were given permission to get dressed and Megs was dismissed. As she left the room she could barely conceal her enjoyment of the spectacle.