Catalogue description Content: Folios 478-481. [Continued from MH 12/11198/] Enclosed is a copy of a...

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Details of MH 12/11198/297
Reference: MH 12/11198/297
Description:
Content: Folios 478-481. [Continued from MH 12/11198/] Enclosed is a copy of a statement from Peter Lyth, made before the guardians on 28 January 1851. Lyth said he was 13 years of age. He was an orphan and had been in the workhouse for three years. His father, Charles Lyth, died three years ago, and his mother died the day after his father's burial. Lyth was punished by Carr on 2 January 1851. In the schoolroom, before dinner, Lyth accidentally ran against Thomas Hancock, who was stooping down. Hancock consequently fell. Lycett told Carr that Lyth had pushed Hancock over, so Carr struck Lyth once on each hand. Lyth went to dinner with the other boys. Carr sent Lyth's dinner back to have the beef removed, but Lyth refused to eat the potatoes. Lycett told Carr that Lyth had been pointing his finger and gripping his fist at Hancock. Carr sent for Wellum and beat Lyth. Lyth was also beaten 'all round the room' after Wellum left. Lyth asked for a piece of string, and was told by Carr that there was a piece on the master's desk. Lyth twisted this string round his neck. Carr then beat him again severely, with Lyth's head between the master's legs. Carr then sent Lyth to the nurse, as the beating had caused his arm to bleed. Mrs Wellum advised that Lyth should not be put to work because of his injured arm. He helped to clean the forms and desk. When Lyth and the other boys went to the day room Carr said that he would not have him with the other boys, and sent him to the school room to have his supper. Carr did not discuss the consequence of the act Lyth had attempted. Carr often beat boys without sending for the master; Lyth remembers this happening to James Hancock. In his room, Carr instructed Lyth to sign a statement. When Carr asked him if the statement was correct, Lyth said that it was not but was then told that if he did not say that it was correct, he would be punished again. Enclosed is a copy of a statement by Ann Wilson, nurse, made before the guardians on 28 January 1851. On 2 January 1851, Lyth came to Wilson in an excited state, with his arm bleeding. He said that the schoolmaster had beaten him for accidentally pushing a boy over. Wilson and Lyth went to the store room, and were met by Wellum, Mrs Wellum, and Carr. Wellum said that Lyth had been a bad boy and had been punished in his presence. Lyth had injuries on his shoulders and from his hips to his calves. Wellum said that only the injuries on the shoulders were inflicted in his presence. Wilson thought that Lyth had twenty blows on the lower body. She had never seen a child so badly beaten before. Enclosed is a copy of a statement by Thomas Lycett, made before the guardians on 28 January 1851. Lycett was aged 13 years and had been in the workhouse school for about four years. Carr often punished boys in the school room without Wellum being present. Examples include Farrall. Lycett himself and Goodwin were beaten because the pig escaped from its sty and left footmarks in the garden. Lyth pointed his finger at Hancock, but did not grip his fist. About 3 or 4 o'clock Carr came to the tailor's shop, where Lycett was working and said that one of the boys had tried to hang himself, and it was necessary to beat him on the hands to make him release his grip on the string. Lycett was a monitor under Carr. Enclosed is a copy of a statement by Thomas Mitchell, made before the guardians on 28 January 1851. Mitchell is about nine or ten years of age. He saw Carr beat Lyth twice, first before Lyth took the string and then he put Lyth's head between his legs and beat him on the back all round the school. He also took Lyth by the arm and beat him. Enclosed is a copy of a statement by Wellum, made before the guardians on 28 January 1851. Wellum did not tell Carr that he should have flogged Lyth without fetching Wellum, or that he would not be present during the flogging. Wellum did not examine the boy closely, but thought the blood on his arm was probably coming from ulcers. He told the nurse to examine Lyth. The wounds on the boy's thighs and legs were not inflicted in Wellum's presence. Annotated: by H B Farnall [Poor Law Inspector], that a letter should be written to Carr, who is working as schoolmaster in another union, stating that his tenure is dependent on him conducting himself properly and following the orders of the Board. Paper Number: 7614/1851. Poor Law Union Number 415. Counties: Staffordshire.
Date: 3 Feb 1851
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

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