Did anyone know?

[michael scuffil]

The case of AH Buck is a bit special, in that he was an Old Blue who returned to teach at CH almost immediately on graduating and never moved on. His knowledge of the world outside, such as it was, came from the enormous number of Old Blues whom he knew. He was, in this sense, very well connected, and, it must be said, extremely popular among Old Blues and staff alike (that Seaman couldn't stand him was exceptional). It is difficult to assess the extent to which they were aware of his proclivities and activities. In their published (private) correspondence, Edmund Blunden, obviously a very close friend, suggests he didn't know. After finding out, he said of course they would remain friends. Now, loyalty to an old friend is one thing (and this will account in part for his 80th birthday party and memorial service). But forgiveness is another: only the victim can forgive. And the problem is that the very public rehabilitation looks too much like forgiveness. And again, Buck apologized. But it seems that what he apologized for was the damage he had done to the school's reputation, not to his victims.

I personally am not a Christian, but Seaman was. I couldn't really understand his language at the time, but when he said (as he did): 'Your body is given to you by God, and it is not for others to interfere with it' he meant it. He regarded sexual abuse as an affront not to the school's reputation, but to God. I genuinely believe he thought his own soul was endangered if he did not do everything he could to stop it (both among the boys, and most especially by teachers in a position of trust).

[J.R.]

I believe that sexual abuse existed pre 1963 Rob.

First, there was AH Buck.

Second, there was Frank McCracken who was banned from the premises as undesirable.

Corporal punishment is a wholly different issue. A lot of boys were beaten and in many cases it was for no good reason, although it is difficult to know whether teachers got any sort of pleasure from it.

It is about time that the school were taken to task for corporal punishment. As well as the pleasure that may have been derived from the act of beating pupils, some teachers inflicted pain well beyond what was reasonable chastisement.

Beatings were well known. Sexual abuse was something else altogether and I would be surprised if the victims ever wanted to share it, so much of it went on unchecked.

With the likes of Husband and Dobbie, it is remarkable that no other members of staff ever suspected them of inappropriate conduct (consensual or otherwise). We know that Husband was moved on because he was "caught" but we don't know how he was caught.

Husband and Dobbie each seem to have known what the other was doing, likewise it is not unreasonable to assume that Webb and Burr knew about each other..

I was beaten twice. One by Bogey Fryer and once by RA Hewitt. I probably deserved both. There was certainly no sadism or sexual gratification on either occasion, on my part OR theirs !

[sejintenej]

I believe that sexual abuse existed pre 1963 Rob.

Corporal punishment is a wholly different issue. A lot of boys were beaten and in many cases it was for no good reason, although it is difficult to know whether teachers got any sort of pleasure from it.

Back in those days beatings were par for the course - there was no difference between home and school. I got my share of beatings at CH - both shoe and cane*. The majority were deserved with the exceptions being the result of lies by a monitor (He can be thankful that he is in Auckland!!!!) and my terror by strange lights in the night sky (I had never seen or heard of aircraft at that time).

The blows on the kidneys and backs of the knees I put down to Kit's false leg; I survived.

*The switch was far worse than the cane - it could draw blood

Beatings were well known. Sexual abuse was something else altogether and I would be surprised if the victims ever wanted to share it, so much of it went on unchecked.

Two tries - one in the Lav End by an older boy who left as soon as he realised I wouldn't play and the other by a doctor who took me out for the day (with parent's permission) - a bit harder to get away from.

[cstegerlewis]

Robert, not sure if this is of any help, but I thought I would add some feedback

When you were at the school did you know what sexual abuse was happening or was it just 'another normal thing''?
I was there during the eighties, 18 months 2nd/3rd form with Webb as my Housemaster. I along with others were told the nickname, and in my naivety it was not a word I had ever heard before I went to CH, and therefore had it's meaning explained to me. I thought it was odd, but equally knew that sexual abuse was wrong and therefore it must be a sick/cynical nickname rather than hinting at fact. Knowing several of the victims, and knowing that things occurred in a Dorm I was sleeping in, possibly within 10 feet of me, disgusts me, and also I have some horrible feelings of guilt that I didn't do anything - this find odd as to be clear no one confided in me, and AFAIK I was never involved, so in effect there was nothing I could have done. Once he had left, the rumours spread, but again no-one told me directly what had happened, so again I didn't know. Once he turned up on Scout Camp (my comment cross referenced above) I again naively thought it must be OK, because Shippen/Torkington/Goodall etc would not invite a known offender (even if not convicted) back into a high risk situation if they knew or had some inkling of the truth.

Did masters not committing abuse know what was going on?
See comment above regarding Scout Camp - if it was known about in the Common Room then there is definitely some explaining to be done.

Did anyone link the cases of extreme 'Corporal punishment' to sexual desires?
AFAIK Corporal Punishment stopped before I started, although I did hear the odd rumour of boys being struck. It had definitely stopped before the merger

Simply did you know what was happening to others or not?
As per the first answer, no I didn't, and I feel horribly ashamed that I didn't do something

[LongGone]

My view is almost identical to Michael's above. Our CH dates being very similar. There was only one master who ever raised a slight suspicion in my mind. His name hasn't appeared on these threads, so I won't elaborate.
.

Also in the same time period. I certainly was unaware of any 'goings on', but this might be largely because I went through my entire time there in an oblivious haze.
Like J.R., I do remember some very oblique references to one master (X). In terms of what was know by other staff members, I have one possible hint. Neat the end of one term Keeley suggested we might try starting a rumor, and see how fast it would spread and evolve. He recommended we come up something unlikely. One of the suggestions was that 'X was getting engaged.............to a woman' Keeley was unable to keep a straight face, and had to leave the room for a while, which suggests he might at least be familiar with the rumors.

[TMF]

Some links to posts elsewhere on the site indicating that many people knew of masters' activities:

AH Buck:
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 7&#p136947
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... =30#p90606

Navy CCF master:
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 3&#p140943
and
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 28#p140928

"a certain (bachelor) junior housemaster was reportedly found in some way in flagrante with someone":
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 6&#p141776

"... an interesting teacher but had 'something of the night' about him. One evening he went loopy and gym-shoed about 30 people."
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 5&#p141405

"a certain history teacher in the early 1970s (discussed elsewhere as a man whose car you would not want to get in)":
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 9&#p141409

"I know of two such cases who went in 1955 and 1957"
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 7&#p136949

"There were others" (i.e. sudden departures) - as mentioned by Howard Holdsworth here:
http://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic.p ... 60#p142395

[Robinson]

If the press is to be believed, both Fleming and a member of the chaplaincy team (presumed to be Kate Powell but unconfirmed) were informed of abuse, as well as Sillett who discouraged the victim from going public so as to avoid intrusive press coverage.

When I was at Christ's Hospital I didn't know of any active unreported abuse. Rumors and truth spread very quickly.

But what I - and my contemporaries - all knew about was sexual relationships between students and pupils. There were many examples.

Non-indulgent members of staff MUST have known, also.

One of my contemporaries, soon after he left the school, was told by a member of staff that the teacher he had been conducting an affair with had confided in said member of staff. "I was speaking to X and they were telling me about your relationship."

Another member of my house emphatically told our housemaster that he was not in the depths of an affair with his (male) tutor, evidently feeling it was something that needed to be made clear. The tutor was a middle of term leaver.

On another occasion a member of the junior school was invited to - and participated in - a middle of the night bath and towel-down in one of his house staff member's apartments (the member of house staff - a middle of term leaver - has been mentioned in this forum in a now-deleted thread). This incident was reported by the parents of the student to the student's tutor, who actively discouraged them from pursuing it. Whether the tutor pursued it internally I have no idea.

So yes, people knew.

Also, I remember that Mike Gladding used to HATE it when his students went to Dobbie's house, which was just opposite Peele B when he was housemaster. Maybe he just didn't like the guy.

[jakew]

AFAIK Corporal Punishment stopped before I started, although I did hear the odd rumour of boys being struck. It had definitely stopped before the merger

The cane had definitely gone, but Shippen for one still enjoyed a good slippering in the immediate post-merger years - though I might add that this was in his capacity as a junior housemaster rather than as Scoutmaster, lest I muddy the water regarding the barge trips

[Gingerbeard17]

My time covered 64 to 71 and I vaguely remember rumours about a couple of single masters, I genuinely cannot remember their names. No boys were ever mentioned in regard to the rumours and I certainly wasn't aware of anything vaguely concrete.
There were certainly innuendos and snide comments about liaisons between boys with varying age differences. The chaplain was certainly aware of a number of these.
I always thought of AL 'Johnny' Johnstone as taking too much pleasure in his beatings. My parents spoke to CMES about one particular set of stripes that I came home with... it never happened (to me ) again.
Sorry I can't be of more help.... my memory of those years is exceptionally patchy.

[Golfer]

The cane had definitely gone, but Shippen for one still enjoyed a good slippering in the immediate post-merger years - though I might add that this was in his capacity as a junior housemaster rather than as Scoutmaster, lest I muddy the water regarding the barge trips

This needs correcting. Derek Baker ended corporal punishment before the merger.

[Avon]

The cane had definitely gone, but Shippen for one still enjoyed a good slippering in the immediate post-merger years - though I might add that this was in his capacity as a junior housemaster rather than as Scoutmaster, lest I muddy the water regarding the barge trips

This needs correcting. Derek Baker ended corporal punishment before the merger.

Sorry, but I was slippered after the merger. Are you saying that the master who did this was also in breach of school rules?

[cstegerlewis]

Welcome back, Tim

[Golfer]

That is my memory.
My memory is increasingly wrong these days.
I wouldn't rely on it in court.

[marty]

I started in 89 & witnessed a boy on my year being slippered. In fact, the teacher in question asked for a sample of slippers from the rest of us and then selected one with a hard sole. Not saying this was a regular occurrence but corporal punishment did not end with Baker.

[sejintenej]

I started in 89 & witnessed a boy on my year being slippered. In fact, the teacher in question asked for a sample of slippers from the rest of us and then selected one with a hard sole. Not saying this was a regular occurrence but corporal punishment did not end with Baker.

Kit at least punished pupils in private and, with the exception reported elsewhere) never mentioned that he had given a punishment. (In that exception he didn't give names or how many strokes).