Youtube short on Bluecoat School monuments in the City

[MrEd]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1pLETUnweZ8

CH gets a mention.

[Foureyes]

Interesting about the yellow stockings keeping rats at bay. Perhaps, such stockings should be issued f.o.c. today to all the inhabitants of Birmingham?
David

[MrEd]

Yes, that 'yellow stockings and rats' thing was a standard line at CH when seeking to explain the colour. The question is of course not whether this works, but whether someone, some day in a position to decide the uniform thought it did and so directed that it be so. It might have been a cheap deal on some yellow fabric back in the day. I can't see any symbolism in yellow.

Anyway, Befriend a Brummie and Sock it to him!

[Katharine]

I hadn’t thought about blue dye being cheapest. I know that woad and indigo were often the earliest developed dyes in many parts of the world - except Borneo where they developed rusty reds instead.

[Foureyes]

I may be able to help here.
The Colour Yellow. Precisely when this colour was introduced is not clear but it was certainly in use in 1638 when the governors stated that certain items were to be dyed yellow "...to avoid vermin by reason the white cotton is held to breed the same." I should add that it was NOT the colour that was thought to repel rats, mice and insects, but the SMELL of the dye, which was obtained from saffron, bog myrtle or even onion skins. There may also have been an element of Bayberry Bark, which has long been known to have anti-vermin properties (and is used as such in Sweden to this day). There are also reports that in the 17th and 18th centuries some boys used to wrap stockings round their heads when in bed, possibly for the same vermin/insect-repellent properties; e.g., head lice.

Bluecoat gown There is no doubt that a long, blue-coloured gown was the commonest dress for youngsters, except for the very rich and the poorest in those days. See for example, effigy of Oliver Pelham (d.1584) in Stanmer Church, nr Brighton, but there are many others.

The Colour Blue A significant influence on dress of that period were the Sumptuary Laws, which laid down materials and colours to be used by various classifications of the populace. In part these laws were intended to establish visual differences in dress between social classes, but also to prevent needless extravagance as well as protecting English goods as opposed to more expensive goods from overseas (21st century protectionism is by no means a new phenomenon!). Lower-class men were allowed to wear wool, linen or sheepskin, while colours were limited to brown,beige, yellow, grey, green and 'blew. Blue dye was particularly popular because it was obtained from woad (isatis tinctoria) which was grown in England in large quantities and was thus cheap, easy to use and in line with the legal requirements.

Incidentally, indigo was not used because it had to be imported and was thus more expensive and in the case of the Hospital, contrary to the Sumptuary Laws.

One factor which should always be remembered is expense. From the earliest days the governors clothed the children, both boys and girls, from head to toe in clothing supplied by the hospital. In fact, even today when children join the Hospital they are described as 'cloathed' as opposed to 'admitted.' Thus, with a population of about a thousand and composed of children who rapidly outgrew many of the items, this was a very significant expense and they cannot be blamed for sometimes taking a cheaper option.

David

[SandysJ]

Does the school still operate the "Wardrobe".
I remember my 1st day as a squit, being escorted by my nurse maid, to the Wardrobe, where we were issued with our uniform, which was basically everything you wore, including underwear.
The staff looked at you, gave you what they thought would fit and then, if it didn't, you had to make a case to Matron who gave you a chit to return to Wardrobe another day. If you were lucky that had something closer to your size.
We were also issued with 'best' coats a few weeks after starting.
I also remember a trip to John Lewis (big day out up to London) to get our sportswear. I dont know how Father afforded it for twins!

[seajayuu]

I've never understood the old insistence by Horsham that items should be bought from John Lewis, there was no such insistence at Hertford.

I am happy to be corrected on this but I seem to remember that we only had very few items from home; indoor shoes, hockey boots, slippers, brush, comb, nit comb(!), soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, Bible, Book of common prayer (which my parents refused to buy - I was rescued by neighbours buying and slipping it to me on the quiet), letter writing paper, envelopes and stamps, 3 items to go on top of our lockers in dorm, 3 fiction books, one teddy bear type thing, a pencil case, a darning mushroom and needles.

Deodorant and talcum powder strictly forbidden. No watches or fountain pens until we were 14. No jewellry of any sort.

What have I missed?

It was still a considerable financial burden for my parents to find it all in one go.

[SandysJ]

Think we missed out on the darning mushroom and needles at Horsham!

[Katharine]

Chrissy, you’ve missed a few, I can add a suspenders belt, swimming costume and face flannel. We could also bring a pot of home-made jam and some sweets, both of these being locked away most of the time. I think we also had a pair of tennis shoes.

I do remember my father giving the Lenten addresses one year, embarrassing me by saying he had a daughter in the school so knew we all had our copies of the prayer book. He led us through the structure of Mattins and Evensong, saying that if we were anything like the Housey boys of his day, we would be following by rote.