Some folks, I know, are (understandably) squeamish about any documents relating to historical punishments. As I’ve discussed here before, I can conveniently compartmentalise my thinking, with the fact that real people were actually hurt kept quite separate from the potential that any such artefacts offer as a basis for roleplaying.
I recently ordered a document from the National Archive that was of interest to me in two ways – for its kinky potential, and as it relates to the history of my home city (about which this post is the last in my recent Scouse spanking series!).
For, ladies and gentlemen, at great expense, I have unearthed the regulations from 1843 for the school set up at the city’s Workhouse for pauper youths:
(Excuse the formatting: I’ve extracted the relevant pages as best I can from the original into a format that will be readable here – just click on the images and click again to expand them).
As you can imagine, the disciplinary regime forms an important part of the text:
And here’s the format set out for the workhouse Punishment Book:
The full rules run to 14 pages, and would make the basis for a truly fabulous deep, extended roleplay sometime. Oh how I fancy a themed weekend away!
Thanks for finding this most interesting document.
Prefectdt
I’m sometimes one of the squeamish ones, but this is just too good. The detailed rules and punishments, the complete seriousness of the document, and it has that tone of righteousness… “this is for your own good.” I wonder how many infractions a girl could rack up in a couple days? Beginning the weekend with a detailed oral examination about the rules would get things started right.
If that punishment form were to be used for adult role-play, one wonders what might be entered in the ‘observations’ column. Colouration? Striping? Bruising? If indeed any observations need to be written down, given that most people have a camera phone nowadays.
Observation: Shortly after delivery of the final cane stroke, young lady was sent to the corner to contemplate the full measure of her correction. While there, she was seen to touch herself repeatedly and in direct defiance of Article 35. Further disciplinary measures may have to be applied.