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17th Century School: Beatings & Latin!
24 May
Summary
- 17th-century education included beatings with birch twigs.
- Latin translation was a core subject for 17th-century boys.
- School hours were long, from 7 AM to 5 PM with breaks.
Huntingdon's former grammar school, now the Cromwell Museum, showcases a starkly different educational past. In the 17th century, beatings with birch twigs were common, with the birch being a symbol of the schoolmaster's authority. Teaching was often a part-time role for priests, involving minimal duties beyond Sunday sermons.
Students, aged 10 to 16, endured long school days from 7 AM to 5 PM, often six days a week. While history and Bible studies were included, mathematics was frequently taught by private tutors. Latin was paramount, with students translating texts from authors like Julius Caesar.
Brighter boys also studied Hebrew and Greek. By the 1790s, Huntingdon saw increased literacy, partly due to the establishment of the Walden School in 1736. The original grammar school building, constructed in 1565, later served evacuees in World War Two before becoming the Cromwell Museum in 1962.
