Figure 1.--Here we see English boy Cuthburt John Wigan in 1887. We do not know what school he attended, but we believe he attended aublic school and is weariung his school uniform. Note the Eton collar, wudely worn at public schools at the time. Notice that the uniform is basiclly a standard suit style at the time, unlike the 20th century when schools had destinctively styled uniforms. Click on the image for more information about Cuthburt.

England had a well-established private school system, confusingly called public schools. Many of these schools had histories dating back centuries, some to the Tudor era. Theywere, howevr, designed to educate the country's well to do or comfortble sector of society. They served England's needs ubtil the 19th century. With the industrial revolution and the massive expansion of the Empire many more educated people were needed. As a result, many new public schools were opened in the late-19th century. They were needed to provide technical skills for industry and beauracrats to staff the expanding British Empire. The same dynamic expanded the founding of many new gra,mmar schools. The new public schools almost invairably incorporated the ethos amd program of the estalished chools, including the videa of a standard uniform in their program. Another part of the reforms implemented at mid-century was to separate or take special steps to protect the younger boys. Until the 19th century the public schools took in boys of a wide age range including many pre-teens. These schools could be very rough places nd few had progams in place to protect the younger boys. As a result, at mid-century we begin to see preparatory schools appearing in the late-19th century which were designed to accomodate the special needs of the yonger boys. Most of these schools were founded by clergymen or masters with experience t public schools. Many had relations with the nearny public chools. Uniform requirements were more relaxed at these new schools, but they gradually adopted uniform requirrements as well.

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Created: 2:46 AM 1/16/2015
Last updated: 2:46 AM 1/16/2015