BUCKLES

[J.R.]

Maybe a question for the CH museum, then ?

[Foureyes]

Reference my previous!
Before someone finds it and corrects me, there is ONE depiction of a bluecoat boy wearing buckled shoes. This was a frieze above the entrance to the Blue Coat Boy pub in Islington (see: Google, images, bluecoat islington). The pub was renamed in the 1980s and demolished in the 1990s. The bluecoat boy frieze is just visible above the bow window.
I tried to find out why it was named the Bluecoat Boy, who made the frieze, and what happened to the ceramic tiles when the pub was demolished, but despite consulting various local organisations (history society, library, etc) nobody could produce any answers. I have a better picture of the frieze, but am unable to transfer it to this format. It is well done, but its historical accuracy must be suspect until we can find the artist who created it. Similarly, the buckled shoes remain unproven!
David

[Rex]

I have recently done quite a lot of research into Housie dress from 1552 to today. I have found neither written nor pictorial evidence to show that buckled shoes were ever worn.

To my admittedly weak eye, Constant Lambert (Coleridge A 1914-22) appears to be wearing buckled shoes of some sort in this portrait by his father (click on image to enlarge):

http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/George-L ... t-Boy.html

Not conclusive though as Lambert was lame and may have been wearing unorthodox footwear for that reason.

[AKAP]

I thought that the original of this painting is owned by the school and is hung in one of the rooms at the end of the dining hall. Perhaps one of the forum members who lives on site could check.

On the other hand I might be totaly wrong (Don't know why I think the painting is there.)

[J.R.]

I remember that painting, though I cannot remember where it was hung during my day.

I have a sneaky feeling it is in the museeum now, though I could be wrong.

Where is Janet when you need her ?

[Doctor Smellcroft]

I remember that painting, though I cannot remember where it was hung during my day.

In the early Seventies it used to hang in the Infirmary day room.

[sejintenej]

I have recently done quite a lot of research into Housie dress from 1552 to today. I have found neither written nor pictorial evidence to show that buckled shoes were ever worn.

To my admittedly weak eye, Constant Lambert (Coleridge A 1914-22) appears to be wearing buckled shoes of some sort in this portrait by his father (click on image to enlarge):

http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/George-L ... t-Boy.html

Not conclusive though as Lambert was lame and may have been wearing unorthodox footwear for that reason.

Doesn't show too well on this image but the 1816 original does show buckles

http://www.artchive.com/web_gallery/T/T ... -1816.html

[Foureyes]

I have a scan of the original of that 1816 'scholar' (actually a Grecian, of course) and have magnified it as far as it will go, and I have no doubt that the shoes are laced.
I agree that there are very occasional pictures of bluecoat boys in buckled shoes, but rermain convinced that this was either a parental fancy or artistic licence.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I realise that it does not apply to this case, but there are numerous references to "Bluecoat Boys" which have nothing to do with CH.

I have heard that there is another one in Sussex ? Certainly there are others spread about the UK.
Perhaps their uniform included buckled shoes ?

[Foureyes]

I have got a feeling I discussed this somewhere else on this Forum but cannot now find it. There were some 140 bluecoat schools (plus some redcoat and greencoat schools). All were founded on similar lines to Housie; namely, formed and paid for by local businessmen and worthies for the sons and daughters of local people who were too poor to afford any other type of schooling. A cynical and not altogether inaccurate comment would be that setting up such schools was cheaper than having all those kids running around the streets creating mayhem! Many of these schools disappeared in the early 19th century, most being absorbed into the "National Schools." There are at least 30 bluecoat schools still - for example, in Liverpool. I was going to write a book about it, but lost interest.
David

[michael scuffil]

I have recently done quite a lot of research into Housie dress from 1552 to today. I have found neither written nor pictorial evidence to show that buckled shoes were ever worn. There are several remarks in Bluecoat memories over the centuries to the effect that buckled shoes were worn, but always in a previous generation, and nobody ever admits to either having seen them or worn them themselves. All entries that I have seen in the accounts refer to lace-up shoes.
The only possibility that I can think of is that occasionally there have been outbreaks of 'finery' (for want of a better word!) by children of wealthier parents, but this has always been firmly stopped by the governors. Examples I have come across include breeches of less itchy material, bands of finer material, more elkaborate buckles, and unmentionable additions to girls' undergarments. So, it is possible that some pupils may have worn shoes with buckles, but I am 99 percent certain that, if they did, it was very unoffical and lasted for only a short time.
David

In much the same way, I suppose, there was a fad in my day for wearing elastic-sided "indoor shoes" outdoors.

[michael scuffil]

I have a scan of the original of that 1816 'scholar' (actually a Grecian, of course) and have magnified it as far as it will go, and I have no doubt that the shoes are laced.
I agree that there are very occasional pictures of bluecoat boys in buckled shoes, but rermain convinced that this was either a parental fancy or artistic licence.

I have a notion (though I may be wrong) that the bluecoat boy illustrated in "I-SPY People in Uniform" is depicted wearing buckled shoes. If so, the fantasy lingered on into the 1950s. I must say I was expecting buckled shoes, and disappointed not to get them.