Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I'm writing a little essay about the history of buttons (I'm a Professor of English, but it's my day off) and suddenly realised that, as an Old Blue ( Mid B 1965-71, dishonorably discharged), I had considerable early exposure to button fetishism. I'm particularly curious about the origin and history of Button Grecians, but have found nothing to help me in either The Christ's Hospital Book (1953) or Pearce's 1901 Annals of Christ's Hospital. 'Getting your buttons' chimes with an expression in use in the Wrens Naval College, where ‘getting one’s buttons’ means being promoted from leading hand to petty officer and thus getting brass uniform buttons in place of black. It seems the first mention of provision for brass buttons in the uniform is in 1706. The heightened potency of buttons on the Housey coat and breeches contrasts oddly with the phobia with regard to buttons when it comes to securing the shirt and bands (are pins still used?) The importance of pins in Housey dress is indicated by the fact that an unprincipled CH matron was accused in 1736 of appropriating for her own profit no fewer than 207,082 of them (Pearce 1901, 186).

Has anybody got any ideas or information about the gaining of buttons or the institution of the Button Grecian at CH?

And, by the way, how many buttons are there on a Button Grecian's coat, as compared with a regular civilian's? I never got one and was always too awestruck to count them when I had the chance.

Steve Connor - s.connor@bbk.ac.uk

steveconnor wrote:I'm writing a little essay about the history of buttons (I'm a Professor of English, but it's my day off) and suddenly realised that, as an Old Blue ( Mid B 1965-71, dishonorably discharged), I had considerable early exposure to button fetishism. I'm particularly curious about the origin and history of Button Grecians, but have found nothing to help me in either The Christ's Hospital Book (1953) or Pearce's 1901 Annals of Christ's Hospital. 'Getting your buttons' chimes with an expression in use in the Wrens Naval College, where ‘getting one’s buttons’ means being promoted from leading hand to petty officer and thus getting brass uniform buttons in place of black. It seems the first mention of provision for brass buttons in the uniform is in 1706. The heightened potency of buttons on the Housey coat and breeches contrasts oddly with the phobia with regard to buttons when it comes to securing the shirt and bands (are pins still used?) The importance of pins in Housey dress is indicated by the fact that an unprincipled CH matron was accused in 1736 of appropriating for her own profit no fewer than 207,082 of them (Pearce 1901, 186).

Has anybody got any ideas or information about the gaining of buttons or the institution of the Button Grecian at CH?

And, by the way, how many buttons are there on a Button Grecian's coat, as compared with a regular civilian's? I never got one and was always too awestruck to count them when I had the chance.

Steve Connor - s.connor@bbk.ac.uk

Hello Steve,

welcome to the forum. I think I remember you from schooldays. Were you in Barnes B prior to Mid B?

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1247&hilit=button+ ... s&start=30

This thread might help you a little.

I believe ordinary coats had 7 buttons and button grecians' coats had 14 buttons. I'm talking central buttons and ignoring cuffs.

As mentioned in the linked thread I believe buttons were awarded to Oxford and Cambridge candidates and School monitors. Although House Captains also had them as I recall, possibly because they fell into one or other of the two categories mentioned. I was a House monitor but, being as thick as two short planks, was never considered for buttons.

Heres a question to add to the buttons saga.

At the Retreat a couple of years ago, I noticed some Grecians absolutely swamped in buttons. More like Pearly Kings.

Wot's that all abart ???

J.R. wrote:Here's a question to add to the buttons saga.

At the Retreat a couple of years ago, I noticed some Grecians absolutely swamped in buttons. More like Pearly Kings.

Wot's that all abart ???

I think you will find that was the Band Captain.
Not like our days, Eh John?

jhopgood wrote:

J.R. wrote:Here's a question to add to the buttons saga.

At the Retreat a couple of years ago, I noticed some Grecians absolutely swamped in buttons. More like Pearly Kings.

Wot's that all abart ???

I think you will find that was the Band Captain.
Not like our days, Eh John?

Bed Boards...

Sleep where you're told too....

Only one extra blanket allowed.....

Cold baths in the mornings during summer term, BEFORE breakfast......

(I could go on and on and on and on !)

While we are buttoning,

1. When did Grecians start wearing plaques with buttons? In 1954 when you got your buttons, you handed in your RMS plaque.

2. When did Grecians start buttoning their cuffs? Unbuttoned had always been the style, up to at least 1954.

J.R. wrote:

jhopgood wrote:

J.R. wrote:Here's a question to add to the buttons saga.

At the Retreat a couple of years ago, I noticed some Grecians absolutely swamped in buttons. More like Pearly Kings.

Wot's that all abart ???

I think you will find that was the Band Captain.
Not like our days, Eh John?

Bed Boards...

Sleep where you're told too....

Only one extra blanket allowed.....

Cold baths in the mornings during summer term, BEFORE breakfast......

(I could go on and on and on and on !)

You do.

Please start, a "It wasn't like that in my day" thread and moan there.

Buttons are now awarded to Monitors but ACADEMIC buttons only awarded initially to those who gain all A's at AS at the end of the Deps.

As our new Deps are academic Gods - we came 12th in the UK for GCSE according to the Times - we will probably have to buy lots of new buttons in 2010

englishangel wrote: You do.

Please start, a "It wasn't like that in my day" thread and moan there.

Or maybe a "It should be like it was in my day" thread ?

Thanks very much for your replies. I had forgotten about the sumptuous cuffs. Grateful to know more about the what of grecian buttons, I will keeping poking around for the when and why.

I am curious to know - why would you want to write an article on the history of buttons?

Fjgrogan wrote:I am curious to know - why would you want to write an article on the history of buttons?

A love of pantomime characters ??

(Oh No It Isn't !!)

Yes, I'm a bit surprised to find myself writing it too. It's going to be a chapter in a book called Paraphernalia: The Secret Lives of Magical Things, along with chapters on probably equally improbable stuff - bags, sweets, plugs, pins, batteries, elastic bands, and others.

Steve

onewestguncopse wrote: As our new Deps are academic Gods - we came 12th in the UK for GCSE according to the Times - we will probably have to buy lots of new buttons in 2010

Could you post the link that list please? I can't find it. Thanks.

How about fridge magnets?