Greyfriars School

Greyfriars School is a fictional English public school used as a setting in the long running series of stories by the writer Charles Hamilton, who wrote under the pen-name Frank Richards. Although the stories are focused on the Remove (or lower fourth form), whose most famous pupil was Billy Bunter, other characters also featured on a regular basis. From 1908 to 1940 the stories appeared in The Magnet. After 1940, the stories continued to appear in book form until Hamilton's death in 1961, and in a television series which ran from 1951 to 1961 on the BBC.^[2]

1 Location
2 Organisation
3 Ethos
4 Main Personnel^[6]
5 In other fiction
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
9 Further reading

Location

The school lies very near the village of Friardale and quite close to the market town of Courtfield. It is near the coast, Pegg Bay and the fishing village of Pegg being within a mile. The nearby location of hop fields, the proximity to Dover, and some explicit statements, indicate that the author had a Kent location in mind. There are two other (fictional) public schools nearby, Cliff House (for girls) and the rather slack Highcliffe.^[3] The reference, in each of their names, to cliffs is another indicator of the coastal setting for the stories.

Organisation

The school consisted of seven forms, loosely based on age groups. Each form had its own Form Master, who took the majority of the lessons. Specialist masters were used for French, sports and mathematics. Boys spend most of the day in class, or in their spare time either in a common room, on the sports fields, or in shared studies; they sleep in shared dormitories. Breakfast and lunch are taken communally. A modest high tea in hall is also provided (disparagingly known as "doorsteps and dishwater"), but most of the boys prefer to make their own arrangements in their studies.^[4]

Ethos

While the masters naturally emphasise scholastic matters, for the pupils (and readership) it is physical activities that are at the heart of the school's ethos. Prowess at sports is the best route to popularity and respect, while over-attainment at study is something of lesser, if not negative, importance. Disputes are often settled by fights, with the invariable, if unrealistic, outcome that virtue triumphs over vice. Corporal punishment is widely used by the masters and by the Sixth Form prefects. The ultimate punishment, short of expulsion, is a birching administered by the saintly headmaster, Dr Locke. Lesser punishments are lines (copying out a hundred lines from a Latin text by the classical author Virgil), or for really serious infractions among the older forms a 'book' (copying out a complete Latin text by Virgil, which might be up to 5,000 lines long).^[5]

Main Personnel^[6]

Sixth Form

The Rev Dr Locke - The Headmaster, also the Sixth's Form Master – majestic, kindly, scholarly, unworldly, and just.
George Wingate - Head Prefect. A well-liked sporting hero, and the embodiment of decency.
Gerald Loder – The antithesis of Wingate. Loder is a malicious bully, who gives free rein to his malice when undertaking his duties as a Prefect.
James Walker - A Prefect, and a sometime bully (for example, in Billy Bunter Gets The Boot, where Bunter was asked to do ventriloquist stunts to entertain Walker's uncle with disastrous consequences).
George Carberry - A bullying prefect, disliked by most other members of the school, including the Masters, who was expelled in 1916.
Heracles Ionides - Son of a very wealthy Greek merchant, and scion of one of the oldest families in Greece. Fond of claiming that his ancestor fought alongside Leonidas at the classical battle of Thermopylae. Unusually for Greyfriars School, he makes heavy use of hair oil, face wash, and perfume. In his time, a bully and at least as bad a blackguard as Gerald Loder, Ionides vanished from the school and the stories, without explanation, during World War One.

Fifth Form

Paul Pontifex Prout - Form Master. Known throughout the school as 'Old Pompous'. Pompous and ineffectual; good hearted, but a terrible bore, particularly when reminiscing about his years spent hunting in the Rockies in North America. He never uses one word where seven will do. Benevolent and kindly, he wants to be a friend to his pupils, as well as a Master, but because of his vanity his leg is rather easy to pull. His occasional delusion that he should be the headmaster forms the basis of some stories.
Horace James Coker – clumsy, buffoonish, wealthy. Extremely stupid, but continues to believe that he can spell better and knows more about Latin than his Form Master, Prout; and that he is the best Soccer player, cricketer and swimmer at Greyfriars, although he is never picked for games. As a bowler, he is dangerous to everyone on the cricket field, except the batsman. Was only promoted from the Shell after his formidable Aunt Judy pressured Dr Locke into doing so. Aunt Judy keeps Coker well in funds, and seems oblivious to his many faults. A good hearted character, dim but decent, and brave to the point of stupidity. Coker has on at least one occasion requested Dr Locke to make him a prefect, a request that was politely declined. Notorious for his 'short way with fags'; but when he visits the Remove passage hunting trouble, the 'fags' demonstrate a 'short way with Coker.'
George Potter – sidekick of Coker, only interested in the food and gifts bestowed by Horace Coker. Often to be found refereeing junior football games.
William Greene – sidekick of Coker, only interested in the food and gifts bestowed by Horace Coker. According to the Cassell novel, Billy Bunter's Treasure Hunt Greene knows something about numismatics.

Shell (Lower Fifth)

Horace Hacker - Form Master. A petty tyrant. Unpopular with his boys and the school in general, he is usually referred to as 'The Acid Drop.'

Upper Fourth

Hon Cecil Temple – Form Captain. An effete dandy. Continually deludes himself that the Fourth's prowess at Soccer compares to that of the Remove, despite the Fourth being almost invariably defeated by the younger Form. Despite his dandified ways, he is nonetheless a handy fighting man if it comes to a punch-up.

Remove (Lower Fourth)

Henry Samuel Quelch - Form Master. Firm but fair, stands no nonsense and does not spare the rod. Has spent many years working on a magnum opus on the history of Greyfriars, which is often referred to as 'Quelchy's tosh', and disappears periodically to work on it. His recreation consists of long walks around the countryside, usually referred to as 'Quelchy's grinds.' Quelch is physically strong for his age, a useful asset in a district that seems to be populated with footpads (i.e. muggers). A classical scholar, and fond of debating arcane minutiae in this field with Dr Locke and Mr Prout. Particularly devoted to Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace), but keen on all classical authors.
Harry Wharton – Form Captain. Strong willed, stubborn almost to the point of arrogance, a natural leader. Is gravely insulted if someone accuses him of lying. Takes his duty as form captain very seriously, and this occasionally makes him unpopular when he exerts his authority in this direction. An orphan, who arrived in the first Greyfriars story, he has long been under the care of his uncle, Colonel James Wharton, a Governor of the school. According to Magnet #585 (1919) Wharton is the best student in the Remove. He is also the leader of, and a founding member of, the Famous Five , who were originally, until the arrival of Bull, known as the Famous Four: namely Wharton, Cherry, Nugent, Bull, and Hurree Singh. But who are generally known to their schoolfellows as 'Harry Wharton & Company' or simply 'Harry Wharton & Co'.
Frank Nugent – Self-effacing, loyal to his closest friend Wharton. Over-devoted to his troublesome brother Richard, in the Second Form (see below). According to Magnet #150, 'The Haunted Island' (1910), Nugent plays the violin. A member of the Famous Five.
Bob Cherry – Cheerful, energetic and robust: in person, ruddy-cheeked and flaxen haired. Extremely noisy and exuberant, and said to possess the largest feet in the Remove. A member of the Famous Five.
Hurree Jamset Ram Singh – Indian Prince, Nabob of the fictional state of Bhanipur, where he was taught a strange version of English. Nicknamed 'Inky'. Fine cricketer (the best bowler in the Remove), sharp mind, but talks in a peculiarly idiomatic version of English. An extremely perceptive judge of human nature, and a great exponent of chess. A member of the Famous Five.
Johnny Bull – Yorkshire bred, hence stubborn, stolid and tactless (Johnny himself called it 'plain speaking'). Fond of saying: 'I told you so'. The character was originally called John Bull, after the old nickname for England; and stood for a certain type of patriotic, but bull-headed, Englishman. Whoever invented the phrase 'a Bull in a china shop' had Johnny in mind. A member of the Famous Five.
Billy Bunter – Foolish, greedy, deceitful, comically conceited, but apart from a tendency to gossip, essentially harmless. His only talent, besides his trenchermanship, is ventriloquism, which he often uses to make mischief, or, opportunistically, to get himself out of trouble. A terrible liar, because his obtuseness invariably leads to him giving himself away. Morbidly obese, and thus very poor at all sports and at self defence. Almost always a physical coward, but, very occasionally, capable of surprises (as in the novel Billy Bunter the Bold.) According to Magnet #585 (1919), Bunter wants to be a stockbroker like his father when he grows up.
Herbert Vernon-Smith ('The Bounder') – Son of a nouveau riche father, who allows him free rein and gives him too much pocket money. Charismatic and rebellious, a gambler and a smoker, Smithy is sometimes malicious, but occasionally honourable. Much improved since the arrival at Greyfriars of his great friend Tom Redwing in 1918. His well developed streak of blackguardism, which he indulges rather than trying to control, often overwhelms his better qualities. Surprisingly adept in class when he chooses to be, Vernon-Smith is said to be third in ranking among the Remove pupils (Magnet #585, 1919).
Tom Redwing – A scholarship boy, loyal friend of Vernon-Smith. Son of a sailorman, and lives in the nearby village of Hawkscliff. His friendship with Vernon-Smith is frequently tested by the Bounder's impulsiveness, quick temper, and sheer blackguardism.
Fisher T (for Tarleton) Fish – An avaricious American. Fishy is a rampant capitalist, who makes the most of his limited opportunities for free enterprise at Greyfriars, often with moneymaking schemes that come unstuck. Makes use of very strange idiomatic 'Americanisms', such as 'wake snakes and walk chalks', and 'what the Abraham Lincoln?' Often in trouble because of his money-lending business, and not averse to letting punishment for his sins fall on others (the Cassell novel Bunter Out of Bounds and the Popper Island series in The Magnet are two such examples). Collects keys on a large bunch, which he hires out to anyone who loses a key (actually, to anyone willing to pay the modest sum of tuppence) - hence Bunter can break into almost anything!
Peter Todd – A tall, thin, budding lawyer who is the son of a solicitor. Shares a study with Bunter. Devotes much of his time to improving Bunter: a futile, fruitless and frustrating occupation. Toddy is most in his element when there is a Form trial, such as in the novel Billy Bunter the Bold, where the Form put Bunter on trial for over-indulging his tuck raiding. Has a cousin, Alonzo Todd, who was a pupil at the school for a while (and who features in the Armada novel Bunter the Tough-Guy of Greyfriars).
Tom Dutton – Has impaired hearing, and consequently misunderstands everything and answers questions using rhymes based on what he has just 'heard', making him a frustrating person with whom to converse. (Example: 'Is he in the study?' 'No, he didn't seem muddy.') Shares a study with Bunter and Peter Todd. According to Magnet #569 (1919), Dutton wants to be an engineer.
Mark Linley – A worthy scholarship boy, and star pupil. Former factory hand from Lancashire, and often suffered for this in the early stories from the few snobbish members of the Remove. Quiet natured, but a handy sportsman, and the only pupil in the Remove with a genuine interest in learning Greek. According to Magnet #585 (1919) Linley is ranked second in class work in the Remove.
Lord Mauleverer – Known as 'Mauly', he is a languid, kindly aristocrat. Sleepy demeanour conceals an astute mind. A keen judge of human character. Extremely wealthy, but generous, and a very soft touch for the manipulative, loan-seeking Bunter; not because he is dense, but because fending off Bunter's incessant loan requests is simply too much trouble. His guardian is his uncle, Sir Reginald Brooke. According to Magnet #184 of 19 August 1911 (Mauleverer's first appearance), he has a 'somewhat high-pitched, but not unpleasant voice', and is 'somewhat slim and handsome'. He has 'pale blue eyes and light eyelashes, which [give] him a particularly languid and bored to death expression'. When he arrives at Greyfriars, he tells Mr Quelch that his family has recently benefitted from the discovery of coal on the Mauleverer estate, lifting the income of the family from 'only about fifty or sixty thousand a year' to 'about half a million a year'. When we later learn that the family estate comprises a large part of Hampshire, the presence of coal mines seems somewhat implausible.
Wun Lung – Chinese (known back then as 'a Chinee'). Talks a very peculiar idiomatic version of English. A one-joke character, based on his name. He has a younger brother at the school, called Hop Hi. Like Hurree Singh - and Bunter! - these characters were only introduced into the stories to inject humour.
George Bulstrode - The original bully of the Remove, who was form captain before Wharton; final appearance 1930.
Harold Skinner – Cowardly and unwholesome. Smokes and gambles. Malicious personality, and the perpetrator of cruelly accurate cartoons. Nasty practical joker. Was once expelled from Greyfriars, but the Head seems to have allowed him back into the school without the author ever providing an explanation. Skinner is rarely, if ever, ashamed of himself. According to Magnet #184 (19 August 1911), 'Skinner seldom blushed, though he had plenty to blush for if he had troubled to call it to mind.'
William (sometimes Frederick) Stott - associate of Skinner, very occasionally shows a little moral strength and independence. According to the novel Bunter Does His Best!, Stott might have been a useful fellow at Soccer had he consorted less with Skinner.
Sidney Snoop - unsavoury associate of Skinner. A snob and a coward, with very few redeeming features. His craven nature is probably all that prevents him from being a bully. The least likeable Removite. Son of Josiah Snoop, convicted embezzler. Snoop briefly reformed under the guidance of Wally Bunter, Billy Bunter's identical cousin, when Wally took Billy's place in a celebrated 1919 series in The Magnet, but the reformation was brief.
Peter Hazeldene - Nicknamed 'Hazel' and (originally) 'Vaseline'. He tries to behave, but is easily led, and has been of great trouble to his sister at times. The better elements in the Remove often help Hazel out of his scrapes for her sake. A very weak character, easily led, he occasionally mistakes stubbornness for the strength he so palpably lacks.

Third Form

George Tubb - Form Captain, hence chief fag. Nothing to do with cigarettes! 'Fagging' was a form of feudal service, whereby members of junior forms (which in practice meant the second and third forms) did specified odd jobs for a Sixth Form prefect, such as preparing high tea each afternoon in the Sixth Former's study, and running errands for the Prefect on demand.

Second Form

Dicky Nugent – The troublesome and impertinent younger brother of Frank Nugent of the Remove.
Sammy Bunter – The younger brother of Billy Bunter, with whom he shared a waistline.

Note : There is no First Form at Greyfriars; which is thought to be a consequence of the school having, in effect, two Fourth forms (the Remove and the Upper Fourth) and two Fifth forms (the Shell and the Fifth).

Other characters

Mrs Jessie Mimble – Runs the school tuck shop. Kindly old lady; too smart to extend credit to Billy Bunter, who othwerise would be her best customer. Bunter often complains that Mrs Mimble does not understand that 'credit is the lifeblood of business.'
Gosling – School porter. Hates boys, and considers that they should be 'drownded at birth'. Loves gin.
Sir Hilton Popper – Chairman of the Board of Governors. A crusty and insensitive local landowner. He lays claim to owning "Poppers' Island" on the Sark, and had it placed Out of Bounds, much to the chagrin of Greyfriars fellows who liked to picnic upon it.
Hon Cecil Ponsonby - A Highcliffe pupil. Scheming, vicious, snob; perhaps the only character in the Greyfriars universe totally without moral scruple.
Marjorie Hazeldene - Cliff House pupil. An angelic schoolgirl, sister of Peter Hazeldene of the Remove. The sometime sweetheart of Bob Cherry of the Remove, and the main reason why Bob often has to restrain himself from punching her brother's silly head.

In other fiction

Greyfriars, and some of its (by then) former pupils, appeared in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier.

References

^ [1] Map of Greyfriars School, 1908
^ Collecting Books and Magazines - Article on Billy Bunter
^ Collecting Books and Magazines - Article on Billy Bunter
^ Greyfriars, The Magnet & Billy Bunter
^ Greyfriars, The Magnet & Billy Bunter
^ Friardale site: Collection of materials written by Charles Hamilton