Misbehaviour by the pupils of the Royal Military Asylum, on their way to, in Chapel or on the way out. Judging by what seems to be harsh punishments, one has to wonder, for there is no further explanation in the Boys Offences Ledger 1852-1855, just what the boys got up to.
Date	NAME	Age	Occupation	Offence	BH	St	Dr	Wrk
08/02/1852	BYRNE Edward	11	Tailor	Improper conduct in Chapel		12
08/02/1852	GILBERT John	12	Band	Improper Conduct in Chapel		12
09/03/1852	BARRY Edward	13	Tailor	Stealing a muff from the Chapel & calling ???	4	18	6
09/03/1852	BATEMAN George	13	Shoemaker	Stealing a muff from the Chapel & calling ???	4	18	6
15/08/1852	MANNING Henry	12	Band	Refusing to turn in the ranks. & Talking in chapel		24
11/10/1852	COOPER William	12	Tailor	Allowing boys to enter the Chapel
11/10/1852	HARRIDIN William	14	Shoemaker	Going to the Chapel without leave & conniving at a theft	10		10
11/10/1852	STATES John	13	Band	Forcing his way into the Chapel & taking apples from a woman at the gate without paying for them	3	12
25/01/1853	BYRNE Edward	12	Tailor	Improper conduct in chapel during Divine Service	6			6
25/01/1853	COOKE John	11	Drums	Improper conduct in chapel during Divine Service				4
25/01/1853	PAYNE William	11	Tailor	Improper conduct in chapel during Divine Service	4			6
25/01/1853	SLANT George	10	Shoemaker	Improper conduct in chapel during Divine Service
05/02/1853	PLUNKETT James	11	Shoemaker	Out of bounds at chapel railings				3
05/02/1853	WILSON Charles	11	Shoemaker	Out of bounds at chapel railings				3
28/02/1853	KEEN James Mitchell	14	Tailor	Taking a hassock from the chapel & lighting the hot house with it			2
06/06/1853	GUITON James	11	Shoemaker	Improper conduct in Chapel				3
12/06/1853	RENISON James	9	Band	Improper conduct in Chapel				3
17/10/1853	DICKINSON Thomas William	11	Band	Talking in the Chapel during Divine service				4
17/10/1853	PAYNE William	11	Tailor	Talking when going into Chapel				4
14/11/1853	BLOOMFIELD Alexander	11	Drums	Going out of Chapel				1
14/11/1853	CLARKE William John	0	Drums	Inattention in Chapel during divine service			3	3
14/11/1853	JOHNSON James William S	11	Drums	Inattention in Chapel during divine service			3	3
14/11/1853	WILSON William	0	Drums	Staying out of Chapel a long time			2	2
21/11/1853	HADGELEY William	11	Shoemaker	Talking in Chapel			3	3
05/12/1853	BARRY Edward	14	Tailor	Talking in the Chapel during Divine Service			2	2
12/12/1853	COOPER Charles	9	Shoemaker	Repeatedly making a noise in Chapel			5
12/12/1853	HADGELEY William	12	Shoemaker	Being behind the pulpit & Talking in Chapel			3	3
09/01/1854	BLOOMFIELD Alexander	11	Drums	Improper conduct in Chapel			4	4
16/01/1854	HADGELEY William	12	Shoemaker	Wilful inattention & stubborn conduct in Chapel			3	3
23/01/1854	BLOOMFIELD Alexander	11	Drums	Improper conduct in Chapel & striking a Cpl in the execution of his duties		12		10
23/01/1854	GALE William	12	Shoemaker	Inattention & stubborn conduct in Chapel	6			5
06/08/1855	BARNETT John	11	Band	Misconduct in the Chapel			2
06/08/1855	CLEESE James	10	Band	Misconduct in the Chapel			2
02/06/1855	McCARTEN Joseph	10	Shoemaker	Fighting in the Catholic Chapel during Divine Service	6
02/06/1855	MILLANE Jerimiah	12		Fighting in the Catholic Chapel during Divine Service	6
09/07/1855	MURRAY Edward James	10	Tailor	Improper conduct when in Chapel and insubordinate conduct when marching off the stairs.	4
22/10/1855	BAILEY John	12	Shoemaker	Laughing & talking in the chapel during Mr Du-Sautoys lecture after being cautioned not to.			4

BH The Black Hole	The boys were placed into a secure place; dark and quiet, for the number of hours given
ST Stripes or Strokes	The boys received the number of stripes/strokes sentenced to by the Commandant
DR Drill	I have not been able to establish the time for each day of drill, I had thought 2 hrs, but possibly 1hr
Wrk Work	This could be either 1 or two hours extra work each day, but when? they had such a busy life
Pay	The pay they earned, 1d per GC stripe + an unknown sum from their daily work, stopped

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The Royal Military Chapel, Kings Road. Services first held by the Chaplain in a schoolroom at the Asylum (from 1892 , The Duke of York's Royal Military School). R of Chelsea conveyed 2 acres of adjacent glebe land to the governors in 1815, where the Chapel at the corner of Cheltenham Terrace was consecrated in 1824. The resident Chaplain, appointed by the Secretary of State for War, and paid according to rank; duties included, Supervision of Education, First Chaplain also being the Headmaster of the school. All staff were required to attend Chapel Services twice on Sunday, with Holy Communion monthly.

Unsurpliced choir 1867. Holy Communion twice monthly 1881. Attendance 1903 : 408 a.m. 385 evening. The last service held in 1909 when the Chapel was deconsecrated and the fittings moved with the school to Dover (Kent)

Building of yellow brick with stone dressing in plain classical style of the Asylum, and presumably by its architect John Saunders 1823-1824. Rectangular plan, small east side entrances, Doric west porch and altar slightly recessed between rounded arch, galleries on three sides, two rows of windows with lower ones in arched recess. Seating for 600 in 1838; for 500 boys, 60 students and officers and circa 150 public in the galleries in 1867, for 700 in 1868, including 200 in the galleries 1881, 1889. Renovations were planned in 2000 when the building and adjoining Queripel House house of 1934, were planned by Cadogan Estates for commercial or gallery use.

Extracted from; Victoria County History. A History of Middlesex XII, Chelsea

Thank you for the help www.rbkc.gov.uk Local Studies Dept. Kensington Central Library: Family & Children's Services

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