PARENTS of a boy flogged for insolence took him out of school in protest at the severity of the punishment.

The youngster was beaten as a result of a school tradition, which saw a teacher locked out of a classroom.

These incidents happened more than 100 years ago at a village school in North Yorkshire.

They came to light before a reunion of former pupils and teachers at the school, which closed almost 30 years ago.

When Percy and Margaret Featherstone decided to help organise the reunion, they came across log books kept by successive headteachers at Coxwold School, near Easingwold, from the day it opened in 1863 to the day it closed 111 years later.

The entry for June 3, 1881 records that T Peacock was flogged for insolence after the master had been locked out, noted as a "custom which we may well dispose of".

But the entry continues: "The parents considered I punished him without cause and withdrew him."

The entry for the school's opening day, December 10, 1863, notes that the school had been erected by Sir George Wombwell and had 44 boys and 40 girls.

But only a day later, Thomas Fisher was in trouble for damaging the Number Two standard reading book.

A month later Thomas Fisher may have redeemed himself when he gained the highest number of marks in the Christmas exams in the fourth class.

The log books were discovered in the Borthwick Institute, in York

Among the events they record are the low attendance due to cattle plague in 1866 and the withdrawal of James and Miles Allanson in 1884 when their parents sailed for America.

Celebrating the relief of Ladysmith gave the children an early finish on March 1, 1900, and the school closed for a week for the coronation of George V in 1910.

But the entry for July 18, 1974, ends the log on a poignant note, when head- teacher Eric Watson pronounced the school closed.

The entry reads: "Rev Alun Morris flew the flag at Coxwold Church bearing the cross of St George half way up the flag pole. Someone phoned him up to ask who had died. He answered 'Coxwold School had'."

The log book will feature in the reunion, on September 17.

Anyone interested in attending the reunion can contact Mr Featherstone on (01347) 868379