Over the years Southampton has had its fair share of industrial disputes but few have been so bizarre as the time when local schoolboys went on strike.

It was October 1889 and it seems that word was spreading across the land that there was classroom unrest over the length of school hours, the amount of homework and the price of tution fees but the main demand was "no infliction of the cane.'' The first sign of disruption in Southampton came one afternoon in the Chapel district where boys attending Eastern District schools were rumoured to be ready to go on strike.

"The neighbourhood is a poor one and it appears that a large number of boys are in the habit of selling newspapers, and have become familiar with the strikes amongst schoolboys and others elsewhere,'' said a report in the Hampshire Advertiser, a forerunner of the Daily Echo, at the time.

"A number of boys beyond the school age, who have made themselves the terror of the neighbourhood appeared in the vicinity of the Eastern District schools, just before the usual time to enter therein, and endeavoured to provoke an outbreak among the schoolboys, urging them to go out on strike.

Disturbance "Some disturbance was caused, but at the usual time of opening the school there was above the average number of boys waiting to go in, and after the scholars had been admitted to the playground, in order to prevent any possible upset, the gates were locked, and thus, perhaps, a few boys who were a little late were unable to gain admitance, but afterwards they gave satisfactory reasons and this had no connection with the so-called strike.'' Soon two policemen on the beat were stationed outside the school and that afternoon many mothers also gathered at the gate to make sure their children were not being intimidated.

"Next day the police were in attendance to prevent interference with the scholars on the part of boys who are older, and should know better, but the boys who, undoubtedly for mischief, are seeking to promote discontent among the scholars, did not put in an appearance.'' Those determined to cause trouble had moved on and did their best to persuade the children attending St. Denys Board School not to attend classes.

Armed "The rough boys were armed with sticks and endeavoured to induce the boys not to attend school in the afternoon,'' said the Hampshire Advertiser.

"They were successful in inducing about a dozen who joined with them in consequence of the novelty of the thing of from sheer fear, to remain away, but the roughs were not permitted to exercise their calling long, as Police Sergeant Fielder, who is stationed at Portswood Police Station, came on the scene and drove them to the Bitterne side of Cobden Bridge where they had to remain for the rest of the afternoon.

"The steps the police are taking will no doubt put a stop to these unruly proceedings on the part of the rough boys who hang about the streets of Southampton ready to lead younger ones into any kind of sin and mischief.'' The disruptions were short-lived and after one last, but brief, incident outside Shirley School, there were no more incident reported in the Hampshire Advertiser.