We are all familiar with VSware, class attendance and our new late note system at CBC Kilkenny. But more than 134 years ago, being marked absent could also result in a handwritten report!
This fascinating note, dated 23 November 1892, was written by Lance Corporal T. Dews of the 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, at Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny. It records that he had assembled the ‘school party’ at 3.15 pm, only to find that ‘Boy Kelly was absent.’
TY Local History learned that in the Victorian British Army, young recruits aged around 14–17 were trained at barracks to become drummers, musicians or tradesmen. They were also required to attend school within the barracks, making attendance an important part of their daily routine. If Kelly had no valid medical excuse, his absence may have resulted in extra duties or confinement to barracks.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of this story is how the note survived. Museum Curator Mr Jim O’Keeffe discovered it hidden in a crack between a window and the wall at James Stephens Barracks. We can only hope that, by remaining undiscovered for so long, Kelly escaped any immediate Army sanctions!
Who was Boy Kelly, why was he absent, and what happened to him afterwards? We may never know. Yet this tiny scrap of paper offers a remarkable glimpse into the everyday routines and discipline of military life in Kilkenny more than a century ago. Many thanks to Jim and Derek Phelan for facilitating our visit which also included the First World War ‘metal harvest’ of war debris.
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