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Description

This example of a 'Welsh Not' was found at Garth School, Bangor, which has since been demolished. The 'Welsh Not' was used in some schools during the eighteenth and nineteenth century in a bid to prevent pupils from speaking Welsh. The 'Welsh Not', which usually consisted of a small piece of wood or slate inscribed with the letters 'W.N', was hung around the neck of a child who was caught speaking Welsh. At the end of the school day, the child wearing the 'Welsh Not' would be punished by the schoolteacher.

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Comments (2)

Anonymous's profile picture
Some academics believe that the use of the Welsh Not died out at the turn of the twentieth century. I recall my father telling me of its use in Llanddaniel Fab school, Anglesey, in his schooldays in the late nineteen thirties.
Anonymous's profile picture
I heard that if a girl had the Welsh Not, gallant boys would speak Welsh just before the end of class to her being punished

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