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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.

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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