The Secret Seven series is an 11 part series of stories published in The Magnet magazine in 1934. The author was prolific writer Charles Hamilton, writing under the pen name Frank Richards. The series was republished by the Howard Baker (Greyfriars Press) as two volumes of Magnet facsimile editions in 1976.
The stories are set in the fictional Greyfriars School. Venerable and respected Headmaster Dr. Locke, along with popular Head Prefect George Wingate and several other senior prefects, are all hospitalised after a road accident. Portly and pompous Fifth Form master Mr Prout is appointed as temporary Headmaster. He in turn appoints the bullying Gerald Loder as temporary Head Prefect. A tyrannical regime ensues, with unjust and brutal punishments raining down across the school.
The junior schoolboys respond by forming a secret society, the Secret Seven, to fight back against Loder and Prout. Despite its name, there are many more than seven members of the society – the name "Secret Seven" is designed to mislead the authorities and divert suspicion from the ringleaders.
A series of lively adventures follow before the Secret Seven finally triumph over Loder and Prout.
Origins The Greyfriars School stories were written by author Charles Hamilton, under the pen name Frank Richards, over a 53-year period from 1908 until his death on Christmas Eve 1961. During this time, it is estimated that he was responsible for the equivalent of over 1,000 full-length novels, which ranks him as one of the most prolific published authors of all time. From 1908 until early 1940, he was responsible for almost all of the content of the weekly children's publications The Magnet and The Gem, featuring school stories at the fictional Greyfriars and St Jim's Schools.Beal, P.5-7
The Secret Seven was an 11 part series published in The Magnet in 1934. In 1976, the series was republished by the Howard Baker (Greyfriars Press) in two volumes of facsimiles of the original Magnet publications. The series is from what is considered by critics as the Magnet's "golden age", spanning 1930–1934, when Hamilton produced his finest work.Fayne & Jenkins, P162Beal, P140
Style and Themes Hamilton's writing style has been compared with that of his contemporary P G Wodehouse. A light and distinctive prose style combines with a strong comedic element and a large ensemble of strongly drawn characters. The exceptional volume of material produced by Hamilton over his writing career allowed both characters and locations to be developed in great depth.
Hamilton's work has attracted criticism, most notably from George Orwell in a 1940 essay published in ‘’Horizon’’ magazine. Orwell described Hamilton's style as easily imitated (to facilitate substitute writers), plagiarist, and largely comprising shallow right wing content. Hamilton responded strongly to this criticism in an article published shortly afterwards, rebutting each of Orwell's points.
Other commentators have challenged the view that Hamilton's work can be narrowly categorised as right wing,Sutton, P.229, P.244Hamilton Wright, P.162-164 drawing attention to examples of his output that demonstrate strong independent views. Over the years, Hamilton was ever ready to air unfashionable causes to his young audience, but did so in a way that did not attract controversy or jeopardise publication of his stories. Anti-capitalism, early Socialism, the Suffragette movement and conscientious objectors during World War I all received sympathetic treatment in Hamilton's work.Sutton, P.214, P.229, P.239, P.163 In an age when the word "nigger" was not yet regarded in the same pejorative sense that applies today, Hamilton's work consistently emphasised the offensive nature of the term from as early as 1922;Hamilton Wright, P.164-167 and his output even included unfashionable anti-British sentiments in stories set against the background of imperial India.Hamilton Wright, P.167
Resistance against oppression and injustice is a recurring theme in Hamilton's plotlines. Series such the High Oaks Rebellion series (1928), the Brander as Headmaster series (1930), the Popper Island Rebellion series (1934) and the Tuckshop Rebellion series (1938) all involve violent rebellions following acts of injustice or brutality. The Secret Seven series is a noteworthy example of a storyline in this category. The character Herbert Vernon-Smith, who first proposes the idea of a secret society, makes the following observation:
However, Hamilton also retains a keen sense of the absurd and uses his distinctive prose style to underline the comedic aspect of covert societies that have masked faces, secret passwords, rituals and codes. In this excerpt, members of the Secret Seven have apprehended the bullying Loder but do not seem to be taking matters too seriously:
The author uses the character of Mr Prout, the temporary headmaster, to explore how power can be abused in the wrong hands. In earlier stories, Prout is portrayed as a harmless figure of fun, regarded with amused tolerance by the reader. Here, his character develops in an unpleasant direction that encourages the reader to take an active dislike to him.
Main characters The Remove The Remove is the name of the Lower Fourth form, whose members are 14-15 years of age. The ringleaders and many of the members of the “Secret Seven” are to be found in this form. The Secret Seven society has many more than seven members, and is only so named to mislead the authorities.
Herbert Vernon-Smith, or “Smithy”, son of a millionaire stockbroker – a hard character with a strong rebellious streak, first proposes the idea of a secret society. He is a leading member of the society and is at the forefront of several of the stories, particularly the climax when he engineers Loder's downfall.
The "Famous Five", comprising Remove Captain Harry Wharton, along with Frank Nugent, Bob Cherry, Hurree Jamset Ram Singh and Johnny Bull are the other ringleaders of the Secret Seven. Other members include languid schoolboy earl Lord Mauleverer who features regularly, as does lawyer's son Peter Todd and Vernon-Smith's close friend Tom Redwing.
Probably the most famous character in the Greyfriars stories is the fat Owl of the Remove - greedy schoolboy Billy Bunter, who eventually (albeit reluctantly) also becomes a member of the Secret Seven.
Prefects George Wingate is the regular Head Prefect and School Captain. Highly popular and respected, he appears briefly on the opening episode of the series before he is hospitalised in the same road accident that injures Dr. Locke. Senior prefects Patrick Gwynne and Tom North are also victims of the accident.
Gerald Loder is the bullying prefect who replaces Wingate as Head Prefect and School Captain. He is a central character in this series. Arthur Carne and James Walker are also prefects and are among Loder's few supporters.
Schoolmasters The regular Headmaster is the venerable and respected Dr. Locke. He is hospitalised for most of the series. The portly and pompous Paul Pontifex Prout, master of the Fifth Form, is appointed as temporary Headmaster in Dr. Locke's absence.
Remove Master Henry Samuel Quelch, is a close friend and confidante of Dr. Locke. He has little time for Mr. Prout and is not prepared to treat him as anything other than a temporary Headmaster. Relations between the two deteriorate to the point that Quelch decides to leave the school until Dr. Locke's return.
Mr. Woose is appointed as temporary Remove master. Absent minded and ineffectual, Woose is cowed by Prout and Loder. Other masters include the acid-tempered Mr. Hacker, master of the Shell (Upper Fourth) form, Mr Twigg, master of the Second form, Mr Wiggins, master of the Third form, Mr. Capper, master of the Fourth form, Larry Lascelles, the young and popular games master and Monsieur Charpentier, the French master.
Others Aside from the Remove form, other members of the Secret Seven are found in the Lower Fifth (Shell) and Fourth forms. Shell Captain James Hobson is a member, as are Claude Hoskins and Edward Stewart. In the Fourth form, members include Form Captain Cecil Reginald Temple, William Dabney, Edward Fry and James Scott.
The senior Fifth Form has no members in the Secret Seven, but several of its members feature prominently in the series. These include form Captain George Blundell, Fifth form duffer Horace Coker and Coker's friends George Potter and William Greene.
Cedric Hilton and Stephen Price are Fifth formers who are among Loder's cronies.
Stories A Tyrant Rules Greyfriars! First published in The Magnet No. 1,390 - 6 October 1934
Greyfriars School is in a state of excitement in the lead-up to an important First Eleven soccer fixture with neighbouring Highcliffe School. School Captain and Head Prefect George Wingate has a heated argument with fellow prefect and school bully Gerald Loder after telling him that he will not be playing in the team.
In a savage temper, Loder vents his frustrations on Harry Wharton and Bob Cherry, members of the junior Remove form, who retaliate fiercely. A fight ensues, which is interrupted by Wingate. He threatens to bring the matter before the Headmaster. Faced with the threat of an inquiry that will expose his bullying character, Loder backs down.
This is the first of several successive incidents involving Loder. That night, he is locked out of the school while breaking bounds to meet his disreputable friends at the local Cross Keys inn. He is discovered by Wingate, who decides to report the incident to Dr. Locke, the Headmaster. The following day, Mr Quelch, the Remove Master, discovers Loder in the act of bullying several boys, and informs Loder that this matter will also be placed before the Headmaster. Loder realises that the cumulative effect of these reports is likely to lead, at the very least, to his removal as a prefect and possibly to his expulsion from the school.
Meanwhile, many of the school are preparing to follow the charabanc conveying the footballers to Highcliffe School and watch the match. Billy Bunter is one such – not through any interest in soccer, but because of the prospect of plentiful foodstuffs at high tea after the game. Without the knowledge of the owner, he borrows a bicycle, but in his hurry to leave the school, he omits to adjust the seat for his short height. As a result, he lurches dangerously from one side of the road to the other. The Headmaster's car, coming the opposite way, swerves out of Bunter's way and crashes into the charabanc carrying the footballers. Headmaster Dr. Locke, School Captain George Wingate, and prefects Gwynne and North all suffer serious injuries and are ferried to hospital.
This results in a sudden and dramatic change of fortune for Loder. The Fifth Form master, Mr Prout, is appointed as temporary Headmaster. Prout is a just man, but is pompous, self-important and susceptible to flattery – he is easily manipulated by the wily Loder. He promotes Loder to the position of Head Prefect. The rest of the school soon realises there are stormy waters ahead.
The High Hand! First published in The Magnet No.1,391 13 October 1934
School bully Gerald Loder is now the Head Prefect of Greyfriars, under the temporary headmastership of Mr Prout. He loses no time in asserting his new-found authority by dispensing unjust and brutal punishments among the junior schoolboys. When Harry Wharton, captain of the Remove form, refuses to be caned by Loder, he only narrowly escapes being expelled through Remove Master Mr Quelch's intervention.
Meanwhile, the question of who is to be the new School Captain needs to be settled. The captain of the school is head of sports, and naturally Loder wants the position. But, unlike the Head Prefect, who is appointed by the Headmaster, the School Captain is traditionally elected by the schoolboys. Both Loder and Prout realise that Loder's chances of election are very slim.