The Maltonian Website - for Malton School

The Maltonian

The School Magazine

Below are links to brief summaries of the magazines. The school has most individual copies of the magazines in its archive, together with a set of eleven bound volumes, though unfortunately one volume is missing. A sample is offered below.

A project was started in December 2016 to digitise all the magazines and have them available online. It could take a while! The first attempt is Issue No. 13, April 1921. I decided to transcribe the text rather than just scan it, so that it would be searchable, and also clearer to read. Some of the old pages are a little thin and discoloured, and the print is small and difficult to read in places. Other copies available are listed below.

Individual Magazine transcripts and scans:

New Maltonian editions

Individual Magazine summaries:

Volume summaries and extracts:

Magazine covers

First Edition

1920s

1940s

1950s

1955 signed

1960s

1965

1971 final issue

1982 New Maltonian

2014 news

2023 online

With 126 issues spanning the fifty four years from 1917 to 1971, these often quirky offerings are a prized possession in the Malton School archive. They are a testament to people with forethought - who created a record of life in a small school in Yorkshire, who had the common sense to print them properly, and to bind them for future generations' reference.

The first bound issue appeared in April 1917, a 16 page booklet. There had been an earlier attempt, in April 1912, a double sided duplicated page of foolscap. A copy of this used to be in an envelope tucked inside the first volume of bound copies of the Maltonian, but this went missing sometime in the 2000s when someone borrowed the volume. We do have a transcript of the 1912 Maltonian, which appears as an Appendix in the History of Malton Grammar School booklet (1965).

At their "height" the magazines expanded to 122 pages, though some of these included advertisements. The early issues had a termly frequency, with 3 a year being produced. By the 1950's they had dropped to twice-yearly, one to end the year in July, and the other at almost any point - no consistency is shown. By 1962 they have become annual July offerings, and then in 1964 annual September editions. This frequency and production date remained until September 1970, with a final edition produced in July 1971.

The New Maltonian was published in January 1982, in a format reflecting the old grammar school magazine. It lasted for six editions, all of which I have managed to find and scan, with thanks to those who sent in copies or scans - the last being a scan from Adrian Everitt in August 2023, who came up with the missing Number 4 edition.

The magazines have many failings. Often the writing is obscure, self-indulgent, full of inside knowledge which means little if you weren't in the school, and probably weren't in the right social group. Such aspects are exemplified by Staffroom Notes and Notes from the Prefects Room.

To a non-sporting reader, pages and pages of sports results and reports - particularly in the later editions (1960's on) - must have been glossed over by many very quickly. Yet they are a record of remarkable sporting activity for a small school, and doubtless many former pupils look back with pride and and find their names in the lists, perhaps showing their children or grandchildren that they were once young and fit. And it is annoying when some results are missed out - such as the 1963 or 1969 Sports Day results - so that a complete record of Victor and Victrix Ludorem is that much more difficult to produce for a latter-day researcher.

The same can be said of the Dramatic Productions reviews. It is good to see full cast lists, and wonderful when a photograph is included, but the format does not remain the same from year to year, and as a result some casts remain un-named.

Other regular features included the Roll of Honour which appeared at the front of every copy, commemorating those who gave their lives in the Wars, and latterly also Ernest Loraine Watt and Thomas Arthur Williams. Salvete and Valete record those arriving and those leaving - wonderful for anyone trying to keep track of relatives or friends when looking back.

Reports from Old Maltonians on their activities since departure are fascinating, and clearly the writing of letters, and latterly the telephone, occupied many a former pupil and gave them great pleasure, particularly those in the forces who were abroad on duty. There is a true family spirit in these reports.

From March 2014 the school newsletter took the name The Maltonian, and was printed commercially in full colour.