Charles Sackville was a pseudonym applied to a series of Edwardian flagellation novels first published by Charles Carrington and dated between 1903 and 1909, although actual printing dates may have been a little later. The name was probably chosen after Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex one of the Restoration rakehells who surrounded Charles II and who was the author of some erotic poetry
It is not known who the real author was apart from the likelihood that it was one of Carrington’s regulars. What is evident from stylistic analysis is that all the novels were by a single hand.
The first and best of the novels is Maud Cameron. It is longer than the rest, better written than the remaining series of series short novels all featuring Mr. Howard, a man completely devoted to the flagellation of young ladies. In this endeavour he is assisted by various other ladies, young and old, as his accomplices and, sometimes, victims. The whippings are often severe and prolonged and administered simply to give him and other observers pleasure. Sex often follows but is brief and the flagellation is always front and centre. Most chastisement erotica concentrates on the female posterior but Mr Howard is catholic in his tastes and flagellates the bosoms, legs, belly and thighs of his subjects as well as their bottoms. Whips, birches, nettles, holly and riding crops are all employed. The novels are episodic with each chapter a separate story with sometimes little linking them together. Some modern reprints contain mixed chapters from different books to confuse the bibliographer.
Some editions contain illustrations or illustrated covers and the example here is from an early addition of Mr Howard Goes Yachting
The novels in the series are as follows.
Maud Cameron and her Guardian – 1903
Charles Howard, a wealthy bachelor, finds he has been made guardian of the daughter of an old acquaintance, the lovely teenage Maude. Howard punishes and seduces her into becoming his submissive mistress. They then open a school for girls and proceed to debauch and whip the students and the female staff. There is a good deal of sex mixed with the chastisement.
Mr Howard Goes Yachting – 1907
Charles Howard sets of for a summer Mediterranean cruise in his yacht taking aboard a penniless orphan, Miss Burke, whom he flagellates until she succumbs to his charms. In a postscript he pays a visit to a Turkish harem where a Miss Grant gets a whipping from her new owner.
Two Lascivious Adventures of Mister Howard – 1907
The first adventure sees Mr Howard and his sadistic accomplices( and nieces) Maud and Alice administer thrashings to Lady Bosworth an unruly wife of Sir Edward. The second adventure sees two unmarried and haughty ladies taken down a peg and soundly whipped and fucked by Mr Howard, assisted again by his niece Maud. Mr Howard marries one and keeps the other as a concubine.
Fantastic Chastisements – 1908
Alice and Maud assist again with the discipline and ravishment of more unfortunate young ladies secured in a whipping frame of their own invention. Next Alice and Maud’s younger sister receives Mr Howard’s lustful attentions her posterior of particular attraction. Finally the book ends with a series of letters between told debauchees telling of their treatment of unruly servant girls.
Three Chapters in the Life of Mr. Howard – 1908
Three disparate adventures see Mr Howard, in the first chapter, inflicting a second sever punishment on young Gladys Trotter. As often happens to Mr Howard the floggings cause the girl to submit to him completely and he sets her up in a school of her own so he can prey on her pupils. In chapter two, Miss Goosepelt and Miss Astley are the pupils who suffer and in chapter 3 two lesbian lovers Miss Arnold and Miss Cornish feel the lash and more in savage punishments and defloration.
The Amazing Chastisement of Miss Bostock
Mr Howard and his niece Gladys find themselves a new victim, Miss Bostock, who has supposedly committed murder. Mr Howard decides his form of extreme flagellation is the preferred punishment.
Whipping as a Fine Art – 1908
More adventures of Mr Howard and his niece lovers.
Exquisite Castigation – 1909
No copy of this title has been found and it is not mentioned in Mendes. It may be apocryphal.
Reprints :
Maud Cameron – Bilife Publishing 1968. (Anonymous)
– Grove Press Victorian Library B-522 – 1985 (Anonymous) In this version Charles Howard becomes Charles Cameron for some reason.
Mr Howard Goes Yachting – reprinted as Bastinado (Marcel D’Orly) Continental Classics CC-145. This book also includes a re-written chapter Whipping as a Fine Art.
Miss Bostock – reprinted as Bound to Please Grove Press Venus Library V-1117 – 1972 
and as Bound to Please Blue Moon 1999
This book contains chapter one of the Two Lascivious Adventures.
Three Chapters – Grove Press Venus Library V-1116 1972.
– Blue Moon 1999.
Yachting, Bostock, Three Chapters, Two Lascivious, Fantastic and Whipping have been reprinted by Birchgrove Press and e-books are available from Locus Elm Press
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