 The first Tom Merry story appeared in "Gem" number 3 dated 10 March 1907 and introduced him as a new boy at a school called Clavering College.In issue number 11, Clavering was closed down and the boys and masters transferred to St Jim's, a school which has previously featured in a boy's paper called "Pluck".From this time onwards the pattern was established and St Jim's and, Tom Merry made weekly appearances.