Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes. Tom Brown's School Days is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set in the 1830s at Rugby School, a public school for boys. Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842. The novel was originally published as being "by an Old Boy of Rugby", and much of it is based on the author's experiences. Tom Brown's School Days has been the source for several film and television adaptations.