MACCLESFIELD. THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. SIR John Percyvale, Knight, sometime Lord Mayor of London, and who was born "just by the town of Maxfield," founded a freeschool there, that "gentil mens sonnes and other good mennes children in Maxfield, and the countrie thereabouts, might be taught grammar, &c.:" and by his will, bearing date the 25th Jan. 1502, he directed that lands of the yearly value of £10 should be purchased for the endowment. In 1552, upon the petition of the inhabitants of the town, and some other persons, the school was re-founded by King Edward VI. and called "The Free Grammar-school of King Edward VI." who also gave certain lands and houses for the more ample endowment of the school. In 1774 the governors of the school obtained an Act of Parliament whereby they were enabled to extend the range of instruction given in the school, and "to render the said foundation of the most general use and benefit, as the state of the revenues of the said school will admit.” At the time of passing this Act the revenues of the school estates were £170 per annum: the revenues now exceed £1500 per annum. The governors have, from the increased revenues, instituted two Exhibitions, (and propose to found another) tenable for three years at Oxford or Cambridge, of the yearly value of £50 each, for scholars from Macclesfield School. COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND. ST BEES. THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. FOUNDED 1583, A.D. EDMUND GRINDALL, a native of Hensingham, in the parish of St Bees, at that time Archbishop of Canterbury, obtained from Queen Elizabeth letters patent for founding a grammar-school in Kirkby Beacock, otherwise called St Begh's, to be called "The Free Grammarschool of Edmund Grindall, Archbishop of Canterbury," for the instruction of youth. For the government and ordering of the school, and the management of the endowment, he drew up statutes and ordinances in the same year, and appointed seven governors. The L Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, is one of them, and the nomination of the master of the school is invested in him. The statutes require that the master shall take care that "with the knowledge of the tongues, his scholars may also learn their duty towards God and man.” In 1585, a second patent was granted by Queen Elizabeth in confirmation of the former granted to the Archbishop, especially directing that his statutes and ordinances should from time to time for ever thereafter be observed and kept inviolable. In 1604 King James I. granted to the governors of the school and their successors, considerable property for augmenting the original endowment, and the grant was confirmed by an Act of Parliament. In 1629, William Hinchbarrow, the then master of the school, addressed a petition to the Bishop of Chester, in which he complained that " none of the founder's godlie statutes had bene observed for six or seven years," and implored his lordship to help to reform the abuses and mismanagement of the school. In the year 1842 the statutes of the school were revised, and considerably extended under a decree of the Court of Chancery, and a new scheme was then settled by a master in Chancery and confirmed by the chancellor's order, whereby it was decreed : That out of the money accumulated from the revenues of the school, a sum of £8000 should be expended in the building new schools and a house for the head master, and that the old buildings should be repaired, and thereafter form a boarding establishment, where 60 boys (natives of Cumberland and Westmoreland), should be boarded as "foundation scholars." That the head master should have a stipend of £300 per annum, a house rent and tax free, and be permitted to take 30 boarders. That the second master's stipend should be £250 a year, with apartments in the foundation building. That the first and second masters' assistants should each have a stipend of £100 per annum. The usher, writing-master, and teacher of foreign languages were also liberally provided for under the scheme, as well as the matron and servants for the foundation department. The school has gradually increased under the new system, and the boys attending daily average about 180. The school revenues are derived from colliery, quarry, land, and manorial rents, and from the dividends of funded property, the principal of which now amounting to nearly £26,000, is in the 3 per cent. Consols. Abp Grindall founded two scholarships and one fellowship at Pembroke College, Cambridge, also two scholarships and one fellowship at Queen's College, Oxford, for poor scholars from St Bees' School. (See p. 221.). 1587. Sir Christopher Wray founded a scholarship of £4 per annum at Magdalene College, Cambridge, for a native of Westmoreland or Cumberland, who had been educated at St Bees' School. (See p. 330.) There are also exhibitions at Oxford which may be held by scholars from St Bees' School. DERBYSHIRE. REPTON SCHOOL. FOUNDED 1556, A. D. SIR John Port, of Etwall, Knight of the Bath, bequeathed certain estates to his executors for the foundation of an hospital at Etwall and a free grammar-school at Repton. After his death in 1557, the hospital and school were established and continued by the licence of Queen Mary, under the direction of the Harpur family, until the year 1621, when the superintendence of the school and hospital was conveyed to the Earl of Huntingdon, Lord Stanhope and Sir Thomas Gerard, Bart. the three several descendants of Sir John Port's three daughters, the right heirs of the founder. In 1621, on the petition of the co-heirs, the hospital and school were made a body corporate by the style and title of "The Master of Etwall Hospital, the Schoolmaster of Repton, Ushers, poor men, and poor scholars ;" and in consequence of that settlement, the estates were conveyed to the corporation. The endowment when the charter was granted was £350, but from the improved state of its revenues, it now exceeds £3000 per annum. The superintendence of the school and hospital is hereditary in the noble families of Hastings and Chesterfield, and of Sir William Gerard, (the representatives and co-heirs of Sir John Port's three daughters), who have the power of regulating the corporation, and electing the master of the hospital, the schoolmaster, and the usher. Repton School is not limited with respect to the number of scholars. Those on the foundation are required to be not less than seven years of age nor more than twelve at the time of their admission. There are two Exhibitions from this school for students at Oxford or Cambridge, which are tenable for three years if the Exhibitioners are resident. They are confined to the scholars on the foundation, and the value of each is £50 per annum. CHESTERFIELD. THE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. THE Grammar-school of Chesterfield was founded by Godfrey Foljambe, Esq. of Watton, in that parish, and endowed with a payment annually out of his estate at Attenborough, in the county of Nottingham. The school was built upon the site of the chapel of the Gild of St Helen. 1851. An exhibition was founded as a testimonial to the late Venerable Archdeacon Hill, vicar of Chesterfield, for a scholar proceeding from the Grammar-school there to any English university. "Archdeacon Hill's Exhibition" is somewhat more than £10 a year. DERBY. THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. THE Free-school at Derby, according to Mr Lysons, existed as early as the twelfth century, and is one of the most ancient endowments of the kind in the kingdom. Walter Durdant, Bishop of Lichfield, in his charter speaks of the school at Derby as the gift of himself and William de Barba Aprilis. In 1554, Queen Mary granted a Charter by which the school was given to the corporation, with an endowment for the support of the master and usher. In 1609, Jane Walton, widow of the Rev. John Walton, B.D. Archdeacon of Derby, gave, among other benefactions, £100 to the Master and Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge, for the main. tenance of scholars there, from Derby School, or in default of such, from Derbyshire. (See p. 314.) In 1654, Mr Francis Ash, citizen of London, founded ten Exhibitions at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, each of the value of £10 per annum. Scholars educated at the grammar-schools of Derby and Ashby-dela-Zouch have a second preference. (See p. 365.) DEVONSHIRE. EXETER. THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. THE Free Grammar-school of Exeter derives a peculiar interest from its association with the ancient Hospital of St John the Baptist. The deed of endowment of the school bears the date of the twentieth day of February in the fifth year of Charles I. who also in the thirteenth year of his reign issued letters patent for the settlement of the school. To the liberality of Thomas Walton, Esq. and his daughter Elizabeth, Walter Brough, Esq., and others, together with the charity school founded by Hugh Crossinge and others in the twenty-first year of James I. the present grammar-school owes its existence. 1745. Rev. Lewis Stephens, D.D. Archdeacon of Chester and Rector of Drokinsford in the county of Southampton, directed that £3000, after the death of certain persons named in his will, should be employed for ever in assisting six Exhibitioners at either of the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, to be styled "Doctor Stephens' Exhibitioners." The present value of each of Dr Stephens' exhibitions is £40 per annum *. * The following extracts from Dr Stephens' will explain the design and object of these exhibitions. "When both annuitants are dead, I appoint and ordain that the whole annual interest of the £3000 shall be applied for ever for the maintenance of six Scholars who have been educated three years each in the free-school at Exeter; two whereof shall always be sons of freemen and natives of Exeter; two always natives of the county of Devon; and two always of the county of Cornwall......In every future election a Cornish man shall always succeed to a Cornish exhibition,-a Devonshire man to a Devonshire vacancy,-and a freeman's son of Exeter to the like vacancy; that there may be always two for each of the three respective places. And when the exhibitioners are chosen, they shall repair within two months to Oxford or Cambridge, and shall enjoy their exhibitions for seven years next ensuing from the day of their election, unless expelled by the University for immorality, and no longer,-for, my full intent is, that no person whatever shall enjoy it longer than seven years, nor be capable of being ever again re-chosen to it, after his seven years were expired. If the natives of Devon or Cornwall neglect to send their sons to Exeter, to be educated in the free-school there, then the mayor and chamber shall choose into the vacant exhibitions, sons of freemen, natives of the city of Exeter, pro hac vice, and no more, provided there are natives of Cornwall and Devon qualified to succeed into the county exhibitions at the end of the next seven years, when those exhibitions become vacant again. And my will and intent is, that an |
