Mr Stephens founded one Exhibition of £40 per annum, to be held by the son of a freeman or native of Exeter, for five years at Oxford or Cambridge.

intermission of choice, for want of qualified persons, shall not break off the right of either county, nor be an obstacle to the right of future claimants duly qualified by school and county.

"When the £3000 is settled, my desire and intent is, that the mayor and chamber shall choose, out of the freemen of the city, a sober, frugal, substantial person, a tradesman, and not an attorney, to receive and pay to the two annuitants during their lives, and after their respective deaths, to the exhibitioners, the annual interest or income of the said £3000, as is directed by this will: which receiver shall enter into a register all certificates of residence which are sent by the exhibitioners to the mayor and chamber; and he shall call for them at the end of the year, if they are not sent; and if no certificate comes from the exhibitioners in due time, he shall stop the payment of the exhibition, until it does come.

"If any dispute arise between the trustees and the guardians of the settlement, they shall, within one month of the said meeting, choose a gentleman of Somersetshire, to make a fifth man for that time only, and determine it by the majority of five; and if that does not end the dispute within three months, then the dispute shall be referred to the mayor of Exeter, whose sentence shall be final; and if any suit at law commences, then I will that the whole benefaction shall become void; for my design is to assist exhibitioners, and not attornies.

"If the trustees and guardians of the settlement think it necessary to convert the £3000 into lands, then 1 will and ordain, that they lay it out in farms of as large value as they can purchase, not in houses in Exeter, or in any other town, or village, unless they have a considerable quantity of lands adjoining; not in parochial tythes, nor lands which have a great deal of timber on them, nor in leases from bishops, deans and chapters, single dignitaries, prebendaries, archdeacons, or other ecclesiastical bodies, nor in leases from colleges.

"I do by this will exclude all sons, grandsons, nephews, first cousins of all bishops of Exeter, deans of Exeter, internal or external dignitaries of the cathedral church of Exeter, from enjoying any benefit of these exhibitions; for the laborious part of the parochial clergy, and the sons of country gentlemen of moderate fortunes, I do intend to have the benefit of these exhibitions, and for the advantage of the city: and therefore I solemnly desire and strictly enjoin, that in all elections, no particular regard shall be had to my relations within any degree of kindred whatsoever; but that every exhibitioner shall be chosen according to merit only; therefore, I have placed this trust in the mayor and chainber of Exeter, preferably to ecclesiastical bodies; I confide in their honour, justice, and integrity, as plain men and honest men, and as those that will act with the same impartiality that the Company of Merchant Tailors do in the election of scholars from that school to St John's College in Oxford; and I make it a reward, and not a charity.

"If the mayor and chamber, through any quarrel among themselves, or through any neglect, or any design of serving particular friends or relations, delay the election of exhibitioners of any of the respective counties or city, longer than six months after any vacancy, then my will and intent is, that the vacant exhibitions shall be filled up, pro hac vice, by the trustees and guardians of the election for each respective place, within the next six months, and after that, to devolve to the sole nomination of the mayor of Exeter for the time being...... And that there never may

CC

Mr Vidal founded two Exhibitions of the value of £20 each, and tenable for four years by students at St John's College, Cambridge. These exhibitions are open to all the scholars in the school, with a preference, cæteris paribus, to boys bearing the name of

be wanting trustees and guardians of the election by any failure, I appoint and ordain that whenever any trustee and guardian of the election dies, the surviving guardian and trustee shall nominate another trustee and guardian of election for the same respective place, and so on for ever; always intending that such persons shall be chosen as live within the city or county for which they are chosen.

"At the election of every exhibitioner, I desire the mayor and chamber to take to them two learned clergymen, or more, to examine the candidates; the clergymen to be of the city or county of Devon, as the mayor and chamber shall think fit; and enjoin that they shall examine publicly in the free-school, that any persons may hear the examinations and judge of the merit of the boys. After the election is made, I insist on it, that the exhibitioner so elected, shall within two months after his election repair to Oxford or Cambridge, and enter himself in some College or Hall, and reside therein nine months out of twelve, every one of the first four years, from the day of his election, without fraud or collusion; this I insist on as an indispensable condition, and therefore I require, that every exhibitioner shall, for the first four years, send a certificate to the mayor and chamber of Exeter, signed by his tutor and the bursar or steward of his College, that he has resided nine months in twelve that year; which certificate shall be registered by the receiver at Exeter, and if not sent, the next payment of his exhibition shall be stopped, until it is sent.

"I will and ordain, that any person duly qualified, may be chosen unto my exhibition that is under the age of twenty-two; and that any person above that age shall be incapable of being chosen: and I appoint, that before every election of an exhibitioner, notice shall be given in the public news of the election, addressed to the gentlemen and clergy of the county for which he is to be chosen; and after the exhibitioners are members of a College in the University, they shall not be deprived of their exhibitions for any other cause but immorality, writing against the doctrine of Christ or his Apostles, or turning papist at home or abroad: therefore as bare exhibitioners, and not fellows or scholars of Colleges or Halls, I do not subject their exhibitions to the penalties of College statutes, for I would have them bred up in a free, generous, English spirit, and in the best morality of the philosophers, heightened and improved by the nobler precepts of Christianity.

"If any of my exhibitioners, after they have kept four years' residence, and taken the degree of B.A. in one of the Universities, (which I positively insist upon) desire to apply the remaining years in the study of the law, in any of the Inns of Court in London, or in the study of civil law, or divinity, or physic, in any foreign Universities, or to travel for the improvement of botany, architecture, painting, or foreign trade, I will and ordain that such exhibitioner shall receive his or their exhibitions annually, to the full end of the seven years, as if they were actually residing in one of our English Universities; provided that they send a certificate once a year to the mayor and chamber, signed by the chiefs where they reside, setting forth what they are studying. And I further ordain, that any exhibitioner shall continue his exhibition seven years from the day of his election, that goes abroad the last three years in any public office, under an envoy or ambassador; for my desire is that my exhibitioners may be mingled in all professions, and make a figure in every science, language and nation.

Vidal. The electors are the dean of Exeter, and senior canon in residence, the mayor and the recorder, the master and the two senior fellows of St John's College, the master of the school, and the proprietor of the Conworthy estate, if he be of the name of Vidal.

Besides these exhibitions, there are others which may be held by scholars from this school at Exeter College, Oxford.

TIVERTON.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1599, A.D.

THIS school was founded by the munificence of Mr Peter Blundell, clothier, a native of the place, who by his will directed that his executors should purchase a piece of ground in a convenient place and erect a school-house, &c., and that £2400 should be expended thereon, if necessary. He directed that the number of scholars should never exceed one hundred and fifty.

"If any of my exhibitioners shall be chosen scholars or fellows of any College or Hall, it shall not deprive them of their exhibition till the seven years are expired.

"I do further ordain, that there shall be no feast or dinner, nor any other entertainment at the expence of the benefaction or of the exhibitioners, at any time whatsoever; and I positively enjoin that no alteration shall be made by the mayor and chamber, of any rules prescribed by this my will, for the education of my exhibitioners after they are elected to the University; but they shall remain in the same latitude and extent which I have laid down in this will, that boys of genius may be left to their own genius, and not chained to a law-book or a concordance; therefore I allow the mayor and chamber of Exeter to choose one of the exhibitioners for the city to travel abroad for the benefit of trade, and I exempt that travelling exhibitioner from going to the University; but subject him to such rules as Mr Alderman Heath shall be pleased to draw up for his direction, both at home and abroad. I require that he shall spend four years in trading towns in foreign nations, and the other three in trade at home; and that he shall receive the yearly exhibition of the whole seven years. This is a permission to the mayor and chamber for the benefit of trade; but I require that the person so chosen shall have learnt Latin three years at the free-school, and shall have a genius for trade, and that there be no more than one travelling exhibitioner, and chosen no oftener than one election in three, notwithstanding anything in this will to the contrary.

"I do declare that, by the Free-School in Exeter, I mean that school which stands within the hospital of St John, founded by Hugh Crossinge, Esq. and others, and no other school whatsoever; for I would make the mayor and chamber electors of my exhibitioners, as they are electors of the schoolmaster, and do not doubt of their will to perform the said trust, with integrity and impartiality, for the advan tage of the school and the honour of the city."

Mr Blundell also directed his executors to bestow £2000 in establishing six Scholarships (the six scholars to be students in divinity) in the university of Oxford or Cambridge, or in both, for ever. The six scholars are to be elected by the trustees, with the advice of the schoolmaster, out of the said Grammar-school at Tiverton, of the aptest in learning, and such as are the least able to maintain themselves in the ministry.

Mr Blundell left the settlement of the scholarships to the lord chief justice, who, within a year after the founder's death, ordained, that two scholarships should be founded in Balliol College, Oxford; two in Emmanuel College, and two in Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

It happened that Emmanuel College would not accept the nomination, which was therefore revoked, and the two scholars intended for that college were added to those in Sidney Sussex College. In 1616 the trustees gave £1400 towards the purchase of lands for the maintenance of two fellows and two scholars at Sidney Sussex College. (See page 374.)

1678. Mr John Ham of Uplowman, gentleman, by his will directed his executor, with the advice of Mr Blundell's feoffees, to bestow £200 towards the maintenance of a fellow and a scholar in Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, or in Balliol College, Oxford, to be chosen out of the scholars of Tiverton School, and born in the town, if any be fit, or in default of such, to one fit and born in the parishes nearest adjacent, and taught in the school of Tiverton. (See page 378.)

1783. Benjamin Gilberd, grocer, of the city of Exeter, by his will, devised to his trustees sufficient money to purchase £2000 consols, and, upon the death of the person to whom he gave a life interest in the same, to be transferred to the trustees of Blundell's Free-school at Tiverton, to be employed for the benefit of the school and the scholars educated therein, at the discretion of the trustees.

This benefaction came into the hands of the trustees in 1801, and at their meeting in 1802, it was ordered that £10 per annum should be paid to each of the two senior scholars at Balliol College, and that the like sum should be paid to each of the two senior scholars at Sidney College, in addition to their present stipend, and that an exhibition should be founded, to be called “ Gilberd's Exhibition,” with a stipend of £20 per aunum.

The first exhibitioner was elected at the meeting in 1803, and was permitted to enter at any college in either of the two universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Since the year 1814 the whole of the dividends has been given to two Exhibitioners on Mr Gilberd's foundation, being equally divided into two payments, each of £30 per annum.

1806. In the indenture, which was made between Richard Down, Esq., and the mayor and burgesses of Tiverton, it was declared that in consequence of his having transferred £700 three per cent. consols to the mayor and burgesses in trust, that they should pay to a scholar, under eighteen years of age, educated at Tiverton School for three years, after having entered at some college in Oxford or Cambridge, the dividends arising from the £700 consols for the period of seven years from his entrance at such college, unless within that time he should cease to be a member thereof, or, being of the age of twentythree years, should refuse to take orders, or accept any benefice with cure of souls of the annual value of £150; provided also that such scholar should be entered at some college within three months from the time of his nomination. If no fit and proper scholar, born in Tiverton, and qualified as aforesaid, should be found, the dividends are to accumulate till some scholar properly qualified shall be nominated: and the money accumulated during that time shall be paid by the mayor and burgesses to and for the benefit of such scholar to be next thereafter nominated, at such time and in such manner as the persons so nominating should direct and appoint.

The nomination was reserved to the founder himself and then to his son, and, after his death, to be vested in the mayor of Tiverton, the upper master of Blundell's school, and the rector of the portion of Tidcombe in the parish of Tiverton.

KINGSBRIDGE.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1670, A. D.

THIS school was founded and endowed by Thomas Crispin, a native of Kingsbridge, and a merchant of the city of Exeter.

1698. William Duncombe, M. A. of King's College, Cambridge, the first master of the school, having held that office for twenty-eight years, by his will devised some houses and lands, and ordered that £10 annually should be paid to "one, two, three or more such boys, being poor, as the estate will permit, and my executors shall think fit, and shall have had their education and learning in the said free-school of Kingsbridge four or three years at least, and shall from thence go to