SCHOOLS 



They were confirmed 2 September, but before 

 the confirmation was received, which was on 

 25 September, one important article, number 

 39, which limited the number of boys to 120, 

 as the first statutes had to I OO, had to be altered 

 under a power reserved to the governors, 'It now 

 appearing that more schollers are already comeing 

 or come to the schole.' The number was enlarged 

 to 160. 



The main change in the new statutes was 

 for the worse. For the first time a distinction 

 was introduced between Bury boys and others. 

 While both the Edwardian and Elizabethan 

 statutes had provided only that the poor as well 

 as the rich should be taught gratis and without 

 partiality, a preference for admission being given 

 to the poorest ; now it was only the ' towns- 

 men's children ' that were to be taught gratis, 

 and differential admission fees were imposed in 

 favour of the town. The masters 'shall teach 

 all townsmen'schildren gratis. Yet may receive 

 what is voluntarily proffered. Granted alsoe that 

 the usher may demand for admission of every 

 town child 12*/. and for every foreigner 2s. 6d. 

 and not more.' The addition of optional Hebrew 

 to the curriculum is curious. But as the Renais- 

 sance in its reaction against the schoolmen and 

 the Vulgate brought Greek into fashion for the 

 New Testament, so the Biblical controversies of 

 the Civil War and the reliance on the Old 

 Testament covenant had brought Hebrew into 

 vogue, and it threatened to become permanent 

 in the schools. 



The removal of the school took place at I p.m. 

 on Monday after the Whitsuntide holidays 1665, 

 when the governors, leading the boys, headed 

 by the high master and followed by the usher, 

 marched two and two in procession from the 

 old buildings across the bridge in Eastgate to 

 the new ones in Northgate. The walls of the 

 new school were hung with Latin verses made 

 by the boys, some of them exceedingly good. 

 They are preserved in a book in the possession 

 of the school, Mr. Leeds remarking in the 

 preface that ' it may seem ridiculous to the 

 present age that they should be here preserved, 

 but to a future age perhaps not so.' And the 

 future age has now arrived. They ought with- 

 out delay, and before the book breaks up, as 

 it has begun to do, to be printed in the school 

 paper, The Burian. 



The new master held sway under the new 

 statutes in the new school for no less than 

 40 years. During that time the school enjoyed 

 great repute. Leeds published several school 

 books, and in the Methodus Gratcam Linguam 

 Docmdl, published in 1690, he gives the names 

 of the county families whose scions were at the 

 school ; some were from Yorkshire, Durham, 

 and Northumberland, including Beckwiths, 

 Legards, Widdringtons, and Greys. Leeds was 

 decidedly of the willow kind, not of the 

 oak. When James II wished in 1687 to relax 

 2 32 



the restrictions on recusants and Nonconformists, 

 and the governors petitioned for it, Leeds argued 

 against, and one of the governors, Dr. Battely, an 

 old Burian, who was archdeacon of Canterbury, 

 in favour of it, saying what was perfectly true 

 then and needs to be repeated now, that 



the matter itself or any civil consequences, let it go 

 this way or that way, is not worth a straw, excepting 

 only what the recusants and Nonconformists may 

 gain and lose thereby in the education of their 

 children. 



With equal compliance with the existing order he 

 wrote in 1695 to a parent to defend allegiance 

 to William III. 



By deed 14 June, 1670, Dr. John Sudbury, dean 

 of Durham, gave 81 acres of land in Hepworth, 

 Barningham, and Stanton, in Suffolk, upon 

 trust after spending ^30 in apprenticing 3 or 4 

 children, for the benefit of the grammar school 

 or for the maintenance of four scholars sent 

 thence to the University of Cambridge. In later 

 days, however, the trustees spent the bulk of the 

 money on apprenticing instead of on exhibitions, 

 so that the intention of the donor was partially 

 defeated. 



Leeds died at the age of 80 on 17 Novem- 

 ber, 1 707, and was buried at Ingham, in the 

 church of which is a mural tablet to his 

 memory. John Norris, the usher, who had held 

 office for 29 years, resigned owing to age and 

 infirmity on 29 August, to take effect at Michael- 

 mas, 1689. His successor, William Hammond, 

 B.A., was given a salary of ^30. Hammond 

 died next year, and on 19 November, 1690, 

 John Randall, M.A., of Christ's College, 

 Cambridge, was elected usher. On Leeds's 

 death, he became high master, Edward Leeds, 

 one of the late master's sons, becoming usher. 

 Young Leeds resigned in 17 12, going to be head 

 master of Ipswich, to be succeeded by Joseph 

 Lathbury. Randall, on taking a living in 1715, 

 was given notice to go. Arthur Kinnesman, an 

 assistant master at Westminster, became high 

 master. He enlarged the schoolhouse in 171 ~ y 

 receiving £60 from the governors towards the 

 cost. In 1722 it was resolved to pull the house 

 down and rebuild it, but this was found too 

 costly a plan, so in 1724^100 was spent in 

 repairs instead. Kinnesman, after being preyed 

 to reconsider his decision, resigned on 5 October,. 

 1745, and was presented with a piece of plate. 

 Robert Garnham, fellow of Trinity, Cambridge,, 

 was elected master on 1 7 October, and ' instated * 

 on 13 January, 1745. The picturesque old 

 title of high master was now dropped and never 

 resumed. Garnham refused to live in the mas- 

 ter's house, and was allowed ^25 for rent of a 

 house elsewhere. In 1750 a committee was. 

 appointed to pull the old house down ; but it 

 was still standing in 1758, when another com- 

 mittee considered plans for a new house with 

 accommodation for 30 boarders. But the repair 

 I 41 



