A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



when, owing probably to the dean and chapter refusing to renew, the 

 lease dropped and the foundation came to an end. 



A more direct and better established benefaction came in 1672 from 

 ' the Right Worshipful Dr. Duport, Dean of this Cathedral Church,' who 

 ' freely gave >C2oo for the augmentation of the stipends ' of the masters, 

 ' viz. that jTS per annum may be added to the Schoolmaster's place, and 

 40i-. to the Usher.' The gift was vested in Magdalene College, Cam- 

 bridge, who still pay ^Tio a year in respect of it. The usher's place, 

 like the schoolmaster's, was not infrequently augmented by other cures 

 and cares, and in 1681 ^ Humfrey Brailsford was admitted into 'a Petty 

 Canon's place with the augmentation of 46^. 8d'., likewise to be Usher 

 of the Free School.' 



TIME TABLE, 1683 



The minutes of a chapter held 22 June, 1683, furnish a skeleton 

 time-table of the school : — 



That the following Orders be observed by the Schoolmaster, Usher and Scholars of 

 the Free-School and that the said Orders be fairly transcribed and hung up in a 

 tablet in the School provided for that purpose. 



1. In Primis. That the Scholars, as well others as King's Scholars, shall be at 



Morning Prayer. 



2. That the Schoolmaster and Usher shall goe from Church to School, the Scholars all 



following in decent order. 



3. That the Schoolmaster, or Usher, in his absence, shall begin their employment at 



School with a short prayer, and, when he sees fit allow the Scholars a short time 

 for breakfast, and the Schoolmaster shall then immediately repair to School 

 again and there continue till eleaven a clock. 



4. That the Scholars shall diligently repair to School at one a clock in the afternoon, 



and there continue till five in summer and till foure in winter, i.e. from All Saints 

 Day till Candlemas (2 February), and then be dismissed with a short prayer. 



5. That the Schoolmaster shall not ordinarily give plays on Mondaies, Wednesdaies, 



or Frydaies, or any other day when there is a Holy Day in the week. 



6. That the Choristers shall goe to the Grammar School and be taught there, at such 



times when not obliged to be at Church or singing school. 



7. That such King's Scholars as shall be found to have good voices shall be changed 



into Choristers, and such Choristers as have not good voices be put in their 

 room. 



8. That if any Scholar attempt to renew that rude custome of shutting out their 



Master at Christmasse by force and violence, if King's Scholars they shall loose 

 (sic) their places, if others they shall be expelled the school. 



The order as to the choristers attending the grammar school was an 

 innovation. According to the statutes the choristers were to go to the 

 grammar school when they ceased to be choristers, not while they were 

 choristers. The hours and duties of cathedral choristers have always been 

 found incompatible with due attendance at the school. Some forty 

 years later, in 1728, the chapter ordered that no boy should be ad- 

 mitted a chorister under eight years of age ' and to be taken out of 

 the Grammar School, and to be obliged to continue daily scholar in the 

 said Grammar School and to be taught and practised in singing by the 

 organist on the finall days in each week under strict penalties,' which 

 are not stated. 



' 24 June, Chapter Act Book. 

 212 



