A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



On 24 June, however, the chapter found that ' Whereas Mr. David 

 Standish is not able, as he is obliged by the Statutes, to attend his duty 

 personally as master of the King's School' and Minor Canon of the 

 Church, we do hereby declare both his said places to be vacant, and 

 elect thereinto the Reverend Mr. Poole, recommended by the Dean, as 

 well qualified for the sayd office, by reason of his having been educated 

 at Westminster School and of a long standing in Trinity College at 

 Cambridge.' 



Standish went off to America, as on a tombstone now under the 

 choir stalls in Etton Church near Peterborough is recorded in 173 1 the 

 death of a daughter, ' aged 2 years, of the Reverend David Standish, late 

 rector of S. Paul's, Stoner, in South Carolina.' 



The failure of the school at this period may be explained by the fact 

 that the masters were pluralists. Yet it was almost absolutely necessary 

 that they should hold other offices, as the pay was not sufficient otherwise 

 to maintain them. We find at least three bequests of money to increase 

 the master's stipend, so that their under-payment must have been notorious. 



In 173 1 an entirely unstatutory preference for king's scholars was 

 given to boys ' who live in the town before the boys that come out of 

 the town ' (i.e. from outside the town). 



When Mr. Bradfield resigned, in 1736, the chapter were so grate- 

 ful to him that they allowed him to retain ' the sallary or stipend of the 

 interest of jTaoo given as charity to the said Free Grammar School, and 

 also the two rooms lately built and adjoining the said Grammar School 

 now granted by them to the said Mr. Bradfield and his successors.' This 

 is the only instance to be found of a pension from the school fund paid 

 to a retiring master. 



The next master, the Rev. Thomas Marshall, was censured by 

 the chapter not only for neglecting the duties of his minor canonry, 

 but also for combining in himself the offices of master and usher, 

 another result of the scanty stipend. In his time, from 1737, full lists 

 of the king's scholars were preserved. He held office till 1747. Of 

 his immediate successors, Mirehouse and Marsham, nothing noteworthy 

 is recorded. 



In 1773 the Rev. Robert Favell was appointed ' Master and 

 assistant of our Grammar School,' being evidently allowed to be his 

 own usher, as Marshall wanted to be, a duplication of parts repeated 

 in after years. He was also appointed minor canon. 



In 1733 Mr. Wortley gave ^^50 to the school, which was em- 

 ployed in building two rooms adjoining it, which became the nucleus 

 of the head master's house. In 1736 two ladies named Dawson and 

 Walsham had each given the dean and chapter jT 100 for the augmen- 

 tation of the master's salary, to be invested in land. This was not 

 done, but interest at the rate of 5 per cent, was paid by the receiver, 

 Mr, Tryce, to the master. At length, on 2 July, 1765, the chapter 

 allowed him to repay himself the sums advanced for interest out of the 



' The title ' King's School ' is here found for the first time in the Chapter Books. 



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