A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



In 1 85 1 the dean and chapter, the Cathedral Commission then 

 impending, at last prohibited the masters from holding ecclesiastical 

 offices, a prohibition rendered the easier in that the minor canonries had 

 been reduced in number by the Ecclesiastical Commission Acts, and they 

 could no longer augment the master's salary by giving him one. 



The Cathedral Commission was the saving of the school, for 

 when in 1852 the chapter estates were taken over by the Ecclesias- 

 tical Commission the school no longer remained entirely at the mercy 

 of the canons, who received jC^S^ ^ y^^^" each, while paying the head 

 master ^71 13^. \d.^ and the under-master j(^ 18 6j. %d. ; but was allowed 

 a definite income of ^\oo a year out of the estates re-assigned to the 

 dean and chapter. 



In 1853 the head master's stipend was fixed at £^\^o^ a year and 

 that of the under-master at ^loo, and the modern method of giving 

 entire control of the school to the head master was adopted. He was 

 even allowed to fix his own attendance at the cathedral provided that the 

 whole school attended on Sundays, Saturday afternoons, and saints' days, 

 on which there was always a whole holiday. But in fixing the hours 

 of attendance at the school it was provided that two hours' attendance 

 should be given before breakfast. 



Under Mr. Whyley, head master from 1861 to 1875, who was 

 not only a scholar but a musician, one of his anthems being still sung in 

 the cathedral, the school flourished. At the time of the Schools Inquiry 

 Commission in 1865, it was attended by 44 boys besides the 20 king's 

 scholars. 



The Rev. W. D. Sweeting, who succeeded him, had been second 

 master for many years. He is known as a learned antiquary. 



Under a scheme approved by Queen Victoria in council 30 Novem- 

 ber, 1882, the school still remains the cathedral grammar school, with the 

 fixed yearly income of jC4005 ^"^ the dean and chapter as sole governors ; 

 though in many other cathedral schools representatives of other bodies 

 have been admitted, to the great advantage of the school. The head 

 master has still a stall assigned to him and attends the cathedral service 

 with the king's scholars on Sunday mornings and saints' days during 

 term time, ranking with the precentor in the procession ; but he need 

 not be in holy orders. The office of usher has been abolished. The 

 'twenty poor scholars ' have been reduced to ten king's scholars, and six 

 of the scholarships are subject to open competition, four being reserved 

 for choristers. The school is a ' first-grade public school,' and is intended 

 to prepare boys for the universities, professions, and business. 



The Rev, E. J. Cunningham became head master under the new 

 scheme. The most important resulting change was the removal of the 

 school, which took effisct in 1885, from the minster precinct to what was 

 then the country, and though now the surging tide of villadom has flowed 

 beyond it, the site is still airy and open. To this removal, in recognition 

 of the school's claims on the cathedral foundation, the Ecclesiastical Com- 



' Increased to £'2.oo in 1882. 

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