SCHOOLS 



missioners contributed three acres of land and £s^5°°- ^" 1896 the 

 reorganized school received its first augmentation in the Gates Exhibition, 

 of the value of £^0 a year, tenable at any place of higher education, 

 founded in memory of Henry Pearson Gates, for many years chapter 

 clerk and the first mayor of Peterborough. 



On the appointment in 1897 of the Rev. Edward John Bidwell, 

 who was a scholar of Bradfield College and then a scholar of Wadham 

 College, Oxford, the school advanced by leaps and bounds. He found it 

 with 36 boys and 3 masters. With upwards of 100 boys, of whom 

 over 70 are day boys, and 6 assistant masters, it was in 1901 probably 

 more full of boys and life than it had ever been before in its long history 

 of nearly 400 years. The fees are now jTio to ^^15 15J. a year, and the 

 boarding fees ^45 to £^S a year. 



At Easter, 1903, Mr. Bidwell, to whose researches this history is 

 greatly indebted, went to Canada as head master of the Church of England 

 College, Lennoxville. His successor at Peterborough is Mr. E. S. T. 

 Badger, M.A., of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge. 



HIGHAM FERRERS 



The history of Higham Ferrers Grammar School has hitherto been 

 supposed to begin with the history of Higham Ferrers College, founded 

 there by Archbishop Chicheley. 



The School before Chicheley's College 



The earliest mention of the school is to be found among the cor- 

 poration records. But in the roll of the borough courts for the four- 

 teenth year of Richard II at the court held on 26 May is a memorandum 

 that on the previous 1 1 April Walter Huntyngdone, of Higham Ferreres, 

 had released and quit-claimed to Master Henry Bartonc, ' Scholemayster 

 of the same' [de eadem, i.e. Higham Ferrers), his heirs and assigns, all 

 right and title which he had in the burgage situate in ' le Newlond.' 



Here then in i 39 1 , when Henry Chicheley, the founder of the college, 

 was still an undergraduate at New College, Oxford, is positive evidence 

 of the existence of a schoolmaster of Higham Ferrers, who was a person 

 of importance and mayor of the town. Nor was this the first time 

 Mr. Henry Barton had been mayor. The records of his mayoralty bring 

 him into intimate connexion with the family of the future archbishop and 

 founder. On Friday after Michaelmas, 1382, the following entry occurs 

 in a roll headed : 'Of the time of Thomas Chichely for the years 5 and 

 6 Richard II.' At ' the court of the borough of Higham : The twelve 

 jurors say they elected to the office of mayor Henry Barton, and he was 

 sworn, and also they say that Thomas Chycheli, his predecessor, and all 

 his servants, well and faithfully executed their offices as well towards the 

 lord as to the community of burgesses.' 



Henry Barton died in 1399, as on i October of that year came to 

 court Agnes Barton, late widow {nuper relicta) of Henry Barton, ' schole- 

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