A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



The School Since the Dissolution of the College 



The stipend of ^^lo a year reserved to the schoolmaster on the grant 

 to Dacres, though considerably less than was actually being received by 

 him before the dissolution of the college, was not wholly inadequate as the 

 salary of a learned man in those days, when as we have seen a canonry at 

 Peterborough was fixed at £20., while that of the ' upper chaplain's ' or 

 vicar's place at Higham Ferrers was only ^Tio. By a charter of Philip 

 and Mary (2 and 3 Ph. and M. 14 March) incorporating the town, which 

 had long been a corporation by prescription, the appointment of the 

 schoolmaster {Judimagister and scholce moderator he is indifferently called), 

 of the chaplains or curates [curatos), and of the bedesmen, was vested in 

 the corporation. In the absence of any corporation minute-books before 

 1850,' there is no material relating to the post-Henrician history of 

 the school forthcoming until the seventeenth century. We have already 

 seen in the case of Peterborough how the schoolmaster's salary having 

 become quite inadequate was eked out with the crumbs which fell from 

 the cathedral table in the shape of minor canonries and the like. The 

 corporation of Higham Ferrers adopted a similar course. In 1629 ^ on 

 the resignation of Thomas Negus they nominated the incumbent to hold 

 the places of both chaplains and schoolmaster so long as he continued 

 vicar. Admissions to St. John's College, Cambridge, from Higham 

 Ferrers are recorded at intervals during the seventeenth century, evidence 

 sufficient to prove that the school retained its grammar-school status, 

 under Mr. Freear 1630 to 1637 at least, and Mr. Shephard 1673-83. 

 In 18 18 Carlisle' was informed that the school had 'for ages ceased to 

 be a Grammar School.' At that time ' the inhabitants, being in general 

 little tradesmen, farmers, and the poor, their children are taught reading, 

 writing, and arithmetic free of expense, by a Master who has the rent 

 charge of >Cio, together with j(^io more found gratuitously by Earl 

 Fitzwilliam, who is the present proprietor of the estate.' Lord Brougham's 

 commission in 1830 found a master paid* ^(^20 by Earl Fitzwilliam, and 

 a school, purely elementary, with ' about 40 scholars, on an average.' ^ 

 In 1864 there were still 40 boys under Mr. J. Sanderson, 25 from 

 Higham Ferrers paying ^i 4^, od. a year, and 22 from Rushden 

 paying ^Ti i2j-. od. a year, yet the school was purely elementary and 

 bad at that. 



Its subsequent history was a record of successive failures, chequered 

 by disputes between the corporation, the Fitzwilliam family, and the 

 vicars, as to the right of appointment of the master, the liability for 

 repair, and the like. 



At length, in 1899, Mr. A. G. Vann, of Oriel College, Oxford, 

 obtained the mastership. Under him the school has become an interest- 



' So I am informed by Mr. W. T. Simpson, solicitor, to whom I am indebted for free access to the 

 Court Rolls and other ancient town documents in his possession. 



* Bridges, p. 177. ' Endowed Grammar Schools, ii, 209. 



* Report of Commissioners of Inquiry concerning Charities, xxiii, 317. 

 ' School Inquiry Commission Rejiort (_lS6S), xii, 346. 



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