A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



Strete and the gate of the manor house ' ; and other lands, worth alto- 

 gether I 3 J. 2\d. a year, in part satisfaction of the ;C2o a year allowed by 

 the licence in mortmain, to William Hall and Nicholas Germayne, the 

 chaplains of the chantry. But the bulk of the endowment was derived 

 from a rent charge of ^^16 ' paid by the priory of St. James',^ Northamp- 

 ton, in respect of property given to the priory by Sponne for the purpose. 

 In all this there is not a word about any school, and it might have 

 been supposed, and has indeed been stated,' to have been nothing but a 

 chantry to pray for the souls specified. But this is the usual way with 

 such foundations. The real object of them is to be found not as a rule 

 in the patent, but in the ordinances which the patentees were empowered 

 to make. As too often happens these are not forthcoming. But when 

 a hundred years later, first under Henry VIII and next under 

 Edward VI, Acts of Parliament* were passed to dissolve the chantries, 

 colleges, and gilds, the commissioners under the Acts were specially 

 instructed to state the object of their foundation, and in the case of the 

 commissioners under the Act of Edward VI were particularly to say 

 whether they had maintained a grammar school, preachers, or poor people. 

 In Northamptonshire Henry VIII's commissioners reported ^ thus : — 



5. TOWCESTER 



The Colledg or Spones Chauntree. 



Founded to maynteyne 2 Prestes, beyng men of good knoweledg, the one to 

 preache the Worde of God, and the other to kepc a Grammer scole. 



The valewe of the Londes and possessions apperteyning to the same colledg, with 

 ;^i6 paid by the Kinges Majestic out of the Courte of the augmentacion by the handes 

 of Georg GifFord, one of the particular Receivers of the same Courte, ;^i8 2od. ; 

 whereof 



For the Masters or prouostes Salarye, ;^8 13;. 4a'. 



The Kinges tenthes, 381. 8^. 



The scole Master's or secundaries Salarye, £•] 6s. 8(i. 



Ix-j iSs.Sd. 



And so Remaineth, 3/. 



Henry VIII did not enter on this chantry, which survived to 1548, 

 when the chantry commissioners of Edward VI reported — 



HUNDREDUM DE GYLLESBOROUGHE 



26. TOWCETOR 



The Colledge there callyd Spones Chunterye, founded for 2 prestes, the one A 

 preacher, the other A Teacher of Gramer. The londes belonging to the seid College 

 or Chunterye is worth by yere, 51;. 8d. And also they haue a pencionem payed owt 

 of the Kinges Coffers, videlicet : to the precheror Master, 13 marke ; to the secundary 

 or teacher, 11 markes, by the Receyvor j^i8 lis. 8d. 



Rente Resolute, videlicet : Domino Regi pro Decima, 381. 8d. 



And to William Reignoldes, Master of the seyd College, and A preacher, of the 

 age of 53 yeres, and hathe no other Lyving, ^^8 igj. I0(^. 



William Symondes, Schole Master, well learnyd, of the age of 45 yeres, and 

 teachith dayly freely, and hathe no other lyving, £j 13J. 2cl. 



' Pat. 29 Hen. VI, pt. ii, m. 14. ' Exch. Mins'. Accts. 38 Hen. VIII, No. 151. 



^ See next page. 



* 37 Hen. VIII, c. 4, and i Edw. VI, c. 14. English Schools at the Refirmation (Consuble 

 & Co. 1896), pp. 58-78. 



* English Schools at the Refirmation, p. 146, from Chant. Cert. No. 36. 



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