A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



1 450-1, another charity by the conveyance to the two chaplains of 

 Sponne's chantry and other feoffees, of the Tabard Inn, which had been 

 devised by the founder for the purpose of payment of ' fifteenths,' taxes 

 in the nature of a property tax. 



The chantry house itself and a cottage in Park Lane in Towcester 

 were granted to one Haybourne and another by deed of 5 April, 1550. 

 Afterwards William Marriott, William Caporne, Thomas West, and other 

 parishioners, ' out of their love for the town and for the education of the 

 children thereof in learning and for other good uses, did contract ' with 

 the grantees of the chantry house ' for a good sum by them paid.' The 

 'good sum' was >Cio-^ By deed, enrolled in Chancery, dated 16 Feb- 

 ruary, 1552, the chantry house and cottage were accordingly conveyed to 

 Marriott and eight other feoffees, being also feoffees of the Tabard. 

 They ' employed it as a Grammar Schoole and the schoolmaster was 

 nominated and placed by them only,' the cottage being employed to 

 ' other charitable uses.' The feoffees of the Tabard Inn from that time 

 acted as trustees of the school. A new appointment of these feoffees or 

 trustees was made in 1581. One Firmine Russell was the last survivor 

 of these, and in 1638 the trust had vested in his grandson and heir-at- 

 law, George Russell. When it was proposed that he should convey this 

 property to Richard Litcott and others, the Tabard feoffees, an opposition 

 was got up by Sir Hatton Farmer, knight, who claimed to be a lineal 

 descendant from Richard Farmer, ' who, as he pretendeth, purchased the 

 said Chantry premises, with his own money, and was the first donor and 

 founder of the said Grammar School,' and wished to have the conveyance 

 made to him jointly with the others. A bill was filed in Chancery by 

 the feoffees against George Russell, and in the result the Master of the 

 Rolls found that Sir Hatton Farmer's counsel ' could not make it appear 

 that Richard Farmer was the original donor,' and ordered the conveyance 

 to be made to the Tabard feoffees, and the chantry house to be vested in 

 them for the future in trust for the school. 



Afterwards the school received various additional benefactions ; " 

 (i) by a gift of Anna Jones in 1697, three acres of land in Abthorpe for 

 the teaching of six poor boys ; (2) by will of Joseph Saunders, 18 April, 

 1704, a rent charge of £^ is. from lands in Abthorpe for teaching five 

 poor boys from Towcester and one from Green's Norton ; (3) by will of 

 William Marriott in 1717a gift of £ 1 00, now represented by i 3a. 2r. 1 1 p. 

 of land in Whittlebury ; (4) by will of Richard Ratnett, 2 May, 1738, a 

 rent charge of £2 a year from land in Green's Norton for two poor boys ; 

 (5) a rent charge of ^5 from a tenement in Broadway, Westminster, for 

 teaching two poor boys who were to be clad in orange coats and green caps. 



In i8i8' Mr. Thomas White, who had been appointed in 1795, 

 was master. He was a layman. He took boarders at twenty to twenty- 

 six guineas a year, with a guinea entrance fee. The school was conducted 



' Not as in Carlisle, ii, 224, ;^I5. 



' Report of Commissioners of Inquiry concerning Charities,' cited as C.C.R. xiv, 307. 



' Carlisle, p. 225. 



228 



