SCHOOLS 



Church, the Queen's Majesty, the realm, and Lady Laxton, and the 

 Company of the Grocers of London, their governors.' 



In school, and going to and coming from it, the masters and scholars 

 were to speak Latin. Twice a month at least the master was to examine 

 those ' under the Usher's hand.' The master was not to ' give remedy ' 

 or leave to play above one afternoon in a week, unless the said Wardens 

 or some honourable or worshipful person present in the school require 

 it.' On Sundays they were to go to the parish church with ' a prayer 

 book either in English or Latin, as the Master shall appoint.' ' To cause 

 the scholars to refrain from the detestable vice of swearing and " ribauld " 

 words, be it ordered that for every oath or ribald word, spoken in the 

 school or elsewhere, the scholars to have three stripes.' 



Sir Walter Mildmay continued to act as a sort of Board of Education. 

 On 20 January, 1 570, it was declared to the court ' how he sent for the 

 Wardens and told them the school was far out of order and not like a 

 school for children ought to be, but lacketh flooring and forms handsome 

 for scholars to sit on.' 



So at their next visit to Oundle on 4 May, 1576, the wardens went 

 down with ' Mr. Blage, parson of St. Fosters ' (St. Vedast Foster's in the 

 city) as examiner. He examined the boys on Saturday afternoon, and 

 meanwhile the wardens viewed the school with ' certain gentlemen which 

 Sir Walter Mildmay did appoint.' This first examiner's report was 

 ' there be excellent boys for their time, as by two epistles made by two 

 of the scholars doth well appear.' On Sunday he ' did make a very good 

 sermon in the church where was great audience of gentlemen of the 

 county and others which brought to us great store of good vituall and 

 dined with us.' The almsmen he also examined, 'but found them very 

 ignorant and took order that if they did not learn the Lord's Prayer, the 

 Belief and Ten Commandments before Whitsuntide their pensions shall 

 cease.' In regard to the school arrangements the committee of view 

 ordered that ' three great tables, one standing at the upper end and one 

 at each side of the schoolroom ' (so that the tavern arrangements of the 

 gild-house still remained) ' be taken down, and made of the same stuff 

 two long seats on each side, and before each seat a little narrow shelf to 

 lay their books and to write upon, and one at the upper end in like 

 manner, and at the upper end between the two seats, a new seat of 

 wainscott and a shelf for the Master, with two seats by the same, for 

 gentlemen to sit on that shall come to see and view the school.' This 

 only cost 5 51. 4^. in all. 



The floor of the school was found to be of plaster of Paris but broken 

 in the midst, and repair would cost as much as new boarding, except the 

 cost of timber, but the careful wardens hoped ' that Sir Walter Mildmay 

 will help us to a warrant for half a score of good trees in the country 

 which will save much money.' Two years afterwards the company 

 ordered the boarding to be done with deal boards delivered at Peterborough. 



' A holiday or half-holiday, not being a saint's day, is still always called a remedy or half-remedy at 

 Winchester. 



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