SCHOOLS 



charge of a wife and many small children,' so the overseers earnestly 

 solicited the commissioners 'to work, some means for his preferrment to 

 some spiritual living, who likewise humbleth himself therein to the 

 pleasure of this Court.' Accordingly, on 23 July, the court ordered 

 Mr. Spencer to be ' displaced, amoved with all convenient expedition 

 ... so soon as he or any of his friends can provide for his preferment 

 or placing otherwise or otherwhere.' Vernon was at the same time refused 

 the ushership and ordered to depart by Christmas. On 16 August 

 Mr. Haynes was given ' two double sovereigns in gold ' for his exami- 

 nation of the school. On 23 September it was certified by the vicar and 

 others that Mr. Spencer had definitely betaken himself to the Church, by 

 getting ordained a priest, or as they phrase it, ' a full minister.' Still three 

 whole years dragged on in the attempt to find spiritual promotion for this 

 inefficient schoolmaster, the Lord Mayor elect, in 161 3, being asked to 

 use his influence with the Lord Chancellor and divers others. Mean- 

 while there was only a temporary usher, Thomas Turner, named by 

 Spencer, whom the company would not confirm. At length, on 16 

 August, 1616, the company, unable to find preferment for Spencer, voted 

 him 100 marks gratuity, and on 17 December, this being increased to 

 ^Tioo, he agreed to go. On the following 7 February ^(^5 was given 

 him for serving the usher's place for half a year, Timothy Hard, the 

 usher, having absented himself from the place, and the sum of jTioo 

 was paid to the overseers to apply for the benefit of Spencer and his 

 family. 



Mr. Richard Pemberton, M.A., had meanwhile been appointed 

 master, and Mr. Robert Henson, B.A., usher, the former having to sub- 

 mit to the indignity of giving a bond to the overseers of Oundle that 

 ' neither his wife nor children shall be any burthen or charge to the 

 parish by reason of their cohabitation there.' 



The new men had not been in office more than eighteen months 

 when, on 12 August, 161 8, the court was informed of their ' negligence, 

 insufficiency, and unfitness.' This time the visitation, held on 14 Sep- 

 tember, the wardens being assisted by ' Mr. Cooper, preacher and school- 

 master,' effisctually disproved the accusations. Mr. Cooper delivered first a 

 Latin and then an English speech, and the scholars answered with ' two Latin 

 speeches and divers Latin verses by divers of them,' and upon examina- 

 tion the boys were ' found to be well instructed for their times (two of the 

 best scholars being not a month before sent to Cambridge).' The 

 examiner gave a ' theame to some of the chief schollars, the which they 

 presently turned into Latin verses both sapphic and iambic, which were 

 so well liked of them that were present, that it pleased the Wardens 

 upon the approbation of one of the scholar's verses to give him 12'' for his 

 better encouragement.' The examination ended' with those few scholars 

 that there were, the greatest number being absent in regard of harvest,' 

 a ' catalogue ' of their names amounting to eighty being handed in. In 

 1 62 I on his petition they allowed 40J. to Edward Spencer for an exhibi- 

 tion to Cambridge. They refused next year to increase the usher's 



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