SCHOOLS 



year, making it >Ci°° i" ^^^- Additions were made to the school build- 

 ings by purchases of adjacent properties, in all of which William Walcot, 

 an old Oundellian (son of the local doctor), a barrister, who lived at or 

 near Oundle, was the moving spirit ; in 1 8 1 5 a place next door to the 

 school, previously used as a slaughter-house, became the germ of a play- 

 ground, and in 1820 a sick-house was added. 



The school had now become almost exclusively a boarding school. 

 Of the 50 boys admitted in the last three years of Bullen's rule only six 

 were day-boys ; and in the first two years of James', out of 37 boys 

 admitted only five were day-boys, four of them belonging to one family 

 of the name of Rickett, all entered as 'on the foundation.' Though 

 the school was full under Bullen, only sixteen remained to encounter his 

 successor. The clientele became very different. Instead of farmers, 

 grocers, and horse-dealers and the like, chiefly from the towns and villages 

 of Northamptonshire and neighbouring counties, the school was now 

 filled with the sons of gentlemen from all parts of the kingdom. The 

 first boy entered under James, i August, 1809, after the summer holidays, 

 which then in nearly all schools began at the same time as the Oxford 

 Long Vacation, in the middle of June, was from Oxford, the next from 

 Norfolk, the third came from London, and the fourth from Essex. A 

 son of Lord Lilford may be noticed, but there do not seem to have been 

 any other scions of titled families. In 1 8 1 3 and afterwards there was a 

 second boarding house, boys being entered as boarding at Mr. Levisse's, 

 and then at Mr. Bill's, and from Lady Day, 1827, at the house of the 

 Rev. John Shillibeer, second master. He was of Jesus College, Cam- 

 bridge, and succeeded to the mastership on the retirement of Mr. James 

 to a canonry at Peterborough on i August, 1829. During James's time a 

 writing master was introduced and a fee of £6 a year imposed on ' free 

 boys ' as well as boarders for attending his instruction. Usually about 

 twelve free boys attended and paid the fee. The Commissioners' of 

 Inquiry in 1830 found that this caused dissatisfaction, and though 

 holding that only grammar was free, recommended an abatement of the 

 charge. 



Seventeen boarders and ten day-boys confronted Shillibeer. In 1831 

 he obtained from the company the establishment of two leaving exhibi- 

 tions from the school, which under regulations of i 3 April were tenable 

 at Oxford or Cambridge for three years by boys who had been five years 

 in the school. Under Shillibeer the school again assumed a more local and 

 rather more middle-class complexion. The numbers were not so well 

 maintained. The Commissioners of Inquiry found nine free scholars and 

 eighteen boarders. Shillibeer retired at Christmas, 1841, and was suc- 

 ceeded by the Rev. David Pooley of St. John's College, Cambridge, who 

 found 35 boarders and 7 day boys. 



In this year an information was filed by the Attorney-General in 

 Chancery to make the company account for the whole of the endowment 

 given by Laxton as a charity for the benefit of the school and almshouse. 



' C.C.R. xxxi, 353. 

 259 



