A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



The registrar, who was, in fact, Robert Law, in addition to being 

 usher and curate, was to have 6^. 8^., ' which is little enough for such 

 paynes as he therein must take.' 



Next year, 1600, we get a complete rental of the estate, amount- 

 ii^g to ^\% 8j. \d. In 1600 ^(^3 14J. \d. was duly paid for repairs 

 of the school, including ' strawe stacking,' glazing windows, and 

 carpenter's and mason's work, but only one ' table and a chaire ' for 

 the master and scholars. Mr. Crosley, who had been too sick to 

 attend the audit at Easter, received his wages up to Midsummer, 1600, 

 and the arrears of the previous year, and then apparently retired. 

 The arrears of the usher's salary were paid over ' by Mr. Law's 

 appointment ' to about a dozen creditors. He seems from the fol- 

 lowing somewhat mystic entry on Easter Monday, 1601, to have been 

 very poor, notwithstanding his combination of three offices : — ' Because 

 Mr. Robert Law, lately being the distincte schoolemaister to teach to 

 write, reede, and cast accompts, for the stipend of ^^6 13J. 4^/. per 

 annum, who seeing his great charge of children and a honest man, we 

 the subsidye men, whose names be subscribed, have this day made 

 choyse of the sayd Robert Law to be a distincte schoolemaister to 

 teache to write, reede, and cast accompts.' This shows a desire to 

 make Law entirely independent of the chief schoolmaster in the chaos 

 which followed Crosley 's departure. At the audits of 1601 and 1602 

 there were no less than three different claimants for the place and 

 salary. Eventually Mr. Law was turned out ; and after a temporary 

 occupation by Mr. Gregorie Smith, Mr. Edmund James emerged 

 triumphant at Michaelmas, 1 604, as ' Free Schoole maister ' ' to teache 

 publycke schoole,' and Mr. Brereton as usher or 'distincte school- 

 maister to teach to read.' 



Edmund James held to 25 April, 16 14. Next year's accounts 

 are signed by Thomas Westfield, ' scholemaster,' the most distinguished 

 of all the schoolmasters of Wellingborough. He came from Jesus 

 College, Cambridge; M.A., 1596; B.D., 1604; incorporated at 

 Oxford, and D.D. there, 161 5. His entrance on office is signalized 

 by a more modern and absolutely pellucid writing in the accounts, 

 which he did in his own hand, and received 6j. 8^. for doing. But 

 unfortunately the accounts rendered in 1616, though made out by 

 Westfield, are completed by another, and he was gone before the day 

 for signing arrived, to be canon of St, Paul's and rector of Hornsey, 

 and ultimately, just as the Civil War broke out, bishop of Bristol. No 

 schoolmaster signs next year, though the usual wages are paid to unnamed 

 masters, and it is expressly stated that on the account day, 21 April, 

 16 17, 'the free scoole was voyd of a scoolemaster.' Apparently the 

 school was in abeyance during the very large expenditure of ^25 13J. 4^. 

 on ' repayre of the scoole and towne house.' 



The fine school building in the churchyard, now a parish room, 

 seems to have been erected for that price. An inscription over the door 

 says ' 4>u\ojxde€<TL multum debeo, barbaris autem nihil. 16 17.' 



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