A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



85 boarders and 82 day boys ; in 1896, 146 boarders and 86 day boys ; 

 in 1900, 159 boarders and 98 day boys; and in 1904, 166 boarders and 

 162 day boys. 



The success of the school cricket and association football teams has 

 probably contributed as much as its remarkable achievements in the 

 Cambridge local examinations to give the school the position it now 

 occupies. It has laid itself out especially for mathematics, and in four 

 several years won the scholarship at St. John's College, Cambridge, 

 awarded to the first among the candidates in that subject. Fifteen open 

 scholarships, mostly for mathematics, have been won at the universities, 

 the seventh place among wranglers being the highest achievement of its 

 boys at Cambridge. The initial successes in this direction are attributed 

 to Mr. W. H. Game, of St. John's College, Cambridge, who made the 

 second master's house, and whose memory is preserved by its name. 



In order to complete the equipment of the school, permanent leaving 

 exhibitions are very much wanted. It is perhaps not the least striking 

 evidence of the hold the school has achieved over the town, and its own 

 old alumni, that since 1889 three have been provided by subscriptions. 

 One is awarded each year, and they are secured until 1909, by which 

 time a permanent foundation should be established. Mr. William Brown, 

 a late governor, has already established by his will a fund of ^1,000 for 

 prizes in the school. 



In September, 1903, on the retirement of Mr. William Winterton, 

 who had been master since 1862, the lower school ceased to exist. 

 Whereas in his early days it had 100 boys against 50 in the grammar 

 school, in late years it had shrunk to 70 as against 300. This school is 

 now closed. A scheme by the Board of Education of January, 1906, 

 has just corrected the error of judgement of the Elizabethan Court of 

 Chancery, which for upwards of 300 years stood in the way of the 

 Wellingborough Grammar School doing its best for the higher education 

 of the town. The scheme provides in place of the lower school a 

 grammar school for girls. 



KETTERING GRAMMAR SCHOOL 



The origin of Kettering Grammar School does not precisely appear, 

 but in an inquisition taken 5 October, 1681,^ under a commission of 

 charitable uses issued from Chancery, 10 February before, it was found 

 ' that from the time whereof the memory of man is not to the contrary 

 there hath been a free schoole within the towne of Kettering for the 

 teachinge of Lattin and English schoUers for the youths that doe inhabite 

 in the said towne,' and the rents of certain messuages, lands, and tene- 

 ments, specified by the tenants' names, ' have been and ought to be 

 employed for maintenance of a schoolemaster there for the instruction of 

 youth in the said towne in English and Lattin.' We may reasonably 

 connect this immemorial free grammar school with the endowment 



'P.R.O. Chancery Petty Bag Inq. bdle. 39, Nos. 29, 33, Charles II. 



272 



