A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



provide another master at their own cost.' Further, they said that 

 the town had ' bought a piece of ground and thereupon built a verie faire 

 scholehouse with needful roomes for the scholemaster and usher of the 

 same to the charge of the complainants of ^^200.' This site was pur- 

 chased of Richard Farmer, who conveyed it to Richard Spencer, 

 10 August, 1602, in trust for the bailiffs and burgesses for a school. 

 This schoolhouse is still in use. It is a fine school of the old large 

 school type, 50 feet by 20 feet. It is now divided by a curtain in the 

 middle, and a mathematical school or classroom has been built on to it. 



With the consent of the Corbetts and the heir-at-law, a decree was 

 made 8 November, 1602, charging the owners for the time being of 

 the manor and lands comprised in Parker's will with the two rent-charges 

 for school and poor, and giving the nomination of master and usher to 

 the bailiff and burgesses. As for Marshall, ' for that fault is ymputed to 

 one Marshall, now schoolemaster there, because, as yt is alleged, his 

 schollers profitt not, And for that the said Marshall kepeth an alehouse 

 and ys ynsufficient to teach grammer schoole, as yt ys supposed. It is 

 further ordered that the Byshopp of the said dyoces shall, upon hearinge 

 of the said complainants' greiffe and reasons and the answer of the said 

 Marshall, examine and determyne his abylitie, and to the same allowe or 

 dysallowe of him as he shall after his examynacion see most fittest, and 

 therby the good yntent and meanynge of the said devison may be well 

 and fully performed.' The result of the examination is hidden from us. 



The school seems to have occupied a good position in the seventeenth 

 century. Amongst its earliest distinguished pupils was George Andrew, 

 who in 1635, became bishop of Leighlin (pronounced Lochlin) in 

 Ireland ; but he had to fly from it on the outbreak of the rebellion in 

 Ireland, and died in London, where he was buried in St. Clement Danes 

 church in 1648. A little later came John Oxenbridge, who was a fellow 

 of Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1640, but who was dispossessed by the 

 Royalists. He was afterwards given by Parliament a fellowship of Eton 

 College, from which he was ousted at the Restoration. Emigrating 

 to America, he became the first pastor of Boston, U.S.A., and died 

 there in 1674. 



In 1680 the school boasted a D.D. for master in the person of 

 Samuel Hawes, succeeded in 1681 by William Adams, a fellow of 

 Lincoln College, Oxford. In 17 17 Mr. William Taylor, the master, 

 was also vicar of Daventry, and held to boot the rectory of Stamton 

 (1723) and then of Malpas (1728) till 1732, when he resigned the 

 mastership. Fortunately for the school, it received augmentations, or, 

 with its fixed rent-charge for endowment, it would have died of 

 inanition. In 1729 John Farrer gave ^^400 to certain trustees to buy 

 land and pay the rents to the master, if in holy orders, on condition of 

 reading morning prayers in the parish church every Sunday, and also on 

 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. With this money twenty- 

 two acres at Cosford, in Newbold-on-Avon, Warwickshire, were bought 

 3 June, 1738. The school is in danger of losing this endowment 



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