A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



present buildings in the Billing Road, just outside the 

 municipal boundary. It is now known as the Town 

 and County School, and has some 530 pupils.*® 



In the 1 8th century Northampton became a centre 

 of Nonconformist higher education, by the presence 

 here,from 172910 l75i,of PhihpDoddridge'sacademy, 

 a training college for the Free Church ministry. This 

 academy, opened in July 1729 at Market Harborough 

 under Doddridge's headship, came to Northampton 

 with him and was originally in No. 34 Marefair, at the 

 corner of Pike Lane.*' In 1740 it was removed to a 

 large house in Sheep Street opposite the Ram.** 

 Formerly the Rose and Crown inn, it later became the 

 town house of the Earl of HaUfax, and later still was 

 divided into tenements. The course of instruction 

 was based upon that of Doddridge's tutor at Kibworth, 

 John Jennings,** and included Hebrew, Greek, 

 psychology, ethics, divinity, natural philosophy, 

 civil law and some mathematics. All had to learn 

 Doddridge's special system of shorthand.^" The full 

 course occupied five years, and some two hundred 

 pupils passed under his care, of whom 120 entered the 

 ministry,** and several had careers of distinction.** 

 After his death, the academy removed to Daventry, 

 and was carried on by Caleb Ashworth, one of his 

 own former pupils. The elder Ryland also had an 

 academy ; but this was no more than a boarding school 

 (1769-1786) ; it moved with him to Enfield when he 

 resigned the ministry of College Street Chapel to his 

 son.*3 



The three charity schools, namely, Dryden's Free 

 School, or the Orange School, founded in 1710, the 

 Blue Coat School, founded by the Earl of Northampton 

 in 1755, and combined with Dryden's, and the Green 

 Coat School, founded by Gabriel Newton in 1761, were 

 amalgamated in one, known as the Corporation Charity 

 School, and survived until the 20th century. In 

 April 1923 the school having been closed, the endow- 

 ments of the charity were, under a scheme of the Board 

 of Education, devoted to educational purposes, 

 forming a fund known as the Blue Coat Corporation 

 Charity School Foundation for the provision of 

 scholarships.** 



Becket and Sargeant's (Blue) Girls' School, founded 

 in 1738 for 30 girls,** is still in existence at 13 Kings- 

 will Street. On the Sunday next sfter 29 May, 

 following the practice of the 1 8th century,** tlie 

 school girls attend a special service at All Saints' 

 Church, wearing their distinctive dress. 



In 1738, owing to the eflForts of Doddridge, a free 

 church charity school was established for instructing 

 and clothing twenty boys which seems to have come 

 to an end about 1 772.*' 



In 1812 British and National Schools were set up by 

 Lancaster and Bell respectively. A number of 

 Church of England schools were set up in the course 

 of the 19th century, five being founded between 

 1839 ^""^ '858, and nine more before the close of the 

 century. There arc now 22 elementary schools, of 



which two are Church of England ; and in addition 

 one special school for mentally deficient children and 

 two Roman Catholic elementary schools. 



There are two girls' secondary schools : namely, 

 the Girls' High School, Derngate (165 pupils), and the 

 County Borough Secondary Girls' School, in St. 

 George's Avenue, opened in 191 5 (270 pupils). There 

 are also a number of private schools, including a 

 convent school, a large and imposing building in 

 Abington Street, under the Sisters of Notre Dame. 



The Northampton School of Arts and Crafts, 

 Abington Street, now under the control of the county 

 borough, was estabhshed in 1871 ; the Technical 

 School in Abington Square was opened in 1894; a 

 Domestic Economy School, under the Northants 

 County Council, in Harleston Road, was estabhshed 

 in 1896, and there is a housewifery centre, under the 

 Northampton Education Committee. 



Cleveland Henry James Butterfield, 

 CHARITIES, by a declaration of trust dated 

 12 April 1923, gave ^^loo, the interest 

 to be applied in granting a prize to the most deserving 

 mother during the year. The endowment, known as 

 the Catherine Anne Butterfield Memorial Charity, now 

 consists of ;^I24 8;. id. 3J per cent. Conversion Stock 

 with the Official Trustees producing £4 js. 2d., 

 which is distributed by the Town Clerk and four other 

 trustees appointed under the previsions of the 

 declaration of trust. 



Mrs. Mary Clark, by her will proved 9 March 1907, 

 gave ;(^200, the income to be distributed among the 

 poor members and attendants at the Doddridge 

 Congregational Chapel. The money was invested 

 in ;^300 15J. Consols and is with the Official Trustees 

 producing £j los. 4d. yearly wliich is distributed by 

 the deacons amongst the poor members of the con- 

 gregation. 



Emma Pressland, by her will proved at Northamp- 

 ton 24 Feb. 191 1, gave ^£100 to the trustees of the 

 Doddridge Congregational Chapel, to apply the income 

 for providing coal for the poor members of the chapel. 

 The money was invested on mortgage producing 

 approximately £j annually. 



William Jeff cry, bv his will proved 14 March 1896, 

 gave ;£200, the income to he distributed among the 

 poor members of the Doddridge Congregational 

 Chapel. The endowment of the charity now consists 

 of ;^2ii 13J. lod. 5 per cent. War Stock 1929-47 

 with the Official Trustees ; the dividends amounting 

 to j^io in. %d. yearly are distributed by the trustees 

 among the poor members of the chapel. 



Mary Jeffcry, by her will proved at Northampton on 

 the 4 March 1 864 bequeathed ;{!l50, the interest to 

 be equally divided between the Coal Club, Sunday 

 School and Bible Mission in connexion with the 

 Doddridge Congregational Chapel. The endowment 

 of the charity now consists of ^[284 Northampton 

 Gas Light Company Consolidated Stock ; the 

 dividends are distributed annually. 



" A. P. White, 7bt Story 0/ Norlhampl. 

 pp. 109, iiz, 150. 



«' T. Gaiquome, Hiil. oJCauli IIM Cb., 

 Northampt.^ p. 22. 



"Ibid, p. 19. 



"Jcnningi' I.ccturcf, printed at the 

 ^torthampton Mercury oflice in 1721, arc in 

 the Taylor Collection in the Northampt. 

 Public Library, (Author J J] 



'"The Rulci of the Acidemy, from 

 a MS. Book at New College, H.Tmp- 

 itcad,arc printed Gaaquoine, op. cit. pp. 

 63-71. 



"Job Orton, Life of Doddridge (ed. 

 D. Ruiiell), p. 115. 



"E.g. Dr. Aiken, Dr. Kippii, J. Orton, 

 T. Urwick, Samuel Merivalc, Stephen 

 Addington, Benjamin Fawcett, etc. 



62 



'• Ibid, p, 269, 



" Information from the To«n Clerk, 



'' See tombstone of founders, with 

 figure of Charity ichool girl, in All Saints* 

 Church, west end of north aisle, 



" The children then wore gilded oak 

 apples, 



" Gasquoine, Util. of Caille Hill Cb. 

 p, 24-5, 



