A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



to 1617, and is imperfect, not containing the 

 witnessing clause or date. It purports to be 

 made on 2 February 1512-13, by 'Agnes 

 Mellars, wydowe, and vowesse,' i.e., vowed to 

 perpetual chastity after the death of her husband. 

 It is in English, as was not unusual at this 

 time. Whether the spelling is given as in the 

 original seems doubtful ; probably not. After 

 reciting the letters patent, the deed which, 

 though in the form of a deed poll, calls itself ' this 

 present writing triplicate indented,' proceeds : 



Know ye that I, remembringe how the universall 

 faythe catholyke by clergy and comons fyrmlye [ys] 

 corrobred and by learninge the publique weale com- 

 menlye ys governed, ardentlie have desire to the 

 honour of almightye God, laude and praise to the 

 electe and chosen Mother of mercye and virgin our 

 Lady Saynte Marye, to accomplisshe the said vertuous 

 and blessed graunte, and by force thereof begynne, 

 erccte, founde, create, establisshe and make one Free 

 Sc'iole of one Maister and one Ussher to teach gram- 

 mer Is everlastinglye to endure and to be kepte in the 

 parissheof Our blessed Ladye Saynt Marye the Virgin 

 within the Towne of Nottingham ; and Mr. John 

 Smithe, parson of Bilburghe, I make Schole maister 

 of the same as longe asyt shall seeme [to] me and the 

 sayd 16 Mayor of the same towne of Nottingham for 

 the tyme beinge convenient ; and my right trustye 

 irendes Mr. William Inglishe and William Harwell I 

 make dcputyes, and ordeyne guardians kepers and 

 surveyors of the sayd Free Schole during theyr lives. 



Inglisshe was Dame Mellers' son-in-law. 



The deed then proceeds to establish a govern- 

 ing body. ' I will also, ordeyne and establisshe, 

 that the Mayor aldermen and the Commen Conn- 

 cell of the sayd towne of Nottingham and 

 theyr successors after the decease of the said 

 William shall yerely from yere to yere in the 

 feaste of the Translacion of Saynte Richarde 

 the Bysshop choose two discrete persons, bur- 

 geysses of the sayd towne ... to be chamber- 

 layns gardians keepers and surveyors of the lands 

 tenements and possessions . . . belonging to the 

 sayd Free Schole, to rule governe and supporte 

 the charges payments and businesses of the 

 same,' and to account to the mayor and alder- 

 men within eight days of the following Translation 

 of St. Richard. This was, as we are told later, 

 1 6 June, the day of St. Richard of Andria. It 

 was no doubt the birthday of her husband Richard 

 Mellers. These guardians were to be the cor- 

 porate governors, and ' by the name of Gardyans 

 of the Free Schole of Nottingham maye pleade 

 and be jrmpleaded.' 



The most important function of a governing 



14 It was the school, not, as seems to be supposed by 

 Mr. Corner in The Forester for Christmas 1880, the 

 grammar, that was everlastingly to endure. 



16 Oddly enough the mayor has not been previously 

 mentioned in the deed ; but probably these statutes 

 were scheduled to an indenture tripartite to which 

 Dame Agnes, the mayor, and the two ' deputies ' 

 were parties. 



body, that of appointing the master, was de- 

 legated to the Corporation of Nottingham, or 

 eight of them, of whom the mayor and guar- 

 dians were to be three. They were, after 

 Smith's departure, to 'conducte (cf. the Eton 

 "conduct" or hired chaplain) and hire one other 

 able person of good and honest conversacion to be 

 the Scholemaister . . . and one ussher such tyme 

 and as soone as the lands and possessions gyven to 

 the said Free Schole will supporte the charges 

 thereof,' and remove them for good and reason- 

 able causes. Then follow ' Orisons to be used 

 in the Schole.' Under this heading the boys 

 were every morning, ' ere they begin theyre 

 learninge, to saye with an hye voice whole 

 Credo in Deum patrem etc.' Probably the 

 et cetera comprised observances such as ' Ave 

 Maria ' and collects for the souls of the dead 

 better not remembered in the days of Elizabeth. 

 The elaborate provisions, however, for the obit 

 of Dame Mellers' husband and herself on 16 June 

 in St. Mary's Church are set out, because they 

 were accompanied by an expenditure of 20;. 

 ' for our soules health,' viz. 3*. to the vicar, if 

 there in person, and ' if he occupie by deputye,' 

 2*. ; to every priest of the church and either 

 clerk of the parish, ^d. ; to the mayor 6d., the 

 aldermen i^d. each, the mayor's clerk and two 

 'sergiants' 2d. each if personally present ; to the 

 parish clerks for ringing eight peels, 35. The 

 guardians were to keep ' towells, cuppes and other 

 necessary things ' for the ' celebration' of the obit, 

 and to spend on bread 2*., cheese 8d., ale is. ^d t 

 to be sent to the aldermen and others. 



The residue ... if any ... I will that yt shall be 

 distributed to the poorest scholers of the sayd Free 

 Schole to pray for our sowles and all our frends. I will 

 also, ordeyne and establisshe and straytlye enjoyne that 

 the Scholemaister and Usshers nor any of them, have, 

 make nor use, any potacions, cock-fighte or drinking, 

 with his or there wiffe at wiffes" hoost or hoostices, 

 but onely twise in the yeare, nor take any other giftes 

 or avayles whereby the Schollers or their Frendes 

 shoulde be charged, but at the playsure of the frends 

 of the Scholers, save the wages to be payde by the 

 sayde Gardyans. 



If the corporation do not do their duty, the Prior 

 and convent of the Holy Trinity, Lenton, shall 

 have 'as a ffbrfayture, the rule guyding and 

 oversight of the sayd landes tenementes and 

 Scholemaister, with all other things.' The 

 mayor, aldermen and common council were 

 empowered to make additional statutes, and to 

 repeal them at pleasure, 'as often and when 

 soever they shall thinke it most necessarye and 

 convenient,' provided they be not ' in any wise 

 contrarye or repugnaunte to the Statutes estab- 

 lisshementes and ordinaunces by me in my liffe 

 under my scale made written and determined.' 



Agnes Mellers did not long survive her ordin- 

 ance. On 10 June 1513 she made her will, 17 



"Printed in The Forester for February 1887. 



220 



