A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



necessary and effective protection against any 

 such action. 



The master who succeeded on Mr. Heylowe's 

 discharge was Mr. Lowe, he being paid his full 

 year's salary up to Lady Day 1593, and he had 

 for usher till 1602 Mr. Forman. Lowe's Christian 

 name is nowhere given ; so he cannot be traced 

 at the university. But in view of the local con- 

 nexion which can generally be traced in those 

 days, it may safely be guessed that he belonged 

 to the Nottinghamshire family of that name, 

 which in our time produced the famous Chan- 

 cellor of the Exchequer, Robert Lowe, Viscount 

 Sherbrooke. This Lowe held office as school- 

 master for fifteen years. In 1596 he saw the 

 school wholly or partially rebuilt, the Bridge- 

 masters' Account, 20 December I596, 36 con- 

 taining the item ' Paid Samwell Browen by 

 Maister Maier's apoyntment for worke at the 

 Free Scoole, for caringe of tymber \d. Also 

 they requeste allowance, viz., Payde to Maister 

 Jowette for the Freescoole byldyng, ji5-' 

 Towards the end of the reign of Elizabeth, 

 Lowe seems to have been accused of tender- 

 ness to young scions of the aristocracy suspect 

 of Romanism, as the Mickletorn Jury, 8 May 

 1 60 1, 37 ' present Maister Lowe, Scholmaster, for 

 that he teacheth Maister Powdrell and one 

 Maister Grene and wyll nott see the com to 

 devyne servys.' But he was pardoned (Perdonatur). 

 That is, the mayor saw no reason to proceed. 



The entry in the Bridge Wardens' Account 38 

 in 1603, ' Item to the Usher of the Free Schole, 

 2O*.,' points to a change of usher, Mr. Husseye, 

 who succeeded Forman in 1602, having given 

 place to one Robert at Lady Day 1603. His 

 successor, Braithwayte, received an increased 

 salary at the rate of ^13 a year. He commanded 

 the confidence of the town. For the council on 

 25 January 1604-5 agreed, that ' Maister Braith- 

 wayte, the usher, shall teach att some place with- 

 in a myle or 2 of the towne, yf parents will 

 board theyr children att such place ; upon re- 

 fusall whereof he shall be att libertie to go to 

 Cambridge and lyve there till he be sent for 

 hither agayne, and in the meane tyme to have 

 the contynewance of his wages.' This was due 

 to a visitation of the plague, which in London 

 carried off, it is said, though it is incredible, 

 38,000 people and was very destructive in Not- 

 tinghamshire. The school was closed for three 

 months ; at a council meeting on 8 April 1605 

 it was agreed ' that the Schooll shall be begun 

 agayne, by the favour of God, this day senight.' 



There was a drop in the salaries both of 

 master and usher in 1606. For five years after 

 1599, Mr. Lowe, the master, had received ^20 

 a year, and Mr. Braithwayte, the usher, had 

 been paid 13 a year. But on 23 June 1606 

 the following entry was made on the council 



minutes : ' Ytt ys agreed by this company, that 

 Maister Low, now Schoollmaister shall have jCiS 

 per ann : wages payable quarterly ; and Maister 

 Hall, now Usher, shall have 12 per ann: wages 

 payable quarterly ; and so to contynew upon 

 theyr good deservings.' Mr. Hall was the Rev. 

 Gervase Hall who in 1610 went on to be head 

 master of Derby School, where he reigned some 

 seventeen years. S8a On 3 April 1607 Mr. Lowe's 

 reign came to an end. 



Maister Low." Maister Low, schoolmaster, hath 

 this present day surrendred and resigned his place of 

 schoolmaster voluntarily unto this company, which ys 

 accepted with love and kyndnes. 



Maister Kynnersley, Mr. Gregory, Mr. Phips, 

 Mr. Jowett, Mr. Richd. Parker, Mr. Pynder and ye 

 wardens to see the waynscott att ye schooll and to 

 deliver theyr opinions for Maister Low's demand and 

 to consider of the convenyency of the parlour for 

 Maister Usher. 



New Schoolmaster. Maister Thomas Sowresbye, 

 elected and chosen schoollmaster, and hath taken the 

 oath of supremacye, and all voyces have passed with 

 him, so that he be of honest behaviour and contynew 

 diligent in his place and callinge. 



A little later 



28 April 1610 Maister and Usher of the Free- 

 school. This company being espetially assembled for 

 and touchinge the nominatinge and chusinge of an 

 new Usher in the place and roomth of Maister Hall, 

 late Usher, who is now to go to Darby to be Head 

 Master there, ytt is agreed as foloweth : 



First, that [blank in MS. his name was Richard] 

 Sully, here present and commended to the company 

 for his sufficyency both by Maister Soresby and Maister 

 Hall, shall be Usher, and so to contynew upon his 

 well dirservinge att the pleasure of the towne. 



And whereas, by an order formerly made, when 

 Mr. Lowe was Schoollmaster, the Usher's wages was 

 made 12 per ann : and the Head Master's 18 per 

 ann. and so 40.1. per ann : was taken out of the 

 Master's wages (which was 20 per ann:) and added 

 to the Usher (which was 10 per ann :), and this 

 was done then in respect of Mr. Lowe's declyninge 

 sufficiency, and that the Usher then was to be most 

 trusted with the discreet government of the sayd 

 Schooll and by Mr. Lowe's consent : which rate of 

 wages hath stood ever sithence ; now, forasmuch as 

 this company is well satisfyed of the sufficiencie and 

 well deservinge of Mr. Soresby, the Head Master, as 

 hath appeared by tryall of him, ... the sayd former 

 order shall be voyde, and that now from hencefurth the 

 said 4O.r. per ann : shall be fetched back agayne from 

 the Usher and annexed to the Head Master's wages, 

 as of right ytt owght, and that now from henceforth 

 the Master's wages is and shalbe 20 per annum, and 

 the Usher's 10 per annum. And hereto Mr. 

 Soresby and [blank] Sully have assented. 



Maister Hall. And the company is contented that 

 Maister Hall shall have his wages payd unto him now 

 att his departure from Our Lady Day last till this 

 day, accordinge to the rate thereof and accordinge to 



* Borough Rec. iv, 242. 



" Ibid. 262. * Ibid. 264. 



*' V.C.H. Derby, ii, 219. 

 " Borough Rec. iv, 285. 



226 



