A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



The Minutes of the Common Council, Thurs- 

 day, 10 March 1641-2," show differences be- 

 tween master and usher : 



Maister Leeke and Maister Woodroffe. Upon the 

 hearinge of the matters of difference betweene Maister 

 Leeke, Schoolemaister, and Maister Woodroffe, his 

 Usher, Maister Leeke havinge preferred dyvers 

 articles of negligence againste him, which beinge 

 read unto him and havinge particulerly answered 

 thereunto, is nott alltogeather excusable from the same, 

 insoemuche as the Companie are nott willinge thatt 

 hee should be soe farr invested in the same place as 

 thatt he may nott be removed from the same, yett 

 this Companie are content to make a further triall of 

 him for one quarter more, in hope of amendement of 

 his negligence ; and Maister Leeke, beinge herewith 

 acquaynted, is well pleased to approve of this com- 

 panie's direction, and hath accepted of Maister 

 Woodroffe accordingly, upon hope of reformacion in 

 future ; and soe for this tyme these differences are 

 thus determyned. 



But not seemingly for long, as next year, 

 5 April 1643, ' Maister Leake ' was 'allowed by 

 this Companie to have 25*. for servinge in the 

 usher's place for this last quarter, and to gett an 

 usher withall speede, or ells this companie to 

 provide one withall speed.' 



The school went on quietly all through the Civil 

 War and the Commonwealth, Leake's services 

 being highly appreciated. '13 October 1 6/\.6. 6 " 

 Maister Leake. This company are desirous to aug- 

 ment Maister Leake his yearely fee, the Schoole- 

 maister (the Governor mooveing it this day), 

 and it is referred to Maister Leake whether hee 

 will have it in monie, or have the two Ladies' 

 Closes (that Maister Sergeant Boone held and 

 Maister Greaves) at some small yearely rent. 

 He elected money, as on 1 8 November i646, 63 

 it was agreed that he ' for his tyme, shall here- 

 after have ^40 a yeare wages, scilicet 10 a 

 quarter, the first quarter payment begininge at 

 Christmas next.' We hear little of the school 

 for ten years, when probably Mr. Leake was 

 getting somewhat past his work. 



25 April 1656 531 Maister Drewrie, Alderman, Mr. 

 Garner, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Bayly, Mr. Whitbye, Mr. 

 Sulley [and] Mr. Hawkyns are to order the busines 

 touchinge the complaynt againste the Schoolemaister 

 and usher. 



3 Aug. 1657, Monday. 64 Maister Oxley, the usher, 

 havinge peticioned for an increase of wages, this Com- 

 panie are content to add 4 per ann: to his wages 

 and to be paied him quarterly by the Scholewardens, 

 the firste quarter to begyn att Michaelmas nexte. 



19 Oct. 1657. This Companie are agreed thatt 

 Mr. Docter Tuckney shall be written unto for his 

 assistance in procuringe a Schoolemaister to supply 

 the roome and place of Mr. Leeke, deceased, and this 

 companie have promised to suspend theire voices, or 

 assents, in anie eleccion of anie other thatt may be 

 propounded to the companie untill Dr. Tuckney have 

 written unto them touchinge his indeavors herein. 



" Borough Rec. 203. " Ibid. 244. 



Ibid. 245. " Ibid. 287. " Ibid. 293. 



Dr. Tuckney was Anthony Tuckney, the 

 Master of St. John's College, Cambridge,, 

 appointed in 1653. 



1 6 November 1657. The question is, whether 

 Mr. Birttch and Mr. Pitts, commended by Mr. Dr. 

 Tuckney to be Schoolemaister, onely, or they twoe 

 and Mr. Ullocke shall bee in nominacion for to be 

 Schoolemaister. 



The 2 gentlemen commended by Mr. Dr. Tuckney 

 to be onely in elleccion to be Schoole Maister ; and 

 by the vote of the howse the greater partt have made 

 choyce of Mr. Pitts to be Schoole Maister, yf his 

 sufficientye bee approved by these gent, followinge, 

 or anie 5 of them : Collonell Pierepont, Mr. Dr. 

 Plumptree, Mr. Harcoortt, Mr. Whittlocke 



and 5 others. 



Mr. Ullock must have been some relation of 

 William Ullock, who was a Johnian, and at the 

 time head master of Repton, then in the height 

 of fame and with some 200 boys. But he himself 

 was probably not at St. John's, as he was not 

 recommended by Dr. Tuckney, and is not in 

 the St. John's Register ; but neither is Birch or 

 Pitts. The selected candidate was Pitts, Birch 

 getting his turn after the Restoration. Pitts was 

 probably the Henry Pitts who took his M.A. 

 degree from Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, in 1663. 

 The terms of his appointment are entered in the 

 Council Minutes. 



23 Nov. 1657."" Mr. Henrie Pitts, the com- 

 mittee having under theire hands approved his 

 sufficiency thereunto, beinge here in person, the 

 towne are contented to allowe him for his sallarie 

 ^40 per ann. to enter and begyn presently after 

 Christmas nexte, and a further addicion to be made 

 to him as by this companie shall bee thoughte fittinge, 

 accordinge to his diligence and paines in the same 

 place ; and onely to have 2 potacions yearely, and 

 noe more, and nott to take above \zd. a peice of anie 

 of the towne's children for those potacions, and nott 

 to preach for Hire, nor to take upon him anie 

 pastorall chardge, and nott to graunte or allowe anie 

 play dayes above one in everie moneth, besides holly 

 dales and such usuall tymes, and to give Mistris 

 Leeke a convenient tyme to remove her goods. To 

 all \vhich Mr. Pitts doth consent and hath hereunto 

 subscribed his name 23 November 1657. 



Before he arrived he got the council, 1 7 Decem- 

 ber 1657, <to ma ke an addicion of jio per ann. 

 to the ^40 formerly voted, ... to make his 

 salarie 50 by the yeare.' Mr. Oxley, the usher 

 from 1653, resigned in 1658. ' Monday 24 May 

 1658. Mr. Oxley, the usher of the Freeschoole by 

 reason of his weaknesse in his bodye, dothe freely 

 surrender his place of an Usher, and hee is to 

 have att Midsomer 6, and 6 more then and 

 6 more att Mich as - nexte. And to have free 

 libertye to teach schoole att his howse as 

 formerly, and hee demeaninge himselfe well 

 and orderly.' 



The council kept Mr. Pitts strictly to his 

 bargain not to do clerical duty. On 24 May 1658 



** Ibid. 294-5. 



230 



