KINGSBRIDGE 43 



This Grammar School was 



Built and Endowed 1670 



By 



Thomas Crispin of the City of 



Exon, Fuller, who was born in 



This Town, the 6 of Jan: 1607-8 



"Lord what I have, 'twas thou that gavest me, 



And of thine own I this return to thee." 



There is a good dwelling-house attached to the school, 

 for the residence of the master, and accommodation of 

 pupils. In 1688-9, Thomas Crispin (who died the following 

 year) "by his will bequeathed this grammar school and 

 house, with the appurtenances thereunto belonging, to 

 trustees; and he charged an estate of his in fee, called 

 Washbearhays, in the parish of Bradninch, in the county 

 of Devon, with the payment of an annuity of thirty pounds 

 to the said trustees, for them to give five pounds thereof 

 yearly for teaching twenty-five poor children of the town 

 of Kingsbridge English; five pounds more for instructing 

 twelve poor children of the said town to write and cipher; 

 five pounds a year for repairing the grammar school, and 

 to defray the expense of collecting the money; and fifteen 

 pounds per annum, for ever, to be paid to the master of 

 the said school (such an one as shall be chosen and 

 appointed by the trustees), who is to teach at least fifteen 

 boys of the said town (grammar) ; and in case so many 

 are not to be found in that place, then the number may 

 be filled up at the discretion of the trust. He also be- 

 queathed twenty pounds, the interest of which was to be 

 expended in buying books and paper for the children of 

 the school; but this sum is said never to have been 

 received."* 



* A copy of Thomas Crispin's Will may be found in the Appendix to 

 Hawkins' History of Kingsbridge. 



