A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



inform youths and others untaught in such learning,' and they were to be 'perpetually bound 1 

 to keep school, one in grammar and the other in song in the city of Durham, in such places 

 as may be assigned by Lord Thomas, the bishop, or his executors, and to diligently teach and instruct 

 all willing to learn or study under them in the said sciences, the poor indeed freely (gratis) for the 

 love of God, if they or their parents have humbly asked for this, but taking from those who by 

 themselves or their friends are willing to pay the moderate fees accustomed to be paid in other 

 grammar or song schools.' 



Still more remarkable for those who confuse the Grammar Schools with schools merely to teach 

 choristers the minimum of psalm singing is the next provision that ' the chaplain who teaches the 

 song-school shall be bound to be present in person with a competent number of his scholars, and to 

 sing in the mass of the Blessed Virgin when celebrated with note in the church of Durham 

 or in the chapels aforesaid, but he who keeps the grammar school is only bound to attend there on 

 Sundays and feast-days.' This is exactly parallel to the arrangements at Winchester College, where 

 the Song Schoolmaster and the choristers had to attend the services daily, while the headmaster of 

 the Grammar School and the scholars only attended on high days and holidays. 



The two schoolmasters were to live together ' in the same manse (manso) or house assigned to 

 them by the bishop in the city of Durham ' to have forty days' leave of absence in the year, but 

 never to be absent both at one time, 'and always to leave a sufficient substitute to keep the schools 

 aforesaid in their absence, and duly teach and inform the scholars ' for whom, as usual at this time, 

 no holidays seem to be contemplated. The usual provisions against playing forbidden games, 

 frequenting taverns, and female society follow. Their appointment was vested in the bishop, who 

 was to have unlimited power during his life of altering or abrogating the statutes and making 

 new ones. This, coupled with the fact that his soul and the souls of his parents and benefactors 

 and not those of Neuton and Thoralby were to be prayed for, is sufficient proof that the endowment 

 as well as the foundation really came from the bishop, and that they were only his agents in the founda- 

 tion, interpolated probably because of the awkwardness of giving licences to himself. To make all 

 safe, the whole was confirmed by the king 1 8 July, 1414. 



It is clear from the terms of the Ordinance that Langley intended to give further endowment 

 to the schools than the mere 2 a year each, which was in fact paid out of the episcopal revenues, and 

 one of which sums, representing the Grammar School master's stipend, is still paid by the Ecclesiastical 

 Commissioners in respect of the episcopal estates. But no other endowment seems in fact to have 

 been given during Langley's life. William Brown, the first Grammar School master on this 

 foundation left the school for the deanery of the collegiate church of Lanchester only two years 

 afterwards, 2 and was succeeded by John Artays or Ortas ' priest and master in grammar ' there 

 were then degrees in grammar given at the Universities appointed by Langley himself 13 May, 

 1416. Three years later, 1419, Artays, besides his stipend of 2, paid as usual by W. Chancellor, 

 the bishop's temporal chancellor, receiver, and constable, on the bishop's warrant, received ^4 135. $d. 

 more from the constable 8 ' in recompense made for certain poor scholars of the said lord bishop, 

 taught by him without receiving anything for their fee.' In the same year 2 13*. 4^. was paid ' to 

 William son of John Ingleby, studying at Oxford, granted by the bishop's warrant to be paid him 

 yearly as long as the lord pleased for his maintenance (ad exhibicionem suam).' This school therefore 

 contributed undergraduates to Oxford quite independently of Durham College. 



In 1424-5* the Auditors' Rolls show Artays as still receiving 4 13*. 4^. besides the 

 endowment of 40*. When Langley died, 20 November, 1437, no further endowment had been 

 added. By will, however, 21 December 1436, he directed his executors to purchase an endowment 

 for the school, and on i February, 1438, Robert Neville, the succeeding bishop, granted them 

 licence to acquire lands to the value of 40 a year and grant them to John Artays and Robert 

 Southaryn (otherwise called Southeron), ' chaplains of the chantry of the Blessed Mary and 

 St. Cuthbert in the chapel called the Galilee in the church of Durham.' Here under a splendid 

 slab of marble reposes the cardinal-bishop himself, and from it the chantry was called ' the marble 

 chantry.' 6 After Langley's death the prior and convent raised the claim that the original foundation 

 deed of Langley required their consent, as it undoubtedly did, if the 4 annuity was really a charge 



' Capellani predict! .... perpetuo teneantur, nnus scilicet in grammatica, alius in cantu infra 

 civitatem Dunclmie, in locis ad hoc eis per Dominum Thomam episcopum supradictum vel ejus exccutores 

 assignandis, scolas regere, et quoscunque sub eis in dictis scienciis addiscere vel studere volentes diligenter 

 instruere et docere, pauperes quidem gratis pro Deo, si hoc ipsi vel parentes sui pro amore Dei humiliter 

 petierint ; ab illis autem, qui per se vel amicos suos solvere voluerunt, recipiendo stipendia moderata in aliis 

 scolis gramatice vel cantus solvi consueta.' 



3 Mickleton's MS. f. 59. This is a collection in the Chapter Library formed by James Mickleton, chapter 

 Registrar after the Civil War. 



1 Mickleton quoting the Auditor's Roll, 14 Langley. 



* Mickleton. Hutchinson, History, ii. 335. 6 Hutchinson, ii. 272. 



372 



