SCHOOLS 



Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth, for the education, erudition, and instruction of boys and 

 youths in grammar to endure for all future time ; and that school for ever to continue and endure, 

 we erect, ordain, create, found, and establish by these presents of one master or padagogue (magistro 

 seu pedagogo) and one undermaster or sub-pedagogue (hipodidasculo seu subpedagogo).' That this 

 intention might the better take effect, the queen then proceeded to create a very strange governing 

 body. 'We will and ordain that the four guardians (gardiani) of Darlyngton for the time being 

 shall be and be called governors of the said Free Grammar School and the possessions, revenues, and 

 goods of the same free school,' and the then churchwardens (modernos gardianos ecclesiz) were then 

 named as the first governors and incorporated ; it being provided that when one of them died or 

 was removed from office the twenty-four of the more approved and discreet (probioribus et magis 

 discretis) inhabitants of the town should appoint a successor. These twenty-four were not any casual 

 twenty-four, 1 but were practically a municipal corporation of the borough, or what was afterwards 

 called a select vestry ; probably originally the grand jury of the court leet of the borough. 

 A ' Twenty-four ' is found in power in Rothbury in Northumberland, and many other places in these 

 northern counties and elsewhere. The governors were given the power of appointing the master 

 and usher, and 'according to their sound discretions of removing and in their place or places 

 placing and appointing others or another more fit.' The lands granted were in Heighington, 

 Darlington, and Thornaby in Yorkshire ; all which ' were lately parcell of the late chantry called 

 Roberte Marshalles Chauntery, lately founded in the church of Darlyngton, and are now extended 

 to the clear yearly value of 5 4*. iod.' 



In the absence of any of the school books kept by the churchwardens and of churchwardens* 

 accounts before 1630, the history of the school remains almost a blank. We are told > that in 1579 

 Robert Ovington, the master, was deprived after an inquiry by two clergy, and the churchwardens 

 ordered to elect a new one ; but on what charge we are not told. Similar absence of references 

 attends the list of masters given by Longstaffe, from which we learn that Lewis Ambrose occurs as 

 master in 1587, and that Robert Hope, curate, was licensed in 1622, Thomas Hardy in 1630, 

 Richard Smelt in 1630, Robert Clerke in 1632, one Matthew Phillipp, schoolmaster of Darlington, 

 having been buried in the church 30 April, 1634, and Richard Birkbeck, 9 October, 1634. Some 

 of these names, and most of the succeeding names up to 1740, are demonstrably wrong or 

 inaccurate. Oddly enough, one of the earliest entries in the churchwardens' church books is a 

 rental of the school showing a receipt of 14 los. 4^., the income having more than doubled since 

 the charter in spite of a long lease of the ' Cheavits,' as the Thornaby property was called, for 

 eighty-one years. Next year, 1631, 6 13*. \d. was received for the half-year 'for the free 

 schoole, which we paid to Mr. Thomas Hardy, then schoolmaister, in full payment for his half- 

 yeares teaching there.' On 28 November the other half-year's rent, 6 ijs. 8d., was received, 

 ' whereof we paid to Mr. Richard Smelt, then schoolmaister, but only 5 31. iod., and reserved 

 331. iod. for the finishing out of the reparacions belonging the said free schoole.' There was also 

 an item ' for the new stauling and repaireing of the free schole.' ' Item for a pottle of wine and 

 sugar for entertaininge Mr. Smelt into the said schoolehouse 2s. ; John Ayre for firdayles (deal), 6s.; 

 glasier for mending thirteen paines of glass and for seven quarrys of glass 4*. ; one long geast (joist) 

 for great table 6s. ; studdy glass window mending i8d. ; laying the schoole house flower is. tfd. ; 

 dressing the same 2d.' With other items the total cost was 10 8s. The sack was rather wasted, 

 as Mr. Richard Smelt only stayed a year before passing on to be, as we have seen, headmaster of 

 Durham School, a passage which at least testifies to the good status of Darlington School at the 

 time. Smelt's successor was apparently Robert Clerke. 



In 1638 the churchwardens' accounts give (p. 79) 'For one quart of claret wyne when Mr. 

 Robinson went to enter of the skoule 8d.' How long Robinson continued we do not know. In 

 1640, probably because of Scotch disorderliness, the large sum of 30*. 8d. was paid (p. 103) 'for 

 glasinge the schoolehouse windowes.' Mr. Robinson received part of the school rents in 1642 

 (p. 106), and in 1644-5 was a churchwarden. In 1647 occurs the strange item 'for taking downe 

 the scholhouse 51.' In 1650 'the mason of Redwood ' was given 2s. when 'he vewed the schoole,' 

 and in 1651 (p. 142) payments to the amount of 16 gs. id. were made for the school which 

 almost amount to a rebuilding, the principal items being : ' masons 2 6s. 2d., Wrights (i.e. carpenters) 

 \ 131., and iron worke i 71.' John Cooke was paid for school wages i 6s. -]d. ; and in 1653 

 (P- '55) 'l ent to J- Cooke by consent for want of his school salary, 1.' He seems to have been 

 parish clerk and a sort of general factotum and hedge lawyer, as he was also paid 2s. 6d. ' for 

 drawing the agreement between the churchwardens and the plummer ' ; in 1654 IDJ. 'for keeping 

 the clocke,' and in 1655 (p. 168) 3*. i,d. for writing the second monthly assessment, and another 

 3*. ^d. (p. 1 70) for ' writing our (the churchwardens') accounts.' He may have acted as master 



1 As might be imagined from the version in C.C.R. xxi. 58, 'twenty-four inhabitants of probity and 

 discretion.' The corporation of Guildford were the ' mayor and approved men ' (probi homines), 

 ' preudxhommes ' of Norman French. * Longitaffe, p. 257 note. 



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