A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



Besides this there was the White House in Houghton, which Gilpin had bought for i 5, and 

 a close in Wolsingham for 4.4., which are mentioned as not ' surely annexed ' to the school at the 

 date of the will, no doubt the copyhold cottage and garden in Houghton, surrendered to Heath and 

 Gilpin, 1 6 January, I576. 1 



The ' hospital ' was not established till after Gilpin's time, except to the extent of the small 

 payments for the poor of 4 6s. 8d. out of the school lands. The school itself was well established 

 before, on 29 May, 1575, William Birche, ' pastor of Stanhope,' gave by will 3 'to the poorest 

 schollars of the Lattyne speiche in the grammar scholle in Durham and Houghton 40*., to 20 2s. 

 a peice.' On 3 February, 1577-8, at a visitation by Robert Swift, chancellor, for the bishop, 3 

 Robert Copperthwaite, ' ludi magister,' and Adam Dowson, ' subpedagogus,' appeared in person ; 

 and Copperthwaite also appeared as curate there. These, then, were the first masters of the school. 

 Copperthwaite came from Gilpin's Westmorland home, and was a scholar of his old college, Queen's 

 College, Oxford. He did not stay long, as in July, 1578, he appears at a visitation as rector of 

 Ellingham, in Northumberland, a living in the patronage of the dean and chapter, which Gilpin 

 obtained for him. At the date of Gilpin's will, Mr. Christopher Rawson (who has been misread 

 into Ranson) was ' scholemaister,' and ' Frauncis Reisley usher,' and he gave 201. apiece to each of 

 them. Rawson was a Durham boy, scholar of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1564, and fellow when he 

 took his B.A. degree, 15 October, I5&8. 4 Risley had matriculated at St. Edmund's Hall, 

 2O July, 1578. By the will Gilpin also gave 'to everie scholler dwellinge within my house 3</., to 

 everie scholler of the parishe cominge usuallie to the schole I2d., and allso to schollers of other 

 parishes I gyve to everyone 8d.' Half of the ultimate residue 'I will that it be bestowed in 

 exhibitions upon the schollers and studentes in Oxenford hereafter named by the discretion of my 

 executors to consider who is most needfull.' Nine names are given, one being Francis Reisley, 

 presumably the usher ; another George Carlton, Gilpin's nephew, who became canon of Durham 

 and bishop of Chichester, and wrote Gilpin's life ; and another Henry Airay, Aray, or Airey, who 

 was a relation of Gilpin and the son of his steward. Gilpin died 4 March, 1583-4, and his will 

 was proved 16 May, 1584. 



It is said 6 that 'the earliest and only set of statutes extant bears date 1658, under the signature 

 of Richard Bellasis, then a governor." In a chancery suit in 1750 Lord Chancellor Hardwicke 

 refused to admit the validity of the statutes produced because they were not signed. 



There is, however, little doubt that the statutes, a copy of which is now in the possession of 

 the rector of Houghton, 8 are taken from a draft by Gilpin himself, though in the absence of any 

 seal, and in view of the decision of Lord Hardwicke, they appear to be of no legal force. 



They provided that ' when Keepier Schole in Houghton doth want a master, the governors of 

 the said schole may send to Mr. Provost of Queen's College in Oxford, and by letters request him 

 that he would provide some Northerne man in any wise maister of art, either in his own house or 

 some other, learned, and of good life and condition.' 



The first duty of the master was to see that ' his scholars frequent divine service on holy dayes, 

 with godly bookes to looke on, and for that purpose he shall read unto them the catechismus Greeke and 

 Latine appointed for all scholes,' and that in church they were not ' troublesome in talkes and jingling.' 



School was to begin at 7 a.m., and ' till eleaven of clock none shall depart from thence, either 

 to breakfast or for any other cause, without special license. ' ' Item, as he shall orderly read his 

 lessons before noone, so shall he carefully look to the repetitions thereof after dinner, till five o'clock 

 in winter and six in summer. On Fridays he shall take renderings of all the week's lessons ; and 

 as they said memoriter and construed nightly before, soe he shall now see them done perfectly, 

 without stopping or stammering, and in every wise at all times marke that one scholler prompt not 

 another. Againe, on this daye he must receive their exercises, be they short or long, and 

 amend the faults in them.' 



The master was to have ' no dayes of libertye to go abroad, above 40 in one yeare. He 

 shall meddle with and occupye noe other temporall livings, but be contented with his schole stipend.' 

 He had the letting of the property 'the Gylie tythes,' but was not to let for more than three years, 

 reserving rent enough to make the whole income 20 a year. A curious provision is that ' the 

 maister shall not take upon him the state of marriage unless he have the consent of both the 

 governors in writing under their hands, and the common scale of the schoole, with two justices 

 besides of this county named by the governors. If he proceed with their consent to marry he shall 

 have the White House in Houghton for his wife and children to dwell in . . soe that all the dayes 

 which he bestoweth upon them shall be reckoned of his 40.' 



The usher was not allowed to be married at all, and had only thirty days' absence. ' He shall 

 not be given to wanton company nor to playes,' but to ' spend his leisure conferring with the best 



1 Endowed Charities, p. 48. * Eccl. Proc. of Bf. Barnes (Surtees Soe.), cxi. s Ibid. p. 47. 



* Foster's Alumni Oxoniensis. 6 Surtees, Hist, of Dur. i. 159. 



6 Printed by Mr. Coore, in Durham Endowed Charities, pp. 44, 45. 



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