A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



been appointed for some years after Lancaster's bequest. For though 

 the Holy Ghost Gild accounts for 16189 contain a payment of '16.;. 

 for a pue (pew) for the Usser to sit in,' the Skinners' minute books 

 contain an entry under date 13 November, 1619, that a letter was read 

 from Mr. J. Mason, schoolmaster, asking ' that the arrerages of 4 might 

 be conferred on him.' They were not given him, but it was ordered that 

 it ' should be ymployed in publique books for the benefit of the schollers 

 of the said schole ' and afterwards it should be paid to Mr. Mason ' hee 

 continewing painfull in his callinge.' By what right the 4 a year given 

 to the master or usher was thus applied to buying books for the 

 scholars is not clear. The gild accounts in 1620 give an inventory of 

 books ' given by the Worshipful Company of Skinners, London,' with a 

 note that these books were bought with 4 which ' should have binne 

 paid to the Usher if there had binne one, and because the schollers had 

 no Usher to benefitt them, therefore it was thought meet it should be 

 layed out upon bookes for the use and benefit of the schollers, which are 

 these bookes here above specified.' The appointment of the usher 

 having been vested by Lancaster's will in the bailiffs and burgesses or 

 corporation of Basingstoke, and the stipend of 16 a year being paid 

 through them, both appointment and payment would appear in their 

 accounts and not in those of the gild. What became of the usher's 

 full pay of 16 a year does not appear. Presumably it fructified in 

 the pockets of the Corporation of Basingstoke. The next year an usher 

 appears in the account. From this date there was a regular succession 

 of ushers, though their names are not all ascertained. 



The list of books given to the school in 1620 is of some interest 

 showing that Greek was taught in the school, though only, it would 

 seem, of an elementary kind. 



In 1621 the school became the subject of proceedings in Chancery, 

 when a commission 1 was issued under the Statute of Charitable Uses 

 owing to the withholding of some of the endowments. 



During the rest of the mastership of John Mason things seem to 

 have gone smoothly. His place must have been much pleasanter after 

 Lancaster's bequest had nearly doubled his salary, besides providing a 

 second master. In his will made 16 September he describes himself 

 simply as gentleman. His bequests to his son show that he was 

 possessed of considerable landed property in Basingstoke and Wildbore, 

 while a daughter and another son were given legacies of 200 apiece. 

 He was buried in Basingstoke Church 18 September, 1639. 



Under an Inquisition of Charitable Uses 3 held at Winchester on 13 

 September, 1642, before Sir Henry Clarke and William Kingsmill, it 

 was found that Thomas Hall, reputed alderman, and Richard Brackley 

 and Richard Woodrofe, wardens of the gild, and fifteen others, including 

 the Marquis of Winchester and Sir Henry Wallop, brethren, had been 



1 Petty Bag, Inq. of Charit. Uses, Commission to Bishop of Winchester, Sir Benjamin Tichborne 

 and nineteen others. Bdle. 9, No. 3. 



2 Petty Bag, Inq. of Charit. Uses, Bdle. 14, No. 21. 



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