A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



Churcher's College, under the will of Alderman Taunton in 1792, also 

 aimed, but not exclusively, at 'fitting children for the sea.' By a 

 scheme made in 1760, when the funds were released from a Chancery 

 suit, the boys, not exceeding twenty, were to be taught ' navigation ' and 

 1 at proper ages to be put out apprentices to masters of merchant ships 

 or to commissioned or warrant officers in His Majesty's navy.' But in 

 i825 l the school was an ordinary 'charity school,' the master only 

 engaging to teach the boys navigation, if required. As now reorganized 

 by a scheme under the Endowed Schools Acts it is a lower grade 

 secondary school of the ordinary type, at cheap fees. 



The worst fate happened to Ringwood, Lymington and Godshill, 

 which fell from their estate as grammar schools in the early part of 

 the nineteenth century, and were appropriated to elementary education 

 to save the rates or subscriptions of the landlord, the parson and the 

 farmer. 



The second quarter of the nineteenth century marked the lowest 

 ebb in the history of education. The grammar schools seemed stricken 

 with paralysis. Their methods and their matter were mistrusted out- 

 side, while within the authorities were mainly actuated by a desire 

 to keep things as they were, and to keep out what they considered 

 undesirable persons whether as governors or scholars. But this state 

 of things has changed under the schemes of the Endowed Schools and 

 Chanty Commission, and the Board of Education. Secondary education 

 of a kind as good as that in the public schools is now open to all, 

 and the schools are filling up. 



ELEMENTARY EDUCATION 



The wonderful development which has meanwhile taken place in 

 the sphere of elementary education is summarized in the following table, 

 in which the public elementary schools of the county are given under 

 the names of places arranged alphabetically. 



1 C.C.R. iii. 201. 



394 



