SCHOOLS 



mediaeval formula about not doing so under stress 

 of fear or being tricked into doing it, but spon- 

 taneously and freely, we may probably conclude 

 that his resignation was an enforced one. Yet 

 he had signalized l his short term of office by the 

 publication of The English Schoolmaster, the object 

 of which was to introduce a knowledge of their 

 own language not only to grammar school boys 

 but to everyone. Thus he tells the tradesman, 

 i.e. the working artificer 



Thou mayest sit on thy shop board, at thy loom, or 

 at thy needle and never hinder thy work to hear thy 

 scholars, after once thou hast made this little book 

 familiar to thee. 



The book was so arranged, each chapter repeat- 

 ing what went before, while adding new matter 

 that ' if a child should tear out every leaf so fast 

 as he learneth, yet it shall not be greatly hurtful.' 

 So successful was the book that between 1596 

 and 1673 it went through no less than 37 editions. 

 Mr Nicholas Martin, whose signature is much 

 superior in its scholarliness to that of his pre- 

 decessor, was elected master 18 May, 1597- 

 On 17 April, 1598, the usher Edmund Aldham 

 'by reason of the sicknes and other infirmitie of 

 his body ' surrendered up his place of ' huysher ' 

 and a week afterwards, Rowland Wilson, M.A. 

 was elected. On 23 February, 1631-2, John 

 Mosse became master, and the usher's salary 

 was raised to 16 a year. A quaint article was 

 inserted by the Bury Town Council in their 

 ' constitutions ' on 18 July, 1607," directed at 

 Popish schoolmasters, which seems incidentally 

 to suggest that there were subjects such as French 

 and Spanish taught in the school of the day 

 which are rather unexpected, and at the same 

 time testify to the confidence reposed in the 

 sound Protestant principles of the grammar 

 school masters. 



CONSTITUTIONS 

 15 July, 5 James I 



1 1. To prevent the infectinge of youth in Poperie by 

 Scholemasters. 



Item that the constables of every ward within this 

 Burghe shall once every quarter of a yeare certifie the 

 Aldermen, Recorder and Justices of Peace of this 

 Burghe the names of all and every person or persons 

 that doe keepe any Schole for the teaching of youth 

 to write reade or understand the English, Latin, 

 French, Italian or Spanish tongues, upon paine to 

 forfeit for every defalt 6s. %J. and withall yt is ordered 

 that none shall be permitted to keepe a schole or to 

 teach any children to write, reade or understand any 

 of the said tongues other than the Mr. and Huisher 

 of the free gramer schole without license under the 

 hands and seals of the Alderman and chief burgesses 

 or 4 of them at the least whereof the Alderman to 

 be one, upon paine that every one putting any childe 

 to suche a scholemaster to forfeit for every weeke 

 6s. SJ. 



1 Retrospective Address, pp. 28-9. 



1 Among the Town Muniments at the Town Hall. 



John Dickinson was elected 28 September, 

 1605, 'did take the place ' on 26 March, 1606, 

 and the oath of supremacy on 17 September, 

 1606. 



Under Dickinson the school had rest over 



30 years, and was extremely successful. The 

 income of the school lands was seemingly grow- 

 ing, and the governors recognized the master's 

 services, increasing his salary (18 September, 

 1607), to ^30, and the usher's to 18. 

 On I April, 1608, the order of 1596 as to the 

 schoolmaster not having a patent was repealed, 

 and ' upon special! consideration in respect of the 

 scholemaster then being,' Dickinson was given a 

 patent for life, while athird master, Thomas Allam, 

 who was now employed, had his wages increased to 

 16. On 2 August, 1609, Rowland; Wilson the 

 usher received notice to quit at Lady Day. On 

 6 October Laurence Plumbe was elected in his 

 place, and Wilson retired, receiving his wages up 

 to Lady Day, and ' 2OJ. more for a gratuitie in 

 regard of his longe service done in the schole,' 

 some 10 years. The new usher was to live on 

 the ' benevolence of such parents as have children 

 under his tuition ' till Lady Day. A month 

 after that time Plumbe was given notice to quit 

 at Midsummer for ' very slandrous speache by him 

 uttered against one of the governors.' 



Mr. Dickinson was in much request, for on 

 4 August, 1615, 'at the instance of Sir Thomas 

 jermyn, knight, Mr. Dickinson, Highemaster 3 

 of this schoole,' had leave for a whole year from 



31 October next to ' travell into Fraunce with 

 Mr. Robert Jermyn, the eldest son of Sir 

 Thomas,' and Mr. Robert Peley, the eldest son 

 of Sir William Peley, knight ' for their govern- 

 ance and instruction.' But afterwards, on receiv- 

 ing ' a gratuity ' of 5 a year by way of addition 

 to his salary, Dickinson gave up the journey. 



Sir Simonds d'Ewes, the Puritan antiquary and 

 diarist says, under 1616 : 



It was hard to tell after I had once seen and 

 conversed with Mr. John Dickenson the upper master 

 of Bury Schools whether I more rejoiced to leave the 

 place I had been at or to settle with him. . . This 

 was the fifth school I had been at, yet certainly I 

 have profited more in this short space (ij- years) 

 under his mild and loving government than I had 

 done at 4 other schools in divers years before. I was 

 at my first coming put into a form somewhat too 

 high for me, by which means I made haste and took 

 great pains to become equal to those with whom I 

 now ranked. My employment also about half a year 

 before my departure thence to teach most of the 

 upper end (for the lower end was taught by an usher) 

 did admirably further my progress in learning, so 

 as I became able to instruct and overlook them who 

 . . . had better profited than myself at my first 

 coming to Bury. I was also able to discourse some- 

 what readily in the Latin tongue. 



* The title of ' High Master,' now known only at 

 St. Paul's and Manchester Schools, is invariably used 

 in the Governors' Register up to 1760 for the head 

 master of Bury School. 



3'7 



