A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



1586, it was resolved that 'Mr. John Bartley, 

 master of arts, shall be presented to the Bishop 

 of' Norwich for the injoying of the mastership of 

 the grammer schoole.' He gave place in 1589 

 to George Downing of Corpus Christi College, 

 Cambridge, where he had taken his M.A. degree 

 in 1577. He was grandfather of Sir George 

 Downing, British Envoy in Holland during the 

 Protectorate, and owner of the property which 

 became Downing Street, and great-great-grand- 

 father of the founder of Downing College, 

 Cambridge. 



On 29 September, 1594, Robert Brown, the 

 usher, was ' discharged for neglecting his place,' 

 and James Leman ' permitted to execute that 

 place till another usher shall be elected.' He 

 was himself elected on 1 1 April, 1595, and held 

 for nearly 10 years, when he became head master. 

 Leman was an old boy and exhibitioner from 

 the school. For on 24 March, 1583, it was 

 ordered that 



James Leman, bachelour of arts, a poore young man 

 borne in this towne being indebted at Cambridge for 

 his commencement, shall have $ paid out of the 

 towne money, and the same shall be deducted out of 

 Roger Barnys gift if by law it may soe be. 



He took his M.A. degree at St. John's College, 

 Cambridge, in 1595. As usher he was paid 20 De- 

 cember, 1595, ' for speeches upon the Coronation 

 Day made by his scollers and other charges, ^4.' 

 From 19 July, 1594, to 17 May, 1599, William 

 Johnson of Pembroke College, Cambridge, where 

 he became B.A. 1597, M.A. 1601, held an ex- 

 hibition of ^4 a year out of Mr. Barnys' gift, 

 and from 1 6 July, 1696, 'Samuel Bird, sonne 

 of Mr. Bird, minister of St. Peter's at Cambridge,' 

 was given an exhibition from the same source of 

 ^4 a year for five years. 



On 25 December, 1599, Mr. Downing the 

 schoolmaster was given 2Os. ' for making a speech 

 on the coronacion day,' meaning probably making 

 a play or oration for his boys to deliver. On 

 1 2 March, 1 604, James Leman became head 

 master, but however successful he may have been 

 as usher he seems to have been a failure as head 

 master. The corporation tried to turn him out. 

 At least that seems to be the explanation of some 

 otherwise mysterious entries in the corporation 

 books : 



10 Nov. 1606 : The houses and lands which Mr. 

 Felaw gave shall be employed according to the gift, 

 and that a master shall be provided for the schoole. 

 26 Oct. 1607 : The treasures of the Hospital from 

 time to time shall receive the rents of Mr. Felaw's 

 lands and pay the same to William Awder, selected 

 schoolmaster, by halfyeres, without warrant from the 

 bailiffs. 



The hospital was Christ's Hospital, Ipswich, 

 founded in 1569 in the vacant Black Friars' 

 house, just as Christ's Hospital in London was 

 in the dissolved Grey Friars. It was on the 

 precise model of its London prototype, being 



founded by public subscription and supported by- 

 rates, viz. a ' tonnage' on all ships coming to Ips- 

 wich ; and including poor people, orphans, and also- 

 a workhouse for vagabonds and disorderly persons. 

 In later days it also followed its model in be- 

 coming simply a charity school for poor boys, of 

 the grammar school type ; though of course the 

 Ipswich Hospital was of a lower grade. 



Awder was of Christ's College, Cambridge,. 

 M.A. 1606. On 6 June, 1608, James Leman. 



is discharged from being schoolmaster for his evill 

 behaviour and unprofitable teaching and an agreement 

 shall be sealed of the house and lands in James- 

 Leman's occupacion and of the schoole lands. 



The same day the late master ' Mr. George 

 Downing is elected master of the Grammer 

 Schoole for one yere to comme,' and this appoint- 

 ment was similarly renewed yearly till 1611. 

 But on 5 October, 1608, we read 'Mr. Leman 

 shall have the last quarter's wages and 20*. out 

 of Mr. Smart's revenues'; and on 14 August 

 next year a committee was appointed ' to debate 

 and conclude with Mr. Leman of all causes in 

 controversy betweene them.' But it was two- 

 years before peace came, and, on 30 October,. 

 1 6 1 1, Downing ceased to \selocum tenens. Then, 

 was ' Mr. John Cottisford elected master, and a. 

 writing of presentation of him shall be made to the 

 Bishop of Norwich for his allowance.' Cottisford 

 was of St. John's College, Cambridge, B.A. 1590,. 

 M.A. 1594. The usher seems to have been 

 Mr. John Corry, whose stipend was increased 

 8 August, 1614, to 20. 



On 6 December, 1616, apparently on a new 

 mastership, a general statement of the masters" 

 pay is made : 



The Grammar Schoolemaster, Mr. Eston, shall have- 

 30 per annum, viz. 24 6/. 8</. by the chamber- 

 lains as the king's stipend, ^4 out of Mr. Smart's- 

 revenewes, and 33*. \d. out of Mr. Felaw's re- 

 venewes ; and Mr. Cottisford the usher shall have 

 28 yerely, viz. 15 6s. 8J. the king's stipend, 

 5 3/. \d. out of Mr. Smart's revenewes and ^l I out of 

 Mr. Felaw's revenewes. 



Eston was of Pembroke College, Cambridge,. 

 M.A. 1593. If Cottisford was the former 

 master who had descended to the post of usher,, 

 he need not have been ashamed to take that office 

 under one so much his senior as Eston, especially 

 as his total salary of ^28 was scarcely inferior 

 to the total of ^29 13*. ifd. of the master. St. 

 John's College Register records the admission on 

 5 June, 1632, of two Lowes, sons of the rector 

 of Tendring, Essex, aged nearly 18 and 19. 

 respectively, as having been at school at Ipswich 

 under Mr. Eston. But the Ipswich records, if 

 correctly quoted by Bacon, contain the entry of 

 the election of Mr. Clarke on 22 November, 

 1630, with Mr. Woodsett as usher. Since Eston 

 appears as sending boys from Botesdale School, 

 Suffolk, in 1633, who had been under him two> 



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