A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



Eattersby, i6 July, 1666.' This is somewhat mysterious, as authentic documents show Elias Smith 

 in full possession of the headmastership in 1653. Mickleton, being then only a boy, must have been 

 in ignorance that Elias Smith was not displaced by the Parliamentarians from the school. Whether 

 it was that he was dispossessed of his new vicarage of Bedlington, or for what other reason, certain it 

 is that he returned to Durham School and received a more liberal salary there from a more liberal 

 government than all his previous pluralities had given him. While the chapter had never increased 

 the statutory stipends of ;^io to the headmaster and £b 13J. ^d. to the usher by a stiver, we find the 

 Parliamentary Commission 1 ' for the Propagation of the Gospel in the four Northern Counties ' order- 

 ing, 31 March, 1653, that ' parcell of the rectory of Heighington, of the yearly value of ;^20, be 

 hereby settled upon Mr. Elias Smyth, head master of the Free schoole of Durham, for increase of 

 maintenance, hee being a very able and painfull man, and the schoole very great and considerable, 

 and the present allowance but about ;^20 per annum ; and he is hereby seised of the same and fully 

 impowered to demand take and receive tythes out of the said rectory to the yearly value aforesaid.' 

 George Vane and Henry Ogle headed the signatures of commissioners. An earlier order of the same 

 body had given John Duty, the usher, an augmentation of £(> 13X. ^d. out of the tithes of Hedge- 

 field. On 25 December, 1655, the trustees for augmentations of livings, finding that jr20 was two- 

 fifths of the rectory of Heighington, ordered two-fifths of the rectory to be paid to him. On 

 10 February, 1656, after the Act for the abolition of deans and chapters, which had directed 

 the maintenance of all charities out of the chapter estates, Elias Smith was called upon to produce the 

 local statutes of the cathedral. On 23 June Robert Fenwick and Mr. Anthony Smith, alderman of 

 Durham, and others approved by them were ' intrusted to supply the Free schoole of Durham .... 

 with schollers duely qualified according to the Foundation, and for the payment to them of their 

 severall pencions.' On 12 February, 1656, the arrears claimed on behalf of the ' schoolemaster, 

 schollers and almesmen,' payable by the late dean and chapter, due since I April, 1653, when the 

 Act for the Propagation of the Gospel expired, were ordered to ' be satisfied and paid.' 



In 1657 ^■'- Edward Thurkeld, described as ' Schoolmaster of Durisme,' complained that 'hee 

 cannot receive the sum of ^^lo a year to him due, and which ought to be paid him out of the profits 

 settled by former order of the trustees.' He was apparently the second master. Mr. William 

 Harrison, the receiver, was ordered 'to certifie what the obstruceion is.' On 28 June, 1658, the 

 mayor and aldermen prayed allowance of the ' augmentation granted to Mr. Smith, Schoolemaster 

 of the Grammar Schole in Durham,' and it was ordered that on production of the former order it 

 should be paid. 



The Commonwealth College of Durham 



A far greater educational work than the mere augmentation of the stipend of the masters of the 

 school was in contemplation, and in part actually accomplished by the Commonwealth. In view of 

 the dissolution of deans and chapters by Act of Parliament of 30 April, 1649, "^'^^ county of Durham 

 on 24 April,2 and again, after its passing on 20 August, petitioned Parliament for the creation of a 

 college of learning in their place. Sir Henry Vane, of Raby Castle, was, no doubt, earnest on their 

 behalf, for he was instructed to inform the petitioners that the House had entertained their request. 

 But the alarums and excursions of the war prevented anything more being done then. Another 

 petition was sent in 1652. But it was not till a fourth petition was presented to Oliver Lord 

 Protector, which was received by the Council on 5 July, 1657,8 that anything was done. Then a 

 committee of the Council reported that 'such persons as His Highness shall think fitt be impowered 

 as trustees for founding and erecting of a college, and that the houses of the late dean and prebends, 

 formerly reserved from sale, be vested in the trustees for the use of the college ; and ^[283 4J. j^d. a 

 year out of the livings of the same chapter be allowed by way of augmentation to three able and 

 godly preachers to be members of the said college, and ;{^II7 u. S'^- reserved on tiie lease of the 

 manors of Wickham and Gate-side, heretofore belonging to the Bishopp, be paid towards erecting 

 and maintaining it, and after the expiration of the lease ;^500 a year to the college and provost and 

 fellows there.' Commissioners were appointed to make statutes, and a letter sent to the mayor and 

 aldermen of Durham to 'set out so much of the cathedral as shall be necessary for a chapiiell and 

 schooles.' Letters patent were issued on 15 May, 1657, founding tiie college, to consist of a 

 provost, two preachers or senior fellows, and twelve fellows, of whom four were to be professors, 

 four tutors, and four schoolmasters, apparently in the Oxford sense of ' masters of the schools,' as the 

 free school was to be att.ached to the college under its existing masters. License in mortmain to 

 .tcquire lands up to /^6,000 a year was granted. In the college there were to be twenty-four scholars 

 nnd twelve exhibitioners. The first provost was to be Philip Hunton, M.A., of Wa.lham College, 

 Oxford. 1 here were to be iniicty-onc visitors for the year and eleven country gentlemen permanent 

 visitors. An appeal lay from them to Chancery. The college was actually formed, and at once 



' Lambeth MSS. Aug. of Livings, 972. » Durham Uiiivmiiy, p. 16. 



* Lambeth MSS. Aug. of Livings, 977, f. 77. 



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