SCHOOLS 



It is difficult to know what the precise relation of these orders was to 

 certain proceedings taken at the same time in Chancery under the Elizabethan 

 statute of charitable uses. A commission was issued under the statute 1 

 on 1 6 February, 1654-5, and the inquisition taken 21 January, 1655-6, 

 before the mayor, Dennys Wise, and two aldermen, whereby it was found 

 that on the erection of the cathedral Henry VIII had given 100 o.j. i \d. 

 of its revenues 



for the pious and charitable uses hereinafter mentioned, viz. the upper schoolmaster or 

 teacher of grammar in the school there the sum of ^8 8*. 8d. for his salary, and also 

 his constant diet at the first table in the common hall of the said college, with 4 yards 

 of cloth yearly for his gown or outward garment. Afterwards, at the breaking up of the 

 said common hall of the said college, the late dean and chapter of the said church allowed 

 the said upper schoolmaster instead for salary, diet, and gown the yearly sum of 19 6s. %d. 

 The under master or usher of the school was given his constant diet at the common hall 

 and 3 yards of cloth yearly for his gown. At the breaking up of the hall he was given the 

 yearly sum of ^8. 



The said king also ordered by his letters patent that the schoole and houses of the said 

 upper schoolemaster and usher should be well and duly kept from time to time in all 

 manner of needful and necessary reparation out of the manors, lands, and revenues of 

 the said late dean and chapter, which amounted yearly by estimation to 6 gs. I id. 



The upper schoolmaster was to be paid in all ^25 161. "jd. out of the marjor of 

 Tuffleigh, then in the hands of Richard Atkins, esq. The under master's salary of 8 

 is paid out of the manor of Rudford, in the hands of Andrew Wandlea, gent. 



A further inquisition * was taken at the Tolsey, 8 April, 1 657, before Luke 

 Nourse, mayor, and others, and an order made thereon, which, after finding 

 as in the previous inquisition as to the salaries of the masters, found that ' the 

 yearly sum of jT6 gj. ^d. now given to the 4 almsmen of the cathedral were 

 to keep the schole and the houses of the said cheife or head schoolemaster 

 and usher from time to time in all manner of neadful and necessary repara- 

 tions.' The sums due were now ordered to be paid, and in response to a 

 request from the jury that ' the Commissioners should sett downe such orders 

 whereby the said Upper Schoolemaster, usher, almsmen, and poor may be 

 elected, nominated, and appointed to have and receive the said several allow- 

 ances,' on 22 May, 1657, the commissioners made a kind of scheme. They 

 decided that ' the mayor and 5 senior aldermen and the town clerk should be 

 governors of the said Free Grammer or Colledge Schoole ' ; on the death of 

 any of whom others were to be chosen in their place. William Russell, who, 

 as we have seen, had already been in office some fifteen years, was to be 

 elected * chief master in the schoole so long as he behaves well,' and William 

 Bennet ' to be inferior master or usher.' In case of death or misdemeanour 

 on the part of either, the majority of the governors c can elect and 

 nominate fresh men in their place, and have the power to remove or displace 

 one of them if they have lawful and just right for so doing.' Anthony 

 Edwards, the receiver, was to pay them, and the governors were to meet ' in 

 one of the rooms or places, commonly called the Vestry or the Library, 

 or the Chapter house, or some other convenient place within the precincts 

 of the colledge.' 



Next year the city obtained from the second Protectorate Parliament an 

 Act, which appears now to be recorded nowhere except in an Inspeximus of 



1 P.R.O. Chancery Petty Bag. Inq. bdle. 23, No. 6, 1656. 

 1 Ibid. bdle. 24, No. 3, 1657. 

 2 329 4 2 



