A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



it by Oliver, Lord Protector, dated 4 August, 1657, preserved among the 

 city muniments. The Act was made in the Parliament begun 17 September, 

 1656 : 



Be it enacted by his Highness the Lord Protector and the Parliament now assembled 

 and by the authorise thereof that the late Cathedralle or Colledge church in the city of 

 Gloucester and all the utensills thereof, with the Cloysters, Library and Free Schoole howse, 

 and also those two severall howses or tenements with their appurtenances wherein the 

 Schoolemaster and usher of the said Free Schoole there doe now inhabite and dwell, to- 

 gether with so much of the church goods and waste grounds adjoynyng (not already sold) 

 .... shall henceforth be and remayne and are hereby enacted to be vested, settled and 

 remayne henceforth in the real and actual possession and seizure of the Mayor and Bur- 

 gesses of the said city of Gloucester and their successors for ever To and for the publique 

 worship of God, the educacion of children in learninge and for such other publique religious 

 and charitable uses and noe other as to them .... shall from time to time seeme most 

 necessary and convenient. 



Well would it have been for the school if this Act had never been 

 brought to naught after three years by the Restoration, for under it the city 

 showed every disposition to behave generously by the school. On 1 1 June, 

 1657, they directed the stewards to ' take care for the removing of the scales 

 in St. Michael's Church and placing them fitt for the scholars of the two 

 schools in this city so as the charges do not exceed 40^.' 



' Mr. William Russell, school master of the Colledge was buryed 9 July, 

 1659, aged 42 years' in St. Michael's. On 13 April, I66O, 1 it was ordered 

 that the receiver of Gloucestershire ' doe informe himselfe how much of the 

 arreares of the salary due unto Mr. Russell late schoolemaster of the free 

 schoole in Gloucester were unpaid unto him at the time of his death as well 

 as of what was in pay unto him by order of the Trustees.' It is to be 

 hoped that his family got the money. At all events they were looked after 

 by the city council, who on 2 1 July agreed ' that Mrs. Russell the widow 

 and relict .... shall have 20 nobles by the year allowed unto her and 

 her children out of the chamber during the pleasure of this house.' Thus 

 the city did what the chapter had never thought of doing, and gave a pension 

 to the master's widow and children. 



The next master was Mr. Benjamin Master. He had been a boy at 

 Westminster School, then in the very height of its fame, and a Westminster 

 student at Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated 29 November, 1633, 

 and became M.A. 21 June, 1640. He was thus about twenty-five years old. 

 He had apparently been master at Newark upon Trent Grammar School, an 

 ancient school mentioned in the thirteenth century, and with a good endow- 

 ment given by a successful cleric-diplomatist Archdeacon Thomas Magnus, 

 in 1545. In these days it is to be feared, it would not be regarded as pro- 

 motion to go from Newark to Gloucester School. On 7 November, 1659, 

 the Gloucester Corporation ' agrees that Mr. Benjamin Maister, schoolmaster 

 of the colledge House shall have' 12 'towards the charges of removal of 

 his household and household stuff from Newark upon Trent to this city.' 

 As 'cheife master ' he was to have 10 per annum and Mr. Bays, usher, 5 

 per annum ' out of the chamber .... for their encouragement in their 

 employ,' in addition of course to their stipends from the chapter revenues. 

 But poor Master had the trouble of his removal for nothing. With the 



1 Lambeth MSS. Aug. 989, fol. 190. 

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