SCHOOLS 



Chancery then a highly paid official, almost Vice-Chancellor, ranking next 

 to the barons of the Exchequer. The salary of his successors, Mr. Edmonde 

 Crugley, 1579-81, Alexander Belshire, scholar of Winchester and fellow of 

 New College, Oxford, 1581-2, Henry Aisgill of Queen's College, 1582-8, 

 was cut down to the old figure of 10. The latter seems to have been a 

 successful master, as in 1605-6 an usher was started at 4 a year, but he only 

 stayed for a year and three-quarters, so that the increase of numbers which 

 demanded him must have been temporary only. Aisgill became a canon 

 of Gloucester and chancellor of St. David's Cathedral. 



William Groves or Grove, a Gloucestershire boy, of Magdalen Hall, 

 held the mastership from 158910 1612. From 1599 he combined the 

 head mastership with the incumbency of the church of St. Mary-le-Crypt. 

 In 1613 ushers began again to be appointed, and thenceforth remained a 

 regular institution. This was in consequence of a bequest in 1 6 1 1 of 

 Alderman Laurence Wilshere, who gave jTioo for the establishment of 

 an usher. The next master was Floyde, who was removed probably for 

 religious reasons in 1629. 



John Bird, who followed, was eleven years later the subject of reproba- 

 tion. In September, 1639,* Robert Bird, usher, and probably John Bird's 

 son, ' in regard he is in a kind of distraction of mind,' was removed and his 

 stipend of 20 marks (13 6s. 8</.) ordered to be bestowed * upon some other 

 able man to be chosen in his roome.' At the same meeting it was recited that 



whereas the school founded ... to teach gramer ... is at this present and for divers 

 yeeres past hath been very negligently and carelessly supplied by Mr. John Bird, school 

 maister there, in so much that very few able schollers have been sent thence to the Uni- 

 versity in comparison of other free schools, and whereas the Greek tongue and other learn- 

 inge are at this day taught in many free schools for the better instructing and fitting youth 

 for the Universitie, whereof Mr. John Langley hath given good testimony in teaching and 

 instructing many of the burgesses sonnes of this citye and others, and enabling them for the 

 Universitye, it was thereupon ordered that Mr. John Langley shalbe an assistant to the said 

 Mr. Bird to teach the Greek tongue and also shalbe usher in the roome of Mr. Robert 

 Bird. 



It was also stated that by the foundation of ' Crist School ' the schoolmaster 

 was only to have a single chamber and not have his wife and family there; 

 but Bird had in fact had all the chambers, but one and a cockloft, and kept 

 his wife and family there. He was now ordered to remove them by Lady 

 Day. On 20 September the order appointing Langley as usher was revoked 

 and he was ' elected to teach Greek and other languages and to have for his 

 stipend 40 marks.' Langley had been, as we have seen, head master of the 

 College School. How he came to be available for the Crypt School is a 

 little mysterious. But he was not long allowed to occupy his peculiar posi- 

 tion. On the following 3 January (1639-40) the corporation again returned 

 to the charge against Mr. Bird. 



Whereas divers persons of this city both aldermen and others have of late made com- 

 plaint that there is and hath been so much neglect by Mr. Bird ... in so much that they 

 shalbe enforced to withdrawe their sonnes from thence and to place them elsewhere, which 

 will turne to their great charge and the disgrace of this citye . . . and whereas the lands 

 appointed for maintenance of the said schoolmaister exceed not 20 marks, and jTio thereof 



1 I am indebted to Mr. C. H. Dancey (who has done a great deal for the history of Gloucester, in con- 

 nexion with the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society) for the extracts from the city minute 

 books in regard to the school during the Commonwealth period and onwards to 1860. 



347 



