A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



of the Bartholomewes in Bristow towardes the mayntenaunce of the Free Scoole and to 

 make a Library in suche place as Sir John Barloo, late Deane of the dissolved howse and 

 college of Westbury-upon-Trym, John Drewis and Fraunces Codrington of Bristow afore- 

 said, merchauntes, shalle thincke most best or meatest, with the master of the said Bartholo- 

 mews, ^30 sterling. And more I geve and bequeth all such bookes as I have meete for the 

 said lybrary, more my ostrolobia whiche is in the keping of John Sprint, potticary, with 

 cartes and mappis, with such instruments as in my howse belonging to the science of 

 astronomy or cosmografia. 



This establishment of a school library with scientific instruments marks 

 Nicholas, like his brother Robert, as a man much in advance of his age in 

 learning and science. As late as 1687 a catalogue of the books shows that 

 most of them were preserved, together with a pair of globes with covers. It 

 is to the disgrace of later masters and later members of the corporation, in 

 times which pride themselves on being more advanced and greater lovers of 

 learning and conservers of antiquity, than those who reformed the monasteries 

 or made the Civil War, that not a single one of these books is now forthcoming. 

 The founder's astrolabe and instruments, worth hundreds or thousands of 

 pounds to anyone who knew anything about the value of such things, were 

 dispersed at a sale and acquired by a porter for a few shillings. 



These were not all the gifts Nicholas Thorne gave the school. ' More I 

 geve to the garnisshing of altars, vestments, aulter clothes and for the glasyng 

 and reformyng of the windowes of the said churche and scoole whereas it is 

 neade full 36 13^. 4^.' 



He also gave 20 to be paid by the advice of the ex-dean and others 



and of John Harris, Scolemaister of the saide scoole, to reteigne lerned counsell to assign and 

 convey the landes belongyng to the said Bartilmewes to the chamber of Bristow of and for 

 the assurance and contynuance of the saide Free scoole and I will that the said chamber to 

 be bounde for the parfourmaunce of suche covenauntes as shall be thought most convenient 

 or necessary for the establishment and contynuance of the same. 



Mr. Barlow the ex-dean of Westbury was specially given 40^. and 5 in money 

 to apply his mind to this and 



to see that the said ordynaunces and rulis for the saide Free Scole of the Bartholomews in the 

 said citie of Bristow be made to bring upp youth in vertuous customes and manners as well 

 as in theare learning according to the very intent and true meaning of my saide brother 

 Robert Thorne. 



More than this. He gave his children the residue of his estate, which 

 must have been enormous, since he gave specific legacies of 100 marks and 100 

 ounces of plate ' halfe gilt and halfe parcell gilte ' to each of his seven 

 legitimate children, four sons and three daughters, and ' if any of them 

 died under age the share was to go to the howse of the Bartholomews towards 

 the building and purchasing of landes for the mayntenaunce of the Free 

 Scuole there.' 



This will was proved at Lambeth 15 October, 1546. It was very bad 

 for the school that Nicholas Thorne had not carried out the conveyance 

 himself. Very odd were the means adopted to carry it out by his successors. 

 The legal estate in the lands descended to Nicholas's eldest son Robert, who 

 died without issue, when it passed to Nicholas the second son. He claimed 

 the property as his own, the recovery having been suffered to Nicholas the 

 elder and his heirs. A compromise was effected by a deed of 1 5 February, 1558,. 



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