A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



preventing the pious intention of the donor, and the desertion of the city and school, it is 

 ordered that he be dismissed from the school at Midsummer day next, and to receive 10 

 yearly out of the salary of his successor towards his support during the life of the said 

 Tucker. 



The pension was afterwards increased to 20, and was not deducted from the 

 salary of Mr. Thomas Stump, his successor. 

 On 12 July, 1676, 



it being mentioned in the house that the Grammar School is neglected both by the 

 master and usher .... seeing it would be very unprecedented and unfit that any be 

 dismissed unheard, no proceedings were to be taken until articles are exhibited against 

 them or either of them. 



Probably Rainsthorp's neglect arose from his attention to clerical work, as he 

 was vicar of St. Michael's. 1 In 1686 he became vicar of All Saints and a 

 canon of Bristol Cathedral. 



On 1 1 May, 1 687, Mr. William Stephens, B.D., was appointed in his room, 

 but after only two years was followed by Mr. Wotton with Richard Wotton as 

 usher. In 1697 Robert Welstead was elected with ' condition not to take any 

 cure or appointment.' But as long as the corporation carried the fines received 

 in respect of the Grammar School estate into their own coffers instead of 

 increasing the masters' pay, the masters necessarily took every opportunity of 

 eking it out by clerical service. In 1699 the city were better advised, and 

 fines to the extent of 5 spent on repairs to the school. In 1700 they 

 expended another 100 from a similar source in a real effort to improve the 

 status of the school. On 23 August, 1700, the city resolved to pay Balliol 

 College, Oxford, this sum ' towards the buildings of chambers for the exhi- 

 bitioners to be sent from our Grammar School to that College on condition 

 that within three months Dr. Maunder does by proper instrument signify the 

 concurrence of the college.' An act of the college is accordingly entered in 

 the city books 19 November, 1700, by which the college 



promised for themselves and their successors that all the encouragement which the statutes 

 of the college allowed should be given to and all due care taken of all such exhibitioners as 

 should from time to time be sent in order to their improvement in virtue and learning. 



Welstead resigned in 1702, and was succeeded by Edward Pearce, of 

 University College, Oxford, who held office till he vacated it in 1709 'by 

 accepting cure of souls ' in the vicarage of Pilminster, Somerset. 



The ushers were very fleeting birds at this time ; Deane who had held 

 from 1697 to 1704 being succeeded by Bradford, who in 1706 was dismissed 

 for misconduct. Henry Margetts then came on probation for a year and left 

 at the end of it, then Thomas Creswick died during his probationary year, 

 and 3 November, 1708, Walter Rainsthorp, no doubt of the same family as 

 previous masters, came. 



In 1709 William Golding became master, and 12 December, 1711, 

 asked and received an augmentation of salary * of 20 a year, during the 

 pleasure of the house,' making it 80 a year in all. After seven years 

 Golding retired on being presented by the crown to a benefice. His letter 

 on resignation affords the only glimpse of the numbers of the school, which, 

 in the absence of any registers, is obtainable. He says in his seven years' 

 mastership 155 boys had left the school, of whom went : To Oxford 12, to 



1 J. Latimer, Annals of Bristol, I yth cent. 1 79. 

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