A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



The later certificate 1 of 1545 shows us that the endowment of the 

 school, through being part of the Winchcombe Abbey property, though in 

 trust, had been confiscated to the crown. 



The chauntry or servyce of our Ladye. 



The clere yerely value, 1 1 8s. ^d. 



Thomas Taylour, Incumbent, hath for his yerely Stypend, 7. 



A Bchole taught by htm at this presente. 



Continuatur the schole with the accustumed wages quousque. 



Memorandum : that this said towne of Cyrencester is an Auncyent Boroughe Towne. 

 The greate numbre of People and the contynuall Accesse of the greater nombre Repay- 

 ringe to the same Towne consydered, The Inhabytantes there are moste humble sutours, that 

 it maye please the Kynges Maiestie and His mooste Honorable Counsell to lett theim hau 

 therin stablysshed some learned man to teache a Grammar Scole for the vertuouse bryn- 

 gynge vp of the youth there aboutes, where are many chyldren which heretofore haue 

 been very rudely, ignorantly, and for lacke of suche a teacher, symplye brought vp, and 

 withoute knowlege, tyll within these three yeres Paste, sythens which tyme the afore- 

 saide Parishoners, with their whole asseiites, dryven therunto of grete necessytie, did 

 appoynte one of the abouesaide servyces in their saide Churche, called our Ladye servyce, 

 to be conuerted to the Kepinge of a Scole, And the Incumbent therof, named (as is 

 aforesaide) Syr Thomas Taylour, hath very diligently applyed him self in teachinge of 

 childrene, and hath hadd for his Salarye yerely jCj and his Mansion howse. 



In whiche saide Towne, till the Dissolucion of the Monasterye of Wynchecome, 

 there was Graunted and payed oute of the same Monasterye one yerely Pencion of i o 

 to and for a Free Scole there, to be maynteyned and Kept ; sythens the Dissolucion of 

 whyche Monasterye the same yerely pencion of jio hath been withdrawen, and not payed, 

 vnto the grete discommodytie of the same Towne of Cirencester. 



At the end of this certificate, which is not one of the regular certifi- 

 cates made by the Chantry Commissioners, but a sort of abstract or report on 

 further inquiry made by Thomas Sternehold, ' partycular Surveyour ' for the 

 county, is a recommendation. ' Places for Grammer Scoles to be newly 

 erected. The townes of Newent, Cirencestour, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham in 

 the aforesaid countie of Glouceter.' 



Meanwhile the school was continued by warrant of the Chantry 

 Commissioners for Continuance of Schools, signed by Sir Walter Mildmay, 

 20 July, 1548.* 



Accordingly we find in the Ministers' Accounts 8 in 1547-8 the item of 

 7 paid to Thomas Taylor, schoolmaster (ludi magistrd) of the grammar 

 school founded by our Ladye Chantry in Cirencester, by virtue of a warrant 

 signed by Walter Mildmay one of the commissioners and supervisors of the 

 Court of Augmentations. The same payment is continued throughout the 

 reign of Edward VI and down to Michaelmas, 2 Philip and Mary 1534.* 

 The payment then ceases. The Roman reaction among other things put a 

 stop to the Court of Augmentations, and apparently the Court of Exchequer 

 refused to pay any of the schoolmasters continued by these warrants unless 

 and until they sued for them in the Court of Exchequer, where they do not 

 appear to have got them, except on proof of orthodoxy and by way of a new 

 grant. 



The school, however, seems to have been continued by means of another 

 chantry endowment which escaped the Chantries Act. It was stated in 

 some legal proceedings in 1587 that, after Thomas Taylor, one Baker was 



1 A. F. Leach, Engl. Sch. at the Reformation, 84, from Chant. Cert. 23, No. 40. 



' Exch. L.T.R. 2 Eliz. Hil. pt. i, R. 6. ' P.R.O. Mins. Accts. 1-2 Edw. VI, 107. 



4 Land Rev. Rec. Accts. 1-2 Phil, and Mary, bdle. 28. 



390 



