A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



and admitted by the Ordinary, but allso for his good behaviour, conversacion and diligency 

 in teachinge well liked of the town. But we have no decent and convenient house, wherein 

 our Schole may be kept ; for the Abbey being suppressed our Scholehouse was taken awaye, 

 and sythence that tyme we have had none but upon sufferance. 



Another commission was issued next year, 4 July, 1571. To this the 

 bishop made return 6 October, 1571,* that Edward Stratford, John Turner 

 and Richard Parsons, sworn, said that the stipend of 10 had been paid to the 

 schoolmaster of Winchcombe, and the school kept from the beginning of 

 the queen's reign, and the schoolmaster ' has been at all times a man well 

 learned and of honest conversacion.' 



Item, the schole house is in a decent and convenient place but is not of dutie but of 

 sufferance and frendschipp. 



Item, the eleccion and placeynge of the Scholemaister is at the discretion of the baylies 

 of the towne and other of the honest and substantiall men ther and att the confirmacion 

 of the bishopp. 



The returns seem to have been regarded as satisfactory, as thenceforth 

 the stipend of the master was regularly paid by the Crown Receiver down to 

 the Civil War. A return 2 of the year 1651 to Parliament stated that 



the said stipend hath bin constantly paid to the schulemaster there for the time being from 

 yeare to yeare out of the revenues of the said county of Gloucester by the receivers thereof 

 untill the feast of St. Michael the Archangel 1650, except only for half a year ended at 

 Michaelmas 1642 and one whole yeare ended at Michaelmas 1643 m which time it was not 

 paid by reason of their troubles. 



Unfortunately the master's name is not stated. 



The King's School was apparently rebuilt after the Restoration, as there 

 is preserved in the Parish Chest a copy of articles dated 5 June, 1671, made 

 between the two bailiffs and I o other persons, ' on the behalf of themselves 

 and the rest of the township of Winchcomb aforesaid,' with ' Henry Thorne, 

 late of Oxford, Batchelor of art and now elected School master of his majestie's 

 free school in Winchcomb.' 



As the schoolhouse was built at the cost of the town, ' the said Bayliffs 

 and others having the disposal thereof granted that Thorne should hold it as 

 long as he continued schoolmaster . . . ' keeping the said schoolhouse and 

 mounds about the garden and yard ' in repair. Thorne on his part 

 covenanted to 'teach and instruct 10 freeschollars as shall be presented 

 unto him by the bayliffs for the time being and their successors together 

 with the former bayliffs or any six of them.' Similar agreements were made 

 with Edward Rainsford in 1715 and Thomas Skealer in 1726 and Benjamin 

 Roberts on 4 January, 1732, all of whom were also vicars. 



Meanwhile, in 1621 Francis Lady Chandos built in Nicholas Street a 

 free grammar school with rooms for a school and schoolmaster, who should 

 be * appointed according to the tenor of a certain feoffment made by her for 

 the education .... of 14 children of the town of Winchcombe, as schollers 

 in the said schole, as well in the science of grammar as in other learning fitt for 

 their years to be instructed in, and that under such order and form of 

 government as in the said feoffment was expressed.' The deed in question 



1 Exch. Spec. Com. No. 868, 1 3 Eliz. 



1 P.R.O. Aug. Off. Particulars for Sale of Fee farm rents. 



422 



