A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



ELEMENTART SCHOOLS FOUNDED BEFORE iSoo 1 



WOTTON UNDER EDGE BLUE COAT SCHOOL. Hugh Perry, alderman 

 and mercer of London, by will (20 April, 1630) gave 8 for an usher to 

 teach writing and ciphering in the free school, but if leave could not be 

 obtained for him to teach there, then the mayor and brethren were to 

 appoint a place for him to teach in. To this the General Hospital Trustees 

 used to add 60 a year from their funds. In 1900 i 1 it was described as a 

 church school, with an average attendance of 1 1 1 children. 



MARSTON SICCA. This school was founded by John Cooper who, by 

 will (27 February, 1643) gave his house and close and 3 to trustees to 

 maintain a schoolmaster to teach 22 poor children. Described in 1901 as 

 a national school with an attendance of 79 children. 



MICKLETON. The origin of the endowment of this school was a grant 

 in February, 1512, by Richard Porter of land for the repair of the church 

 and the overplus to go to charitable uses. The Court of Chancery in Easter 

 term, 1663, made a decree, in which it was settled that 20 yearly should 

 be paid to a schoolmaster to teach the sons of poor inhabitants. By scheme 

 under the Charitable Trusts Acts 17 June, 1898, this endowment is applied 

 for prizes in, and for exhibitions from, elementary schools. 



DYRHAM : REV. WILLIAM LANGTON'S CHARITY. By will, dated 20 July, 

 1668, the Rev. William Langton gave 600, two-thirds of the income of 

 which were to be spent in schooling for poor children of the parish. 32 

 a year was paid to the schoolmaster, and 16 to a schoolmistress at Hinton, 

 which is a hamlet of Dyrham. The Rev. Peter Grand, rector of Dyrham, 

 by will 1 8 January, 1791, gave 3,000 stock for various uses, including 10 

 a year to the schoolmaster of Dyrham and a house, and 5 a year for 

 keeping it in repair. In 19001 the school was described as a church school, 

 with attendance of 61 children. 



CHELTENHAM OLD CHARITY SCHOOL. Under George Townsend's will 

 dated 14 December, 1682, 4 yearly was left to four towns, of which 

 Cheltenham was one, for teaching poor children to read. As the estate 

 improved in value the trustees paid more to the schoolmaster, who taught in 

 a school carried on over the church porch. This appears to be represented 

 by the parish church boys' school, average attendances in 1900-1, 326. 



MINCHINHAMPTON : TOOK'S CHARITY. By deed dated 21 January, 

 1698, Ursula Took granted 20 acres of arable land and 80, of which 8 a 

 year was to be spent in keeping at school 6 boys from Minchinhampton to 

 be taught to read, write, and cast accounts, and to be brought up in the doctrine 

 of the true Protestant religion. By will 9 March, 1698, Henry King left 

 the residue of his personal estate to the use of the poor of Minchinhampton 

 and Rodborough. Lands were bought and the whole profits spent on the 

 salary of a schoolmaster, who taught 8 poor boys to read, write, and cast 

 accounts, and he taught with them the 6 boys of Took's Charity. This is 

 now represented by the parochial school with an average attendance, 1900, 

 of 297. 



1 The facts as regards Elementary Schools are, unless otherwise stated, derived from the Reports of the 

 Commissioners of Inquiry concerning Charities, 1820-37, and the Board of Education Report for 1900-1. 



442 



