SCHOOLS 



ments as Master, but why the DUTY is NOT performed, I am not acquainted.' This state of affairs 

 must have continued for some years, as Carlisle says in 1 8 1 8, ' The affairs of this school are in the 

 Court of Chancery.' 6 In 1 8 1 9 the court made new ordinances for the school. These provided 

 that writing, arithmetic, and the elements of mathematics might be taught if they did not 

 interfere with the working of the school as a classical school. The master's salary was 

 raised to 60 a year if there was enough, after paying expenses. 7 From this time the school 

 ceased to be entirely classical. When visited for the Charity Commissioners in 1867, out of 48 boys 

 only one was learning Greek ; most were learning Latin grammar, but their prepared translation 

 was inaccurate. The head master, George Airey, was not a graduate of any university, but had the 

 reputation of being a good scholar and excellent teacher. He had 1 8 boarders. 8 He was appointed 

 in 1839, and remained till his death in 1877, when the school was closed. A scheme was made 

 under the Endowed Schools Acts, 6 September, 1880, which established a governing body of eleven : 

 one appointed by the bishop of Chichester, two by the justices of the Steyning division, and three by the 

 vestry, now parish council, and five co-optatives. By them the school was revived. The ancient 

 hall of the Brotherhood of Steyning, which Holland bought for the school, is a timber fifteenth- 

 century building, and although various alterations have been made, remains much in its original 

 condition. The Jacobean porch, showing traces of the brick label over the entrance door, was 

 apparently added at the time of the foundation of the school. 9 In 1867 Brotherhood Hall is re- 

 ported 10 to be 



a crazy wooden building, which has been kept from falling by well-timed repairs. No amount of 

 money, however, spent on mere repairs would make it fit for its purpose. The dwelling-house 

 is cramped and ill-adapted for the reception of boarders. . . . The question of rebuilding the school 

 was raised at a meeting of the trustees in 1864, but was dropped. 



We may be thankful for that, as some fourteen or fifteen years later it was found that repairs were 

 possible, and in 1883 the school was reopened in the old house, with the buildings restored and con- 

 siderably enlarged but not outwardly very different. A new head master's house was added, and in 

 1897 another class-room. 



On the reopening of the school in 1883 the Rev. Alfred Harre, B.A. of London University, 

 head master of Spalding Grammar School, was appointed head master. He has a staff of three assistant 

 masters, besides two visiting, and there are about 40 boys in the school, the annual fees for day boys 

 being 8, and for boarders 40 to 42 guineas. Boys from the school have been successful in the 

 London Matriculation, University Local and kindred examinations. 



RYE GRAMMAR SCHOOL 



It cannot be doubted that a place of the commercial and maritime importance of Rye had its 

 grammar school in mediaeval times, but its mighty mass of municipal records remains, from the 

 scholastic point of view, unsearched. 



The accepted origin of the grammar school is the foundation by Thomas Peacock by will 

 dated 10 September, 1638. He was a jurat of the corporation in 1636 l and built a house on the 

 south side of the High Street, consisting of two large rooms one above the other, and with a yard 

 and fair-sized garden behind. By his will he gave these premises in trust to nine persons, one the 

 mayor, seven other jurats and one inhabitant of Rye, together with ,910 to be expended in lands 

 to create a rent-charge of ^32 a year and another rent-charge of 4 out of a tenement in Rye. 

 Having recited that his intention was to found a free school for the better educating and breeding 

 up of youth in good literature, he directed that the house should be for ever kept for a free grammar 

 school ; and the whole ^36 be paid to a schoolmaster and for repairs. 2 These directions were 

 complied with soon after Peacock's death. 



The mayor and jurats made orders for the school, providing that no boys should be admitted 

 till they could read the Old and New Testament, and that when admitted they should be instructed 

 in grammar and other good Latin and Greek authors. 3 



The first master appointed was Mr. Hartshorn, who, according to Holloway, qualified several 

 pupils for the University. 4 



The rent-charge of ^4 was redeemed in 1758 for the sum of 50, which was lent to the 

 trustees of Saunders' charity at 5 per cent, a good bargain for the grammar school. The management 



6 Carlisle, Endowed Grammar Sch. ii, 614. ' Char. Com. Rep. ii, 178. 



8 Sch. Inq. Rep. xi, 265. 



' Suss. Arch. Coll. xliii, 64. I0 Sch. Inq. Rep. xi, 265. 



1 Holloway, Hist, of Rye (1847), 401. ' Char. Com. Rep. iii, 424. 



8 Char. Com. Rep. iii, 424. ' Holloway, Hist, of Rye (1847). 



2 425 54 



