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SCHOOLS 



His successor was the present head master, the Rev. F. S. Williams, of Jesus College, Cam- 

 bridge, formerly assistant master at Rugby School. He has a staff of 1 2 assistant masters, graduates 

 of the universities. There are now some 180 boys, of whom about 150 are boarders. 



A great feature of the school is its rifle corps, which is the largest of any public school in 

 proportion to its numbers. 



CHRIST'S HOSPITAL, WEST HORSHAM 



On 29 May, 1902, the schools of Sussex were reinforced by the greatest of them all, through the 

 removal from its narrow precincts in the Grey Friars, London, of the essentially civic institution of 

 Christ's Hospital to the spacious area of 1,181 acres, of which the school grounds occupy 125 acres, 

 lately the property of the Aylesbury Dairy Company, at West Horsham. 



The story of Christ's Hospital in its former abode is part of the story of London, not of 

 Sussex ; and must be reserved for the London volumes of this history. Suffice it here to correct 

 the tradition that has been for long current and which was emphasized in the speech at the laying 

 of the foundation stone of the present buildings by the Prince of Wales in 1898, wherein it was 

 stated that the hospital was founded 



by the saintly King Edward VI who besides assigning it a site in the city of London . . . with 

 his own hands inserted in the charter power to take lands in mortmain, which has enabled the 

 munificence of subsequent benefactors to provide for nearly three and a half centuries for the nurture 

 and education of children. 



The historian of Cambridge University, Mr. J. Bass Mullinger, 1 included Christ's Hospital 

 among the ' upwards of 30 Free Grammar Schools founded at this time ' which ' have permanently 

 associated the name of Edward VI with popular education.' 



In point of fact, in no real sense did Edward VI found Christ's Hospital, he did not write the 

 licence in mortmain with his own hand, and it was certainly not founded as a free grammar school. 

 On the contrary, Christ's Hospital is a unique foundation in origin and history. Almost alone 

 among the ancient public schools of England it was the product not of any single benefactor's 

 benefaction, but the result of an organized public subscription and more or less voluntary rate ; and 

 that not for a grammar school at all, but for a foundling hospital and ragged school for gutter 

 children of both sexes. The contribution of Edward VI to it consisted of an impression of the 

 great seal attached to a piece of parchment, some confiscated church linen and his name. Its very 

 site and buildings were not the gift of Edward VI but a purchase from Henry VIII, and it never 

 derived a penny of income from the property comprised in the charter of Edward VI, which went 

 entirely to the other ' Royal Hospitals ' included in it. The site and buildings, the dissolved 

 monastery of the Grey Friars was, in fact, granted to the city of London by Henry VIII by deed 

 and charter of foundation of 27 December, 1547, with licence in mortmain up to 1,000 marks, or 

 666 13*. ifd. a year, to be a collegiate church consisting of a vicar, a 'visitor of Newgate' or 

 prison chaplain, and five curates or chantry priests. The city getting the Grey Friars gutted the 

 church and leased the buildings. 



In 1551 Lord Mayor Dobbs and a committee devised a plan ' to take out of the streets all the 

 fatherless children and other poor men's children that were not able to help them, and bring them to 

 the late dissolved house of the Grey Friars, which they devised to be a hospital .... but lest the 

 children being taken from the dunghill might infect one another. . . . Finsbury Court was to be a 

 refuge in time of sickness' while 'the sucking children .... should be kept in the country.' 

 At that time the Grey Friars ' stood empty, only a number of hores and rogues harbored therein at 

 night, saving the vicar of Christ Church.' 



Repairs were begun 26 July, 1552, and it was furnished. The king by warrant directed 

 that ' all the linen belonging to the churches of London should be delivered .... for the use of 

 the poor, reserving sufficient for the communion table, with towels and surplices for the ministers,' 

 but even this was mostly used for St. Thomas's Hospital, which the city bought for the good round 

 sum of 2,461 2s. 6d. or some 50,000 of our money. 



In November, 1552, 380 children taken out of the streets were put into Christ's Hospital, and 

 this was the real foundation of it. The charter was not granted till 26 June, 1553- I ts main 

 purpose was to give the city corporation a separate incorporation as ' the Governors of the possessions, 

 revenues and goods of the Hospitals of King Edward the Sixth, King of England, of Christ, Bride- 

 well and St. Thomas the Apostle,' with a licence to hold lands up to the yearly value of 4,000 marks 

 for the use of these hospitals. 



The truth is that the whole institution from beginning to end was entirely the conception and 

 execution of the citizens of London themselves, who found 2,479 (5> 00 ) to start tne hospitals. 



1 Social England, iii, 229. 

 435 



