SCHOOLS 



rent ot ^^8 13J. 4^. Radcliffe's trustees surren- 

 dered their interest on 22 May, 15 15, to the 

 school trustees for ^^89 6s. 8d. Possibly Oldham 

 provided this sum. In the school muniments 

 there is a lease (11 October, 15 15) by Man- 

 chester College, who, on 20 August, superseded 

 the trustees as governing body, to Hugh and 

 Joan Bexviryk for sixty years of the water corn- 

 mills and lands in Ancoats at a rent of 

 j^i5 I Of. 8^., and on condition of payment of 

 the lord's rent of ;^8 13^. /^d. 



On 20 June, 15 15, the school trustees leased 

 the corn-mills for seventy years, and on 20 

 August released the fee and leased and released 

 the reversion of the 'walk' mill (thus carrying 

 out what in later days became the ordinary means 

 of conveyance) to the warden and fellows of the 

 collegiate church ' to the use and intent expressed 

 in an indenture ' of the same day. This indenture, 

 which must be considered the real endowment 

 deed, was made between Hugh Oldham, now 

 described as bishop of Exeter, Thomas Langley, 

 rector of Prestwich, HughBexwyk, chaplain, and 

 Ralph Hulme, gentleman, of the first part ; John, 

 abbot, and the convent of Whalley of the second 

 part ; and Robert Clyf, master or warden, and 

 his fellows chaplains of the college of Blessed 

 Mary of Manchester of the third part. It wit- 

 nessed how 



often considering and intimately desiring {septus 

 anmadvertentes oc intime cupientes) that grace, virtue, 

 and wisdom should grow, flower, and take root in 

 youths during their boyhood, especially in boys of the 

 county of Lancaster, who for a long time through the 

 default of teaching and instruction {doctrine et erudi- 

 cionis) had wanted such grace, virtue, and wisdom in 

 their youth, as well through their fathers' poverty 

 as through the absence and want of any such person 

 who could instruct and educate such children {infantes') 

 and their minds in wisdom, learning, and virtue : 

 Therefore, to remove this defect, and with the in- 

 tention that such a fit person, eminent for wisdom, 

 character, and virtue, and for example in his own 

 person, shall freely {flbere), and without anything 

 being given therefore or taken by him, teach and 

 instruct others, as well youths as grown-up persons, 

 in his learning and wisdom, that so persevering to 

 their old age they may show the same in many ways 

 and daily, the said parties have agreed as follows. 



After reciting the lease and release of the corn- 

 mills and ' walk ' mills to the warden and fellows 

 of the college, and a similar lease and release by 

 Ralph Hulme and Richard Hunt of lands in 

 Ancoats which they had by gift of Mr. Bernard 

 Oldham, archdeacon of Cornwall, the whole 

 value of all which is ;^40 a year, beyond all 

 reprises, the deed proceeds : — 



For the execution and performance, therefore, of so 

 public and divine a work {vulgaris divinique oferis) all 

 the parties to this indenture, like wise virgins having 

 their lamps lighted, covenant that during the lives of 

 Oldham, Langley, Hugh Bexwik, and Ralph Hulme, 



58 



they, with the Warden and Fellows, may nominate 

 and ordain a fit person, secular or regular, learned and 

 able, to be school-master {ma^strum scholarum) to teach 

 and instruct grammar in the town of Manchester ac- 

 cording to the form of grammar now learned and 

 taught in the school of the town of Banbury in the 

 county of Oxford, which in English is called ' Gram- 

 mar,' and an usher {hostiarius) as a deputy or substitute 

 of such person to teach and instruct in his absence or 

 for his relief or assistance such grammar. 



After their deaths the wardens and fellows under- 

 took * to provide and nominate ' the master and 

 usher. They covenanted to pay the master 

 ;^io and the usher ;^5 by quarterly instalments. 

 William Plesyngton was to be the first master, 

 and Richard Wulstoncroft the first usher. It 

 was also agreed that the master and usher should 

 attend service in the choir in surplices on feast 

 days ' like other fellows of the college,' and ' every 

 Wednesday and Friday should go in procession 

 with their scholars before the warden round the 

 cemetery or in the church or otherwise.' The 

 college undertook to perform every year on 4 

 March a solemn obit for the souls of Roger 

 Oldham and Margery his wife, Mr. Bernard 

 Oldham, Richard Bexwyk, William Galey, 

 Robert Bexwyk, Robert Chetham, William 

 Bradford, chaplain, and for the souls of Hugh 

 Oldham and others named, ending with Alexan- 

 der Bexwyk. Every fellow who attended was 

 to receive \s. and so on down to the choristers, 

 who got 2,d. each. The deed concludes with a 

 covenant that the master and usher shall, on ad- 

 mission, take oath ' to teach and correct all their 

 boys and scholars equally and impartially ' and 

 not to take ' any presents, gifts, or any kind of 

 thing by colour of their service or office' or 

 teaching, except their stipend only, without any 

 fraud cunning and device.' 



How entirely this foundation was really 

 Oldham's may be gauged by the presence among 

 the schood deeds of a receipt, 19 November, 

 15 15, by Ralph Hulme and Richard Hunt for 

 ^50 from 



Hugh Oldom Byshope of Exchetor towards the 

 foundying of a Free Scolle at Manchestur to begyn 

 opon the Monday next aftur the Ephephany of our 

 lord god next commyng (i.e. 7 January, 1 5 1 5-6) 

 and ever to endure. 



Oldham covenanted to pay ;^50 more within 

 two months after the college had by deed bound 

 themselves to pay the stipends of the master and 

 usher. If the stipends were not paid by the 

 Purification (2 February) Hulme and Hunt were 

 to repay the sum of ;^50. Moreover, the Roger 

 and Margery Oldham whose souls were to be 

 prayed for were undoubtedly the bishop's father 

 and mother, and Mr. Bernard Oldham, arch- 

 deacon of Cornwall, who had given the lands in 

 Ancoats, was his brother. 



Oldham died on 25 June, 15 19. Six years 

 afterwards Hulme turned out to be a fraudulent 



