SCHOOLS 



William Hind, James Plumtree, Richard Brads- 

 haigh, Thomas Wrench, and William Jackson 

 — ^without saying whence he got the names ; and 

 adds the remark : — 



Of these gentlemen nothing is now known, either 

 from the School Records or from the various College 

 Registers of the Universities. 



This remark still applies, except perhaps to 

 the last-named. But one cannot help suspect- 

 ing that, as there is a mistake in Pleasyngton's 

 Christian name, there may be similar mistakes in 

 the rest. It is tempting therefore to identify 

 James Plumtree with John Plumtre, fellow of 

 Merton College, where he took his B.A. 

 degree in 1538 and his M.A. in 1542, who 

 became master of Lincoln Cathedral (choristers') 

 Grammar School on 27 February, 1547-8. 

 Thomas Plumtree, of Lincoln, who went to 

 Corpus Christi College 12 May, 1543, is a little 

 too late. A William Jackson took his B.A. degree 

 at Oxford 12 December, 1530, and his M.A. 

 10 June, 1535. 



William Terrill, James Battison, and Richard 

 Raynton, who followed Pendilton, remain un- 

 identified. 



Thomas Cogan, bachelor of medicine, ap- 

 pointed in 1575, has been traced to a fellow- 

 ship at Oriel in 1563, having taken his B.A. 

 degree in 1562. He became M.A. 5 July, 

 1566, and M.B. 31 March, 1574. He seems 

 to have held office for about thirteen years, 

 probably retaining his practice as a physician, to 

 which he wholly gave himself after his retire- 

 ment. He published in 1586 two medical 

 treatises. The Haven of Health ^vA a Preservation 

 from the Pestilence, together with a school book, 

 An Epitome of Cicero's Familiar Letters. He 

 wiped off a debt of 40^. and earned a gift of 

 gloves from his college. Oriel, by a gift 1 1 

 October, 1595, of Galen's Works and other 

 medical literature. 



His successor as master was Edward Clayton, 

 or Cleton, as he appears in the Oxford Register 

 when he matriculated at Brasenose College, 9 

 November, 1579. He took his B.A. degree 

 in 1583, and his M.A. in 1588, He held 

 office till his death, and was buried in Man- 

 chester Church 21 January, 1604-5. Someone 

 must have intervened between him and the next 

 master known, John Rowland. Rowland is 

 described as ' plebeian ' on matriculating at 

 Corpus Christi College, 10 November, 1621, 

 when he must have been already some years in 

 the university, as he took his B.A. degree next 

 year, and became M.A. in 1626. He was 

 seemingly the first fellow of Corpus to be 

 appointed. At Manchester his sole relic is a 

 letter (3 October, 1630) as to his leaving, from 

 which it would appear that, with the consent of 

 some of the feoffees, he had left the school under 

 his brother as his deputy while he went off to 



qualify for his D.D. degree and to act as chap- 

 lain to the earl of Manchester. For this certain 

 of the feoffees had removed both him and his 

 brother. 



Rowland questions the legality of their action, 

 with good reason : ' I know well the founder 

 gave the feoffees noe power either to put the 

 High Master out or in.' The statutes provide 

 for the president of Corpus appointing, but no 

 one was charged in terms with the power of 

 dismissal, though the Warden of the College 

 seems to have been indirectly invested with it. 

 As at that time the collegiate church was dis- 

 solved, or did not exist, no one had any power of 

 dismissal by statute. So Mr. Rowland was pretty 

 safe. After trying cajolery, reminding them that 

 the earl of Manchester had sent them lately a 

 brace of bucks, and promising that if the town 

 wanted anything he, Rowland, 'would prefer it 

 to them,' he proceeds to intimidation, referring to 

 the earl's displeasure at their discourteous treat- 

 ment of his servant, and finally concluding with 

 the threat : — 



I pray be not offended if I make triall to 

 recover my School by law if I cannot regain it by 

 love. 



Whatton assumes that John Rowland was dis- 

 possessed, but this is extremely doubtful in the 

 circumstances, and the fact that he was not 

 beneficed till 1634, when he became rector of 

 Foots Cray, Kent, suggests the contrary. 

 Thomas Harrison, who had been put in by the 

 feoffees in Rowland's place, was also a Corpus 

 man and a Lancastrian, coming from Prest- 

 wich. He matriculated at All Souls, presum- 

 ably being a Bible clerk there, i July, 1625, and 

 took his B.A. degree at Corpus, Oxford, 16 

 March, 1628-9. He became rector of Crick 

 in 1635, but was dispossessed in 'the troubles.' 

 In 1645 he was a prisoner for debt in London. 



Of Robert Simmonds, said to have been 

 appointed in 1637, nothing is known ; but he 

 only held for a year. 



Ralph Brideoake, appointed in 1638, was a 

 man of some celebrity. Born at Cheetham Hill, 

 near Manchester, and no doubt educated at the 

 school, he matriculated at Brasenose at the age 

 of sixteen on 9 December, 1631,^^ and became 

 B.A. on 9 July, 1634. On 31 August, 1636, 

 being then chaplain of New College, he was, 

 on the king's visit to Oxford, in virtue of royal 

 letters, created M.A. He was then made curator 

 of the University Press, in which position he 

 did some service to Dr. Jackson, the president 

 of Corpus, who in return appointed him high 

 master. The Civil War found him one of the 

 earl of Derby's chaplains, acting as his secre- 

 tary during the siege of Lathom House, and 

 afterwards manager of his estates. His faith- 

 fulness to the earl, and efforts on his behalf 



585 



" Foster, Alumni Oxon. Whatton says 1630. 



74 



