A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



master's house adjoined, and there were three 

 small closes let to him rent free. A sum of 

 ^150, with interest at 4^ per cent., was given 

 by the Corporation of Liverpool, 12 May, 1787, 

 to ' trustees of the Low School in Hindley.' 

 No deeds relating to the foundation or endow- 

 ment of this school have been discovered. All 

 the children of the township were admitted upon 

 the payment of 2s. td., and taught reading free. 

 For instruction in writing and arithmetic, and in 

 Latin, if required, the master made his own 

 charge. There were upwards of 30 scholars on 

 an average. 



Haigh. — Miles Turner, by will 15 October, 

 1634, directed that the residue of his estate 

 should be bestowed according to the direction 

 of his master, Roger Bradshaigh, esq. A deed 

 of I May, 1767, recites that Roger Bradshaigh 

 had purchased out of the estate a messuage, with 

 lands, in Billinge, which was conveyed by in- 

 denture, 14 August, 1739 (intended for 1639), to 

 Roger Bradshaigh, and that the yearly rents and 

 profits had been applied to the maintenance of a 

 schoolmaster for Haigh. It was agreed that 

 after paying for repairs, the residue should be 

 given to the schoolmaster. The endowment 

 was increased by ;^I00 by Dame Dorothy 

 Bradshaigh, 9 June, 1792, with interest at 4^ 

 per cent. The master taught all the children of 

 the township reading free. The average number 

 in 1827 was 70, in 1867 over 100. 



Ol TwooD : RiNGLEY School. — Nathan Wal- 

 worth by indenture, 23 June, 1635, reciting 

 that he had lately built a house near Ringley 

 chapel, then used as a schoolhouse, devised it, 

 upon trust, to be employed as a school and as 

 the residence of a schoolmaster for ever. He 

 further gave the trustees a messuage with appur- 

 tenances, in Flamborough, Yorkshire, upon trust, 

 for the necessary repairing of the house, and forthe 

 maintenance of an able and honest schoolmaster. 

 He directed that all children born in Ringley 

 chapelry should be taught freely, and that the 

 children of all others should pay moderate and 

 indifferent rates. In 1798, the old building 

 having fallen down, a new one, with accommo- 

 dation for more than 100 scholars, was built by 

 subscription on the old site. Before 1820 the 

 number of scholars had been from 80 to 100 ; 

 but in 1826 there were only 55 ; and in 1867, 

 64. All poor children, boys and girls, of Out- 

 wood hamlet, of the township of Kearsley, 

 were admitted when more than six years old. 

 They were taught reading free, but paid for 

 writing and arithmetic. William Baguley, by 

 will 14 April, 1725, gave ^^40 for purchasing 

 land or a rent-charge, the profits to be paid to 

 the schoolmaster at Ringley School for teaching 

 such four poor children of Kearsley, and such 

 four poor children of Outwood, as the preaching 

 ministerof Ringley should nominate, ^i 125. id. 

 was paid to the schoolmaster out of the rent. 



RuMWORTH. — ;^ioo was given by will of 

 James Crompton, 3 August, 1636, towards the 

 maintenance of the school at Dean church in 

 Rumworth. By a Chancery Decree, 16 October, 

 1660, it was ordered that William Hulton and 

 twenty-three others should be trustees for the 

 disposing of ;^ioo for the benefit of the school- 

 master and school of Dean. In 1820 this 

 school was rebuilt by subscription. There was 

 no residence for the master. All the children 

 of the township of Rumworth were admitted, 

 each paying is. at Christmas, is. at Shrovetide, and 

 td. at Michaelmas for instruction in reading ; if, 

 besides reading, they learnt writing or accounts, 

 T,d. a week was charged. The other scholars 

 paid 2\d. for reading, and 4^. for reading, writ- 

 ing, and accounts. The number of children 

 of Rumworth in the school in 1827 averaged 

 about 80, and there were between 30 and 40 

 paying scholars. 



Much Woolton. — An entry of 1641 in an 

 old parish book states that the schoolhouse was 

 built, and a stock raised, at the common charge. 

 This stock amounted to ^^ 157 in 1690, to which 

 j^ioo was added by will of Sir William Norris. 

 The school was open to all children, recom- 

 mended by subscribers, on payment of id. or 

 2d. a week, according to the subjects of instruc- 

 tion. In 1867 there were 350 at weekly fees 

 of 2d. or 3^. 



WooDPLUMPTON. — AHce Nicholson, of Bar- 

 tel, by deed 4 January, 1661, gave ;fiOO for 

 the maintenance of a free school within the 

 manor of Woodplumpton, and by will, I Feb- 

 ruary, 1664, ^10 more ; John Hudson, by 

 will 22 February, 1676, gave ;^20 on condition 

 that the heirs of the house in which he lived 

 should be free to the school ; John Hall, of 

 Catforth, 28 June, 1732, gave £,2>'^ ; James 

 Hall, by will 19 April, 1741, ;^iO ; Richard 

 Eccles, by will 30 July, 1762, ;^ioo ; and at 

 some time before 1813, Elizabeth Bell gave 

 £100, and Richard Threlfall ;/^20. All these 

 sums were invested, and the interest paid to the 

 schoolmaster, who taught reading free to all the 

 children of Woodplumpton applying, but charged 

 4^/. a week for writing and 4^. for accounts. 

 He had generally about 60 scholars. 



West Derby. — The earliest known mention 

 of this school is that at a court held for the 

 manor of West Derby, 9 January, 1667, Ann 

 Dwerrihouse surrendered a messuage and tene- 

 ment and two acres of land to trustees, for the 

 use of the free school. Ann Molyneux, by will 

 19 January, 1 727, gave to the schoolmaster £10, 

 the interest to be laid out in Church Catechisms 

 and other good books for the poor children of 

 the school. The school was formerly held in 

 an old house. About 1820 this was converted 

 into a cottage, and let by the schoolmaster at 

 £S a year, and a new schoolhouse was built. 

 The schoolmaster received the whole of the rents. 



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