A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



1568 " shows that Dame Alice was the widow of Richard Harison of Shropshire, and that her 

 maiden name was Tomlinson. Thomas Thomlynson alias Towreson, ' merchant tayler ' (who, by 

 will 6 April, 1567, founded '" a charity still managed by the Merchant Taylors' Company), 

 bequeathed ^° ' to Sir William Harper, alderman of London, and to my lady his wyffe, my cosen, to 

 either of them a black gowne.' In his will he also gives a bequest to the poor of his ' native parish 

 of Cleyture ' (Cleator, Cumberland). So that ' my lady ' was no doubt from the same county. As 

 for her ' being kind, affectionate and noble hearted,' she may have been all these, but the probability 

 is that she was only made a party to the purchase deed and the endowment deed for legal reasons, 

 in order to bar her dower. This proved unnecessary as she predeceased Harper, dying 10 October, 

 1569. She was not, as alleged by the local historians, buried in St. Paul's, Bedford, but in London, 

 in St. Mary's, Wal worth,'' as is evidenced by the parish register there, on 15 October, 1569. 



By a deed of 22 April, 1566, ' made between the Mayor Baylifs Burgesses and commonaltye of 

 the towns of Bedford on th'one partye And Syr Wyllyam Harpar, knyghte. Alderman of the cityc 

 of London, and dame Alyce his wyfe of the other partye,' the corporation purported to carry out the 

 letters patent of Edward VL The deed witnesses that the corporation 



doe by these presents erecte make founde and establysshe a free and perpetuall scole in the sayd 

 towne of Bedford in a messuage there commonly called the Free Scole house, whyche the said 

 Syr Wyllyum Harpar of late buylded, and the same scole to be of one master and ussher for ever 

 to contynue. 



It is a curious thing, in view of subsequent quarrels, that although the deed set out an English 

 translation of the letters patent of Edward VI at full length in other respects, it carefully avoided 

 reciting the power of appointment and removal of the master and usher given to New College. ' 

 In the deed the corporation ' doe by these presentes name elect and admytte into the place 

 or ofHce of master of the sayd scole, Edmund Grene, and into the place or office of the 

 ussher of the said scole, Robert Elbone.' This was wholly ultra vires, unless done with the 

 authority of the college. But as Grene was, eighteen years before, probably a nominee of the 

 college, and certainly a fellow of it, no doubt the town was safe enough from any protest by the 

 college. The indenture then proceeded to witness that Harper and his wife 



for and towardes the better mayntenaunce of the said schole doe graunte enfefFe and assure by these 

 presents unto the sayd Mayre Baylyfes burgeses and commonalty all that the messuage of the sayd Syr 

 Wyllyam Harpar, commonly called the Scoole house, in the towne of Bedford aforesaid, and all the 

 houses backsydes gardens and romes of the same Syr Wyllyam to the same messuage adioinynge, and 

 now in the tenure or occupacion of the said Edmond Grene, whereof the sayd Syr Wyllyam standeth 

 seisid of any estate of inheritance. 



Then followed the grant of the 13 J acres to the corporation 



for and to the sustentacion of the master and ussher of the sayd scole from tyme to tyme for ever, for 

 the continuance of the said scoole for ever, for the maryage of poore maydes of the sayd towne, and fFor 

 pore chyldren there to be nurrysshed and enformed accordynge to the fForm of the sayd letters 

 pattentes. 



It may be noted that not a word is said about any doles or distribution of alms. It concludes,, 

 however, with a covenant by the corporation to 



ymploye and bestow all such rentes yssues proffytes and commodytyes as by every meanes hereafter they 

 shall or may receive ... by reason of the said 1 3 acres i rode ... to the uses . . . expressed in 

 the said letters pattentes . . . and to none other use entente or purpose. 



Dame Alice died, as we have seen, i October, 1569, three years after the deed of endowment. 

 Harper was not long in consoling himself, as he obtained licence,'* 13 September, 1570, to marry 

 ' Margaret Leedare, spinster,' of the city of London.'^ Her name appears also as Lethers. Harper, by 

 his will 27 October, 1573, gave' his well beloved friendes . . . Edward Thorne and Richard Lethers,, 

 my wife's brother, if they will take the paynes to be presente at my buriall at Bedford ... to every 

 of them a blacke gowne.' He directed his ' body to be decentlie buryed by the discrecion of myne 

 executrix hereafter named within the parishe churche of St. Paull in the towne of Bedford.' The 



" Lond. and Midd. Arch. Soc. iii, 6 (visit.). " Dr. Sharpe, Hustings Wills, ii, 684-5. 



'° Lond. and Midd. Arch. Soc. iv, 83. " Ibid. 93. 



" Chester, Marriage Licences (ed. Foster). The name, however, is misprinted as Leedare. As communi- 

 cated by Colonel Chester himself it was ' Leedare ' in the original Register. 



" There is, therefore, no evidence for Wyatt and Blythe's assertion that she was, as has been repeated by 

 Clode, i, 254, 'a native of Bedford.' Her name no doubt was Leather. 



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