STANFORD. 



retired to Stanford. Several of thefe, however, foon re- 

 turned to Oxford ; and fome time afterwrards, Edward III. 

 idued a writ to the (herifF of Lincolnfliire, commanding him 

 to proclaim at Stanford a prohibition for any perfon to 

 ftiidy or perform fcholaftic exercifcs, clfcwhere than in the 

 univerfities, on pain of certain forfeitures. 



In the reign of Henry III. the Carmelites liad a mo- 

 naltery here, and gave public leftures on divinity and the 

 liberal arts, with difputations againll the Judaic faith. 

 Many of the clergy and higher orders of the people fent 

 their fons here for education ; and from this pofTibly arofe a 

 cuftom, which in fuccceding centuries Avas greatly followed. 

 Otlier religious lioufes alfo became Ichools of literature ; 

 and by thefe means Stanford became celebrated for liberal 

 inftruftion. The other public inlHtutions of learning, whicli 

 were fuppofed to conltitute part of the above-mentioned 

 univerlity, were the following: — Brazen-nofe college or 

 fchool, from which the college at Oxford is fuppofed to 

 have derived its name, was built at a remote period, and 

 certainly exifted early in the reign of Edward III. In 1668 

 it was taken down, and a charity-fchool erefted on the fame 

 fpot : — Sempringham-hall, fuppofed to have been founded 

 by Robert Luttreli, in 1262 : — Black-hall was of great an- 

 tiquity, and was taken down foon after 1705. 



Of Peterborough-hall, Vaudey.hall, the free-fchool, and 

 other buildings of the fame nature, but flight information 

 can now be gained, excepting that the former was taken 

 down about 1705, and itood near All-Saints church; and 

 that the latter was founded in the year 1548, by Mr. Wil- 

 liam Radcliffe. 



The fchools at prefent fupported at this place are, the 

 one laft mentioned, now called Radcliffe's ; another indi- 

 tuted by Edward Wells, in 1604, denominated Wells's or 

 the petty fchool ; and the blue-coat fchool. 



The ancient and modern inftitutions for the fupport of the 

 poor are many in number : the moft prominent, is one 

 founded by William Browne in the reign of Richard III., 

 already mentioned, which has a chapel at the eaftern end, 

 confecrated in 1494; the revenues of which have, of late 

 years, greatly increafed. Another was erefted by the will 

 of Mr. Thomas Truefdale, in 1700, with endowments be- 

 queathed to it for ever. And, in addition to thefe, are 

 certain charities denominated caOifes ; with various other 

 foundations of the like nature. 



The principal public building is the town-hall, where the 

 civil bufinefs is tranfafted. It was built by trudees, under 

 an aft palled in 1776, near St. Mary's church, when the 

 old hall was taken down. It confilts of two handfome 

 fronts, containing twenty apartments, a guard-room, houfe 

 of correftion, and a gaol. A fmall theatre, in St. Mary's 

 Ilreet, was built here in 1768. 



The river Welland, which runt to the fouthof thetown, 

 and parts it from Stanford-Baron, is navigable for boats and 

 barges from the fea to this place. Stanford has a market 

 on Monday and Friday, and fevcn annual fairs. 



Stanford- Baron, already named, is feparated from the 

 town only by a (lone bridge, yet it is both a diilinft parilh 

 and liberty in the county of Northampton : hence its ori- 

 ginal name of Stanford beyond the bridge. In 1455 "' **• 

 held by the abbot of Peterborough, per iaronuim, and was 

 then firlt denominated Stanford-Baron. In the reign of 

 Athelltan it had the privilege of a mint, and fuccecding 

 kings alfo greatly favoured it. Although it cannot now 

 be difcovercd that this parilh was ever walled, yet it appears 

 to have been defended by five gates and a caftle, which 

 ftood on that part of the Roman road now called the nun's 

 farm. This place is defignated in the Domefday-book as 



being the fixth ward belonging to Stanford, fituate in Han- 

 tunefcire. In the reign of^Henry II. it contained a Bene- 

 dictine nunnery, dedicated to God and St. Michael, by- 

 William, abbot of Peterborough : the annual revenues of 

 this houfe were 72A i8j. io^d. 



By a deed of the reign of Richard I. notice is taken of 

 an hofpital for lepers, under the patronage of St. Egidius ; 

 and a houfe for knights hofpitallcrs : but their founders are 

 now wholly unknown. Where the alms-houfc ij now 

 erefted, an hofpital formerly flood, dedicated to St. John 

 tiie Baptift. The prefent church is a large, handfome 

 building, dedicated to St. Martin, and founded by bilhop 

 RuffcU in the reign of Edward IV. It confilts of a nave, 

 two cliaocels, north and fouth allies, and a fquare pinnacled 

 tower at the weft end of the former. At the upper end of 

 the north chancel are depofited the remains of Richard Cecil 

 and his wife, the immediate progenitors of the firft lord 

 Burleigh ; as alfo thofe of William Cecil, baron of Bur- 

 leigh, with hi'! effigy in armour on a highly ornamented 

 altar-tomb. In the north chancel is a (lately and large 

 marble monument, with llatues, &c. to the memory of 

 John, earl of Exeter, and his lady, both of whom died in 

 the year 1709. 



According to Camden, the cuftom of borough Englilh 

 prevails in this manor ; by which the younger fon inherits 

 the lands and tenements poffefled by the parent, when the 

 latter dies intellate. Another more Angular cuftom, cha- 

 rafteriftic of feudal and femi-barbarous times, is ftill con- 

 tinued at Stanford. On a certain day, annually, about fix 

 weeks before Chriftmas, a bull is provided, and deftined to 

 be hunted by dogs and the lowell clafs of perfons through 

 the ttreets of the town. On fuch occafions a vail con- 

 courfe of people is aflembled, many dogs are brought to the 

 place, and the moft cruel and wanton afts are reforted to, 

 in order to irritate the poor animal, and thereby pro- 

 duce what is mis-termed fport. The bull-running, as it is 

 called, commences early in the morning, after a proclama- 

 tion is made to guard doors and windows, and warn travellers 

 who are palling through the town. The animal is let loofe 

 in the ftrcets, when dogs, men, women, and even children, 

 commence a boiiterous and irritating purfuit. This is fome- 

 times continued for hours, till the bull is provoked to mad- 

 nefs. At length he is killed, and the flefh fold. It is 

 traditionally related, that this cuftom originated in the reign 

 of king John, by the order of William, the fiftli earl of 

 Warren, who, having obfcrved a bull worried through the 

 town by dogs, was fo much diverted, that he gave a meadow 

 to the butchers of Stanford, on condition that they would 

 provide a bull annually for the fame purpofe. A cuftom 

 fomewhat refembling this prevails at Tutbury, in Stafford- 

 (hirc. See Tutbury. 



About one mile fouth-eaft of Stanford is Burleigh or 

 Burgidey-houfe, the magnificent feat of the Cecil family, 

 and now the property of the marquis of Exeter. Tlic park 

 was inclofed and houfe chiefly built by lord-trcafurer Bur- 

 leigh, who, in a letter dated I585', fays, the " houfe is of 

 my mother's inheritance ; and for the building there, I have 

 fet my walls on the old foundations." On different parts 

 of the edifice are the dates of 1577, 1585, and IC87, point- 

 ing out the times when fuch portions of the noufe were 

 raifed ; but many additions and alterations have been made 

 at fubfcquent periods. The whole prcfentj a palace-like 

 appearance, and may be laid to confill of a mafs of building 

 furrounding a fquare court 1 10 by 70 feet. In various 

 rooms is preferved a large colleftion of piftures by difterent 

 old mafters, vrith fome few paintings by modern artifts. 



Tlic park is of great extent, of varied furface, i» adorned 



witk 



