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RUTLANDSHIRE.

OAKHAM.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1581, A.D.

THIS School owes its origin and endowment to the Rev. Robert Johnson, S.T.B. rector of North Luffenham, and archdeacon of Leicester, under the authority of letters patent of Queen Elizabeth, whereby her majesty, in the twenty-ninth year of her reign, on the petition of Robert Johnson, clerk, granted and ordained that there should be a grammar-school in Oakham, to be called the Free Grammarschool of Robert Johnson, clerk, with a master and one usher; and a hospital by the name of Christ's Hospital in Oakham; and that there should be a grammar-school in Uppingham, to be called the Free Grammar-school of Robert Johnson, clerk, in Uppingham, with a master and usher; and a hospital there for the relief and support of poor persons, to be called the Hospital of Christ in Uppingham: and that there should be for ever twenty-four discreet and honest men, who should be governors of the said schools and hospitals, and be constituted a body corporate.

The statutes and ordinances for the government of the school

• The following is the chapter respecting the scholars.

"Further, I do ordain and constitute that there shall be in each of my said schools from time to time some scholars that are well fitted for the Universities, of civil conversation (if God so bless my schools), chosen to receive exhibition of forty shillings per annum, till the number of seven of each be filled up in each place; wherein I advise that the poorer sort be first preferred cæteris paribus, and ordain that they have been educated in the said school from whence they are chosen two years last past before the election, and their stipend shall be continued unto them for the space of seven years, if they so long continue in the Universities; of the number whereof shall be for a scholar for Oakham, Zachary Seaton, and for Uppingham, Thomas Wheatly, of Emmanuel College, in Cambridge. But if they be absent from the Universities for the space of ten weeks in the year, their places shall be void. They shall be chosen by the governors resident in the diocese aforesaid, or the major part of them, under their hands. But if the said scholars shall misbehave themselves, and shall carry themselves idly or viciously, some of the governors shall give notice to the receiver, and when he pays them their money he shall give them, or else such as receive the money for them, notice of their ill behaviour, which being twice done, if they do not amend, they shall be deprived of their stipend by the governors, or the major part of them. And further I constitute, that if it happen there be not in my said schools such scholars as aforesaid to fill up the number as aforesaid, that then the stipends bestowed shall be employed about the school from whence such scholars should or might have been chosen, about necessary books, or other things, if need require. If there be no necessity, then about the houses, gardens, or fences of the hospital in the same town."

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were drawn up in the first year of Charles I. by the founder, being the year in which he died, at the advanced age of eighty-five.

From the revenues of the school are granted twelve Exhibitions, each of the value of £40 per annum, to students proceeding to either of the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge.

These exhibitions are given according to the merit of the candidates, which is determined by an examiner from one of the Universities. The governors are guided in their election of exhibitioners from the report of the examiner, and the account of the master of the school respecting the moral character of the candidates, and the pecuniary ability of their parents.

There are also sixteen other exhibitions, four at Clare Hall, four at St John's College, four at Emmanuel College, and four at Sidney Sussex College, to which a preference is reserved for scholars from the grammar-schools of Oakham and Uppingham. (See pp. 215, 316, 363, 375.)

The Rev. Thomas Lovett founded two Exhibitions at Sidney Sussex College, for students from Grantham school, and in default for students from Oakham school. (See p. 378.)

UPPINGHAM.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1581, A.D.

THIS school was founded by Archdeacon Johnson, at the same time that he founded the grammar-school of Oakham, and it is governed by the same rules and ordinances.

There are twelve Exhibitions, each of the value of £40 a year, tenable at Oxford or Cambridge by students from this school; the qualifications of candidates being the same as those for the exhibitions at Oakham school.

The other advantages open to scholars from Oakham school at Cambridge are equally open to scholars from Uppingham school.

The schools are open to the children of the inhabitants of the towns of Oakham and Uppingham, and of the neighbouring villages, if they be too poor to afford them education at their own expense. But of such as can afford it the master may receive a remuneration ; the governors moderating the charge if it be deemed too much.

COUNTY OF SALOP.

SHREWSBURY.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1553, A.D.

In the year 1551 it was represented to King Edward VI. by Hugh Edwards, mercer of London, and Richard Whitacre, the bailiff of Shrewsbury, that some public institution was needed for the education of the youth of the town; and at the same time a request was made for some of the revenues of the dissolved collegiate churches of St Mary and St Chad, in Shrewsbury. His Majesty granted their request, and assigned estates which formerly belonged to St Mary's and St Chad's, then valued at £20 per annum, for the endowment of a school with the title of "The Royal Free Grammar-school of King Edward the Sixth." Two schoolmasters were appointed, and the bishop of Lichfield with the bailiffs and burgesses were nominated governors of the school. Queen Elizabeth greatly augmented King Edward's donation in the thirteenth year of her reign. This was effected at the instance of "the excellent and worthie" Thomas Ashton, who was at the whole expense and labour of laying the affair before her majesty, and obtaining her letters patent. Mr Ashton had been a fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, and was probably fixed upon to be the first head-master of the school by its early patron Richard Whitacre; under whose great care and able tuition the school flourished very eminently. Besides the children of the gentry of the county of Salop and of North Wales, many persons of the highest distinction in the kingdom sent sons there.

Mr Ashton resigned his office some years before his death, but continued to cherish the seminary over which he had presided. He drew up the code of laws by which the school was governed for above two centuries, and added £120 of his own money to the endowment.

The statutes and ordinances made by Mr Ashton, though well adapted to the modes of life and to the course of education which then prevailed, were however found, as is the case in many ancient foundations, to be in several respects inconvenient and deficient, and in others, impracticable. They were therefore repealed (except so far as relates to the qualifications for exhibitioners) by an act of parliament* in 1798,

* It was enacted among other things:

"That when any vacancy shall happen by death, resignation, forfeiture, or otherwise, in the place or places of the first or second master, the mayor shall notify the same within 14 days to the master and fellows of St John's College, Cambridge,

entituled "An act for the better government and regulation of the Free Grammar-school of King Edward the Sixth, at Shrewsbury, in the county of Salop." This act provides that the governors and trustees

who shall, within two calendar months, proceed to the election of one other fit person, being a graduate of the degree of Bachelor of Arts at least in the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford, and a member of the Church of England, and the best qualified in respect of morals, learning, and discretion, to fill such place; and the said master and fellows shall, previous to such election, take each and severally an oath to vote for such person only to fill the said place as in his judgment shall seem the best qualified for such station.

"That every person so admitted as head or second master shall within twelve calendar months after his being so admitted, vacate any fellowship which he or they may hold or possess in either of the said Universities, and also shall vacate any other office, place or preferment, in either of the said Universities, or elsewhere, which shall require celibacy in the person who holds any such place, office, or preferment."

The governors are empowered, with the consent of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, from time to time to make fit and wholesome statutes and ordinances in writing, for the general government of the foundation; not making or enacting any statutes or ordinances which may in any way tend to alter or defeat the original institution of the said school, as a free grammar-school.

"That the surplus of the rents of the estates which shall remain over and above the different payments and things before authorized to be made and done, shall be by the said governors applied and appropriated towards the founding, creating, and Inaintaining of one or more exhibition or exhibitions in either of the said Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, as the said governors and the said Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry for the time being shall think fit, for such scholars as shall have been educated in the said free grammar-school, and that no exhibition shall endure longer than five years, and then a new election shall be had of some other exhibitioner.

"The election and choice of the said exhibitioners, as often as there shall be a vacancy, or as often as a new exhibition shall be created, shall be in the governors, and that every such election shall be had as follows:-First, of such scholars of the said school as have been or shall be born in the said town of Shrewsbury, or in the suburbs thereof, or in the Abbey Foregate adjoining thereto, being the legitimate sons of burgesses of the same town, if they be found by the governors meet for the same and for default of such, then of such scholars as have been or shall be born in the parish of Chirbury, within the said county of Salop; and for default of such, then the choice to be of such scholars as have been or shall be born within the said county of Salop; and for default of such, then the choice to be of such scholars as have been or shall be born within the said county; but that no person shall be eligible to such exhibition unless he shall have duly attended the said school for the space of two years immediately preceding his going to any college in either of the said Universities, and shall have obtained from the master of the said school a certificate of such attendance under his hand, and also that such scholar so offering himself a candidate for such exhibition is duly qualified in respect of learning, and of good morals and behaviour; and in case there be no such scholars of the description aforesaid in the said school, when any vacancy of an exhibition shall

shall be a body corporate, and that all the governors except the mayor shall be possessed of £200 a year in land or money.

The trustees previously to the year 1798, founded from the increased revenues of the school four Exhibitions, tenable for seven years, at St John's College, Cambridge, each of the value of £70 per annum. These exhibitions by order of the Court of Chancery have been reduced to £50 per annum, and in default of candidates, who have a preference, they are open to any scholars who have been two years at the school. And since the passing of the act in 1798, the trustees have founded two additional Exhibitions, tenable for four years, at Oxford or Cambridge, by scholars from Shrewsbury school. These exhibitions are of the same value, and are under the same regulations as the four appropriated to St John's College.

1577. Under the 12th ordinance of Thomas Ashton, clerk, the first master of Shrewsbury school, were founded two Scholarships at St John's College, which are regulated by deed, dated 3rd Sept. 1623, for students from Shrewsbury school.

happen, or in case the person offering himself a candidate for the same shall, in the judgment of the governors, be unfit and ineligible, either for want of learning, or for any other cause or defect, to have or enjoy such exhibition, then the money which would otherwise have been applied to the use of such exhibitioner, shall be applied in the manner before directed, towards increasing the fund for founding and creating a new exhibition, and so toties quoties; and towards increasing the stipends or salaries of the said vicar of Chirbury, and curates of St Mary, Astley, and Clive, as aforesaid.

"That all the annual stipends, payments, or sums of money, which are now paid out of the revenues of the school estates for the better maintenance and support of scholars or exhibitioners from the said school, unto or for the use and benefit of such scholars or exhibitioners, at the said college of St John the Evangelist, in the University of Cambridge, under the ordinances of the said Thomas Ashton, shall not at any time hereafter be lessened or diminished, but shall continue to be paid by the said governors to the same amount at the least as they are at present paid; and that it shall be lawful for the said governors, with the consent of the said bishop, from time to time, out of such surplus, to augment the salary or stipend of any such scholar or exhibitioner, which is now or shall be at the said College of St John, under the said ordinances of the said Thomas Ashton.

"That four times in every year, that is to say, on the 5th January, the 5th April, the 5th July, and 10th October, there shall be made out and printed an account of the whole of the receipts, arrears, debts, bills outstanding, and also of all the expenses, and of the surplus of the whole revenues, and twelve printed copies thereof shall be lodged with the corporation, and shall at all times be open to the inspection of the mayor, aldermen, and assistants of the said town of Shrewsbury, and six printed copies thereof shall be transmitted to the master and fellows of St John's College aforesaid for their information."

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