centuries. In 1478 Thomas Whinfell, one of the chantry priests, was bound
"to keep yearly a sufficient Grammar School, taking of the scholars of the
said school _scolagia et custumaria secundum antiquam consuetudinem scoloe
praedictae_." Old school-boys living within the present decade remember that
the _scolagia et custumaria_ included a cockpenny, which had to be paid by
each boy on Easter Tuesday, for the purpose of enabling the master to
provide the pupils with a cock-fight. One of the regulations for Kendal
School was that it should be "free to all boys resident in the parish of
Kendal, for classics alone, excepting a voluntary payment of a cockpenny
as aforetime at Shrovetide." The "Literary Rambler," who contributed a
series of papers to the _Kendal Chronicle_ in 1812 (when the custom was
commonly observed), remarked:--"A stranger to the customs of the country
will suspect something whimsical in this name, but it has its foundation
in reason; for the boys of every school were divided into parties every
Shrovetide, headed by their respective captains, whom the master chose
from amongst his pupils. This was probably done in imitation of the
Romans, who appointed the _principes pivenum_ on certain occasions. These
juvenile competitors contended in a match at football, and fought a
cock-battle, called the captains' battle, in both which contests the
youthful rivals were not more interested than their parents." Though the
barbarous sport had disappeared, the payment of a cockpenny survived
certainly until the middle of this century. This is shown by Mr. W. Sayer,
who, in his History (1847), says that the endowments of Bowness
(Westmorland) School, "together with a cockpenny given by each scholar on
Shrove Tuesday," amounted to about L60 per annum.
George Smith, a relative of Dr. Smith who became Bishop of London, built
and endowed the school at Asby, and left L10, the interest of which (about
12s.) was to be disposed of on St. George's Day yearly for ever in the
following manner: 6s. to the poor of the parish; 5s. to be spent in ale by
the feofees of the school; and the remaining shilling to purchase a
football for the scholars. A custom which seems to have been peculiar to
Appleby was for each pupil leaving to pay half-a-guinea towards the
library, and Mr. R. E. Leach, the headmaster, some years ago compiled a
most interesting list of these donations. It was also an occasional
occurrence that "old boys" gave money when they were married.
It was by the ancient Parochial Council of Sixteen that the first attempt
to supply elementary education in Torpenhow was made, it being recorded
that on May 12th, 1686, a resolution was passed in favour of founding a
free school for the Bothel district. The "sixteen" from time to time drew
up various rules for the conduct of the school, one of which would greatly
astonish the present generation of certificated masters, because, in 1689,
the master of the institution at Bothel (locally pronounced "Bohl") was
ordered to "keep school from 6 in the morning till 11, and from 1 till 6
from Lady Day till Michaelmas," practically the same rule as was enforced
by Lord Wharton at Kirkby Stephen.
An instance of the uncertain position occupied by the village schoolmaster
in former days may be found among the records of Holme Cultram. In 1607
there being some controversy concerning the payment of the parish clerk or
sexton, which previously had been paid in no regular manner, and the clerk
claiming to be paid in meal, though no certain measure of it had been
ascertained, it was agreed and ordered by the sixteen men, with the
consent of the other parishioners, that for the future there should be one
person who should be both parish clerk and schoolmaster, and that he
should have for his wages for every copyhold tenement and lease within the
parish paying above 18d. rent, fourpence, and for every cottager and
under-tenant twopence, to be collected yearly at Easter by the clerk, who
was to be chosen by the sixteen men and approved by the ordinary. In
addition, the schoolmaster was to have a quarterly sum for each scholar as
the sixteen men from time to time directed. That scheme was recorded in
1777 as being still in operation.
In another place it has been shown how the sworn men had often a great
share in the selection of the churchwardens and other officials. Their
duties also extended to the procuring of money for educational purposes.
It was ordered by Commissioners in the thirteenth year of Elizabeth,
concerning the endowed school at Keswick, "that whereas two pence for
every fire-house hath been paid to the parish clerk yearly, and also
certain ordinary fees for night-watch, burials, weddings, and, moreover,
certain benevolences of lamb wool, eggs, and such like, which seem to grow
up to a greater sum than is competent for a parish clerk; the eight men
shall herafter take up the said two pence a house for the use of a
schoolmaster, paying thereout to the parish clerk yearly 46s. 8d." In the
time of King James it was found on inquiry by a Commission of Pious Uses,
"that the eighteen sworn men had from time immemorial laid a tax for the
maintenance of the schoolmaster, and other occasions of the parish, and
appointed the schoolmaster, and made orders for the government of the
school, and that the inhabitants had by a voluntary contribution raised a
school stock of L148 2s. 3-1/2d., nevertheless that Dr. Henry Robinson,
Bishop of Carlisle, Henry Woodward, his Chancellor, and Giles Robinson,
brother of the said Bishop, and Vicar of Crosthwaite, had intermeddled,
and that the said Bishop, sometimes by authority of the High Commission
for Ecclesiastical Causes, sometimes as a justice of the peace for the
county, and sometimes by his power as ordinary, had interrupted the orders
of the eighteen men, and had committed thirteen of them to prison.
Therefore the commissioners restore the eighteen men to their authority
concerning the appointing of a schoolmaster, and the government of the
school."
Among the curious bequests known to have been made at various times by
residents in the two counties, not the least noteworthy was that of the
Vicar of Raughton Head, Mr. Sevithwaite, who, at his death in 1762, left
L20 to the school; and another L20, the interest whereof, after the death
of his widow, was to be laid out yearly in purchasing Bishop Beveridge's
"Thoughts upon Religion," and the Bishop of Man's "Essay for the
Instruction of the Indians," to be given to the poor housekeepers of the
parish.
Among the curiosities of tenure in addition to those already mentioned in
a previous chapter, was that of surrendering by the rod. In the summer of
1750 "John Sowerby surrendered to the lord of the manor (of Castle
Sowerby) by the hands of his steward _by the rod_ a messuage at Sowerby
Row ... to the use and behoof of Joseph Robinson and his assigns according
to the custom of the manor; conditioned to pay yearly to three trustees L5
for the use of a schoolmaster within the liberty of Row Bound to be chosen
by the trustees." As in most other places, the schoolmaster had to teach
certain children for a very small sum per quarter, and the parents in
better circumstances had to pay 2s. 6d. per quarter for each child.
How faithfully some of the clerical schoolmasters performed their duties
during long periods may be proved from numerous sources. One entry, a
burial, will suffice--from the Mardale register of 1799:--
"Richard Hebson, in ye 75th year of his age. He was 53 years master of
the Free School at Measand, and 51 years the pastor of this Chapelry.
Singularly remarkable for his faithful, assiduous, and conscientious
discharge of the duties of both these stations."
At the beginning of the eighteenth century there were in the diocese of
Carlisle few schools other than those held in the all too frequently
dilapidated parish churches. In most cases the curates were the only
schoolmasters, and it was as an encouragement to those clerics that the
parishioners took it in turn to provide the curate with a "whittlegate."
Much interesting information about the old-time schools and schoolmasters
may be found in Bishop Nicolson's Visitation Miscellany. One man, who
afterwards became examining chaplain to Bishop Law, used to keep school at
Sebergham in a mud hut. Of another cleric, the Rev. T. Baxter, who was
incumbent of Arlecdon in the first half of last century, it is recorded,
in Mr. W. Dickinson's "Reminiscences of West Cumberland," that he "taught
the parish school in the chancel of the parish church, on an earthern
floor, without fire either in summer or winter." Bishop Nicolson's
descriptions speak eloquently of the poverty of some parishes:--"The quire
at Warwick, as in many other places, is shamefully abused by the children
that are taught in it. Their present master is Thomas Allanson, a poor
cripple, remov'd hither from Rockliff, who has no settled salary, only
12d. per quarter and his diet, and would be thankful for ye commendum of
ye clerk's place; which, he saies, would bring him an addition of about
six shillings p. an."
Of Irthington he wrote:--"The quire is here (as before) miserably spoil'd,
on the floor, by the school boyes; and so vilely out of repair in the roof
that 'tis hazardous comeing in it."
Crosby-on-Eden was a little better than the former place:--"Mr. Pearson,
the school master, has no certain and fixed salary. He teaches the
children in the quire; where the boys and girls sit on good Wainscot
Benches, and write on the communion table, too good (were it not appointed
to a higher use) for such a service." Here is a picture with regard to
Cumwhitton, not calculated to make people really wish for the old days
about which some grow enthusiastic:--"The south window is unglazed and
starves the whole congregation as well as the poor children; who are here
taught (for the present) by the parish clerk, a man of very moderate
qualification. Mr. Robley, their new curate, is not yet resident among
them; but will shortly come, and take the office of teaching out of this
illiterate man's hand."
In a parish not far from the Cumberland border--Allendale--the curates of
West Allen High and St. Peter's Chapels were certainly as recently as
1835, and probably still later, obliged to teach the miners' children for
1s. 6d. per quarter each, in consideration of certain annual payments.
These were five shillings from each miner of one description, and
half-a-crown from those of another, which they, in common with the
incumbent of Allenheads Chapel, received as ministers of the respective
chapels.
It was certified in 1717 that while at that time there was no divine
service performed in the parish of Clifton, some three miles from
Workington, "formerly every family in the two hamlets [of Great and Little
Clifton], being about forty in number, paid 6d. each to one that read
prayers, and taught the children to read, and the rector gave L2 a year,
and officiated there every sixth Sunday, but that these payments had then
ceased for above 40 years last past."
Reference was made in a previous paragraph to the custom of whittlegate as
applying to schoolmasters. From the former chapter on church curiosities
it will have been noted that the clergy occasionally had recourse to that
method of supplementing their scanty incomes. As it often happened that
the schoolmaster and parson were one and the same individual, difficulties
were thereby removed. At any rate the following extract from Clarke's
"Survey" of over a century ago has an interesting bearing on the subject.
Writing of Ambleside, of which the Rev. Isaac Knipe, M.A., was curate and
schoolmaster, he remarks:--
"The chapel is a low, mean building, and stands in the parish of
Grassmere. The inhabitants (who are land owners), as well as those in
the parish of Winandermere, as those in the parish of Grassmere, have
the right of nominating and presenting the curate. The rector of
Grassmere usually nominated the curate, but the inhabitants of this
and many other perpetual curacies in the north have, by custom, gotten
it from the rectors of vicars; the reason is this: before the death
of Queen Anne, many of the chapelries were not worth above three
pounds a year, and the donees could not get persons properly qualified
to serve them, so they left them to the inhabitants, who raised
voluntary contributions for them in addition to their salary, with
clothes yearly and whittlegate. Whittlegate is to have two or three
weeks' victuals at each house, according to the ability of the
inhabitants, which was settled amongst them so as that he should go
his course as regular as the sun, and compleat it as annually."
The custom prevailed so late as 1858 in some country parishes; it is not a
little curious that it has not been found to exist in any counties except
Cumberland and Westmorland, though the Rev. J. Wharton, Stainmore, has
informed the writer that it is recognised still in some parts of the
United States.
The custom of barring out is probably unknown to the present generation of
Cumbrian and Westmerian school-boys--at any rate in the sense in which it
used to be observed. There exist numerous stories of the thoroughness with
which the boys formerly maintained their supposed rights in this
direction. The Rev. E. H. Sugden's sketch of the history of Arlecdon and
Frizington shows how the observance was followed there every
Christmas:--"The old men of the parish tell with delight their experiences
and adventures in carrying out this old custom. One says he remembers the
master entering the school by creeping down the chimney. Another tells of
a boy hiding himself in the chimney when the master had forced the door
open. It appears that during this period of expulsion the doors of the
school were strongly barricaded within, and the boys who defended it like
a besieged city were armed in general with elder pop-guns. In the meantime
the master would make several efforts, both by force and stratagem, to
regain his lost authority. If he succeeded, heavy tasks were imposed, and
the business of the school went on as usual; but it more commonly happened
that he was repulsed and defeated. The siege was continued three days,
after which the terms of capitulation were proposed by the master, who
usually pushed them under the door, and as a rule the boys accepted. These
terms stipulated what hours and times should for the ensuing year be
allotted to study, and what to relaxation and play. Securities were given
by each side for the due performance of these stipulations, and the paper
was then solemnly signed by both master and pupils.
"Mr. Sibson, of Whitehaven, formerly of this parish, relates the two
following incidents in connection with this custom. On one occasion, Mr.
C. Mossop endeavoured to enter the school. As soon as he put his hand on
the window sill, intending to enter that way, a boy hit his hand with a
red-hot poker, so that for many days he went about with it in a sling. On
another occasion, Mr. Hughes, the master, took some slates off the roof,
and succeeded in getting his legs and part of his body past the rafters,
but he could get no further, and the boys with red-hot pokers burnt him
severely before he could be rescued by his friends. In those days many
young men attended the school during the winter time."
At Appleby, the "barring out" sometimes lasted for days, and the scholars
slept in the schoolrooms. In most places the mutiny was apt to break out
early on the morning of the day fixed for breaking up for the holidays.
They defied the master by means of sundry cries, that at Kendal being:--
"Liberty, liberty, under a pin,
Six weeks' holiday or _nivver_ come in."
Apparently the custom was killed in the old grey town at the beginning of
this century by the then master, Mr. Towers meeting with a distressing
mishap. He was contending with them, apparently for admittance, when his
eye was accidentally destroyed, and the disaster served to bring about the
abolition of the old custom.
Fine warm days of that Indian summer so often experienced in the two
counties in September and October were devoted to "going a nutting," and
the headmaster of Appleby Grammar School never refused a holiday at that
season, provided that each scholar brought him a quart of "leamers"--nuts
sufficiently ripe to leave the husks without compulsory treatment. As
Christmas approached, the schoolmaster was "barred out" in orthodox
fashion, until he agreed (and he only pretended to be loth to make the
contract) to extend the coming holidays as long as his pupils demanded.
THE END
Index.
Acorn Bank, Privileges of tenants of, 67
Ale possets, 202
Allendale, Old school-days at, 250
Alms corn, Payments of, 88
Altar, Horn of the, at Carlisle, 74
Ambleside--curious church tradition, 49
Appleby, Privileges of burgesses of, 69;
Barring out custom at, 254-255;
Curious assize incident at, 7;
Bull-baiting at, 195;
Excommunication at, 102;
Grammar School, 242;
Public whipping at, 126-128;
Stocks at, 125
Appleby Castle, Old corn measures at, 159-160;
Curfew bell at, 238
Applethwaite (Windermere), Curious regulations at, 89
Apprentices and salmon, 178
Apprenticeship custom, An, 233
Archdeacon's Court, 59-60
Archery, 196-199
Arlecdon, Rector of, chasing a parishioner, 42;
Church font used as water-trough, 50;
Church, Dogs in, 63;
Tradition concerning buried church, 133;
An old school at, 249;
Barring out custom at, 252
Armathwaite, Gibbeting of Whitfield at, 94
Armboth Hall, Skulls at, 147
" Web-stone at, 237
Armour in churches, 13, 34
Assessors of bread and ale, 89
Assize incident, A curious, 7
Atkinson, Execution of Captain, 97
Bampton, Arrangement of families in church, 53;
Punishment of Quakers, 107-109
Barguest, The, 141
Barring out custom at school, 252-255
Barton, Probable fortified church at, 34;
Curious manorial custom at, 80
Beacons, 10-13
Beating the bounds, 227
Bees, Telling the, 138
Beetham Church, Penance at, 111
Bell-gate at Dalston, 238
Bell-horses, 217, 238
Bell legends, 132
Bell, Mayor of Wreay's old silver, 201
Bells, Carlisle racing, 191
Bishop of Carlisle and cock-fighting, 195
Bishops excommunicated, 100
Bishops, Fighting, 22-28
Blackmail rent, 75
Bode, bodesmen, bodeword, bode-hill, 14
Boggles, 139
Bongate--A reminder of serfdom, 66
Boon services, 76-79
Bootle, Beacon at, 15
Border service, 9-16, 68-70, 229
Bridekirk, Excommunication at, 101
Brigham, Fortified church at, 33
Brough, Probable fortified church at, 34;
Church font in private grounds, 50;
Holly Night at, 205
Brougham, Curious horn at, 73;
Countess's Pillar at, 223
Bull and boar, Obligation to keep, 87
Bull-baiting, 195
Burgh Barony Cup, Races for, 190
Burgh-by-Sands, Fortified church at, 30
Burrell Green, Luck of, 151
Burton, Curious dispute at, 40
"Burying the old wife" custom, 233
Calgarth skulls, 146
Caldbeck, Manorial customs at, 83
Carleton--A reminder of serfdom, 65
Carlisle, Watch and ward at, 19;
Cathedral, Rioting in, 37;
Cathedral used as a prison, 37;
Charter Horn at, 74;
Pillory and stocks at, 124;
Racing Bells, 191
Cartmell Church, Troops quartered in, 37
Carriage money service, 89
Castleward, Service of, 71
Charms, 136
Charter Horn at Carlisle, 74
Chimney and hearth tax, 182-186
Church curiosities, 38-63;
Stock, 51, 52;
Holding manorial courts in, 58;
Dog-whippers in, 60-63;
Legends, 131-133, 139;
Fined for not going to, 226
Churchwardens' duties, 51, 52, 107, 108, 226;
Selection of, 245
Churchyards, Keeping swine out of, 60;
Announcing sales in, 158
Churches, Fortified, 28-37;
Armour in, 13, 34;
Division of sexes in, 53;
Seating arrangements in, 51;
Swallowed by the earth, 131-132
Churning, Superstitions about, 137
Christmas festivals, 202
Clergy, Old-time, 40-46
Clergymen as publicans, 41;
as schoolmasters, 248-252
Cliburn, A probable fortified church at, 34
Clifton, Old school-days at, 251
Clogs, 171
Cloth searchers, 164
"Clothe Dightinge," 163
Coaching days, The old, 213-216
Coals carried on horse-back, 217
Cockermouth tolls dispute, 83;
Old manorial officers at, 90
Cock-fighting, 192-195, 201, 242
Cockpenny, 242, 243
Corby Castle, Radiant Boy of, 146
Cordwainers, Rules for, 164
Cornage, Service of, 15, 69, 70, 73
Coronation festivities, 205
Corryhole at Great Salkeld Church, 32
Councils, Old Parish, 230-232
Countess's Pillar at Brougham, 223
County guinea incident near Penrith, 20
Courts in church, Holding, 58
Courts, Old, 58, 90, 181
Crack Nut Sunday, 225
Croglin, Manorial customs at, 82
Crosby Garrett, A probable fortified church at, 33
Crosby-on-Eden, Old school-days at, 249
Crosby Ravensworth Church, Keeping dogs out of, 61
Cross Fell, Legend of, 132
Crosthwaite, Rivalry between Cockermouth and, 157
"Culyet," 52
Cumin tenure, 85
Cumwhitton, Manorial customs at, 82
Curfew Bell, Ringing the, 238
Customs, Old, 223-239;
Old School, 240-255
Dacre Church, Curious custom at, 55
Dalston Church, Whipping dogs from, 61-62;
Holy well at, 207
"Dalston Black-reeds," 194
Dearham Church tower used as a beacon, 32
Death stroke superstition, 137
Dissenters, Punishment of, 107-109
Dog-laws at Egremont, Old, 87
Dog-whippers in church, 60-63
Downies and Uppies at Workington, 200
Drengage tenements, 66
Drenges, 66
Dress, Old-time, 171-173
Drigg, Manorial customs at, 82
Drunkards, Punishment of, 119-121
Edenhall, Church tower used as a beacon, 13;
Manorial customs at, 81;
A possible plague stone at, 237
Eden Hall, Luck of, 148
Egremont, Manorial customs at, 77, 87, 90
Epidemics, Old-time, 235-238
Excommunication and penance, 98-119
Executions, Wholesale, for political offences, 97
Expeditious wagons, 216
Fairies, 137
Fairs, Old laws concerning, 155;
Churchyard, 155-158
Farleton Knott beacon, 13
Festivities and sports, Old, 188-208
Fighting Bishops and Fortified Churches, 22-37
Firebote, 75
Fire, Old methods for quenching, 186
"First-foot" superstition, 147
Flimby, Old tenure at, 71
Fonts in private grounds, 50-51
Food-stuffs, Old-time, 174-178
Fools, Old-time, 232
Football, 199-200, 243
Forest Court at Hesket, 69, 73
Forestalling and regrating, Laws against, 165-167, 169
Fortified churches, 28-37
Foster-oats, An old manorial rent, 78
Free-bench, 81
Furth-neets at Orton and Ravenstonedale, 228-229
Gallows Hills, 94, 98
Gambling, Punishment for, 115
Gaol-life, Old-time, 122
Ghosts, 142-143
Giant's Cave Sunday, 207
Giant's Thumb at Penrith, 124
Gibbeting of criminals, 94-97
Gilcrux, Old tenure at, 70
Glassonby, Manorial customs at, 80
Glove service, 72
God's penny custom, 83
"Gospel side" of a church, 54
Gowrie Plot celebration, 203
Great Salkeld, Fortified church at, 31
Greenhue rent, 77
Greystoke, Anchorites at, 46;
Sanctuary stone at, 115;
"Pelican in her piety" at, 58;
Church miserere used as church sign at, 58;
Manorial customs at, 78, 80;
Penance at, 113;
Excommunication at, 101;
Foot stocks at, 124;
Gowrie Plot celebration at, 203;
Gunpowder Plot celebration at, 203
Guilds and old trade societies, 162-4
Gunpowder Plot celebration, 203
Hack-pudding, 227
Halts, 218
"Hanging days," The, 123
Hanging, drawing, and quartering, 91, 97, 98
Harcla, The execution of Sir Andrew de, 91
Hawk service, The, 69, 70
Hawkshead, Dog-whippers at, 63
Hayton paupers hired to contractors, 234
Hedge-lookers, 89
Helton, Old Council at, 231
Heriots, 79, 85, 100
Hesket Thorn Court, 70, 73
Holme Cultram, Abbey of, also a fortress, 29;
Petition of inhabitants to Cromwell, 29;
Curious dispute at, 39;
Old-time school life at, 244
Holy bell at Ravenstonedale, 114
Holy wells, 206-208
Holly Night at Brough, 205
Homage, Service of, 15, 65
Horn tenures, 73
Hospitals, Old-time, 211, 212
House-boot, 76, 82
House in two parishes, 228
Inglewood Forest, 70, 73, 74, 197, 212
Ireby, Manorial customs at, 77
Irthington, Old school-days at, 249
Jesters, Old-time, 232
Journeys, Some noteworthy old-time, 209-221
Judges, Perils of the King's, 212
Kaber Rigg Rising, The, 98
Kattstick and Bullvett, 199
Kendal, Scolds' bridle at, 115;
Punishments at, 115-121;
Watch and ward at, 17-19;
Parson of moiety of church of, 38;
Church incident at, 35-37;
Bowmen, 198;
Barring out custom at, 254
Kentmere, Reminders of Border service at, 229
Keswick, Bull-baiting at, 195;
endowed school, 245
Kirkby Lonsdale, Church inscription at, 47;
Bridge legend, 133;
Sale of church font, 51
Kirkby Stephen, Curious tithe custom at, 56;
A probable fortified church at, 34;
Burial of Sir Andrew de Harcla at, 94;
Fair, Proclamation at, 160;
School ordinances, 240
Kirkby Thore, Penance at, 112
Kirkland, Unusual tenure at, 85