1553-1592.
Giggleswick Church had been given to the Priory of Finchale by Henry de
Puteaco about 1200, and Finchale was a cell of the Prior and Convent of
Durham. So from that date till the Dissolution of the Monasteries the
Priors continued to appoint the Vicar. When however in 1548 the church
became vacant the rights of the convent were vested in Edward VI and he
appointed to the office one of his chaplains John Nowell.
Nothing is known of him. He may have been the brother of Alexander
Nowell, a prominent divine both under Mary and her successor, and for a
time Head Master of Westminster, Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford,
and for over forty years Dean of S. Paul's. This Alexander was a leader
of education; he wrote a Catechism that became a school text-book and he
assisted to re-found a free school at Middleton. It is not a wholly
unsound conjecture, if we suppose that the John Nowell, who assisted to
re-found Giggleswick was, if not a brother, at least a member of the
same family as Alexander whose home was at Whalley.
We know at least that he was Vicar of Giggleswick till 1558. During his
first five years Richard Carr, assisted for a time by Thomas Iveson, was
continuing to teach in the small and irregular building of James, his
uncle; and as a stipend he was receiving annually £5 6_s._ 8_d._
This money ceased to be paid after 1553, in which year on May 26 Edward
VI "of happy memory" was pleased to grant a Charter to the School and to
endow it with property. This he did at the humble petition of John
Nowell, vicar, Henry Tennant, gentleman, and other inhabitants of the
town and parish of Giggleswick in Craven.
Quite forgetful of the School's previous existence for over half a
century, he ordains that "from henceforth there may and shall be one
Grammar School ... which shall be called the Free Grammar School of King
Edward the Sixth of Giggleswick, and the same School for ever to
continue of one Schoolmaster or Headmaster and of one Under Master or
Usher."
This limitation of the teaching staff to one Headmaster and one Usher
led to serious qualms of conscience among the Governors in the last
decade of the eighteenth century, when the revenues and numbers of the
School had been very greatly increased. They then added to the number of
the staff and discovered that they had contravened the Charter of Edward
VI, and this difficulty was one of those that led to the application in
1795 for new Statutes.
It was to be a "free" school, not in any restricted, unusual sense of
the word, not free from ecclesiastical interference, that did not come
till the nineteenth century, not free from temporal interference, that
has never come, but free from fees, giving gratuitous teaching. The
Charter was an English document translated into Latin. Hence it is not a
question whether the word "libera" can ever be understood in the sense
of gratuitous. The Latin word is used as being not the exact, but the
nearest equivalent of the English. The Free Grammar School undoubtedly
meant exemption from fees and all other meanings are heresies of the
nineteenth century, fostered only too willingly by those guardians of
Grammar Schools, who were not eager to fill their class-rooms with boys
from the locality free of charge and so to exclude the sons of
"strangers" who were ready to pay for the privilege. The Charter then
named eight men of the more discreet and honest inhabitants of the Town
and Parish of Giggleswick to be Governors of the said School. They were:
JOHN NOWELL, Vicar.
WILLIAM CATTERALL, of Newhall.
HENRY TENNANT, Gentleman.
THOMAS PROCTER, of Cletehop.
HUGH NEWHOUSE, of Giggleswick.
WILLIAM BROWNE, of Settle.
ROGER ARMISTED, of Knight Stayneforde.
WILLIAM BANK of Fesar.
The Vicar, for the time being, must always be a Governor and with one
other he had the sole power of summoning the rest to a meeting.
Collectively they could appoint the Headmaster and Usher, make elections
to their own body, when any other than the Vicar died or left the
neighbourhood, and make statutes and ordinances for the government of
the School with the advice of the Bishop of the Diocese. If the Vicar
should infringe the said statutes they could for the time being elect
another of the inhabitants into his place. They were a corporate body
and could have a common seal.
An endowment was provided for them out of the confiscated property of S.
Andrewes College, Acaster, in the parishe of Styllingflete in the
Countie and Citie of York. Acaster had been founded about 1470 and
consisted of three distinct schools, Grammar, Song and Writing, the last
intended to "teach all such things as belonged to Scrivener Craft." The
property included land in North Cave, South and North Kelthorpe and
Brampton. A further grant was made of land in Edderwick, Rise and
Aldburgh which had formed part of the endowment of the Chantry of the
Blessed Virgin Mary in the parish of Rise and Aldburgh.
These lands were situated in the East Riding and their whole value
amounted annually to £23 3_s._ of which they had to pay an annual rent
to the King of sixty-three shillings. The Trustees were further allowed
to purchase or receive gifts of land, etc., for the maintenance of the
School, provided that such additional endowment did not exceed the clear
yearly value of £30.
The grant does not sound over-generous, but it is necessary to multiply
money to twenty times its value, in order to obtain a clear estimate of
it in this century. On such a computation it would amount to £400 a year
after paying the King's rent, and in addition, it would be possible to
acquire by gifts or legacies another £600, making a possible income of
£1,000. The Common Seal that the Governors used is of an origin
altogether obscure. It represents presumably the Virgin and Child while
below is the figure of a man praying. Round the rim are the words:
Sigillum Prebendarii de Bulidon
It may be that Bulidon has in course of time been corrupted and that
some modernized form of it exists, with records of a collegiate church.
It is quite clearly the seal of a canon or prebendary, but as yet no one
has discovered his church or his name. Perhaps Nowell was a prebendary
and this was his seal, which he transferred to the Governors for their
corporate use.
The Governors were empowered to make "de tempore in tempus" fit and
wholesome Statutes and Ordinances in writing concerning the Governors
... how they shall behave and bear themselves in their office ... and
for what causes they may be removed; and touching the manner and form of
choosing and nominating of the chief master and undermaster, and
touching the ordering, government and direction of the chief master and
undermaster and of the scholars of the said School, which said Statutes
were to be inviolately observed from time to time for ever.
No record remains of Statutes made in accordance with this royal
permission until thirty-nine years later. Custom no doubt played a great
part in the government of the School and it continued steadily on the
lines first laid down by James Carr. But towards the close of the
century the country was awakening from the materialism which had girt it
round. The danger of invasion had passed away. The seeds of religious
fervour were bearing fruit. A militant, assertive Puritanism was
vigorously putting forward its feelers throughout the length and breadth
of England, nor was education the last to be affected. Throughout
history it has been the aim of the enthusiast to make education conform
to a single standard. Sometimes it has been the value of the
disputation, sometimes of the sense of Original Sin, sometimes of the
classics. At the close of the sixteenth century Original Sin had become
an important factor in the theories of the expert, and its presence is
marked in the Giggleswick Ancient Statutes of 1592.
On Sunday the 2nd of July, 1592, between the hours of three and five in
the afternoon, Christopher Foster, public notary and one of the Proctors
of the Consistory Court at York, appeared personally before John,
Archbishop of York, in the great chamber of the Palace at Bishopthorp.
He there presented his letters mandatory, sealed with the common seal,
for Christopher Shute, Clerk, Bachelor of Divinity, Vicar of the Parish
Church of Giggleswick, Henry Tenant, Antony Watson, Richard Chewe,
gentlemen, Thos. Banckes, and Roger Carre, yeomen.
He had brought with him "Letters Patent wrote on vellum of the late King
Edward the Sixth of happy memory concerning the foundacion of the said
ffree Grammar School and sealed with the great seal of England." These
he shewed to the Archbishop together with certain wholesome Statutes and
Ordinances, which they had determined upon. The Archbishop consented to
deliberate concerning the matter and consulted with counsel learned in
the law in that behalf. Later on the 3rd day of October after mature
deliberation, he was pleased to transmit the said Statutes to be
registered in the Chancellor's Court at York by the hands of John Benet,
Doctor of Laws and Vicar General. The Statutes were accordingly
confirmed and remained valid for over two hundred years.
The Governors bound themselves to choose from time to time men of true
and sound religion, fearing God and of honest conversation. In spite of
these somewhat grandiose qualifications it was found necessary to make a
second regulation by which each Governor on his election should protest
and swear before the Vicar of Giggleswick and the rest of the Governors
to be true and faithful towards the School and its emoluments and
profits and not to purloin or take away any of the commodities of the
same, whereby it might be impoverished or impaired in any respect.
The third paragraph provided for the election of a new governor in case
of a vacancy occurring through removal from the district or "if any of
them be convicted of any notorious cryme:" in his place was to be chosen
a godly, discreet, and sober person. Once, at least, every half-year
they were to visit the School and examine the labours of the Master and
Usher and also the proceedings of the Scholars in good literature. If
any fault was to be found in the observation of the Statutes on the part
of the Master or Usher or Scholars, the Governors had the right, of
admonishing the offenders and if after admonition twice given amendment
was not made, they could remove them. On the other hand the control of
the Master over the Scholars was not absolute, but was shared with the
Governors.
Finally they were to see to the revenues of the School, and to pay
stipends to the Master and Usher, "neither shall they make any wilful
waste of the profits but be content with a moderate allowance, when they
are occupied about the business of the said School."
THE MASTER.
The Master was to be a man fearing God, of true religion and godly
conversation, not given to dicing, carding, or any other unlawful games.
These Statutes were the outcome of custom and it is not unreasonable to
suppose that while such general expressions as true religion and godly
conversation represented the national feeling of the time, particular
prohibitions of dicing and carding had reference to special weaknesses
of the contemporary Master. Thus at Dronfield in 1579 the Master was
particularly enjoined not to curse or revile his scholars.
The three following clauses refer to the instruction of the Scholars in
godly Authors for Christian Religion, and other meet and honest Authors
for more Knowledge of the Liberal Sciences. He shall once every week
catechize his Scholars in the Knowledge of the Christian Religion and
other godly Duties to the end their Obedience in Life may answer to
their proceedings in godly Literature.
He shall not teach them any unsavoury or Popish doctrines or infect
their young wits with heresies. He shall not use in the School any
language to his Scholars which be of riper years and proceedings but
only the Latin, Greek or Hebrew, nor shall he willingly permit the use
of the English Tongue to them which are or shall be able to speak Latin.
These are regulations typical of the century and we shall return to them
more fully on a later page.
Giggleswick was a free school but it was clearly not intended to be only
a local school, for the Master was to teach indifferently, that is to
say, impartially, the Poor as well as the Rich, and the Parishioner as
well as the Stranger, and, as they shall profit in learning, so he shall
prefer them, without respect of persons.
Vacations were to consist of two weeks at Easter, three weeks at
Christmas, and three weeks to be by the said Master appointed when he
thinketh it most convenient for his Scholars to be exercised in writing
under a Scrivener for their better exercise in that faculty; provided
that he could also upon any convenient occasion grant an intermission
from study, in any afternoon, whensoever he seeth the same expedient or
necessary. He himself could not be absent at any other time above six
days, in any one quarter without the special license of the Governors.
For these pains and labours he was to receive as recompense the yearly
stipend of twenty marks or £13 6_s._ 8_d._ of lawful English money, to
be paid twice in the year in equal portions at the feast of S. Peter
Advincula and at the feast of the Purification of Our Lady. Lastly he
was not to "begyne to teache or dismiss the schoole without convenient
prayers and thankesgyveing in that behalfe publiquely to be used."
THE USHER.
The Usher likewise was to be a man "of sounde religion and sober lyfe
and able to train up the youth in godliness and vertue:" obedient to
the Master and directed by him in his teaching. Every year he was to
prefer one whole form or "seedge" to the Master's erudition and if they
failed, he would stand subject to censure from the Master and Governors.
He was not to absent himself more than four days in any quarter without
license from the Master and Governors and in the absence of the Master
was to supply his office. For this he received just half the former's
yearly stipend, or £6 13_s._ 4_d._, to be paid in equal portions twice
in the year.
Together they had to begin work every morning at 6-30, "if they shall
see it expedient," and continue till 11-0 a.m. Then they had a rest till
1-0 o'clock, after which they worked till 5-0 p.m.; except during the
winter season when the times of beginning of the school and dismissing
of the same shall be left to the discretion of the Master. They could
with the assent of the Archbishop of York and upon admonition twice
given be expelled from their office or upon one admonition or two be
fined or censured according to the quality of their offence.
THE SCHOLARS.
The Governors alone, with the consent of the Master, could expulse a
Scholar for rebelliously and obstinately withstanding the Master or
Usher; but if any scholar, upon proof first had, should be found
altogether negligent or incapable of learning, at the discretion of the
Master he could be returned to his friends to be brought up in some
other honest trade and exercise of life.
They could not be absent without leave: and if they did not obey the two
Prepositors, by the Master to be appointed for order and quietness in
the School they were to be subject to the severe censure of the Master
or Usher. Lastly if they behaved themselves irreverently at home or
abroad towards their parents, friends, or any others whatsoever, or
complained of correction moderately given them by the Master or Usher,
they were to be severely corrected for the same.
The stipends of the Master and Usher were not wholly ungenerous.
Mulcaster, who had founded Merchant Taylors' School and had two hundred
and fifty boys under his charge received only £10: at Rotherham the
Grammar Master received £10 15_s._ 4_d._; this was in 1483 but it was
extremely good pay for the period. Even Eton College which had a revenue
of over £1,000 at the time of Edward VI's Chantry Commissioners' Report
was only paying its Schoolmaster £10. It is true that these Schools had
also a varying number of boys paying small fees, but such additional
income was not part of the foundation. For Giggleswick with a revenue
of £20 (exclusive of the King's rent of £3 3_s._) and a further possible
revenue of £30, to pay the whole of its £20 as a stipend to the
Headmaster and Usher was a distinctly liberal proceeding.
The discretionary power of the Master with regard to the discipline of
the School appears to be greatly limited. He is bidden appoint two
prepositors, he is even advised as to some particular occasions on which
he shall correct the scholars. But these regulations probably only
codify existing custom, and in practice, no doubt, the Master would find
himself almost entirely free from control. Nevertheless such regulations
were not without their danger.
[Illustration: Decoration]
[Illustration: Decoration]