1642--1712.
The Rev. Rowland Lucas was a native of Westmorland and had been educated
at Kirkby under Mr. Leake. In 1626 he was admitted to Christ's College,
Cambridge, as a Sizar and took his B.A. in three years and his M.A. in
1633. Before he came to Giggleswick he had been Headmaster of Heversham.
In 1643 his salary was increased to forty marks and in 1645 to £40, and
during his six years many scholars went to Cambridge and won distinction
in the world, such as Thomas Dockray and John Carr. At his death in
1648, William Wilsonne, the Usher, supplied his place for a few weeks
and later William Walker was elected. He was a native of Giggleswick and
had been a boy at the School under Mr. Lucas. In 1643 at the age of
eighteen he was admitted as a Sizar at Christ's and commenced B.A.
1646-7 and later M.A.
The numbers of the School at this period are quite uncertain. The
accommodation was slight and the teaching staff limited to the Master
and Usher, but the boys were probably packed very close. During the nine
years of his mastership, boys were steadily sent to Cambridge. Christ's
alone admitted twenty-five and in one single year (1652) three others
entered S. John's. These boys were sons of really poor men. John Cockett
in 1651 was the first recorded receiver of the Shute Exhibition of £5,
and in the next year it was given to Josias Dockray, son of the late
Master, "whom we conceive to be a poore scoller of our parish." Both
these boys became ordained and in time were appointed to one or more
livings. For a century and a half Giggleswick fed Christ's with a steady
stream of boys who almost without exception entered the service of the
Church.
Seventeenth century Giggleswick took no heed of the progress of the
School and records do not abound. It was a disturbed period in English
history and political and religious troubles occupied men's minds to the
exclusion of lesser matters. Giggleswick was nevertheless well-known,
for in 1697 Abraham de la Prynne records in his diary an anecdote of a
Mr. Hollins who thirty years before had lived at Giggleswick "as I
remember in Yorkshire where the great school is." Apparently Anthony
Lister, who was then Vicar had roused the resentment of a particular
Quaker, who found himself anxious to go to the Parish Church to rebuke
Lister publicly, when he began to preach. On his way thither he met a
friend and told him of his intention. The man tried to dissuade him but
finding argument of no avail, he asked him what induced him to choose
this particular Sunday. Whereupon the Quaker replied that "the Spirit"
had sent him. The rejoinder came quickly "why did the Spirit not also
tell thee that one Roger and not the Vicar is preaching to-day?" There
was at this period one particularly distinguished son of Giggleswick,
Richard Frankland born at "Rothmelæ" (Rathmell) in 1631 who came to the
School when he was nine and at the age of seventeen went as a Burton
Exhibitioner to Christ's College, Cambridge. The Shute Minute-Book of
1651 has the following entry:
xxj_st_ January, 1651.
Received the day and yeare abovesaid from Robt. Claphamson the
some of eight pounds which he received of James Smith, of
Burton, for one year's rent, the which is disbursed by us as
follows (to witt) to Jane ffrankland for her son, viz. xl_s._
His father John Frankland is said on his tombstone in Giggleswick Church
to be one of the Franklands of "Thartilbe" (Thirkleby, near Thirsk) and
he was admitted to Christ's in 1626.
Richard became B.A. in 1651 and M.A. four years later. In 1653 he was
"set apart" and received Presbyterian ordination. He was immediately
appointed Vicar of Auckland S. Andrew by Sir Arthur Haselrig but was
ejected nine years later. He was not an extreme man but he refused to be
re-ordained by Bishop Cosen. After the second Conventicle Act of 1670 he
made a personal appeal to Charles II, "to reform your life, your family,
your kingdom and the Church." The King was much moved and replied "I
thank you, Sir," and twice looking back before he went into the Council
Chamber said "I thank you, Sir; I thank you." Returning to Rathmell his
native place, Frankland opened an Academy, where he gave an University
training in Divinity, Law or Medicine. Aristotle was taught and one
tutor was a Ramist. The lectures were delivered in Latin. His pupils
were not confined to any one denomination, but included Puritans,
Presbyterians and Independents.
[Illustration: RICHARD FRANKLAND, M.A.]
Fortune smiled very grimly upon him and he was compelled to change his
place of instruction on many occasions. His pupils always followed him.
One Archbishop excommunicated him, another--Archbishop Sharpe--also a
Christ's man, discussed the matter with the help of tobacco and a bottle
of wine. Sharpe's main objection was that a second school was not
required so close to Giggleswick, and an Academy for public instruction
in University Learning could not lawfully receive a Bishop's license. In
the main he was undisturbed during his last years and when he died in
1698 over three hundred pupils had passed through his hands and his
Academy was later transferred to Manchester and in 1889 to Oxford, where
it became known as the Manchester New College. During the period of
Frankland's struggles with the dignitaries of the Church, one Samuel
Watson, of Stainforth, who had been a Governor of Giggleswick School was
in 1661 "willing being a Quaker that another should be elected in his
place." Eight years later he interrupted a service in the Parish Church,
and the people "brok his head upon ye seates."
In 1656 William Walker resigned the mastership and for three months his
place was taken by William Bradley, who had been a pensioner at S.
John's, Cambridge, at the same time as the Usher, William Wilsonne.
William Brigge was then elected. He was an University man and almost
certainly at Cambridge, but his college is doubtful.
In 1659 the Shute Scholarship was to be given "to Tho. Green's son of
Stainforth, when a certificate comes of his admittance" into the
University. This was a precaution that was not unnecessary. It is only
rarely that the money is entered as being paid to the scholar himself:
far more often is it paid to the father or mother and sometimes to the
boy's college Tutor. On March 12, 1660, it is agreed "that the £5 is to
be paid to Tho. Gibson, his Tutor, upon his admittance into the
Collidge." In 1673, Hugh, son of Oliver Stackhouse, "being ye poorest
scoller" was awarded the money.
The North Cave Estate, which had been given to the School as part of its
endowment in 1553, had very greatly increased in value during the
hundred years to 1671, when the rents amounted to over £80. The stipends
of the Masters were raised by means of a gratuity and William Brigge
received £30. No reason appears why after fifteen years' service and an
increased gratuity he should still be receiving £10 a year less than one
of his predecessors, Rowland Lucas, in 1644.
Thomas Wildeman, the Usher, received £15. Wilson had died in 1666 and
one William Cowgill, of whom we know nothing, succeeded him for four
years. In 1671 Wildeman took his place. One Thomas Wildeman had been at
Giggleswick as a boy and had entered Magdalene, Cambridge, in 1670, and
then migrated to Christ's. The dates make it possible that they are the
same person, in which case he would be continuing to keep his terms at
Cambridge and be acting as Usher at the same time.
The Accounts of the School at this period shew the Governors in a
different light. Their expenditure not having increased proportionately
to their income, the surplus money was lent out at interest to the
people in the village. Hugh Stackhouse, who had gone up to Christ's with
school money on account of his great poverty, was at this time acting as
Treasurer or Clerk and was one of the earliest to take advantage of the
Governors' enterprize. He borrowed £10 at five per cent. and the debt
continues to be mentioned for many years. He would appear to be a
privileged debtor.
The following is a typical entry in the Account Book:
On March 12, 1686.
Interest and Bonds for ye Schoole
£ _s._ _d._
Antho. Armitstead 00 10 00
Tho. Brayshay 00 05 00
Antho. Barrows 00 05 00
Tho. Stackhouse 00 08 09
Robte. Cookson 00 10 00
Tho. Carr, of Settle, at ½ year for £20 00 10 00
Nathaniel More at £20 01 00 00
Robte. Cookson at £100 05 00 00
Hugh Stackhouse at £10 00 10 00
Mr. Wildman at £20 01 00 00
The Mr. Wildman here referred to may have been the Usher, who belonged
to a Giggleswick family but had given up the post of Usher, which at
this date was held by John Sparke formerly of Christ's and possibly the
same as the John Sparke who was Vicar of Long Preston in 1703. William
Brigge had also left in 1684 and for six months his work was taken by a
former Usher, John Parkinson, who had matriculated as a Sizar at
Christ's in 1676 and after taking his degree came for two years as Usher
in place of Wildeman. On Brigge's death he acted as Headmaster, but
whether he was definitely appointed such or was intended to be in charge
for a short time only is doubtful, as he died in six months.
June 12, 1685. "Mr John Armittsteade entred to ye Schole."
John Armitstead was born at Long Preston in 1660, and after being at
Giggleswick as a boy, he went up to Cambridge at the age of nineteen
with a Burton Exhibition. He was entered as a Sizar at Christ's, and
commenced B.A. in 1682-3 and M.A. 1688. The name of Armitstead has been
very closely connected with the School even to the present day.
Henry Roome was Usher for one quarter in 1688 and then gave place to
Richard Atkinson or Akinson, whose salary varied from year to year, but
never exceeded a certain limit, viz.: just half the Master's, which
consisted of "ye ancient Master's Stipend" of twenty marks and a
gratuity which brought it between £40 and £50. There are also small
entries in places, such as:
October 1, 1687.
Paid to Mr. Armitstead for repairs about ye schoole loft and
garden that he had laid out, as particulars may appeare, which
noate of particulars he delivered to ye summe of £4 17_s._
06_d._ In which noate theire was a Presse that stands in ye
schoole chamber, it is theire to remaine to belonge to ye
schoole.
Richard Ellershaw, the Vicar, took a very great interest in the School,
and in 1718 he wrote to Christ's College, Cambridge, seeking information
about the Carr Scholarships. It was probably due to him that in 1693 two
shillings was laid down for transcribing part of Carr's Will, which
money "the schollars that receive Burton Exhibitions must then (i.e.
1694) allow to the school stock."
One point of interest remains connected with this period: it is a
curious slip of paper without date, which contains an invitation to the
reader, whoever he may have been, to visit the writer J.N. in the
country. It is written on the back of some of Armitstead's accounts,
with an alternative version by its side, which was no doubt a revised
copy of the theme after correction by the Master:
Ex animo rogo ut rus venias
quod cupio tuo frui sodalitio
tum quia tua frequentia haud
parvam ferat consolationem
parentibus natu grandioribus,
persuasum habeto alii qui
potentiores sunt et pluribus
abundant divitiis plura in te
conferant beneficia sed nemo
libentiori et promptiori est
animo tuum promovere honorem
quam humillimus servus. J.N.
Permultum cupio rus venias et
quod vehemens est desiderium tuo
frui comercio, tum quod tua
frequentia admodum esset
consolabilis parentibus
senilibus, certum habeto alii
tum potentiores tum divitiores
plura tibi faciant beneficia sed
nemo et libentior et promtior
est tuam ornare dignitatem quam
servus humillimus. J.N.
The money left to the School by Josias Shute was in part intended to be
paid to the poor of the parish, together with two further sums of five
shillings left by William Clapham and nine shillings by Mr. Thornton for
the same purpose. It is difficult to note the payment of these sums, for
they were as a rule added together and entered as "For the Poor Fund,"
but in 1695 there was paid to:
£ _s._ _d._
John Grime Wilkinson 00 02 00
Wm. Nelson 00 01 00
Bryan Cookson 00 07 00
J Robinson 00 01 00
Mary Pert 00 01 00
Thos. Cocket 00 01 00
Ric. Harrison 00 01 00
£00 14 00
Shute's surplus was certainly given to the poor in some years but there
is no consistent record and by the scheme made under the Endowed Schools
Acts it ceased. In 1692 "Arthur, son of Joshua Whitaker, of Settle,
appearing to us to be ye poorest schollar that stood candidate for ye
said gift" was allowed the Shute Exhibition of £5. He also received £7
of the Burton Rents, and in May, 1698, as much as £9 10_s._ 0_d._ With
these sums he was enabled to go to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he
gained a Scholarship and by the year 1698 in March, which under the new
style would be March 1699, he had returned to the School as Usher, in
succession to Richard Akinson. He taught for fifteen years and received
as usual, just half the Headmaster's stipend, the amount varying between
£23 and £27. On March 12, 1712, the following entry occurs: "Recd of ye
Governors of ye free Gramar School of Gigleswick ye sum of two pounds
eighteen shillings and sixpence for ye use of my brother Wm. Foster, now
Curate of Horsefield," but it turns out to be a payment of that part of
the Exhibition to which he was entitled, up till the time he had left
Cambridge, presumably in the previous June.
John Armitstead's receipts end in 1704, and he died in 1712. It is
impossible to determine the worth of a Master, when so few documents
remain to judge him, but the Governors of 1768 thought fit to refer to
"the artful and imperious temper of Mr. Armitstead." Their particular
grievance was that in 1704 the Governors had a balance of £230 with
which they purchased a farm called Keasden. This they let and its
profits went to the Master and Usher, and in 1712 the "easy, complying
disposition of the Governors" was persuaded to allow the Master to
collect the rents of all the lands belonging to the School and simply
enter a receipt "of the wages now due to us." Consequently no accounts
were kept from 1704 till 1765, and because there was no reserve fund
presumably no repairs were done. The Master collected the rents and with
his Usher divided the spoil. He even seized the £15 which remained over
from the purchase money of the Keasden farm. Nor was this all. Up to the
year 1705 the Master paid for the expenses of the Governors' Meetings
but in that year the Governors were persuaded to deduct sixpence in the
pound from the Exhibitions given to the boys going up to the
Universities. This deduction continued till the nineteenth century.
Judging then from the opinions of the Governors fifty years later, John
Armitstead was not wholly an altruist. It is still more unfortunate that
his evil lived after him.
The number of Scholars, who went up to Cambridge in his time though less
than it had been, was still considerable. During his twenty-eight years,
as many as twenty-seven went to Christ's alone, including the first
Paley who is known to have been educated at the School. The greater
proportion always went to Christ's until the last decade of the
eighteenth century, but other Colleges received them also, notably at
certain periods S. John's.