English Grammar Schools in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth
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Copyright, 1908 BY Teachers College, Columbia University . 1 CONTENTS Introduction PAGE The two movements in the English education of the i6th century. 7 the present The aim of study 7 CHAPTER I Foundation and Support Number of schools founded 9 Total number of schools of which there is record 11 Types of foundation (according to founders) 11 Royal foundations 1 Guild foundations 13 City foundations 13 Private foundations 14 Privileges granted to founders 16 Sources of support 18 Annuities and revenues 18 Interest on money ig Profit from mills and money from liquor license 19 Motives of founders 20 The relation of the schools to charity 23 CHAPTER II Government of the Grammar Schools Government by feoffees 25 Government by incorporated trustees 30 Colleges 30 Guilds , 32 Town corporations 34 Cathedral corporations 36 Government by incorporated governors 37 Number of governors in corporation 38 Qualifications 38 Powers 40 Corporate title 40 Right to acquire and hold land 41 Constitution of corporations 43 Right of perpetual succession 44 Internal organization and method of management 45 The common seal, right to have and use 51 Statutes, right to make 52 4 Contents PAGE Right of appointment and dismissal of master and usher. ... 52 Right to admit pupils *. 52 Visitation of schools 52 Visitation by governors 52 Visitation by other authorities 53 Duties of visitors 54 CHAPTER III The Teaching Staff of the Grammar School Size of staff 55 Qualifications of usher 55 Qualifications of master 56 Appointment of master 62 Power of appointment 62 Precautions taken to insure actual appointment 65 Examination and licensing of master 67 Election and appointment of master 71 Ceremonies of admission of master 72 Appointment and admission of usher 75 Term of office of usher and master 78 Removal of master and usher 80 Stipends of master and usher 84 Additional considerations 89 Sources of augmentation of stipends 92 Admission fees 93 Tuition and other fees 94 Summary 97 Duties of master and usher 98 CHAPTER IV Grammar School Curricula Academic requirements for admission 104 Content of curricula 105 Elementary subjects 105 Grammar 106 Typical curricula 108 Methods 117 Elementary subjects 117 Accidence and rules of grammar 118 Construction 119 Latin composition 121 Elementary work 121 Epistolary 121 Theme writing 122 Verse writing 123 Orations 124 Contents 5 CHAPTER V Grammar School Pupils PAGE Number and classes of pupils attending grammar schools 125 Admission of pupils 126 Requirements for admission 129 Formalities of admission 130 Period of probation after admission 132 Attendance of pupils 133 Irregularity of attendance and penalties for such irregularity. 133 Amount of attendance 134 The schoolhouse, or place of attendance 137 Reasons for the great amount of time spent in schools 139 Moral discipline of pupils 140 Indirect 140 Direct i4S Religious training of pupils 147 State, Church and School interested in this training 147 What constituted this training 148 Concluding remarks i S^ APPENDICES Table of Contents iS7 BIBLIOGRAPHY Classification of Works 196 List of abbreviations used. 196 INTRODUCTION The history of English secondary education in the sixteenth century reveals two movements, one of destruction, the other of reconstruction. The former movement reached its climax in the destruction of the monasteries,^ guilds, and chantries,^ since with these there perished a very large number of the institutions of English secondary education. But before this climax had been reached, the latter movement had exhibited itself in the foundation of such schools as St. Paul's' and the City Grammar School of Bristol.* While the former movement was spending itself, the latter continued to grow. Close upon the destruction of the monasteries and their schools followed the refoundation of the cathedrals and the cathedral schools by Henry VIII., ^ while simultaneously with the destruction of the guild and chantry schools occurred the foundation of increasing numbers of independent schools.* It is with these independent schools as they existed in the reign of Elizabeth that the present study is concerned, since it is hoped that through the study of the facts concerning their foundation and support, their government, their teaching staff, their curricula, and the school life of their pupils there may result not only a description of the schools as they existed at that period,^ but also the discovery of at least some of the chief characteristics of the education and educational institutions of this reconstructive movement in the English secondary education of the Elizabethan period. ^ The lesser monasteries were suppressed in 1536; the greater abbeys in 1539. As to the importance of the education furnished by the mon- asteries at this time, there is considerable difference of opinion. Leach, English Schools at the Reformation, p. 19, is inclined to rate the educational influence of the monasteries very low, while Brown in his Study of the English Grammar Schools before the Reformation believes that Leach has underestimated their influence. - For discussion cf. Leach, English Schools at the Reformation, 34-55, 58-73- ^ Cf. Carlisle, ii., yoff; also, St. Paul's in the various School Histories given in Bibliography. ^ Cf. Bristol, City Grammar School, Appendix A. '^ Cf. Leach, loc. cit. 58. ^ Ibid, 78flE. ' The treatment will be "cross sectional" rather than "longitudinal;" no effort has been made to trace in the sequence of events of our period the interaction of cause and effect. The period has been studied rather as a static whole than as a dynamic unit. CHAPTER I FOUNDATION AND SUPPORT The subject of the present chapter will be considered from •the following points of view: (i) number of schools founded during the reign of Queen Elizabeth; (2) types of foundation (a) with respect to founder and (b) with respect to character of endowment; (3) motives of founders; (4) relation of schools to charity. The Problem of the Number of Schools Founded (1558-1603) The impossibility of obtaining the necessary data makes the solution of this problem not only difficult but very probably impossible. Leach has shown how hopeless is the inquiry into the number of schools founded in the reign of Edward VI.' In dealing with each case one is never quite sure whether it is one of foundation or refoundation,—^whether or not a school existed in the place previous to the date under consideration. The number of letters patent granted to schools cannot be taken as representing the number of schools founded, since they were issued in not a few cases in favor of schools already in existence or of schools to take the places of those destroyed with the monasteries, guilds, or chantries.* Notwithstanding the difficulties various attempts have been made to estimate the number of schools founded during the reign of Elizabeth. M. Jacques Parmentier^ is quoted by Leach* as crediting this reign with the foundation of 150 grammar schools; de Mont- morency gives the number as 148 schools founded and 34 addi- ^ English Schools at the Reformation, 2-7. He calls attention to the very divergent results of attempts to fix any definite number. Thus Strype gives the number as 22, Green as 18, Mr. J. "Bass Mullinger as 33, and M. Jacques Parmentier as 44, and others as 51 and 82. ' Vide Blackburn, Faversham, Grantham, Old Maldon, and other similar cases quoted in Appendix A. ^ Histoire de I' Education en Angleterre (Perrin & Cie., Paris, 1896). '* English Schools at the Reformation, 4. lo English Grammar Schools in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. tionally endowed,* while Adams' places the number at 137, the number given in the Report of the Schools Inquiry Com- mission.' This latter cannot be taken as representing the. number of places in which schools first came into existence in this reign, since the data collected in Appendix A shows that in 33 of these cases schools existed previous to 1558.' An estimate based upon the authorities quoted in Appendix A would place the number at about 78, but even such a moderate estimate would not be free from the objections raised above. Considering the material contained in Appendix A from another point of view, there are 135 schools concerning which our information dates back only as far as the reign of Elizabeth.' Considering the material from still another point of view, it will be noted that there are 78 cases of "foundation", 32 of letters patent granted in favor of schools, 12 of letters patent granted to schools already in existence, 6 of letters patent confirming and enlarging previous charters, and two known cases of refoun- dation. While these figures are of little value in the solution of the problem before us, they do have positive value in that ' The Progress of Education in England, 42. " History of the Elementary School Contest in England, 18. ^ Vol. I., App. 48-57. 'The list contains the following places: Hartlebury, Bangor, Bristol, Godmanchester, High Wycombe, Darlington, Netherbury, Thetford,. Keswick or Crosthwaite Burford, Coventry, Eye, Bedford, Faversham,. Colchester, Topcliffe, Halsall (not included in App.), Stainmore, Well- ingborough, Bedale, Bodmin, Fotheringay, Leyland, Nantwich, Penryn, Ashburton, Biddenden, Bromyard, Cheltenham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, St. Albans, Wakefield, Normanton. Since the list given in the Report includes three schools in Wales, Presteign, Caemarthen, and Ruthin, which are not included in the scope of our inquiry, the balance left is, therefore,! 01.