TT HE L E T T E RS

DOROT HY W A DHAM

1 6 0 9— 1 6 1 8

E D T E D W T H NOT E S AND AP E ND CE S I , I P I

RE BE T BA A V . RO R RL OW G RDIN E R

’ MA T E OF T A SU R S R S . P U L S SCH OOL

F ORME R L Y SCHOL AR OF W ADHAMCOL L E GE

LON DON : HE N RY F ROW DE W AR SE ME N CORNE R E OXFORD E HOU , A , .C.

OXF ORD : 1 1 6 H IGH ST RE E T

1 9 0 4

W ADHAM

N OME N

L AO E T D O R O T H E A E

HOG PI E T AT I S OF F I CI UM GRAT O ANI MO PRAE ST I T I T

R . B. G .

’ - MAMPRAE DI AVE U FI I I I , E I U S E T BE AT I SSI C R NT

P RE F AC E

IS TH work was prepared for publication some years ago,

' and was intended as an offering of gratitude to the memory

‘ of the Wadhams . It was designed as a companion volume ’ Mr . Wadfiam Colle e to Graham Jackson s g , and was to have appeared in quarto with all the beauties of margins and

. first fi nall illustrations Circumstances interrupted , and y prohibited the fulfilmen t of the plan and the limited nature of the public to which the work appeals forbade the hope that its cost could be defrayed if it were published as the editor had designed.

The authorities of the college, however, were unwilling that f the matter should be dropped , and kindly o fered a sub scription towards the expenses . The work therefore appears in its present form ; and though shorn of the luxuries with w it hich the gratitude of the editor had hoped to surround , yet he trusts that its contents will fulfil the purpose for which it was undertaken, and will augment the praise and honour m of Dorothy Wadha . Offered as this work is by a Wadham man to the University of Oxford, and especially to Wadham College, the editor asks to be forgiven if some words occur which, though familiar fi

o wn in enough in their place, seem to be overlooked or adequately explained in the notes . The editor’s thanks are due to the Warden and Fellows for the assistance and encouragement which they have given h im fr m o time to time , and especially for the generosity which has now enabled him to send the work to press .

j uly 1 90 4.

CON T E N T S

INT RODU CT I ON

L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the E arl of Salisbury

S n W rd chedule, desig ation of a a en

S u v r m ched le in fa our of M. S ith Schedule nominating a Scholar L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Warden and Fellows

L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Sub- Warden an d Fellows L etter of Dorothy Wadham nominating a Scholar L etter of Dorothy Wadham nominating the Officers L etter of John Ar nold to the Warden L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Warden L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Whole Society L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Warden

L r D r a m t e r e &c . ette of o othy W dha to h Wa d n, L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Warden nominating the Officers Schedule nominating Scholars

L D a m r e &c . etter of orothy W dha to the Wa d n,

L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Warden nominatin g the Ofli cers

XV L e D r d m ar III . tter of o othy Wa ha to the W den

L r D r d m rd &c . no min at ette of o othy Wa ha to the Wa en, , ing the Ofli cers

W Sm ard Schedule appointing . ith W en L etter of Doroth y Wadham to the Fellows an d Scholars Schedule nominating Scholars L etter of John Arnold to th e Warden CONTENTS

ad m W &c . L etter of Dorothy W ha to the arden, L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Warden nominating the Ofii c ers

D m W &c. L etter of orothy Wadha to the arden, L etter of John Arnold to the Warden L etter of Dorothy Wadham to the Warden Schedule nominating Fellows Schedule extending a leave of absence Schedule concerning disputations Schedule nominating Scholar s L etter of John Arnold to the Warden L etter of Dorothy Wadham to th e Warden Schedule n ominating Fellows L etter of John Arnold to th e Warden concerning the funeral solemnity

L Ar W XXXV II . etter of John nold to the arden on the same subject

V L r b k XXX III. ist of pe sons put into lac s on the death of the Foundress

I B m mb APPE NDI X . iographies of so e Me ers of the Foundation

L r m APPE NDI X II . ist of the pe sons no inated as Scholars by the Foundr ess

T h A APPE NDI X III . e career of lexander Gill

I 1 f m NDE X . O atters

f m I NDE X 11 . O na es I N T RODU CT I ON

OF the letters and other documents here presented, some forty in number, it must be at once stated that none are in

: the handwriting of Dorothy Wadham, the foundress they

‘ ’ were written mainly by her servant, John Arnold, and she only appends her sign ature . Several are purely formal deeds transcribed by clerks, and six are from John Arnold himself, either describing his mistress’ wishes or giving particulars of her death and burial . In about two out of three cases the original papers still exist, and these (which are carefully noted) have been accurately reproduced ; of the remainder only e r ified copies more or less solemnly c t by notaries remain , and it is impossible in their case to be sure that the spelling of the transcriber has not varied from the original . However ,

: such as it is , it is carefully given the only case in which the spelling is partly modernized being number XX . As a rule wk r contractions have been respected, but (which), y (your) , t w e Statuts y (when it stands for that) , (ever), and (Statutes) have , for convenience of reading , been printed at full length . There are very few words or phrases which cannot be recog nixed , and if any do occur they are explained in the note p re fixed to each document .

The author of these letters was Dorothy, widow of Nicholas

Me rifield Wadham , Esquire, of in the county of Somerset , and daughter of Sir William Petre of Writtle in the county m of Essex . She was al ost exactly a contemporary of Eliza fifte en beth Tudor, but she survived the great queen years and although her letters will show that she was fit to be placed in a niche not far below Her Majesty, it is to be observed that the whole of her work was undertaken after the

n . death of the quee Indeed, Nicholas Wadham and Dorothy his wife are remarkable examples of vigorous old age : for the B 2 INTRODUCTION

ff founder seems to have had no part in public a airs, and takes his first step towards a place in the history of his country

- a almost on his death bed , while the lady undert kes at the age of seventy- fiv e a task from which even the vigour of "ueen — to u Victoria might have shrunk found , build , constitute , reg late and govern, down to the smallest details, a college in the

University of Oxford .

Nicholas Wadham was himself an Oxford man , and had probably (for all the evidence tends that way) been a Gentle man Commoner of Corpus Christi College but he did not graduate, and after a brief experience of Court life spent the d remainder of his ays on his estates, which he cultivated to e v ery good purpose , since his college (which he hoped in plac of children would carry on his name from generation to generation) was entirely endowed out of his accumulations without impairing his patrimonial inheritance .

I - In 555 , at the age of twenty three, he married Dorothy e Petre . She was the daughter of Sir William Petr of Writtle f by his irst wife Gertrude, daughter of Sir John Tirrell , and was

- h aIf first L . sister of Sir John , afterwards the ord Petre She 1 c was born in 534, so that she was a hild under Henry MVII I, a maiden under Edward VI , a bride under Philip and ary, and a matron throughout the reign of Elizabeth— yet of this f h woman, whose orce of character t ese letters are to display, nothing appears to be known except her share in the splendid ‘ hospitality of Me rifield until she steps forward as a widow in

I - five the reign of James , being then seventy years of age, to carry out the designs of her husband . But we may infer something as to the happiness of their long years of married life from the words in which Nicholas commits to her care the

: for execution of his plans in his will , without specially men tio n in g the proposed college, he leaves her residuary legatee of all his personalty ‘ upon special trust reposed in her that ’ she will bestow and employ such sums as come to her ‘ to

such uses and purposes as I have requested her, and she hath ’ assented thereunto . ’ How fully she j ustifie d her husband s confide nce an d how sh e fulfilled u nobly his tr st these letters will show. INTRODUCTION 3

Some discussion has arisen as to the religious opinions of Nicholas and Dorothy but I venture to suggest that this is probably due to a mistaken idea that the sharp lines of demarcation which separate a Papist from an Anglican can be carried back three hundred years . There can be little doubt that they both considered themselves Catholics , and that had they been questioned on their death - beds they would have declared that they died in the faith in which they were born they would never have admitted that the sacrifice s of Masses m ’ were blasphe ous fables and dangerous deceits, but on the other hand they were no Papists, and would willingly have assented to the statement that the Bishop of Rome hath no R m ’ j urisdiction in this eal of England . It is clear that no seminary priest who asserted that ‘ princes excommunicated by the Pope might be deposed by their subjects ’ and called upon them to renounce their allegiance to Elizabeth would

m n e i h e r Me rifiel . m first 1ast t have found a welco e at d Fro to ,

in fl ue n c e in wills nor statutes , is there a trace of the of old religious formularies and a co n fide n t appeal may be made to the letters here published to show that the loyalty of this great and good woman to the Church and State of England n m co tinued uni paired to the day of her death . m To begin with , it ust be noticed that Dorothy Petre was m almost exactly a conte porary of Elizabeth , and her conduct in religion may well have kept ' step with that of the great queen . The child of one who rose to power as the follower of Thomas Cromwell and to wealth by the suppression of the m onasteries , she , like the daughter of Ann Boleyn, is likely to have been early taught to think lightly of the sway of Rome : that her father secured his spoils by conformity in the reign of Mary naturally left her ready to accept the settlement of 1 0 Elizabeth . It is to be remembered that it was not till 57 , when Dorothy had probably been settled for fiftee n years at Me rifield , that the Pope insisted that Englishmen should choose between their queen and their creed . Dorothy and Nich o las may well have been content to continue to worship in their parish church of Ilton , where the parson , if not their own nominee, was probably glad enough to please them, and B 2 4 INTRODUCTION to leave the question of the authority of the Pope to those busy fanatics who were shortly to hurry the noblest heads in

England to the Tower and the block . The V icarage of Ilton was held from 1 555 to 1 580 by Thomas Stokye on the nomination of James Basset ; and ’ k e s o n after Sto y resignation , by James Bonde ( the nomination of William Hunt of Bro dway, husbandman) , who appears to have held the living till 1 632 : these two presentations (and 1 the previous one of Hugh Sydenham in 532) are exceptional , the V icarage being at other times in the gift of the holder of the Prebend of Ilton in Wells Cathedral . Neither in the fo imdatio n of his alms - houses at Ilton nor in his will does Nicholas show any sign of Papistry ; neither in Dorothy’s will nor in her college Statutes is there the slightest trace of priestly in fl ue n ce . They neither create foundations fo r the good of their souls nor do they ask for b n fic iarie n the prayers or masses of their e e s. The dissolutio of the monasteries had taught a Wadham to abhor ‘ a hive of ’ s drones, and the suppression of chantrie had impressed the mind of this daughter of the house of Petre . And the rash and reckless conduct of the Papists after the accession of James I may well have decided them in conformity to the

National Church . ’ ’ It is true that after Dorothy s removal, on her husband s e death, to Edge in Devon her house was s arched for arms, and that sh e herself was denounced as a Recusant about 1 61 3 : 1 61 but in 5 she sued for and obtained a pardon . And could we but discover the circumstances, it may well be that some one took advantage of the fact that this widowed dame of seventy- five and the members of her household did not attend her parish church at Branscombe, which can only be reached S by a bridle path about three miles long , to eek an opportunity as informer : particularly as it is said that in her time the e house at Edg contained a handsome chapel .

At Ma 1 6 any rate , Dorothy breathed her last at Edge on y , 1 61 8 — was , at the age of eighty four, and subsequently buried beside her husband at Ilmin ste r with the rites of the National

Church . And all we can say is that if in her inmost heart INTRODUCTION 5

she held the doctrines peculiar to Rome, never was woman the details of whose creed left less impress on her actions , never was patriot whose deeds more admirably accommodated themselves to the reign of Elizabeth . At the end of the vellum copy of the second edition of the u e Stat tes, preserved in the Munim nt Room , is the following entry

Dni Memorandum quod v ice simus dies mensis Octobris A . 1 60 9 fuit dies mortis fun dato ris nostri in quo e t solemnes ’ i n s h abe n da e fun a o ris re fe ct o e e sunt t oratio in memoriam d t , to which is added in another hand

‘ et solemnes preces ut singuli ad sacellum ac ce dant sufip e lli l i u ra i c iis et h abitibus singu ar b s g d bus co mp etentibus . Obiit Fundatrix d ecimo sexto Maii

L E T T E RS OF DOROT HY W ADHAM

OV E E R 2 1 60 . N MB 7, 9

N I CH OL AS W ADHAMexpired at his house of Me rifie ld on

2 0 1 60 1e av in r October , 9, g his widow to ca ry out his wishes, and having given, a few days before his death, a full explana tion of his intentions to his nephew, Sir John Wyndham . It is clear from this letter that Wadham ’s executrix and heir found herself likely to incur trouble in the carrying ’ out of her husband s wishes . She feared the interference of

‘ ’ diffic l one who had been nominated with her, but it is u t to discover who this was— the four overseers of Nicholas ’ will L were John ord Petre , Sir Edward Hext , John Colles, and William Gibbes : of these none are named in the Creation of a

Trust for Wadham College , nor does any one of them appear H to have been connected with Gloucester all . John Colles (o f 1 80 Somerset , born 5 ) was of Christ Church , and a certain 1 6 1 William Gibbes, of Gloucester Hall, was not born till 4 , but possibly he may have had an ancestor connected with that place . ’ At m re re any rate Dorothy s letter, acco panied by the p se n tatio n s of her servant (probably the John Arnold who plays so large a part in the subsequent letters) , was successful L T in securing the favour of the ord High reasurer, Robert first Cecil , Earl of Salisbury, so that in the following July ( 1 6 1 0 ) the trust deed for the college was completed : and the

m 2 0 1 6 1 0 . letters patent of Ja es I are dated December , To comply with the promise contained in this letter Dorothy first e n set to work to acquire a site for the college . She ’ de av o ure d (apparently in accordance with her husband s n intentio s) to purchase the buildings of Gloucester Hall , which lay far from all other academical buildings to the L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM north- west beyond the Open ground called Broken Heys "

Fortunately the obstinacy of Dr . John Hawley, the then

Principal , who demanded to be Warden of the new college ’ and who failed to satisfy Dorothy s requirements, prevented the banishment of her buildings to that remote site n o w known as Worcester College, which , until the opening of ’ riar s Beaumont Street, could only be approached by F Entry, ’ an d was currently k nown as Botany Bay . Sir John Wyndham states that Nicholas had directed that if the Gloucester Hall site could not be procured his bene faction should be transferred to Jesus College , which was at that day the most recent foundation in the University ; but there is no evidence that any effort was made in this direction . An application was made to the city authorities for the site ‘ ’ of Austin Friars , then almost unoccupied , which lay j ust beyond the northern wall , outside Smyth Gate in the sub urban parish of Holywell . Having, by means of letters from the king , induced the city authorities to abate somewhat of their price (in return for which they were to nominate one Fellow and two Scholars when the new foundation was filled u m p), an agree ent was entered into for the sale of the freehold 60 0 6 m for £ on March , and it would see that as soon as th e necessary deeds were handed over by the city to

John Arnold , preparations were made (without waiting for the trust deed or letters patent) to clear the site and erect the buildings of the new college . Nothing is known of the ‘ former favours or of the like more than ordinary continued of late ’ referred to in this letter nor of any attempt to scandalize or accuse Dorothy of — backwardness indeed , at the time of the writing of this letter her husband had not been dead six weeks . How readily she carried out her profession that she would impoverish herself to tulh l his wishes will be seen later .

Most of the contractions are easily intelligible : a fl o urish e d ’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ ) for ’ f seems to stand per or pro, as in performing or ’ procuring .

1 0 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY W ADHAM

h m tch e ap pey daies and send you encrease of y Honor, th from my poore Howse att Me rifee ld the x xvij of November 1 60 9. r Yo H 0 9 i n all h umblen e s

' — ever re adie att Co mafidmét

DOROT HE W ADH M.

PRIL 1 1 6 1 . A 5 , 3 Between the letter of Dorothy to the L ord Chancellor and m T h e e the next document ore than three years passed . colleg — buildings rose rapidly from the ground chambers, hall ,

- 1 library, and chapel . The foundation stone was laid on July 3 ,

1 6 1 0 sufficie ntl fin ish e d , and the chapel was y to be consecrated 1 m 2 1 6 . So on April 9, 3 ca e into being what may be called, ‘ ’ without exaggeration , the most perfect college building in Oxford : and it remains to this day without alterations (per c e tible p , that is, to the eye of the untrained) as it left the hands of its builders . It is certain that the foundress never saw the offspring which was to carry on her name to subsequent ages, but it is clear that she was well acquainted with its plan and if (as seems probable) the wonderful perpendicular chapel into which you pass from the late Gothic ante - chapel was imitated from the churches of her adopted county of Somerset

r diffi cult (pa ticularly Ilminster), she can have found no y in picturing her building to the eye of her imagination . The quadrangle with its harmoniously arranged staircases, the — chambers with their three light windows, each having two or i three studies (musacola) with a single light, remain v sible throughout the facade both inside and out : and although the internal arrangements ofthe north- east corner have been altered ’ to make the Warden s lodgings, and in some cases sash windows have taken the place of casements , yet, as the mullions have in all cases been retained, there is no such terrible havoc to be noted as in the cases of New College and Lincoln n quadra gles . R L 1 1 6 1 1 1 AP I 5 , 3

On 1 6 1 61 2 August , , Dorothy, by her Charter of Foundation, fifte e n constituted the college of a Warden , Fellows , as many

Scholars, two Chaplains, and two Clerks , besides the necessary servants . She retained for herself during her life the nomina

o ffi c e s w tion to all places and ithin the college, and, with the filled exception of the three places conceded to the city, up the foundation as follows

D .D . Robert Wright,

F ellows .

- l . William Smith(Sub Warden). Nicho as Brewen

John Goodridge. Robert Ellis . m Edward Brunck ard (Bursar) . A ias Hext .

John Pitts (Dean). John Woolley .

Matthew Osborne (Humanity William Arnold .

Lecturer) . Robert Arnold .

James Harington (Bursar). Walter Stonehouse .

An l o . Henry ckti l (Catechist). William B swell

- Daniel E stcott (Sub Dean) . John Willis.

Humphrey Sydenham . John Flavell .

Pul st . Richard e o n . Richard Tapper

Hewis . Francis Strode. Alexander (Huish)

Ralph F lexney . George Hill . 1 1 Thomas Harris . William Potter . 1 William Payton. Isaac Smith .

John Swadell.

S.

n ol h e . Thomas Ra d p . Alexander Gill

Gilbert Stokes . William Nichols.

All these were admitted by the newly appointed Warden , 2 0 1 61 Dr . Wright, on April , 3, with the exceptions of Osborne 8 and Smith, who were not admitted till June , and Nichols, who was admitted on July 1 .

1 f T he nominees of th e City of Ox ord. 1 2 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM

Of the original servants we know that William Bishop was

Cook ; Nicholas Buller, Butler ; John Williams, Manciple ;

- Sar ant — George Jacob, Under Butler ; John j , Under Cook ; 1 61 Samuel Tynes , Janitor, who died in 4 and was buried in th Barbitonsor. e Cloister ; and Thomas Stripling, But it is evident from this document that the foundress ’ had already reason to believe that Dr . Wright s tenure of the Wardenship was not likely to last long and whether in con sequence of the compulsory celibacy or because he found the control of the foundress too irksome, Warden Wright 1 n F le min e e resigned on July 9. O September 2 John g , her ’

f . re erred to , took Wright s place as nominated

F le min e C mish man . g was a o , and Fellow of Exeter College H e th e th had held the o e of Proctor, and was one of e Chaplains of James I . e As to the docum nt itself, it is to be noted that whereas in ’ ’ Do roth e Doroth ie all others she signs , in this one it is , and

Me rifi that she is described as of eld, though she had probably ere this removed from the home of her long married life to

Edge in the parish of Branscombe in Devon , the dower house

T re arth in - in - of the Wadhams, where Joan ( g ) , her mother law, ’ five 1 8 had died after years widowhood in 5 3 . It will be observed that the paper was given not to F leminge n himself, but to Joh Arnold, who probably carrie d it to O Oxford in time for the pening ceremonies of the college.

The names of the witnesses, who appear to be servants, m occur in several other documents . The seal (which is i pressed on the paper turned back over wax) is about half an h in inc diameter, and bears the arms of Petre, but neither as they appear in the college arms nor as used by Lord Petre n ot only on the bend between two escallops does Dorothy

but bear a chough between two cinquefoils, also on a chief she

two —fl r- - has a rose between demi eu de lis .

D I oroth e Wadham of Merifeeld in the Coo ntie of Somerset W iddow doe decree orde ine that when this first Warden of Wadham Colledge Doctor Wright hath reseigncd or by any R L 1 1 6 1 1 AP I 5, 3 3

other meanes made his place v oyde in the Colledge within the space of fiv e yeat es you that are the fellowes of that house shall ime diatlye chuse and admitt without any delaye or i Mr e e itie contrad ction . John F le min ge Bachelor of D v n in that place ac co rdinge to the meane inge of this Schedule which I have sealed with mine owh e seale and unto which I have subscribed with mine o wn e hand as it is Sp e cifie d in the words

beh alfe fifte e nth 1 6 1 . of your Statutes in this , Aprill this 3

DOROT HI E WADHAM . Se ign e d sealed delivered unto John Arnold Gent to the use of the within named John F lemin ge in the presence Nicholas Younge Tho : Verier Thomas Drayton

III .

U N E 1 6 1 . J 4 , 3

Of this letter we . have only the transcript in the Convention

Book .

But little explanation is required for this document . Originally the tenure of a Fellowship was limited to ten

R : - years from egency for, said the founder on his death bed

‘ m ab to his nephew, Sir John Wyndham, I would have the so lute ly to departe the College and not live there all th e ire time like idle drones which latter expression gives the more

n r evidence that the fou der was of Corpus Ch isti College,

throughout the Statutes of which college the bee - hive metaphor ‘ runs . This period, allowing for the two years of necessary ’ w m regency, gave t elve years from the ti e of taking the degree

of Master of Arts. Already it seems that Dorothy had in her mind the extension of the tenure of Fellowships to eighteen years, though this is not intimated in her letters till March ,

1 {4} (letter XII) . n Smith was the senior Fellow, and was annually nomi ated by Dorothy as Sub - Warden till he succeeded to the Warden

- 2 I r He ship on March 4, fi . was Vice Chancellor of the 1 4 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

1 6 0 1 6 1 University in and , and held the Wardenship till 3 3 , 1 6 n of 35 , when he resigned , bei g Rector Tredington, Worcester

1 62 . shire, to which he was presented in 9 As we know that he was subsequently married , this may have been the cause of

e his resignation . H was appointed Prebendary of Worcester

1 6 8 in 3 , and is said to have been deprived of all his preferments 6 H e 1 8. during the Civil War . died in 5

I Do roth ey Wadham of Edge in the Co un tye of Devon W iddo w doe by these presents o rdai n e 81 decree that William Smyth Master of Artes and Subwarden of my Colledge in Oxford shall (notwithstanding the force of any of my Statutes) re mayn e continue there in his Fellowship and e njo ye in g the be ne fitte thereof from the tyme of his admission untill the full t e twe nt e eare s e x red ym of y y be py ended . Soe as he demeane h ims e lfe A un swe rable to the orders of the house A o cording to the meaning of this Schedule which I have sealed with mine o wn e scale and unto which I have subscribed with th o wne iii 1 6 1 myne hand the j of June 3 .

DOROT H E D WA HAM . Sealed delivered in the presence of John Arnold Nicholas Youn g

Thomas Drayton .

U E 1 6 1 J N 4 , 3 .

Transcript in the Convention Book .

In this letter we have the first instance of the foundress’ m fill clai to up vacant places in every division of the fo un da

. tion as they occur Philip Hill was the son of Sarah , daughter of

. D . D . Dr Philip Bisse, by Philip Hill, , Vicar of Burford Oxon . , ,

. H e and Eaton Hastings, Berks was at this time about twelve years old : he is again nominated in a letter of June ‘ ’ 2 1 61 if 7, 4 , , ready which he presumably was, as Thomas U N E 1 61 1 J 4 , 3 5

Porter, the other nominee of Dorothy, was postponed to him . w His name occurs twice in the Matriculation Books, ith a variation in the age, as he is described as aged thirteen on 1 6 1 8 November 3 , 5 , and sixteen on November in the following year . The reason for his selection for the first vacancy is to be found in the generous gift of his grandfather, who bestowed r his libra y on the college at the time of its opening . This mun ific en ce had already been recognized by the nomination ’ Swadell of the donor s nephew, John , to a Fellowship, although he was not yet a graduate . In a manuscript note written in L atin upon a copy of the

‘ Statutes the foun dress is said to have described Swade ll as the m nephew of Dr. Philip Bisse who , though he be not a graduate , I have selected on account of the singular love of his uncle ’ towards my college . It is to be noted that in this letter Dorothy is again de ’ Me rifie ld scribed as of , though in the previous one, which m professes to be signed the sa e day, she is described as

‘ ’ o i Edge . It would be more likely that she should continue ’ to be described ‘ o f Me rifie ld after her removal to Edge than vice versa ; yet there is a letter dated from Me rifie ld August

I Do ro th e Wadham of Me re feilde in the County of Somersett widdo we doe decree and o rdayn e that when the n e x te Sch o lle rs place is v oyde in Wadham Colledge you that are the Warden and Fellowes then of that house shall ime diatly chuse and admitt without delay or c o n tradictyo n Philippe Hill the graun d- childe of Doctor Bisse in that place acco rdin ge to the mean inge of this Schedule which I have sealed with myne o wn e seale and unto which I have Subscribed with myne o wn e hande the fourth of June 1 6 1 3 .

DOROT HE D WA HAM . Sealed and delivered in the presence of John Arn o lde Nicholas Younge

Thomas Drayton . 1 6 L ETTERS OF D OROTHY WADHAM

U L Y 1 61 . J 3 , 3 The Thomas Porter here referred to appears to be the

grandson of William Cotton , who was Bishop of Exeter from

1 8 1 62 1 . H e 59 to was already a member of the college, 1 6 1 having been admitted as a Commoner in 3 , though he did

1 6 1 . not subscribe the Articles till June 3 , 4 The letter would seem to imply that one election to a vacant Scholarship had

already taken p lace , but this can hardly have been the 1 6 1 case on July 3 , 3 , unless the foundress had supposed that Porter would be preferred to one of the two city

n : in ominees, Smith or Potter for it was contemplated the City’s agreement that it might be impossible to fill m ‘ the three places at once . But ore probably the first ’ place at the fi rst election means that he was to have been placed at the head of th e list of Scholars at the opening of the college this explanation makes the words more easy to reconcile with her nomination of Philip Hill to the first ’ ‘ At m vacant place . any rate, though again reco mended on 1 61 2 June 2 7, 4 , Porter had to wait for his turn till March 4,

1 6 1 6 H e R A . 1 . had his grace from the college for November 2 , ’ 1 61 . . 2 1 6 0 . St . Pe te r 7, and for M A May 9, 2 The morrow of

1 62 e llowsh i re (June 4, saw him elected to a F p , but he signed after two years ’ tenure without having held any college

ffi c e . H e . o St . was afterwards Rector of Mabyn , Cornwall m The letter is written on parch ent, and has a large wax seal ’ r with Dorothy s peculia version of the Petre arms . Ou the

‘ back is written signed , sealed and delivered in the presence ’ of me, Richard Potter, publique Notarie .

Reverend And we lbe lov e d I greete you well wheras I did for some good causes and respects me moving att the earnest request of my honorable good L ord Bissh opp of Exeter graunte that Thomas Porter his grand- child should have the fi rst Sch o lle rs place in Wadham colledge att the first election But by reason of sick nes and shot te warn inge he could not be

1 8 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

It is to be noted that th e letter professes to come from

Me rifi ld e , in which case the foundress must have returned thither from Edge since June 4 : also the seal is that of John

Arnold . On a chevron between three pheons, a mullet fi e ld between four gouts : as to colours, the was probably gules and the pheons or the chevron is sometimes blazoned : ermine, but this is an error caused by the charges probably

o r the chevron was , in which case the charges were gules or sable.

My good Company

U nde rstan de inge (by this inclosed) that Doctor Wright hath ge ue n over his place and th ink in ge it not fitt you should be longe without a head I doe th erfo re by these my L etters r make k n own e unto you that I have made choyce of MJohn F le min ge Bachelor of De v e n itie to be your Warden you shall fin de likewise my intent towards him before this by a Schedule under my hand and seale to prevent the inconveniences that k nowin e c a eable Y f might arise g none p in the House , it should have happened within fiv e yeeres : now my will is that presently upon sight h ee ro f you geve him the othe by me ap o ynted in my Statutes and admitt him warden of your Co lle dg who I hope will so govern amongst you as sh albe for

lac ein your good and my contentment in p ge of him. I have gen en power to this Bearer to see reformed in your Statutes sh albe fittin e what thought g for the good of the House, and for other matters have willed him to make k no wn e my minde unto you and soe co me n dinge me very k indlye unto all doe th c T h almi h tie m rife il xx leave you to the prote tion of g , e d this x 1 61 of August 3 .

To the Subwarden and Your L ove inge F o un dresse

Fellowes of Wadham DOROT HE WADHAM . Colledge in Ox fo rde

geve these . M 1 61 1 NOVE BER 7, 3 9

OV E E R 1 61 N MB 7, 3 .

Transcript in the Convention Book .

Herein the foundress agai n recommends Thomas Porter for e V election to a Scholarship (see lett r ), but clearly postpones his claims to those of another, that is, no doubt , Philip Hill, although she would have been willin g had Porter been ‘ ’ first is i admitted at the election, that (I take t) to the original f oundation . It is to be noted that this and schedule XX are the only papers us in the collection which have the regnal date, and it reminds

- that, although King James was but forty eight, he had been

- King of Scotland for forty seven years .

r e tin e : Reverend and wellbeloved g e g for the good respect, I beare unto my honourable good L orde Bishopp of E x ceter [I ] am very willin ge to conterra upp o n Th omas Porter his graund- child the nexte second Sch ollarsh ipp that shall happen and be v oyde within Wadham Colledge h eying the more willinge he should not be den ye d for that my intentyo n was to have pleasured his L o'p p in the first e lec tyon which former respects giveth me cause fre indly to require you not to gainsay my desire for the admittance of his saydo graun d- childe accordingly, any act ordinance provision or former graunt or graunts for th e sayde n ext second sch o llarsh ippe to the contrary in any wise not with stan din ge Given under my th ° h and and sc ale the 7 day of N ovember A regni Regis nri

Jacobi Angliae undecimo et Sco tiae quadragesimo septimo.

DOR T HE D O WA HAM . To the Warden and fellowes of f r Wadham Colledge in Ox o de for the tyme beynge . C 2 2 0 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY W ADHAM

E E R 1 2 1 61 . NOV MB , 3

Transcript in the Convention Book . The two days selected for Gaudies were ‘ the morrow of ’ St i . e . 0 . Peter, June 3 , probably from the family name of the 6 St . . foundress, and the feast of Nicholas , on December On the latter of these the college o ffic e rs were annually

chosen , but as long as Dorothy lived she retained the nomina

tion of them in her own hands . Apparently she desired that

fill o ffice every Fellow should each in turn , except that Smith

- f was continually reappointed as Sub Warden . O the two

o ffic e . Bursars, each in those times held for half a year The o ffi c e r Greek Reader remained an , under the name of Humanity L ’ ecturer, till modern times phy . is short for philosophy. As ‘ ’ to other o ffice rs there do not appear to have been any till 1 61 8 o fli ce fiv e , when the of librarian was constituted ; and years later (1 62 3) a new class was formed of the youn ger th o fficer undergraduates, and e was designated Moderator ’ T e rtia e Classis.

M’ Good Warden,

s Findinge by your statute , that on the sixt daye of this n ext moneth you are to make a newe e lec tyo n for the o ffic e rs of your house and that in my life tyme yt re mayn e th wholly in my choyce I would th e rfo re that for your Subwarden you r admitt for this ye ere M Smyth ; and for your Deane Mlr Mr Mlr Goodridge ; for your Bursars , Osborne and Anke tell ; for your greek reader Mr Pitts for your Catechist r Mr MBrunker ; for your phy. moderator Escott ; for your r Subde ane MStroude ; As for the rest if there be any other o ffice rs to be chosen I leave to your o wn e discretyo n A nd so c o me ndinge me very kindly to your self and your whole bi Company doe dd you farewell .

h 1 t 1 61 Edge this 2 November 3 . Your L oving freinde D R T H O O E WADHAM . 1 2 1 6 1 1 DECEMBER , 3 2

6 E E E R 1 1 1 . D C MB 2 , 3 Transcript in the Convention Book of a letter from

John Arnold .

n o t The college, as stated by the foundress , was lavishly ; m 5 m endowed, nor had Domus any ready oney . Do us was the headin g under which one - third of the revenues of the college was placed continually : and this fund was called ‘ upon to discharge common expenses- but the making of ’ seals and the carriage of Dr . Bisse s books were unexpected th e first demands in year of the life of the college , so that it ’ is no wonder that the cost was met by Dorothy s liberality.

r And further , although this letter was w itten after ’

St . 1 6 1 1 0 Nicholas Day, 3, no doubt £ in gold would furnish in those days a considerable amount of Christmas cheer for

the foundation , consisting, when all were present, of thirty

five members .

Good Mr Doctor

I have so llic ited your sute for your Company unto my

istris rev a le d m and I have p y so farre with her, as that she hath sent you to disch ardge Carryadge and Se ttlinge of your books with the mak inge of your seales fifty p o un de s ; and with all because it is the first Christmas that hath byn kept in Wadham Colledge my M“ hath sent you likewise tenn

o un des Gawd e s p , which must be spent this Christmas in y from her as a token of her remembran ce unto the whole Company ; these mon ye s are sent by me in gould ; an d my mistre sse refers the man agi nge of yt unto your self and the acquayn t

inge of your company with yt . And so with my best remembrance to your self and my kynde love to all my good fre in des I leave you to God re mayninge alwaye s to the uttmost of my power Your faithful] freind L DE JOHN ARN O . 2 2 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM

E E E R 0 1 61 . D C MB 2 , 3

Transcript in the Convention Book . In this letter we get a view of the foundress ’ idea of the extent of her control over the working of the college. It is evident that she had nominated her own man to be the first cook of the foundation , and this was presumably William

Co uus 1 1 6 1 w Bishopp , who matriculated as q , October 3 , 3, hen ‘ an n o s he is described as Devoniensis, plebeius, natus It would seem that she had further given him leave of m absence, so that we may presu e that he was a member of her ’ suffic ien tl u own household . The cook s place was y val able for the Archbishop of Canterbury (George Abbott) to exert himself on behalf of a client , for whom he is content to beg ’ for the position of substitute with reversion of the cook s ’ ro fit place . That the cook s place was one of considerable p may be inferred from the fact that whereas the stipend fix ed by the foundress was only 3 a year, Robinson was required 1 2 to guarantee £ a year allowance to the actual cook . We ’ e fin din un gath r that Warden Wright, g the cook s place m an o f occupied, had put in a without the leave the foundress ; but now that his patron has resigned the Wardenship , the

- cook substitute is sent away, and Roger Robinson, the nominee ’ o uu f of the Archbishop , takes his place rather as c q s in erior, ‘ ’ co uus Sar ant or as substitute for the q at any rate, John j ’ ‘ co uus 1 6 1 was q inferior in 9, though Robinson did not co uus 1 62 succeed to the position of q till 7, when he was 1 2 res e ctu i n i n i admitted on December , habito p des g at o s ’ h o n o ratissimae F undatri i c s n o strae . H e held the office till 1 6 6 3 , when he was dismissed and fell into poverty .

' It is to be observed that Dr . Abbott was Master of Univer sit 1 1 60 y College from 597 to 9, and that Roger Robinson was admitted p rivilegi atus as cook of University College

1 1 6 1 0 - on June 9, , aged twenty seven , whence probably arose the interest which induced the Archbishop to interfere on his 2 0 1 6 1 2 DECEMBER , 3 3 behalf. It is to be marked that W hile the body of the letter th e is occupied with the business of the cook, more serious matter of an alteration in the Statutes is relegated to the an d postscript, so treated that we have no spe cification of ‘ ’ what else is amisse . The foundress ’ acquaintance with the details of the interior of the college is shown in her directions for placing the chaplains (Stokes and R ando lph e ) in the first and second - flo o r — rooms on the left hand side of the first staircase on the right

: - hand to one entering the quadrangle in fact , the left hand side of this staircase was known in the Chamber Book as ’ Chaplains .

’ Nothing is known of the c o urtesyes heretofore received r m by the foundress f o the Archbishop , nor of the real cause of her very obvious displeasure with Warden Wright . The spelling in the letter is in places curious and not always consistent , but as we have only the transcript it is impossible to say whether the transcriber or Dorothy’s amanuensis is responsible.

My good Warden I have heretofore heard of a desire that my L ords Grace ’ of Cante b: had to place a Cooke as substitute durin g the tyme of my Cookes abse n c but nowe I doe plainly p erc eyve that by his Graces letters unto me in that behalf wh e rin k n o wi nge myself much bounden for many co urtesye s which I have heer tofore re c eyv ed from his grace I am and sh albe still ready to requite in what my h ablene ss will affo rde and therefore seyi ng that Doctor Wright to serve his o wn e turne hath hidden his ’ Grace his desire therin and placed his o w n e man w th o ut my privity ; these sh albe expressly to require you and your Company to remove upp on sight h e e ro f Doctor Wrights man and to place Rodger Robinson as substitute under my cooke and to holde the place duringe his absence and because I finde ’ by his Grace s letter that he is willinge he shall yee ld so m reasonable c on side ratyo n to my man as longe as he shall holde t a in e y , my will is that you take assurance of him for the p y g 24 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM

unto my Cooke the summe of twelve p oundes a ye ere quarterly to be payde by 3li the quarter to such a one as you shall re e ve m th ink e fitt to c y the sa e to his use . And wheras his Grace doth likewise desire that if the sayde Robinson shall over v e my man I would be sto we the reve rcyo n of the Cookes place on him during his life I am very willing likewise ’ to fullfill his Grace s desire therin if your self upp o n farther finde fittin e tryall shall him g . Otherwise I trust his Grace will pardon me desiring you by your L etter to ce rtifye his Grace of my willingness in yeelding these his requests or any elce that shall lye in my small power and so with my kynde love to your self and your whole company doe remayn e nowe and ever your loving Fo undresse D OROT HE WADHAM . h 0 t 1 61 Edge this 2 of December 3 .

Po stscrip There are som clauses in my Statutes concern ing som exercises which are defe ctyve web I desire you to reforme and what else is amisse so they be not contrary to the Will of M' Wadham and my Statutes already made or at least the true meaning of them the two Ch aplaynes I would should be placed in the two chambers of th e right side of the Gate that

hath but one studdy a peece .

E R RY 1 6 F B UA 3, 3 . In this letter the foundress generously announces that she makes over to the college at once the p ro fits of the Essex lands, with which Nicholas had directed her to endow the college after her death . She retains for her life a charge of 2 0 0 a year, but as the rents averaged at this time about £ 0 4 7 a year, she is not only amply providing for the addition l _ a in e expenditure directed the lett r, but leaving a handsome ‘ a im lo d mount over to be p ye for the publique good of th e ’ colledge . It is true that her anticipations seem to have been e disappoint d , the revenue not coming in as well as had been

2 6 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM yere bein g payd me) I will sh albe implo yed fo r the publique h o ein e all good of the Colledge . And soe p g that you will indevout your selies in such sorte as may be for your o wne le ev e in good an d the Creditt of the house you , doe with my Blessin es daylye prayers to T h almigh ti e for to send his g upon

L . you, eave you all both now and ever to his protection Re mayneinge alwayes

Edge this th irde of Your vet ye L ove inge F oun dresse

DOROT HE D . F ebrewarye 1 61 3 . WA HAM

To my whole So ci etye The Warden Fellowes and c lle rs of Wadham Colledge geve these

in Oxfo rde .

XII .

R 8 1 61 . MA CH 2 , 4

In this letter the foundress directs a very important change to be made in the college Statutes . For whereas by her ’ husband s directions it was ordained that a Fellow should vacate his Fe llowsh ip at th e expiration of twelve years, she l fix ed now extends the term to twenty . The origina Statute the time for the resignation of the Fellow at th e completion ’ n of ten years from Regency . This period , with the seve years

. h e e study which led up to the M .A degree and t two y ars of r n necessa y Regency, made a total of ineteen years , which is

- extended by this letter to twe nty seven . The Statute as amended ran as follows

Statuo quod nemo omnium ex dictis socns o c todecim (originally decem) annis finitis e t plenario transactis post completam Magistratus sui Regentiam fruatur aliquo bene ficio v el commoditate dioti Collegii sed se sua Sponte tunc cedere ’ notabit (Cap .

The Bishop of Bath and Wells , on whose advice th e f f M first oundress pro esses to act, was James ontague, the of th e Visitor college, who , in spite of his translation to 2 8 1 61 2 MARCH , 4 7

i o ffice 2 0 W nchester retained that till his death (July , 1 6 1 8 ) at the express wish of the foundress . H e was succeeded as Visitor by Bishop (Arthur) L ake .

‘ ’ The cosen W h etcombe referred to is no doubt Petre W h etco mbe , who seems to have acted as steward for the Essex estates and to h ave endeavoured to secure for himself ben e ficial leases of some of the farms there. ‘ ’ The old Glasier, with whom the college authorities had ’ brablin Rudlan d been g, was one Robert , whose receipt in full

d 1 8 1 61 . H e for glass supplied is ated April , 4 is supposed to have not only glazed the college generally, but also to have supplied the figure s of the prophets in the windows on ure the north side of the chapel . No doubt the fig s of the ’ Apostles on the south side are the ‘ like Statues made in ’ 1 6 1 6 accordance with Dorothy s wishes, as they are dated . Nicholas Buller was put into the place of butler by the e 1 62 8 foundress at the opening of th e college . H died in , an - fi c d was buried in the ante chapel . The rst stair ase on the left to one entering is known in the Chamber Book as ’ Buller s Inn .

John Williams , the Manciple, appears to have had his chamber on the ground fl o o r in the north- west corner of th e ’

. quadrangle, which now forms part of the Warden s lodgings When he died in 1 630 he left the contents of his rooms to the college, and an inventory of them is given in the

Chamber Book . The postscript seems to indicate that a certain laxity was ’ growing up in the matter of prayers and fasting days, which naturally was not approved by one who had lived her early life under a stricter rule.

My Good Warden , I have Considered for the good of my Colledge to swarve a little from the Will of your founder so powerful] is the counsell of my Reverent frin de the L 0 : Bishopp of Bath and Wells with me (and the aprobation of your selfe doth noe way hinder me therin) as that I will presume (being allowed by 2 8 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM men of judgment) to alter a little his minde th ough e otherwise I should be very loath to be drawen to it were it n ot for the th erfo re good of the house . I would that you presently doe cause your Statute Booke to be new written wh erin if ther be any other faulte tounde I pray let them be amended before they com unto me . But for the increase of the Fellowes l tyme (for the reasons afore sayd) I will that they shall staye in the house twe ntye yeres whet before it was but twelve which I th ink e to be very large and I am suer I have added d e th e rby eight yeres more than the founders Will was . I o send you with all my Statute Booke in E nglish e which I sta e desire may be made p erfitt to your new booke . I doe y the an swe ringe of you to ch inge my New-yeres guifte untill my cosen Wh etco mbes co minge but howsoever you shall be s uer to have what I have promised . I would have you also to end with your old Glasier that ther may be noe more brabling with him but my minde is to have the like Statues made yf you can gett it well doun that it maye a litt le make w f r d she o what purpose that place was ap oynte . I would also that (wheras ther will fale out a good overplus out of those Essex lands more than my New yeres remembrance cometh unto) you doe yerely geve unto my cosen Buller dureinge my life five markes a year as a remembrance from me and the like unto John Williams your Mansiple fo r his fa th ful y servis heretofore donn me . And soe with my kinde love to your selfe and well wis hes to all my good co mp anye ou f doe bid y hartely arwell .

x xviii‘h 1 6 1 Edge this of Marche 4 . Your very loveinge foundresse DOROT HE D WA HAM .

I would have prayers and fastinge dayes dewly observed in the house not allowinge any in ther Chambers to break e it or else where within the Colledge. r To my ap roved good Warden MDoctor F limminge att x fo rde Wadham Colledge in O geve these.

1 T his word i s n ot in th e MS. U N E 2 1 6 1 J 7, 4 2 9

XIII .

U E 2 1 61 . J N 7, 4

Transcript in the Convention Book.

In this letter we have a distinct statement of the relation in which the foundress considers herself to stand to her tounda

tion . She clearly asserts that during her lifetime all

nominations are in her gift , and that she can put in whomso e llo ws ever she will either as F or Scholars . The circumstance which called forth the letter was the early

death of Thomas Harris, the Fellow who had been nominated

. H e by the City of Oxford was but a Bachelor of Arts, and though the stipulation for the payment of Battels for h is pupils is found among those of the rest of the original Fe llo ws

in his own handwriting (and a beautiful Italian hand it is), H e he does not seem to have had any pupils . died on June 5 ,

1 6 1 - 4, and was buried in the ante chapel near the north wall, where his monument still remains with this inscription

Epitaphium do ctissimi religiosissimique juvenis Thomae Harris Artium Baccalaurei E t h ujus Co llegii Socii inter primos b n i re l cti A ipso co d to e e . Haec j uv e n e m tenet urna brevis qui tempora vitae T arn bene p e rc urrit quam cito : dign us erat n vixisse di n I ter nos diu , nisi quam mage g us co e lic las Inter felices vivere o . Obiit 5 J un ii

He was probably the son of Thomas Harris, who was Mayor of Oxford in 1 6 1 0 (the year in which the site of the college was bought from the city) , and on two other occasions . The three Scholars whom Dorothy refers to as eligible n H w sta d quite low in the original list, but uish (other ise

H e wis first BA . ) was the man to take his from Wadham , 30 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM

1 0 which he did on February , while the other two did 8 r n o t graduate till June 2 , after the death of Ha ris .

‘ Alexander Huish (H ewis) was preferred by th e So ciety H e re he had come to the college from Magdalen Hall .

fifteen rs l mained a Fellow for yea , taking in turn the usua college o ffices . He subsequently became Rector o f Beckington

and of Hornblotton Somerset, and Prebendary ff m of Wells. Though he su ered uch during the Rebellion , on the Restoration he recovered his benefices and lived on till 68 H s 1 6 . e was one of the editor of the Polyglot Bible and was well versed in Oriental languages. Of the two names suggested for the Scholar’s place vacated l by Huish, Philip Hil was presumably ready, as he was preferred to Porter ; the reason for his nomination is given in schedule IV ; he appears to have resigned his Scholarship 1 61 8 n before December 3 , , without graduati g.

i My good Warden and the rest of my Soc etye , Being let to understand by you of the late death of one of the fellows of my house which (if it had pleased God) for the good I have heard of him I could have wished otherwise but seing ther is no re medye it resteth now in me to supplye that place. And fin ding by my Statutes that the Fe llo wes are to be chosen out of the Sch o llers of the house after me (although dureing my life I may alter it at my pleasure) yet if their o wne cariadges want of worth doe not enforce me I will not as I am yet advised soe dish arten them as to put in others and neglct them : I heare of three eligible in my Colledge Flavell Tapper Huish all by report wo rth ye out of which three but one can be chosen . And therefore seing it was the good Fortune of one of them o ulye to be capeable at the death of the other my will is that you admitte the same Huish to be Probationer for one ye are according to my Statutes and as he shall behave hi mselfe this ye are be either chosen Fellow or put out . Upon the amoveing of him th ere ’ Sch oller s v o de will fall out a place y . I would have you that U N E 2 1 6 1 1 J 7, 4 3 if Do cto ur Hill send his Son you doe admitte him to be Scholler but if he an swe re that his son is not yet re adye then _ my will is you admitte Thomas Porter my L ord Bishop of ’ ’ E x ete r s graun dch ilde and Do cto ure Hille s son to have the l next place that shall happen . And soe with my dai ye ’ prayers for you all I leave you to the Almigh tye s protection . th 1 Edge this xxvii of June 1 6 4 . Your very loving F oun dre sse

DOROT HE WADHAM .

OV E E R 1 1 6 1 . N MB 5 , 4

Transcript in the Convention Book .

The humility with which the writer professes her u nfitn e ss ‘ to select the college o fiic e rs for the year is a curious contrast ‘ ’ to her general tone in dealing with her Company . But the inference seems to be that Warden Fle minge has submitted a list for her approval, alleging the impossibility of proceeding ’

t. to the election of S Nicholas Day without her warrant . She

m o ffice rs no inates the eight , changing all except the Sub

Warden . The Moderator of Philosophy whose name appears as

Pillson is evidently Richard Pule sto n . It will shortly be seen (see letter XVI) that it was not without reason that Dorothy reminded the college to take order about their Essex rents, and between this date and the following Midsummer the Society evidently found itself in i ul i e 0 d ffic t s . The 5 referred to is apparently one quarter of the charge which Dorothy had reserved for herself when she handed over the estates to the college (see letter XI).

My good Warden,

Allth o ugh it bee not a thing fitt for me to appointe offi ce rs in my Colledge yet kn owing by my Statutes that I have reserved it unto my selfe and seeing that without my warrant 32 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

you will not presume the appo intinge of them I will there Mr fore that for your Subwarden you chuse Smith , the Deane Mr Osburne the burse rs Mr Goodridge MIr Brunk ar the Cate ch est Mr Pitts the G re ek e reader M" Stroude the r r MPillson Subdean e S . Moderator in Philosophy , the Huish If there be any other not thought on I leave it to yo urse lfe to be carefull both in that as in all things else about the

Colledge in wh o me my whole trust depends . I hope you

have taken order for your rents in Essex, you must now trust s l to your elves and o ok e into your o wn e Estates . I have appointed this bearer my servant Arnold to receive the fiftie pounds no w due to mee and soe with my dayly prayers for you all doe leave you to the protection of T h allmigh ty and rest

Edge this 1 5 No your assured lovinge F o un dre sse 1 61 D RO H D 4 . O T E WA HAM .

RIL 1 6 1 . AP 24, 5 This document shows how the foundress meant to stretch m her powers of nomination to a considerable extent . Fro expressions which occur elsewhere I cann ot but think that much suit was made to her to obtain nominations for Scholars’ f n m places before her death . O the v e here na ed , Porter G had still to wait a year before his election , and rudge two

‘ . St . years This latter, who is described as of Madron in ’ m Cornwall, seems to have been the son of a Tho as Grudge

F le min e of that place and Mary g , who is mentioned in the 1 62 0 Visitation of , so that he was probably connected with

the Warden through his mother . Drake had to wait till m 1 6 1 ff 1 Nove ber, 7, and Cli e till February, This latter was of Ingatestone in Essex, where lay the estates lately

f . trans erred to the college by the foundress Gill , the last named, was at this time one of the clerks of the college, and

’ about eighteen years of age, and of standing for his Bachelor s degree . Probably the remoteness of his chance of succeeding

34 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

At any rate Dorothy generously reduced h e r reserved rent to 1 0 0 a year .

Sub - Warden Smith had apparently been absent from the college more than the forty days allowed by the Statutes , but ‘ i e . the foundress would have ( . wishes to have) it registered that this absence had her consent : he was clearly a f avourite of hers, as was indeed proved by his subsequent selection as Warden .

n My good Co mp a ye .

I am hartely sorrye that now (i n your firste e nteran c e) you should be so cumbered with bad Tenants . I praye take p atie ntlye with me ther intended malices who have had a taste thereof th o ugh e (the wo rlde k no eth ) I have better deserved wh o me then they have requited , but it will make me beware hereafter I repose sure co n fidenc e in as some of them have benn (by me) trusted with although to late which now cannot be re c ale d and because it shall not fale to h e v ilye e mongste you I will rather Iacke then (to the uttermost of my power) see your wants un re le ev e d and th e rfo re know yee by theis that whereas you were to paye me two hundred pounds by the yere out of your Essex lands that now I doe hereby abate one hundred pounds therof durin ge my life to be i n o wn imploye d fo r such necessary o ccat o s as in y r. e dis creations shall be thought fitt . And whereas my Subwarden

Mich ae llmas Mr. Smith was absent from this laste till the last Shrovetide (within which time I un de rstan de he returned to my Colledge) you are to take notice that he had my leave and dispensation which I would have registered that hereafter it be not any wro n ge 81 prejudice unto him . And soe with my Co me n datio n s to you all I leave you now and ever to the th T h almi h tie . x ii 1 6 protection of g Edge the of June 1 5. Your very lo v e in ge fo un dresse DOROT HE D WA HAM.

To my very lo v e inge fre inds the Warden Fellows and Sco lle rs of Wadham Colledge geve these

in Oxon . 6 1 61 NOVEMBER , 5 35

XVII .

MBE R 6 1 61 NOV E , 5 .

Transcript in the Convention Book . In this letter we again become aware of the hand of steel — in th e velvet glove Alexander Huish had been admitted full ’

0 1 61 . Fellow after a year s probation on June 3 , 5 But in of 2 1 61 spite of her letter June 7, 4 (XIII), the foundress con siders that the Society have exceeded theirpowers in admit ting him ; and although she approves of the act, she desires them to register the fact that it was not till her approbation i nifi was s g ed that the admission was valid. It is obvious that there were those around her who were strongly interested in maintaining her claim to absolute dictation in the choice of F e llo ws and Scholars , and among these must be included a even the faithful John Arnold , whose nephews were lready

Scholars of the college . The foundress again nominates the eight o fli ce rs to be ’ Mr . St . chosen on Nicholas Day, changing all except Smith,

- the Sub Warden . With regard to Dorothy’s wish that her Company may ‘ ’ ’ ‘ ’ ‘ v behave themselves religiously, obediently, and lo ingly, I have already called attention to her desire that prayers and fasting days should be strictly observed (XII) , and this letter itself proves that she was inclined to regard any act of independence as a derogation of the obedience due to her self and though it was n o t till after her death that serious

e llo ws quarrels broke out among the F , Harington and Robert Arnold had probably already shown themselves somewhat m m unmanageable e bers of the body, and the reference to u nity at the beginning of the next letter indicates that the foundress still felt some anxiety on the subject .

My good Warden ,

The loue and care which I do beare towards my colledge hath given me occasion to write these few lines unto you for understanding that about the last St Peeters day there was D 2 36 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM one to be ratifyed and admitted fellow after his yeere of Pro batio n ershi a pp which according to my St tutes you performed, and yet being certefyed that this approbation and admission ff f ha made by you is no e ect during my Li e, for that I ve f r ac i n reserved all power ( o that time) in mine ow hand, regard h im of that laudable information which I have heard of , I have bene willingly perswaded to joyne with you in this act of approbation and admission : and therefore by vertue of this my letter, I do approve and admitt Alexander Huish into fellowsh i the body of your pp , willing you to register this my

a eare o wn e . letter, whereby it may pp hereafter to be mine act Understanding likewise that the o fficers of my colledge are s to be chosen by my elf, I do therefore by this give you Mr notice, that for your Subwarden you choose Smith, your r ME stc ott M’ MI Deane , your Bursars Harrington and Pitts ; L M' Mr r Humanity ecturer, Payton , for your Catechist St ode, ' M M lex ne and Sub e oderator of philosophy F y, your d an e Slt Flavell, and if I have forgotten any c ih oe (as it may be

I have) then I leave it to my Warden to app oynt it . A n d so hoping that your whole Company will behave themselves God religiously towards obediently to my self, and lovingly wilbe one towards another, which an especiall comfort to me, with my best wishes I co men d you to the protection of the Allmigh ty and rest

th Edge this vj of Your ever Loving F oun dre sse

1 61 . DOR T H November 5 O E WADHAM .

XVIII .

MAY 2 1 6 1 6 3 , .

If Dorothy was strict in asserting her rights, it was not ' from any want of tender love fo r this o fisp ring of her old

- age . Here at the age of eighty two she tells her Company ’ - it that is her only joy to understand of all their welfare . L ike most founders she seems to have made up her mind that no changes can be made in her Statutes afte r Go d shall 1 61 6 MAY 2 3 , 37

’ call her ; and so not only does she proceed to set right certain defects which have already been shown to exist , but also desires the Society to seize the Opportunity of her length of life for discovering any further diffi c ulties and obtaining her n amendments . The fit ess of her interpretation of the XI I I th

Statute , that legitimate holidays and absence on college business should not deprive a man of his stipend and allow o ou an es, is obvious ; but , as time went , the actual wording of the Statute produced a curious result . Much of the college h u property was let on leases renewable for periodical es, ‘ ’ n which together with Wood mo ey (that is , payments by tenants for cutting or lopping plantations) were divided periodically among the members of the Society . When, as firs at t, nearly all the members of the Society were in resi dence this worked well, but when the number of residents ‘ ’ became fewer, while the words present corporally were m strictly interpreted, it beca e necessary for any one who wished to secure his dividend to journey to Oxford at the

: time of the distribution no excuse of any kind, even sickness or detention in a madhouse, being accepted .

‘ ’ ’ With regard to the painfulness of the Chaplain s duties , it is not improbable that this arose from the prolonged m ad absence of one of them . Tho as Randolph, who was mitte d Senior Chaplain at the opening of the college, was at w the same time a Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge, here between 1 6 1 4 and 1 61 7 he held the o ffic es of Reader of H e c an Rhetoric, Reader of Greek, and Dean in succession . therefore have given but little time to Wadham, and must have left to Gilbert Stokes , the Junior Chaplain , the performance of the duties . Hence, no doubt , the readiness of Dorothy to assign to the one Chaplain the allowance of both : and n 1 61 it is to be oticed also that before this, on August 9, 5 , she had directed the Fello ws to admit Stokes to the high table . ’ Sir John Strangways, who now secures a Scholar s place for

c o - ich o las his client, was the nephew and heir of N Wadham, w being the son of Sir Giles Strang ays by Joan, one of the e 1 0 0 three sisters of the founder . H contributed towards 38 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM the cost of the great eastern window in the chapel . His

- 6 1 6 , portrait , taken at the age of seventy eight, in 3 hangs in the college hall . John L arder appears to be the son of Robert L arder of L L oders , and grandson of John arder who married Mary

Cath e rsto n e . H e Wadham, one of the Wadhams of is again 1 1 61 n ominated Scholar on August 3, 7, but , although he 1 61 entered as Commoner in 5, he had to wait for a vacancy

1 61 . H e among the Scholars till August, 9 eventually became a Probationer Fellow, but apparently his conduct did not satisfy the Seniors, for he was ordered to undergo a second ’ He . year s probation , and promptly resigned his Fellowship eventually took orders in his native county of Dorset and held the rectory of Melbury Osmond . ‘ ’ In this letter the word p aynfull is used in the sense of requiring much pains, and Dorothy professes her wish to ’ ’ rite, that is, set right, anything amiss . Cosen is used in ’ . the sense of kinsman, Sir John being her husband s nephew The last words of the direction about L arder are not plain ; the word stern ’ seems to make no sense possibly the scribe ’ wrote his stern for his turn .

My good Warden , I have received from yourself and the most of your house a letter by the bearers thereof being likewise of your Company the first of wh o me doth much comfort me and often h e are inge from you doth greatly revive my minde beinge myne only joie to unde rstande of all your welfares

un iti and that ther is e amongst you . And because it shall ape e re that my love is not wav e ri n ge nor that I am c arelesse of your goode I doe hereby (beinge ac quayn te d with some de fe cte in my Statutes) sign ifie my minde to uch inge some of m th ink e fit the which I to be amended . Whereas I under stande that ther is a clause in my X I I I th Statute that whosoever is not present corporally in my Colledge shall for the time of his absence loose his allowance now because in my Statute I have granted them som time of absence

every yere. And sometimes they at imployed in my Colledge 2 1 61 6 MAY 3 , 39 affayers th e rfore I have thought it fitt to sign ifie this much (which is to re mayn e with you alwayes under Re egiste r) that my minde is not to debarr any of my fo un daco n of any of ther allowance at any of the fo resayd times when either they are imp loyed by the Colledge or doe make use of that time w hich I have granted them . But at all other times when they ar absent I would have that clause of Statute to be ’ in fo rcd. And yet because the Chaplin s place is p ayn full and troublesome beyonde others I would have this to be observed for them that at all times when any one of them is absente the whole allowance of both sh albe due unto him that is present dure inge such time as the other is absent. I would have you to be carefull in pe ruse inge your Statutes that yf any th inge be amisse in them I may know therof whereby I may rite it before God shall Cale me which afterwards cannot be by anye reformed . I have binn moved by my cosen Sir John Stran gwayes that (when those Sco lle rs which are alreddy registered are placed in my Colledge) I would be pleased to graute the next place that shall happen unto on John L arder his motion is soe powerfull with me as that I cannot de nye him and th erfo re would have you to register the sayd John L arder to be plased as his stern co meth e . And soe with my true love to yo urse lfe and my we llwish e s the whole Company doe leave you all to the protection of T h almigh tye and rest alwayes your ve rye lo v e inge fo undre sse

DOROT HE D WA HAM . 1 6 1 6 Edge Maye 2 3 .

To the right wo rttli Doctor Fle minge my good Warden of

Wadham Colledge in Oxon geve these .

XIX .

T O E R 1 1 61 6. OC B 5, The dispute as to the value of the Essex rents has W h t o mbe evidently reached a crisis . Petre e c , who had been ’ Mrs . Wadham s steward, having direct access to her, has 40 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM evidently succeeded so far in his own interest as to induce the foundress to leave the dispute to the course of law, which W h etc o mbe would seem to have been unfavourable to , as he was obliged to surrender his be n e ficial leases to the college and receive them again renewed by the Society. The amendments in the Statutes to which reference is here made are not sp ecified ; but it is curious to contrast the humility of Dorothy in expressing her inexperience with the absolute strictness of her real rule . And while no doubt Warden F leminge and Sub - Warden Smith saw to the careful ’ observance of the Statutes , it is to be feared that Dorothy s last days were troubled by rumours of dissensions in her

‘ ’ company, seeing her frequent exhortations to unity and the avoidance of contention . In the postscript the foundress again nominates the o ffice rs ’ St . for the next Nicholas Day, changing all of them, as pre

- vi usl Mr. . o y, except Smith, the Sub Warden

My good Co mp anye

I have received your letter in an swere of my cosen W h etc o mbe s note sent you which I have shewed him but cann make no pease with him and th e rfore doe leave you to your wills to doe them as your Counsell shall advise . I am desirous in my life time to see your Colledge perfect and yf ther be anye defects which I maye redresse when you acquaynte me with them you shall finde me most re ddye willin e re f0rme and g to whatsoever is amisse. My experience in such matters is but small and th erfo re I must ap eale unto your selfes who lyve under the Government of them and maye e asel fin d da l wan in y by your y y experience what is t ge . Of late I have understood of some things that are omitted and upon good advise had with such as well know how to supplye a re medye I have drawne out in E nglissh e (which here in ' closed I send unto you) a co ppye of that which I would have you fayth fully to translate into Lattin and then to write it into my Booke of Statutes that there it maye re mayne as a pe rpe tuall wittnes of my will and intent and to be of no

42 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

was doubt the health of the foundress was precarious , and it desirable to obtain from her a speedy c o nfirmatio n of the Society ’s desire for the succession of William Smith but also the interference of the king and of others in authority was much to be dreaded with a view of securing the electi on of some favourite.

Smith was admitted to the W ardenship on March 2 4 . H e 1 6 governed the college successfully till 35, when he resigned , perhaps with a view to marriage, and retired to his rectory of

1 6 8. Tredington in Worcestershire, where he lived till 5

Here again , as in letter VII, the document is dated by the regnal year . Of the witnesses we may notice that Henry

e ll a A nck ty was at this time Fellow and Senior Burs r, and was i n all probability the messenger dispatched by the Soci ety

: to announce their loss Arnold , Drayton , and Verier have occurred as witnesses before . One George Jacob was at this — Anck et ll time under butler, and may have accompanied y as servant on his long ride to Edge. The parchment is sealed with a large seal in red wax bearing the arms of Petre as used by Dorothy. It is folded over, and signed and witnessed on the back .

To all Xian people to wh o me this present writinge shall come I D orothie Wadham late wife of Nicholas Wadham of

Mere fe ild So mset E s r s s in the County of q . decea ed end greetinge in the L ord God ev e rlastinge whereas I the said Doro th ie Wadham have reserved full power and auth oritie in my selfe duringe my natu rall life in my Colledge called Wadham Colledge in the U niv ersitye of Oxon of the fo un da tion of my said late husband Nicholas Wadham to give dispose nomate and appointe the place and oth ee of W arden o f the said Colledge wh en so e ir the same shall happen to be v oyde either by death surrender or otherwise unto ani e fitt and hable person as I shall nomate and appointe and whereas the said place and oth ee of Warden is nowe become v oyde by the death of John F lemynge Doctor in Divinity late Warden of the said Colledge : Nowe know ye that I the 1 1 6 9 MARCH 9, 3 , 43 said Doroth ie Wadham have nominated appointed and made sure by these presents doe nominate appoint make William

Smith Mr. of Arts and one of the Fellows of the said Colledge to have use and exercise the said place and o ffice of Warden of Wadham Colledge aforesaid and next to succeed the said John F le mynge in the said o ffice of Warden : To have hold use exercise o ccup ie and enjoy the said o ffice of Warden of Wadham Colledge during his naturall life : Together with all Fees stipends p ro fitts and c o mo dities whatsoever belonging to the said o ffice of Warden in as large and ample manner as the said John Flemyng did hold and enjoy the same : and I the said D o ro th ie Wadham do by these presents praie and require the Fellows Sch o llers o f the said Colledge upon sight hereof to admitt the said William Smith to the said o ffi c e of Warden without further de laie and this my writing

l h l witn e sh a be sufficie n t warrant in that be a fe . In s whereof I the said D o ro th ie Wadham have hereto putt my hand and scale the nyn e te e n th day of March in the fourteenth year of the re ign e of our Sov e re ign e L ord James by the grace of God

P &c . King of England , raunce Ireland defender of the faith and of Scotland the fiftith

DOROT H E WADHAM . Signed sealed and delivered to the use of the within named William Smith in the presence of John Arnold Henry A n ck e tyll Thomas Verier Thomas Drayton

George Jacob .

XXI .

MR 2 0 A CH ,

I t would seem that Henry A n ck e tyll carried back this letter ’ to Oxford with the preceding schedule. We cannot doubt that the foundress was much grieved to find herself again obliged so soon to nominate a Warden ; but she had had some experience of William Smith : he was n o w

- - o ffic e thirty four years of age, and had held the of Sub Warden 44 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

since the college was opened . She was therefore ready to accept what appears to have been the unanimous wish of the

Fellows , particularly as by so doing she would anticipate ’ certain courses of which she had previously had much taste , according to her own account ; though no record remains of any attempt to infl ue nc e or control the directions of one with At whom it would appear to have been rash to interfere. any rate, she takes care that there shall be no mistake as to her intentions about the vacancies caused by Smith ’s pro motion . o ffic e John Goodridge , though he held no at this time , had already been Dean (1 6 1 3) and Bursar and was indeed older than Smith , but being a student in the Faculty of

Medicine was not eligible for the Wardenship . Flavell, who is nominated as Fellow, and whose probation is to be limited o ffi ce to three months, was at this time holding the of Sub

n . . Dean for the second year in succession . O taking his M A ’ in June of this year he was Senior of the Act, and Wood s tates that he was chosen Public Professor of Grammar in the University ; but h is career was cut short by his early death m in the ensuing Michael as Term . Wood dates his death November 1 0 ; but the college records state that he was buried in the north part of the outer chapel on some day in

October, and the next entry of burials refers to the beginning of November when, however, we consider how speedily the ’ fille d fi nd F lav e ll s foundress up vacancies , and that death is 1 not noticed by her till November 2 (see letter XXVI) , it ’ would seem probable that Wood s date is the correct one . ’ B F lav ell m y s pro otion Thomas Porter, the Bishop of ’ E x ete r s grandson , who had now been waiting about three ’ years and was close upon his Bachelor s degree, obtained a

Scholarship . ’ Dorothy s reference to ‘ worth ’ in her concluding paragraph recalls her reasons for selecting Huish for the first vacant

‘ ’ Fellowship , while the addition of the word unity seems to hint, as we have before noticed , that there were some dissen sions in the Society (see letters XVII and XIX) . ‘ ’ The direction give these with speed had, it would seem , , 20 MARCH , 45 something more than its conventional meaning on the present occasion .

The usual seal is attached to the letter, but it is impressed

- upon sealing wax instead of paper over wax.

My good Co mp anye

I can n ott chuse but joyne with you in so row for the losse of soe wo rth ye a Warden in wh o me my harte was well se tle d see in e T h almi h t e but g the pleasure of g y is soe, his will be donn . The greatest love and care which I doe and have ever borne h e th e rto towards my Colledge hath binn to

m h e prevent any inconvenience which ight happen t run to . And th e rfo re do ubtinge what courses may be used (which before now I have had to much tast o i) am willinge to joyne likewise with you for the speedy ch use in ge of a new warden . And because I fin de such un itie amongst yo urse lfes I have elected him wh o me your o wn e hands (and I hope harts) have desired as you shall understand by a Scedule under my hande and sc ale for that purpose De sire in g and re quireinge you upon sight therof without de laye to admitt him as your Warden after the Oath e geven h im ap o yn te d in my Statutes for the Warden h o pe in ge that his Carriage in government will answe re your expectations and my desires ; in this my choyce ther wilbe two or three places v oyde th e rby as n amelye a Sub w sc o lle r th e rfo re warden , a fello and a because I will conclude a o n te Mr all together for your Subwarden I doe p y . Goodridge r m no w for the fellow to succeed M. S ithe ( by me chosen to r be your Warden) I doe apoynte S Flavell willinge you to admitt him as a probationer untill the daye of Election cometh and then (for the good I have hard of him) doe require you to admitt h im without delaye into the body of your fe llo wsh ipp without being any more probationer ; and for the Sco lle r to succe e de him my will is that you chuse and admitt Thomas Porter wh o me I have alre ddy decreed and ordeyn ed m for that place . Thus you shall see y love towards you is such that as I finde worth and un itye emongst you I will 46 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM

ervin doubtin e ever p refe rr the best des ge . And soe not g of your speedy fullfillinge my desires herein doe with my best well wishes commend you all to the protection of T h almigh ty and rest your assured love in ge fo undresse

DOROT HE WADHAM .

Edge this x xth of 6 March 1 61 .

To my lov einge Companye the Fellowes and Scollers of

Wadham Colledge in Oxon geve these with sp e ede .

XXII .

ST 1 1 61 AUGU 3, 7.

In this document we see the foundress using to the full A h er reserved powers of nomination . vacancy having occurred among the Scholars by th e resignation of Walter

Stonehouse , who would appear to have migrated to Magdalen

College, her dependants and friends seem to have thought that it would be well to secure what they could before her

e n d . came, which could not now be long delayed Of th e fiv e Scholars already nominated Thomas Crudge was to succeed Stonehouse ; and Alexander Gill having already

is B A . taken h . had resigned his clerkship , and had probably t returned to his original college , Trini y. The three remaining n ames appear at the head of this list and then six more Oi follow . these William Drake was successful in obtaining a 1 6 1 8 Scholarship in December, ; and was eventually , though

difficult Fellow . not without some y, elected Richard Arnold, the next, was evidently a kinsman of John, and of his two n cousi s William and Robert , who were already Scholars. H e 1 61 was admitted Scholar in October, 9, but was never elected G Fellow . eorge Savage may have been one of the Savages of Bloxworth in Dorset, but he never came into residence or obtained a Scholarship . William Turner was the son of a

Somersetshire parson , and at this time aged thirteen : he 1 6 0 1 6 8 obtained his Scholarship in May, 2 . In 2 he was elected 1 1 61 AUGUST 3, 7 47

w Probationer, and full Fello in the following year . After a distinguished career at the Bar he became a judge of the

Court of Admiralty and Probate, and Chancellor of Winchester, 1 6 0 He and died in 7 . entered three sons at the college, m f Willia and John and Brian O these , John was tried for the death of a Bible clerk of Exeter College ,

2 1 66 n July 5, 4 , but escaped , says Wood , by the i flue nce of his father . Edward Abraham , the son of a Devonshire m inister, was already in residence at this time : he became a 1 62 0 Scholar in May, , and a Fellow (after three years proba 1 6 2 ’ tion) in 3 ; after ten years tenure he died on St. Nicholas 1 6 2 Day, 4 , and was buried in the chapel . m m Tho as Raw, the last no inated, never obtained a place in

. m the college One of this na e , probably his father, will be

n m was found amo g the witnesses to docu ent XXXV, and m therefore in so e way included in the family of the foundress . m The na es of the witnesses to this schedule are all familiar. A nck e t ll d y , the Fellow, may have carrie down the tidings of ’ Sto n e h o use s resignation , or may have been resident in the house at Edge as Chaplain . We have Dorothy’s usual Petre seal impressed on sealing wax .

I Doroth e Wadham of Edge in the Co untye of Devon W iddo w by these presents do decree o rdain e that you the Warden Fello we s of Wadham Colledge in Oxford when you shall have admitted Thomas Grudge unto the Sch o lle rs place in your said Colledge which now is voide by the late resignation of Walter Stonehouse that then hereafter upon other or the like v acancye s without delay or contradiction admitte first L you into the place aurence Drake, in the second Edward Clyffe in the third John L arder in the fourth William Drake in the fifth place Richard Arnold in the sixth George Savage in the seventh William Turner in the eighth R aw Edward Abraham in the ninth place Thomas . All which forenamed (as your Sc h o lle rs places shall happen to be v o yde ) my will is that they be admitted by you according to the 48 LETTERS OF D OROTHY WAD HAM tenour true meaning of the Schedule which I have sealed with mine o wne sc ale and whereunto I have subscribed with mine o wn e hand the thirteenth day of August 1 61 7 in the presence of DOROT HE WADHAM . Henry Anck etyll John Arnold

Tho . Verier

Thomas Drayton .

XXIII.

E T E E R 2 1 61 . S P MB 5 , 7

n This letter, though sig ed by J ohn Arnold, is so evidently part of the foundress’ correspondence that it is naturally included here. Arnold , however, takes advantage of the fact that his mistress is not going to sign it to express plainly his o wn views as to how her wishes should be received .

‘ The matter refers to the Essex estates, of which cosen ’ W c mb Petre h et o e had been steward , and where he seems to have secured for himself a be ne ficial lease of one large n piece of the property called the ma or of Moorball . This a appe rs to have led to the institution of a Chancery suit, th e college being desirous to recover full possession of the property nor was Wh etco mbe at first regarded with favour by

Dorothy ; but she is old and feels that her end is near, and ’ W h e tc o mbe s wearied probably by importunity, she desires that th e college should carry out a compromise arranged by W h e a decree in Chancery, whereby tco mbe resigns the lease of manor b the of Moor all , and receives a lease of the demem es of ' the manor for the rest of h is term ; and this in spite of the Statute to the contrary that the college is to grant no lease “ ” dew aw a of the manors, nor of any s for more than twenty ’ years . She is willing that the college should suffer some loss in order that the matter may have a quiet end and Arnold does not hesitate to point out that the expression of her wish must be regarded as a command .

50 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

i h as may be have ther answere . I could w s e that the Company would consent of themselves thereunto because I finde by her she is p artely resolved to have it soe yf your reasons to the contrary be no t to powerfull with her. You must consider likewise that yf she should inro le in your Colledge that upon every alienation or death ther be noe fin e or other charge imposed upon the lands given by her noble father to the alms men in I n gatsto n e being parcell of the man n o r of Frie rninge in the County of Essex and this to re mayn e from age to age other than the ancient rent accustomed yearly for the same) what losse or hinderance this will be unto you she desireth

s r to have yr. an we e herein beinge bent rather to add than to wo rk e draw away from a good which was donn by her father. As before soe in this if much losse be not received th erby ye e ld that which I know is her desire : and so in hast as this boarder cann informe you doe with my kinde respects to your selfe and my treue love to all my good fre nds there doe take

e ma n e durein e liffe 81 my leave and r y ever yrs . g power

RN LD JOHN A O .

th x xv 1 6 1 Edge the of September 7.

To the wor11 an d worthy Warden of Wadham Colledge my

e frin de Mr . speciall good William Smythe geve these in Oxon.

XXIV .

T O E R 2 1 1 6 1 OC B , 7.

n This letter, which is dated withi one month of the last, refers to the same business . Obviously a reply had been received ff ‘ from the college to the e ect that , while they left all to the

’ will and pleasure of their foundress , they thought that s uch a lease as she desired them to grant would not hold good in law . Dorothy, however, is very eager to conclude the business, and not only has W h etco mbe stated that he is ready to take the lease with its risk , but he has also added to his own importunity the desire of a kinsman my honourable cousin L presumably William, ord Petre . 2 1 1 61 1 OCTOBER , 7 5

The college seems also to have agreed readily to Arnold ’s

m - suggestion with regard to the al s houses at Ingatestone . The tenderness of the foundress towards her infant fo un da tion is to be noticed in her unwillingness to send them m a messenger of ill news, such as the di inution of their rental , which will be the result of compliance with her request and

‘ ’ it is clear that the contentious W h e tc ombe would not have obtained his wishes but for his appeal to some ‘ act ’ of her

ich o las late husband N , which Dorothy (whether the statement is true or not) is unwilling to have questioned certain words ’ n ‘ were originally writte after the parenthesis as they pretend , but they have been carefully blotted out.

My good Company,

I have been ernestly intreated by my cosen W h etco me takeing hold that you leave all to my will and pleasure to p rev ayle soe farr with you as that you would graute him a n e w lease acc o rdinge to the decree of the de me asn e s for the rent formerly payd by him and he will willingly un de rgo e the

n L av a lable th ink in e da ger of the awe whether it be y or noe, g it is probable that by the same auth o ritye his former lease was caused to h e resigned by the same power he may have a new lease his imp o rtun itye together with my honorable ’ c o sen s desire have caused an ye e ldin ge in me to ther requests and th erfo re doe praye you forthwith to passe him a lease of the sayd D e me anse s for soe manye yeres as was to c o m in his X L li former at the rente of C by the yere . I know it will be some losse unto you yet shall you free yourselves from all suits with him wh o me I fin de bent to be c o nte ncio us and

h e rb m tro ble t y free me also of so e , when I understand you T o uc h in e me ar settled in peace . g the request made unto for the Almsmen of Ingatestone I have ap o yn te d that ther Counsell shall set downe in what sort it may be recorded for ther assurance (re se rv inge the rent) and it shall be donn I h ave binn ever un willinge to send any ill newes unto you or messenger which should not be welcomed by you yet this for my cosen W h etco mbe hath overswayed me in regard ch e efe st E 2 5 2 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM that your Founders name (and acte as they pretend) should l be so questioned , beare with this once and I promise it shal not be often that I will doe the like . A n d soe with my best wishes and prayers to T h almigh ty to k e e pe you in peace and un itye on with another doe leave you all to his protection and myself will re manye alwaye s Your assured lo v einge fo un dresse

DOROT H E WADHAM .

x ith 1 61 Edge this x of October 7.

To my lov e inge frin de s the Warden and Fellowes of

Wadham Colledge in Oxon geve these with speed .

XXV .

T O E R 2 1 1 61 . OC B , 7

Transcript in the Convention Book . This second letter of the same date as the one before is addressed to the Warden instead of the Company, and contains the nomination of o ffic e rs for the ensuing feast of

St . . Nicholas Once more, and for the last time, the foundress chan ges all the o fli ce rs.

My good warden ,

Understanding from you that the Election of your officers for the next ye e re draweth on and that it resteth in me to ap po ynt them during my life know therefore that for your Subwarden I would have chosen MIr Brunker for yor Bursars Mr Goodridge and Mr Osborne for your Deane MJr Pitt for your Humanity Reader Mlf H uish for your Catechist Mr Flex ’ ney for your Moderator in Philosophy M E astc o tt for yor " l Subde an e S Hext . Charging you to o o k e unto them that every one in their s e ve rall o ffic e s be c arefulle according to their oathes to advance the good of my College in all that e rte n es any way app y unto them . Thus not doubting both 2 1 1 61 OCTOBER , 7 53 your care and their performance thereof doe with my c o me n des to yourself leave you to the protection of the Allmigh ty and remayn e allwaye s Your assured loving F o undres DOROT HE D WA HAM . Edge this 2 1 of October 1 6 1 7.

XXVI .

OV E E R 1 1 6 1 N MB 2 , 7.

The death of John Flavell , who had only been admitted e llo w actual F on the previous 3oth of June , occurred on 1 0 o u November (according to Wood), and he was buried ( a

day not named) in the north part of the outer chapel . In the ’ college manuscript the month is stated as October, but this

n is probably an error, otherwise his death would have bee

mentioned in the previous letter . (See Introduction to

letter XXI .) The name of the Scholar chosen to succeed him is spelt in various ways , Brewen by Dorothy, Bruen by the college,

Brude n 1 6 . in the Matriculations , Brun in the Visitation of 2 3

i . e . m After all, as the foundress calls him cosen ( kins an), we may presume that he is to be ide ntifie d with the third son of m H enry Brune who arried Elizabeth Martin , daughter of Margaret Wadham (the sister and c o - heiress of N icholas) and H e Henry Martin of Athelhampton . was the Senior Scholar was appointed at the opening of the college, and now twenty one years of age. After taking his degree as Master of Arts 1 61 (May 4 , 9) he obtained leave to travel for three years, with H e the usual proviso that he did not visit Rome . resigned

2 1 62 . his Fellowship on March 5, 5 It is to be observed that, ’ m e llo w as being founder s kin, he was to be ad itted actual F at m once : Amias Hext, on the other hand , is to re ain a Pro

t . 1 61 8 batione r till the morrow of S Peter, , in the event of ’ Swadell s resignation permitting him to be elected Fellow Swadell before that date. John , it will be remembered, was 54 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

appointed one of the original Fellows, although not a graduate,

f . out of gratitude to his grand ather , Dr Bisse, for the present

6 6 : B A . 2 1 1 of his library . H e took his on July , the exact date of the resignation of his F ello wsh ip does not appear : the reason may have been marriage , as he retained his connexion 1 61 with the college and took his M . A . in 9. It is not clear what other resignation was expected among the Fellows but possibly with those suitors whose importunity

Dorothy desires to avoid the wish was father to the thought .

At any rate Robert Arnold , whom John appears to have n ello wsh i selected in preference to William, did not obtai his F p till after the death of the foundress . ’ L Brue n s i aurence Drake, who succeeds to Scholarsh p, had 1 61 been nominated first on April 24 , 5, and again on August

1 1 6 1 . He 3 , 7 vacated his Scholarship , apparently without ’ St. 1 61 graduating, in the interval between Peter s Day, 9, and

1 62 0 .

My good Company , I was not a little sorry when I understood of th e death of Mr. Flavell for the good reporte I have harde of him but se e in ge it was Gods pleasure for to have it his will must be m w and we contented th e rwith . It now resteth in y po er to name one to succ e e de him and therefore know yee that my will is the next day after the receipt hereof you chuse in his place my cosen Brewen and in regard that ther is n o e more in my house of the Founder’s kinn my will is that you presently admitt him into the body of your F e llo wsh ipp with out beinge probationer according to my Statutes . Also my will is that when Mr Swade l hath resigned you presently the next day after chuse in his place Amias Hext as a proba

' tio ne r untill the daye of election cometh which is set down in my Statutes and then admitt him into the body of your fe llo wsh i e pp without beinge longer probationer . I understand

el that ther is one other f lowsh ipp likely to be v o yd shortly. I am willing th e rfo re (to free myself from the importunity of suitors) to lett you know befo reh an de my minde herein . I doe th e rfo re decree and ordeyne that wh en the next fellow N 2 1 1 61 OVEMBER , 7 55

v o de shipp shall happen to be y after those two before spoken , you that are the Warden and Fellowes of my Colledge shall ime diatly chuse and admitt without any delaye or con tradiction such a one as my servant John Arnold shall nominate unto you of his cose ns ther Scollera in his place as a probationer untill the day of election ap oynted in my Statutes and then presently to admitt him into the body of your fellowsh ipp acc o rdinge to the meaninge of this my wr i o ll s c h ite nge. As for sc e r to suc eede t em I would have you to place as they stande allre ddy decreed by me the first as I take it is Lawrence Drake wh o me I wish well unto and would have you presently admitt him as a Scoller in your wish e in e u house . And soe g all happiness nto you all desire inge T h almigh ty to bless your good in devo urs doe leave you to his protection and remayn e ever your loveinge foundresse D T H ORO E WADHAM.

th Edge this x xi of N ovember 1 61 7.

To my very loveinge Co mp anye the Warden 8: Fellowes of

Wadham Colledge in Ox forde geve these .

XXVII .

E E R 2 1 61 . D E C MB , 7

Though the foundress is still in good health, this letter from m John Arnold, addressed to Warden S ith, is sent to cover ’ ’ ‘ M n Dorothy s letter of the same date . y countryma is, An ck e t ll it would seem, Henry y , who was the third son of ll m was Christopher A nckety , of East Al er in Dorset, and already a Master of Arts of Universi ty College when he was H e s nominated to a Fe llo wsh ip by the foundress . eems to have been a favourite of hers, and possibly her Domestic ‘ ’ Chaplai n at one time. The hurte to which Arnold refers ’ is apparently three years leave of absence without any loss ’ t ll s of stipend . A nck e y permission to travel is registered in the Convention Book, with the usual proviso that he must e a not visit Rome . If he spent his thre years abro d , he 56 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

n 1 resigned his Fellowship soon after his retur on December 4,

1 62 1 n , havi g been appointed Rector of Mells in Somerset

2 1 62 0 . H e (a family living) February 7, took a prominent part in the Civil War, and was Governor of Corfe Castle on ’ the king s side . For his services to the royal cause he was

D D . n 1 6 nominated by the king for the degree of . Ja uary , 1 6 4 2 . That his orders did not interfere with his use of carnal h ad weapons may be gathered from the fact that, whether he a right to the title or no , the Roundheads dubbed him ’ ‘ Colonel , and he was known among them as the priest and ’ m . alignant doctor His subsequent career is not to be traced , but he is not likely to have escaped the vengeance of the

: victorious party no successor, however, was appointed to 1 662 w Mells till , before hich time he was probably dead, 1 88 as he was born apparently in 5 ; indeed, Wood says that he died before the Restoration . It seems that John Arnold finds it necessary to write a letter of advice to Robert (Robin) Arnold ; having secured the nomination to the next Fellowship for one of his kinsmen he feels entitled to call him to order, pointing out that beh aviour in college will decide his choice between Robert and William . We have no evidence as to the ‘ old desires ’ of Gilbert

: Stokes, the Chaplain we know that he had been assigned a seat at the high table and was to receive the stipend of both Chaplains in the absence of his colleague : it may be that he wished to be allowed to take pupils or to change his rooms . At any rate the refusal of his request did not prevent his retaining his position in the college till his death in 1 654 at 1 the age of 7 , when he was buried in the chapel . ’ This letter has John Arnolds seal .

Worthy Warden ,

I have here inclosed sent you a letter from my mistris answe res cuntr man s which my y expectation . I have therin set down his requeste to com freely from h e rselfe that it may no t apeere he sought soe much hurte to the Colledge which

58 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADH AM

the first that goeth abroad , I will adde a litle to his desires , m no m I heare so well of him , as I ake doubt , but he will ake good use of his journy. And therefore would have both you and my Company understand that notwithstanding my allo we s o un des e e rel statutes in that behalf, which but ten p y y, he shall during the whole time of his absence receive all such co mo dit stipend allowance and y from my College, as should be due unto him were he personally there present : with this re turn e condition only, that he within the space of three e ere s trav e lls mo n eth e s y , and begin his within twelve , after rh n the date hereof. So co e ding me unto you and your whole

Society, I rest

’1 d Edge this 2 of Your ever loving F o un dre s

6 T HE D . December 1 1 7. DORO WA HAM

XXIX .

E E E R 8 1 61 D C MB , 7. This document secures that both the Arnolds shall succeed to Fellowships, though their order of succession is still left to m w the decision of their kins an John . Compared ith Flavell,

Huish, and Hext , they were by no means deserving of the ’ selection . Robert s behaviour seems to have earned a rebuke from John , and he appears to have been of a factious ’ disposition , while William s conduct was such as required to Fe ll be punished by the ows . However, Robert was admitted 0 1 61 0 1 62 1 Fellow on June 3 , 9, and William on June 3 , , apparently after a year’s probation in spite of the tenor of this schedule . Oi the witnesses to this document except Arnold nothing ic h l appears to be known . N o as Hewes was probably one of the Huish family.

Dorothy uses her customary Petre seal.

I Do ro th e Wadham of Edge in the Co untye of Devon W iddo w doe decree and o rdeyn e that (whereas I have allreddy writen unto you for the Regestringe of the next Fellowes place that shall happen for one of my servant Arnolds kinsmen 8 1 61 DECEMBER , 7 59

l now Sco le rs in my Colledge when that place beforespok e n of is donne ac cordinge to your former directions) then the next fello sh i w pp that shall happen after to be v oyde you that are the Warden and Fellowes of my Colledge in Ox fo rde shall imediatly chuse and admitt without delay or contradiction the other of his kinsmen as a probationer unti ll the day of election shall come and then to admitt him into the body of your fe llo wsh ipp e ac co rdinge to the meaneinge of this Schedule which I have sealed with myne o wn e sc ale and to which I th have subscribed myne own e hande the v iii of December 1 61 7

D ROT HE D O WA HAM . Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of John Arnold Nicholas Hewes

Richard Gadden .

XXX .

E E E R 1 61 . D C MB 2 3 , 7

Transcript in the Convention Book . M ’ This brief document extends r. Brunck ard s leave by two

months beyond the legitimate six weeks. This must have o fii e — been inconvenient, as he had taken c as Sub Warden on 6 the previous December , but it may have been connected H with his appointment as Chaplain to the King . e never held o ffice again in the college and resigned his Fellowship

- 1 H e in the course of 1 62 0 . is said to have been appointed 1 61 Vicar of Cropredy, Oxon , in 9.

Whereas my Statutes doth give leave but for sixe weekes r absence from my College in every yeere. These are th e efore Bro un ck er to signify that it is my will and pleasure to grant Mr. now one of my Fellowes two mo neth es more in every ye e re wh ilest he abides in my College . In wittness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and seale this three and twe ntyeth of December 1 61 7

DOROT HE WADHAM . 60 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

XXXI .

E R RY 2 F B UA 4,

Another brief document, the signature of which is much blotted and the seal has been cut off. By chapter xi of the Statutes disputations were to be held in hall between six and ’ w eight o clock in the evening, hich would in those days be after supper. It was permitted to the Dean or any deputy presiding in his place to shorten these exercises to one hour, or even half an hour on feast days or for a reasonable cause, ’ and one cannot but suspect the ‘ causa rationabilis e t legitima must have received a liberal interpretation .

I Doro th e Wadham of Edge in the County of Devon W iddow doe decree and o rdayn e that the time of suppinge and the disputations that have binn after supper may be att any h owe rs at the discretion of the Warden soe farr forthe that the length of the disputations be not contracted or shortened : which I comande be diligently observed and still continued for th at length of tyme as is expressed in my s Statute . In wittne s whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and scale th the x xiv of F ebrewary 1 61 7

DOROT HE WADHAM.

XXXII .

E R RY 2 1 63 F B UA 4, k}

Again it would seem that great suit must have been made to the foundress for nominations to Scholarships. Of those 1 1 61 r already nominated by her (August 3, 7) there a e still e ight on the list, and she now proceeds to nominate fiv e more, whereby as a matter of fact she stretched her power ten years beyond her life. Of those herein nominated Gilbert Drake and James 2 1 6 FEBRUARY 4 , 4 61

0 1 62 0 Collins were elected Scholars, June 3 , , but Richard 1 62 Goodridge had to wait till j uly 3 , 7, and was even then fifte e n m only years of age, so that his uncle John, at this ti e

Senior Fellow and Bursar, must have obtained a nomination fo r his nephew at the age of six .

Gilbert Drake, who was preferred to Henry (who never entered the University), had already been a member of the college for more than a year, and only just succeeded in

n B . obtaini g his Scholarship before taking his .A After hold ing it for fiv e years he was chosen Fellow and began to hold o ffice s the college , but he died at the early age (as it seems

us - to ) of twenty nine, though his epitaph in the chapel describes him as of middle age (media d e la i e) and attributes

: to him remarkable learning, piety, and virtue he died on 2 March , and was buried in the outer chapel . m Ja es Collins , whom Dorothy calls the son of an ap o th e

i . e . 0 cary ( general practitioner) , was elected Scholar on June 3 , 1 62 0 8 , but matriculated as the son of a minister on June ,

1 6 1 fifte en . At 2 , being then aged the end of four years he

: was removed from his Scholarship no reason is assigned, but prolonged absence seems the probable cause .

Alexander Goodridge did not enter the University , but

Richard Goodridge, who was nominated by the foundress when a child of six , was destined to a varied career and to carry the memory of his benefactress through the storms o f the Civil War well on into the peaceful days which , in Oxford at least , followed the Restoration . Having matriculated in ’ 1 6 6 2 he was , after one year s residence, admitted Scholar

St. 1 6 2 . on the morrow of Peter, 7 Nine years later he obtained his Fe llo wsh ip and began to hold the college o ffice s . m 1 6 1 6 8 of But from Dece ber, 43, to Midsummer, 4 , his leave absence is regularly renewed at intervals of three and six months : so that although he was occasionally elected to o ffic e s it is probable that he was absent from Oxford during 1 6 8 f the whole of the War . In 4 he was expelled rom his Fellowship by the Parliamentary visitors as one who had been long absent ; but in 1 660 his Fellowship was restored ,

- H e and he was twice elected Sub Warden . continued to 62 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

r 1 666 . hold his Fellowship till Novembe , , when he resigned H e had, as will be seen , far exceeded the statutory tenure of a Fellowship , viz . eighteen years from Regency, which term would have expired in 1 654 : so it seems that the twelve ff years during which he su ered deprivation were not counted . He appears to have become Rector of Co mbh ay in Somerset 6 1 662 : in 1 44, nor is his successor appointed till but it does not follow that he held the living throughout these stormy times : nor is anything known of his career after his resign a tion . s The two remaining nominees, Thomas and Ja per Frankcom , never obtained their Scholarships, nor did they apparently l e e nter the University. I have not been ab e to trace th s e an d kin hip betwe n their mother the foundress . This document has n o address : but it is sealed with ’ Dorothy s usual Pe tre seal on paper over wax.

I Do roth e Wadham of Edge in the Countye of Devon W iddow doe decree and o rdayn e that when those places which are alreddy decreed by me and by you also registred accordin e me anin e ar admitted g to the g of my former Schedule . Then you that ar the Warden and Fellowes of Wadham Colledge in Oxfords shall hereafter upon other or the like vacancies without de laye or contradiction admitt into the fi rst place either Gylbert Drake or Henry Drake so nns of John Drake of Littleham in the County of Devon in the second Poth car place James Collins sonn of James Collins of Exeter y y, in the third place either Alexander Goodridge or Richarde Goodridge n eph ewes unto John Goodridge now fellow of fo we rth your house, in the place Thomas Frank com and in the fifth place Jesper Frankcom both son n s of my cosen Do ro h e t Frankcom widdo w all which (as your Sco llersh ip s shall happen to be vo yde ) my will is that they be admitted by you acco rdinge to the tenour an d trew meaninge of this Schedule which I have subscribed with myne owne hande the ‘h x xiiii of F ebrewary 1 61 7 DOR HE OT WADHAM . 1 6 6 MARCH , 3

XXXIII .

R 1 6 MA CH ,

: The end is coming near the foundress is bedridden . Sh e has been very ill and does not get better ; all that can be said

‘ ’ n o is that she holdeth at a stay or gets worse . She is still as keen as ever as to h er rights and duties with regard to her Company as it exists , but is not well enough to be r wea ied with further requests for promises . John Willis, who

B.A . 2 1 6 had graduated on February 5 , , appears to have absented himself from college without leave, and the foundress, while willing to overlook the absence if the college agrees, is quite resolute that he shall reap no advantage thereby. Of the troublesome conduct of Robert Arnold we have already heard : it would seem that nothing but the absolute direction of the foundress could have induced the Society to

0 1 61 : make him a Fellow, which they did on June 3 , 9 he m continued ost troublesome, and was removed from among 1 6 H e the fiv e Seniors by the Visitor in 2 3 . lived ten years 1 6 longer and died in June, 35 , being buried in the ante chapel . H e must not be confused with another Robert Arnold who 1 6 1 was Chaplain about June , 7. We shall see later on that John Arnold was successful in

e ll securing for William Boswell the nomination to a F owship . ‘ L ’ There is no clue as to the things done at ondon, but the business referred to probably concerned the Essex property. ’ - This letter has Arnold s seal in sealing wax.

Worthy Warden,

I wish e from my harte that I could write you newes of my mistris recovery or at leaste that she weare in the me n dinge hande which I cannot only this c o mfo rte we have she holdeth at a stay her stomack co n tin e weth well although she be altogether be drinde n for she is not able to sitt upp longer f then h er bedd is mak inge . I pray God strengthen her y it be 64 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WAD HAM

’ mistris wh o me co mitt us . God s will , to I her and all My hath been moved to dispense with Sr Willis as will app e e r by this inclosed but will ye e ld to noe thing until she be ad v e rtise d from you what she should doe in such a case yf you th in k e it fitt that she granta him time of a yere for his returno

' b th e run it may be she may e drawen to . But by noe meanes she will not yett here that he shall have any allowance from the house departing as he did nor will graute noe co min ge ther a a n g y e without you shall advise her soe to doe . I can hardly be drawen to send Robin Arnold his quarterage formerly geven by me were it not that I wish e him better then he hath

f n c k grace to conceive and also do ubtin ge his ormer fra ti tricks. I pray let h im not be untold by you wh erby he may the

h imse lfe u nderstande better know . I now that all things were

L mis ris donn at ondon as I apoyn ted. My t is in no case to be delt with for any re ve rtion s and I th ink e will hardly ye e ld any yf it were moved but I will assure you yf I cann wo rk e for the good of Will Boswell I will perform (for your sake i as well as for his fathers) more then I will speake o . And so with my due remembrance to yo urse lfe and kind co me nds to all my good frinds ther doe co mmitt you to T h almigh ty and rest ever your assure d poore irind to comand D JOHN ARN OL . th 1 6 1 61 Edge this of March 7. ll R m frinde Mr To the ight Wor y assured good . William W Smythe Warden of adham in Oxon geve these .

XXXIV .

PRIL 8 A , 1 61 8.

John Willis must have had a friend in the Warden , for in this document not only does the foundress grant the licence of absence which he required, but extends it to the following

Michaelmas , and even goes so far as to reverse her former decision that he should lose his stipend for the time of his

66 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

XXXV.

IL 8 1 61 8. APR ,

1 6 Between this date and March , John Arnold has, accord ing to his promise, found opportunity to press the claim of

William Boswell to a Fellowship , and once more the foundress proceeds to nominate in advance . T his William Boswell was the son of Alderman William Boswell of the parish of All Saints in Oxford : though one of the original Scholars, he was so young at the opening of the college that he was dispensed from the oath : yet he took his

.A H e fi B . in February did not receive the bene t of m 1 62 2 this no ination till , after which he remained a Fellow till

1 6 . H e L aw 39 became a Doctor of Civil , and was in due f time High Sheri f of Oxfordshire. Being a native of Oxford he seems to have retained rooms in the college after resigning his Fellowship : though this may have only happened during the year in which he was High Sheriff. H e outlived all the m embers of the original foundation, and died a bachelor in ’ 1 6 8. H e s 7 is buried in All Saints Church , and Wood ays that the arms used at his funeral were Argent in chief ’ field three bears heads erased sable muzzled of the , a fess of ’ fiv e o lozenges ( r fusils) gules each charge d with a martlet. Of his father we shall hear more when we come to th e funeral of the foundress (XXXVI) .

Thomas Porter, the grandson of the Bishop of Exeter , has m in V already been mentioned several ti es the letters , VII,

. H e e e llo wsh i 1 6 XIII , XV obtain d his F p in 24 . This document has the usual seal of the foundress on paper t urned back over wax , and the names of the witnesses except

Rawe (see XXII) have occurred in other documents .

I Doroth e Wadham of Edge in the Coun tye of Devon W iddo w doe decree and o rdayn e that when my servant Arnolds two kinsmen now Sc ollers in my house ar acco rdinge to my former Schedules long sithence sent unto my now R 8 1 6 8 6 AP I L , 1 7

Warden admitted into the two next fe llowsh ipp s that shall happen to be v oyde in my Colledge then you that ar the Warden and Fello wes of my Colledge in Ox fo rde shall ime diatly chuse and admitt without de laye or contradiction in the next two fello wsh ipps that shall after happen to be v o yde in th e fi rst place William Boswell and in the seconde place Thomas Porter now Sco lle rs of my house as probationers untill the daye of election shall come and then to admitt them into the body of your fe llowsh ipp acco rdin ge to the meaninge of this my Schedule which I have sealed with myne owne seale and to th which I have subscribed with myne owh e hand this viii of April 1 61 8

DOROT HE WADHAM . Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of John Arnold Thomas Rawe T homas Drayton

XXXVI .

MAY 2 1 6 1 8. 5,

1 6 The end has come : on May , Dorothy, the relict of

i ch o las - an d if m N Wadham, the large minded generous ( at ti es m m i perious) foundress of Wadha College, died at Edge, leaving

- the ever faithful John Arnold as her executor. We have not the letter containing the news of her death ; ’ but the n ext two letters contain Arnold s directions for a solemnity to be held in the college on the day of her

funeral . According to the Branscombe Registers her body was removed (probably to Merifie ld) on the second day after

her death , but the funeral in Ilminster Church, where she was 1 6 buried beside her husband, did not take place till June . ’ In accordanc e with Arnold s wishes Warden Smith supplied

all the members of the foundation , besides the servants and certain other people (a list of whom will be found at the end e of XXXVIII), with mourning, b ing aided by Alderman F 2 68 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

Boswell, who was a mercer, and whose bill for the whole

1 1 s d. T h e testified affair amounted to 57 7 . 2 Alderman ’ e llo wsh i his gratitude for his son s nomination to a F p , and f w p erhaps for other avours, by presenting the college ith

0 oz. ch a silver fl agon weighing over 4 , whi was, with one fi exception, the heaviest piece of silver plate sacri ced by the college to the necessities of the king in February, Mr o . Every, who is to assist in the ch ice of the black, and

Mr o i . Alexander ( London), who is to pay the bill, are not m otherwise known , but it is to be noted that one Si on Every entered the college in the following November. H e was the ’ —in - - f son of John Every of St. Peter s the East, Ox ord , who m man was a So ersetshire , and was probably practising medicine in Oxford at this time . ’ Gre ev ell - siste r T h o mas in e Mrs . was Dorothy s half , , daughter of Sir William Petre by his second wife An ne (daughter of w w Sir William Bro ne and idow of John Tirrell), who had m L ev il Milc o t W r h ad arried odowick G r of in arwickshi e , and w r now been a wido for nea ly thirty years , for her husband, ’ L G revil ‘ odowick , had stood mute under a charge of murder 1 8 f co n fiscation in 5 9, in order to save his estates rom , and had undergone the unusual penalty of being pressed to death at Warwick . ’ The letter has John Arnold s seal in wax .

G MIr ood Warden,

Yf I should agayne rep eate a sad message (I ) would but ad is more sorrow, you can perceive the many businesses that fallen upon me and th e rfo re (I ) may neglect that which other d n o wise willingly I woul t, I know you intend in your Colledge a so le mn itye to be donn in honor of your F o undresse her fune rall , and what is requisit for my parte, I would not have you th ink e ac co rdin e abilit e but g to myne y I will see performed ,

' I must th e rfo re of necessity be troblesoifi unto my frin ds (of which I acc ompte your selfe to be a ch e ife one) to procure e rmitt that for me which my leasure will not p me to doe, and m y purse hardly able to Compasse, yett will I pinche rather MAY 2 1 6 1 8 6 5, 9

th ink e fitt then (because I it ) spare the charge , my minde is to geve your selfe and all the Fellowes and Sco llers that be of the body of your house in your Colledge mourning go wn e s intre ate a note whereof here inclosed I send you, but I must r M bu in e h e you and Every to Joyne in the y g thereof. I t ink " MBoswell will furnish e you and I hope use me well in the serv ein g thereof both that it may be good cloth for his cre ditt c first and at an asie prise for my purse, I hold the day set downe for the Solemnising her fun e ralle at m e rifeild which is th xv : the j of June next accept at this time hasty lynes, I must tell you one thing by the way to yourse lfe that what I doe herein is more out of myne o wn e v o lentary Desire to have all sati things well then of any Comande therin , as for mony to sfie Mlf Boswell for the sayd blacke upon notice from you of the r charge I will returne forthwith unto MAlexander in L ondon to discharge it and in the meane time this my letter shall warrant it I would intre ate you to Conv ay to Mrs . G re e ve ll

' my mistress her sister as much blacke rash e or other stufie as in k fi wne h erse lfe you shall th e tt for a go for , and of some

' other stufie for her mayde with two Cloaks for her men , with e Mr furn ish e notice of th daye, Boswell will you also , she x fo rde dwelleth with in xx miles of O but where I know not, thus beinge h old to troble you doe in haste c o mitt you to God restinge yours to Comande RN O D JOHN A L . th 8 Edge this x x v of maye 1 61 .

“ r T O the Right Wor my assured good freinde MWilliam Smyth Warden of Wadham Colledge in Oxon geve these with speede .

XXXVII .

U E 2 1 6 1 8. J N ,

This second letter on the subject of the solemnity, written

. a week after the last , adds but little to its contents The twenty pounds which Arnold hopes to send appear to be an ’ addition to the expenses on blacks already ordered , and were probably meant as a contribution to the funeral feast . 70 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

We cannot doubt that though the foundress did not leave

m un a n e s o t y behind her, yet that her estate was able to bear 1 0 0 such charges as Arnold was incurring, as well as to pay 0 0 A to the college and provide 1 worth of plate . t any rate in the inventory of the plate sacrificed to the cause of King

are 1 0 o z. 0 0 z Charles I there 5 of silver gilt and over 3 o . of ’ ‘ silver described as given by the foundress . I should gather that the Bishop of Winchester (James fo r Montague) , who was still Visitor of the college life in spite h s of i translation from the see of Bath and Wells, was intend ing to be present at the funeral of his friend : he sent two bucks towards the funeral feast at the college . L The ord Petre here referred to is William, second Baron , nephew of the foundress . The Doctor Swift , who was selected to preach the funeral sermon, was probably Jasper Swift , D D Archdeacon of Totnes, who was . . of Christ Church in 1 6 35.

’ r This letter is endorsed Mr. A . s letter by S Bruen touch ’ ing the funeral .

M’ Good Warden ,

I th ink e before this you have harde what my minde is in all these businesses you write of to uchinge the Colledge for I wrote you at full the last weeke to be sent you by Mr L n Alexander from ondon, the conte ts wh ero f was that (whereas it hath pleased my mistris to make me her Executor) although she apoyn ted noe provision to be made of blacks th ink e for you , yet doe I the world will expect it and th e rfore for my parte will doe my best in dev o ur and doe hope you will doe the like that all things that may be for her honor be noe waye shortened . I have writen in my last letter to i tre ate Mr n you and Every to Joyne in the pro c ureinge of blacks for you which I will freely bestow one you, and for o rde ringe your so lemp nities must rest upon your selfe s h ave in e I g enough to provide for here, and it may be when God shall make me able towards your further Charge therin will geve you twe nty pounds which will be att a bighe rate for N E 1 61 8 1 JU 2 , 7

wilbe me to doe and provide here as expected , you may not th inke she have left mountayn e s beh inde h av e inge donn as she hath I will protest (yf any man will de fraye althings as

ex e cuto rsh i mistris I intende I will leave the pp upon him), my hath not forgotten your Colledge now at las t nether for she H H hath geven yo u a C in plate and C to re mayne instocke fo r am you . I glad to here soe well of my L ord of Winton (w)h ome I have sent unto agayne and my L ord Petre with

many others, how I shall defray these things I know not, but

break lav ish e in that only shall I e her will , in beinge over ut e s that waye, yet for my parte will performe all rites and d y sole m n ities that belonge to the p of her person, and doe hope where other h o fio rs are to be donne and due in remembrance wh ome of her, those to it shall belonge will also see that

performed ac co rdinge to her deserte. Had I not doubted your presence would be expected in Oxford to see all th in ge s ordered at the time ther I would have intreated your per f rm in e fun e rall m do ub t in e o e g the ser on here, but ( ) g thereof have taken order with Doctor Swifte to execute the place th e th funeral] daye h oldeth the x vj of may (June) and cannot be altered and soe in hast with my due remembrance so wish e you all h appin es and rest

r Edge this second Att yo Comande

6 1 RN OLD . of June 1 8. JOHN A

XXXVIII .

It only remains to notice the condition of the foundation at

the death of the foundress as compared wi th its outset in 1 61 3 .

Warden Wright had resigned , and his successor, Warden n ow Fleming , had died , and the Wardenship was held by

Fa . Of William Smyth, the original Senior llow the other Swadell fourteen original Fellows, Harris was dead, and had f l resigned . O the origina Scholars, Flavell had become

a Fellow and had died, and Huish, Hext, and Bruen were now five Fellows Stonehouse had re signed : and these vacancies had

s G , been filled by Philip Hill, Thoma Porter, Thomas rudge 72 L ETTERS OF DOROT HY WADHAM

L w ff . aurence Drake , and Ed ard Cly e Randolph, one of the first original Chaplains , had given place to Robert Arnold and then to Timothy Basill , and both the original Clerks had dis

B. A . appeared, the post not being tenable after graduating The list of those supplied with mourning contains the n ames fifte e n ellows fiftee n of the Warden , F , Scholars , and two

: Chaplains of the remaining names, two were probably Clerks, and one was a Scholar designate six were certainly college servants . Notices of most of these men have occurred earlier in the fe w first book, but of some the names now appear for the time . The only Fellow of the College at the time of Dorothy’s funeral whose name is not found in the previous pages is

H umphrey Sydenham . H e m b was a So ersetshire man , orn at Dulverton, and

60 6 B . A . entered Exeter College in 1 , where he took his in removing to Wadham when it was opened and he was the

fi rst . . Dec . 1 61 . Wadham man to take an M A , 3 , 3 It is to be noticed that although he stood ninth on the list of original

o ffic e Fellows , the foundress never nominated him to any in ’

. H e her lifetime did not take priest s orders apparently till , r after her death, and once at least , sho tly before she died, his

H e conduct caused grave dissatisfaction . subsequently be came Vicar of Ashbrittle, Somerset and of Puckingt on and Rector of Odcombe and Prebendary of m r ff Wed o e Tertia in the Cathedral of Wells . H e su ered for ’ the king s cause, and was deprived of his livings by the m H Parlia entary Commissioners . e is said to have died in

1 6 0 . H e 5 , and to be buried at Dulverton was a person of a quaint and curious stile, better at practical than at School

fl ue n Divinity, and was so eloquent and t a preacher that he

- was commonly called silver tongued Sydenham (Wood). ‘ ’ His sermon on the Athenian Babbler, now in the college we e library, indicates ( must suppose) th style approved by his contemporaries .

n The next name to be oticed is that of Timothy Basill, h t e Junior Chaplain . There is nothing to show when he

74 L ETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

e The two original Clerks , Gill and Nichols , had b en replaced

b . y Thomas Corey and Walter Bond The former , a Cornish

B A . . man, took his . . and M A in due course , and is said to have been subsequently Vicar of E wny- juxta- L alant in Corn wall . The latter was a Somersetshire man , and disappears

B A 1 6 . after taking his . . in 2 2 f O the remaining names on the mourning list, Richard

Arnold was a kinsman , perhaps a brother, of Robert Arnold ’ i n the Scholar, and had already rece ved the foundress nomi a O tion to a Scholarship , for which he had to wait till ctober,

6 - 6 1 1 B . A 1 9 he graduated . in 2 7, and after enjoying his

Scholarship for ten years was removed fo r prolonged absence .

Mr. Every was one of those directed to superintend the an d obsequies of the foundress, Alderman Harris was probably e llo w the father of that Thomas Harris, the original F nominated by the City of Oxford, whose premature death is lamented by the foundress in letter XIII .

The remaining six names are those of the college servants . 2 0 1 61 8 John Williams was Manciple ; on December , , he received a grant from the Society ‘ for his diligent and faithfull service to the College (for which he was much respected by

l F n res the H onb e . o u d se during her life and deserveth to be well esteemed of H e is mentioned with commendation ’ 2 8 1 61 in Dorothy s letter (XII), March , 4 , to which a note is

. H 1 6 0 appended about him e died in 3 .

Nicholas Buller was Butler, appointed by the foundress ; there is some notice of him in the note to her letter of

2 8 1 61 . March , 4 (XII) Rob n so n f Roger y , who was still Deputy Cook, is re erred to in the notes on letter X . George Jacob was Under Butler : John Sarjant was Cook

Rob nso n R . e under y , and Mathew pr sumably was Porter , the o fli ce e only unaccounted for , Tyn s the original Porter having 1 died in 1 6 4. U N E 2 1 61 8 J , 75

T ke L ist o P ’ f er sons p ut i n to Mour mrzg on tile death of

’ I ke F oundr ess r om M r . Boswell s Acrowd , f ;

?zme 2 1 61 8. M , r . Brunck e r Subwarden ( ) . Sir Boswell . Mr . . Deane (Pitts) Sir Hill .

Mr . . Osborne Sir Grudge. Mr . . Harrington Sir Porter. Mr . E astco t. Sir Potter. Mr . Strode .

. Mr . lex n e Sir Smyth F y. r Hill . M . Payton .

Drake . l ' C yfi e . Mr . Huish . Mr Corey. . Pulesto n .

Bond . Sir Bruen. r Richard A nold . Sir Hext. Mr i . S denh am. o . J Williams .

N Buller. R . Mathew.

George (Jacob). Rob n n Roger (y so ).

J o . Sariant .

Mr . Every.

Ald. Harris. i Myself ( . e . the Warden).

Mr . M Goodridge. Ancke ll. r. ty

a The arr ngement of this list is peculiar, and seems based upon no principle. The fi rst two divisions include thirteen e llo ws : F , but the names are not written by seniority the F ell k e ll remaining two ows, Goodridge and Anc ty , appear at the end of the list ; perhaps they were absent representing the m college at the Funeral at Il inster. Warden Smith brackets the next three divisions with the words for the Scholars 76 LETTERS OF DOROTHY WADHAM

an d r being fourteen the Chaps but M. Tapper was still

. n certainly a Scholar It is possible that at this time, bei g the ’ n only M .A . Scholar, he sat at the Chaplains table or was acti g as Chaplain for Stokes . Richard Arnold , who is joined with the Clerks, was perhaps in receipt of some endowment either n from the foundress or John Arnold . The next divisio consists of such college servants as were formally admitted to the Foundation in those days. APPE N DI X I

Some n ofes on fizz car eer s of meméer s of Me or igi na l F ou n dat ion ( 1 6 1 3) men ti oned i n Me fi r ecedi ng payer s wh o am n ot r e er r ed la i n Me i n tr f oduction s.

O E RT RIG R B W HT . H e was admitted Warden at the opening of the college in 1 61 f April, 3 , but resigned in the ollowing July. The real origin of his connexion with the college is not to be seen . H e ello w . was a Hertfordshire man , and a F of Trinity College It must be supposed that he had been selected by Nic h o las Wadham before his death as the fi rst head of his intended f oundation, and one can only imagine that in the years which elapsed between the death of Nicholas and the opening of the college he had discovered that he could not work under the rule of the foundress . H e held several posts . As Rector of Woodford in Essex he may have come across the Petres ; and as Canon of Wells he may have bee n known to the Wadhams. But there is no reason assigned for his selection as Warden or fo r his abrupt He resignation of his post. may have wished to marry ; he certainly did so subsequently ; and sent his son, who proved A t an a scapegrace , to the college . y rate he outlived his first resignation thirty years, and was the of a long procession of Wardens who attained to the episcopate, being consecrated H e Bishop of Bristol in 1 62 2 . was subsequently translated to L ich field and died at his house at Eccleshall in Staffordshire 6 whi le it was besieged by Sir William Brereton in 1 43 . His portrait hangs in the college hall .

JOHN GOODRIDGE

B.A . was a Devonshire man , and had taken his from Balliol , 60 6 t 60 . . f 1 . A 1 2 , and his M A rom Gloucester Hall in this e time he was apparently studying in the Faculty of M dicine, 78 APP E N DIX I

He in which he was admitted to practice in 1 61 8. appears o ffi ces to have been in constant residence, and held one of the almost every year until , having completed eighteen years as 1 6 1 Fellow, he was removed in 3 , when he bestowed upon the college the whole of the furniture of his chamber with its three studies situated in the south- west corner of the quad f rangle . He subsequently became Gresham Pro essor of Rhetoric and Warden of L ord Northampton’s Hospital at 1 6 Greenwich , where he died in 54 , again evincing his love to Wadham b y bequeathing property to the college for the foundation of exhibitions and for an obit speech . These exhibitions continued to be awarded to Commoners and Scholars till the property was merged in a common exhibition fund by the last University Commission , so that the name of this benefactor is no longer perpetuated in the college.

His portrait hangs in the college hall.

DW RD BRU N CKARD E A ,

Bro unk e r Bro unck e r otherwise , or , was matriculated as of

Wiltshire , the son of a knight, but the College Register calls L him a ondoner, and Anthony Wood describes him as of the

t . St . a le . He parish of S Bove , probably M ry Bow had

B A . . St . already taken his . . and M A from Edmund Hall, and subsequently proceeded from Wadham in the Faculty of He first n Divinity . was the Bursar ominated by the foun

: e llo wsh i 1 6 2 1 H dress he resigned his F p in . e appears to

m first L Bro unk r in have been brother of Sir Willia , the ord e ( 1 6 and the peerage of Ireland) , who died in Wadham in 45 , u e L Bro unk e r first ncl of the second ord , the president of the

Royal Society.

IT T JOHN P , or Pitts, was a Somersetshire man , and had already graduated

. He B .A . and M A . from Magdalen Hall . remained steadily in residence and held o ffice annually till he resigned his

1 62 8 . Fellowship in Sixteen years later, on the death of E stc ott 1 6 Warden , in the troublous days of 44, he was elected He to the Wardenship, being about sixty years of age . is APPENDIX I 79 said to have taken a prominent part in preparing the reply of the University to the demands of Parliament, and was ejected from the Wardenship by the Parliamentary Visitors

1 6 8. t in 4 His rectory of Blandford S . Mary in Dorset had H already been sequestered . e retired to Isle Brewers in

Somerset, where he died in the course of the year .

MAT T HE W O SBORN E

. He was another Devon man had already taken his B.A .

from New College and his M . A . from Oriel . He continued steadily in residence till his Fellowship expired under the

1 6 1 o ffi e eighteen years rule in 3 , holding one c or other each

year . It is to be noted that at the opening of the college

he brought far the largest contingent of pupils, signing the

stipulation for Battels on behalf of nine . H e became Rector

N ' of Maiden ewton, Dorset, where his career is quaintly described in the Parish Register unjustly turned out by the R ump ish Triers and restored by the just hand of Providence Mr Brumh all his base and unworthy successor, . , put in by ’ He that scandalous party and turned out by God Almighty .

1 661 . did not, however, long survive the Restoration, dying in

JAME S HARI N GT ON

r m . He was the fou th son of Sir Ja es Harington , of Ridlington m had already graduated fro Hart Hall , and was selected to preach the L atin sermon at the consecration of the chapel in 1 6 1 3. Some time before the death of the foundress he became possessed of a pension of 40 ; but the college does not seem 1 62 to have taken notice of the matter till 7, when he was

deprived of his Fellowship and a long controversy ensued, in which he pleaded that he had received a dispensation to He retain his Fellowship in spite of the pension . seems to have accused Warden Smith of destroying a letter containing the dispensation which had been addressed by the Visitor to

a n d Warden Fleming, to the existence of which the four

Senior Fellows deposed . In the end he was permitted to retain his Fe llowsh ip till the expiry of the eighteen years ;

but during the interval he was so exceedingly outrageous, 80 APPE N DIX I

’ reviling the Fellows generally and the Warden in particular , that he was deprived of the advantages of his Fe llo wsh ip for 6 six months in 1 2 9.

DAN I E L E ST COT T

was a native of Sampford Peverell, Devon, and had taken his w B .A . from Exeter College before being nominated to a Fello ship he seems to have remained constantly in residence, and

offic e s h is almost always held one of the , till on completing m 1 6 eighteen years fro Regency he was removed in 34 , at which time he held the college living of Southrop. But in the f ollowing year he was elected to the Wardenship , on the resignation of William Smyth, and held it till his death in

1 6 . 44 , when he was buried at the east end of the chapel At his election as Proctor in 1 624 the largest number of votes ever known till then was given this was one of the last

th e elections by public voting, the cycle for the nomination of

Proctors by the colleges in turn being introduced in 1 62 9. It ’ was during E stc o tt s Wardenship that the college sacrifice d its

1 0 0 lh . l 2 lh . o z . treasure, over of si ver and 3 4 of gilt plate, 1 0 0 to the royal cause, and further lent the king £ .

RICHARD PU L E ST ON

B. A . H was an Oxfordshire man and a of Hart Hall . e only 1 6 1 held his Fellowship till 9, when he resigned on being “ ’ promoted to honour, probably to the living of Abbots

Worthy, Hants .

F RAN CI S ST RODE was a Somersetshire man , of Taunton , according to Wood , although in the Matriculation Register he is described as H n . e A . a Devo ian had taken his B. at Bro adgates Hall (now

. . 1 6 1 Pembroke College) and became M A in 4 . H e held ’ o ffices several on the foundress nomination, and also the college living of Southrop , which was not then incompatible 1 6 1 1 6 H with a Fellowship , from 7 to 2 3 . e resigned his 1 6 8 Fellowship in 2 , and is said to have been subsequently n be e fice d in the West of England .

APPE N DI X I I

a s P er sons n omi n ated éy Me f oun dr ess as Sch ol r .

1 6 1 . . June 4 , 3 Philip Hill

1 6 1 . . July 3 , 3 Thomas Porter

. 1 61 r Nov 7, 3 . Thomas Po ter

2 1 6 1 . 1 6 1 . June 7, 4 Philip Hill, J une, 4

Thomas Porter.

2 1 61 . m 1 1 61 . April, 4, 5 Tho as Porter, April 5 , 7

. 1 6 1 . Thomas Grudge, Oct 2 , 7

L N o v . 1 61 . awrence Drake, 7, 7

ff . 6 1 6 Edward Cly e, Feb ,

Alexander Gyll.

2 1 61 6 . L . 1 61 8. May 3 , John arder, Aug 5 ,

1 61 . 1 6 1 8. Aug . 7. William Drake, Dec 3,

. 1 61 . Richard Arnold, Oct 4 , 9

George Savage.

1 62 0 . William Turner, May 4,

w 1 6 20 . Ed ard Abraham May 4, R Thomas aw .

0 1 620 . Gilbert Drake June 3 , or Henry Drake,

n 0 1 62 0 . James Colli s, June 3 , Alexander Goodridge or

1 6 . Richard Goodridge , July 3 , 2 7

Thomas Frankcom .

Jasper Frankcom. APPE N DI X I I I

’ T ée car eer o A [ex an e f a r Gill.

1 Alexander Gill was born in 597, probably at Norwich . H e may be supposed to have accompanied his father when he ’ obtained the High Mastership of St . Paul s School in 1 60 8 , and to have remained in the school till he matriculated at

2 6 1 6 1 Trinity College , Oxford , on June , 2 , when he is

‘ ’ le beii filius L o n din e n sis : described as p , he was granted ’ 1 0 Co let s an Exhibition of a year out of Funds, but before receiving his first p ayment he had migrated to Woodham

College, as the writer of the School Accounts calls it . Whether there were any circumstances beyond a reputa tion for scholarship to recommend h im to the notice of m Dorothy Wadha it is imp ossible to say, but it is certain that he was admitted as the first Bible clerk (ae dituus) of her 2 0 1 6 1 H e m new foundation on April , 3 . re ained a member of Wadham College till he graduated as Bachelor of Arts on 2 6 1 February , but before he reached the degree of

Master he had returned to his original college, Trinity,

. . m 1 61 . whence he took his M A on Nove ber 9, 9 At 1 62 1 Michaelmas, , he succeeded Oliver Smythe as Under Usher ’

St . m of Paul s School , probably on the no ination of his father, fi and must have taken Orders, as we next nd him graduating 2 as Bachelor of Divinity from Trinity College on June 7, 1 6 1 0 2 7, towards the expenses of which degree he received 16 ’ m m from Co le t s Fun ds . It ust have been during his ti e as Un der Usher that he was brought into contact with John 1 62 0 Milton, who is believed to have entered the school in , and a friendship sprang up between the young usher and his ’ ’ father s pupil of which we fin d notice in one of Milton s

1 62 8 . epistles . But in a cloud settled on the fortunes of Gill H e seems to have been in the habit of going to Oxford when S he could be pare d from school , and shortly after the assassina 84 APPE N DIX 111

e u 2 tion of the Duke of Buckingham (which happen d on Aug st 3, being in the cellar of Trinity College or in some neigh

uri bo ng tavern; he rashly declared, in the presence of a party ‘ 1 I fi of friends, ( ) that our King (Charles ) was tter to stand in a Cheapside shop with an apron before him and say “what ’ lack ye than to govern a Kingdom ; (2) that the Duke (o i Buckingham) was gone down to Hell to meet King James ‘ there (3) that he was sorry F elto n had deprived him of the ’ honour of doing that brave act ; and with this he drank — a health to Felton indeed , it may be conjectured that this was not the only health that he drank on that luckless ni f m mor ng, as in act co es out in the examination of one of those present. ' ' Information of this terrible lésa- mcyeste was at once con ve ed n y to Laud, at that time just appointed Bishop of Londo , ’ f n and there ore Gill s ordi ary, and who, though not yet Chan c ello r of Oxford, was already the moving spirit of the

University . Within a few days (that is, on September 5)

L - Gill was examined before aud and the Attorney General, and was obliged to admit the general truth of the facts laid to m his charge , his signature, acco panied by that of his father, being appended to the report of the examination . For these 6 th on November he was censured in e Court of Star Chamber, receiving a sentence which m ight satisfy the most exigen t of ‘ m monarchs, to be degraded fro his ministry and degrees, to L lose one ear at ondon, and the other at Oxford, and to be fined a sum which, when laid upon the Under Usher ’ St . of Paul s School, probably involved imprisonment for life. That the mutilation and fin e were even tually remitted at the ’ entreaty of the culprit s father in n o way detracts from the barbarity of the original sentence, and the picture of the times is further enhanced when we consider the tale—bearing of some of this party of friends of whom each was probably anxious to first be the to save his own c ars . G ill, however, was still in disgrace, for his brother George was M 6 8 substituted for him as Under Usher at ichaelmas, 1 2 . What became of him for the next seven years is not clear but it is probable that he hun g about the school and helpe d his APPE N DIX 1 1 1 85

’ G un ds 1 6 1 father, as he received gratuities out of olet s F in 3 , 25 1 6 £ 1 0 m 1 6 5 in 33, and the same a ount in 34 which would indicate that he was doing some service as the stipend of the 6 8 1 s d. . Surmaster was only 15 7 . at this date That the elder Gill had been ill for some time is obvious from the dedication of his work on T h e Sacred Philosophy ’ 1 6 of Holy Scripture, which appeared in 35 , and which he describes as the le gac ie of a dying man in fact he died on 1 1 6 November 7, 35, and was promptly succeeded in the

High Mastership by his son . H e was elected on the day ’ after his father s death ; and although it is probable that ’ he had been doing his father s duties during his last illness, yet in the light of subsequent events this haste may very well have been due to a desire to anticipate opposition from the Court or Archbishop L aud to the election of a m an m who, both fro his character and his previous career, was likely to have many enemies . Gill at once proceeded to take

r 1 6 6 his degree as Docto of Divinity on March 9, 3 . But he had not long been High Master when complaints were made of his excessive severity ; there were in the school two m m brothers na ed Bennett, one of who , named John, must have ‘ been near the top of the school , for besides being Poor ’ — 6 Scholar in 1 637 8 he received an Exhibition in 1 39.

These brothers Dr . Gill expelled from the school , but they appealed to the Governors , and the High Master was told

re - to admit them, which he did apparently with a bad grace

ebruar 1 8 1 6 . on F y , 39 Shortly afterwards, however, he again fell out with John Bennett, and a terrible scene ensued when he V iolently assaulted the boy until Bartholomew Baron , the

Under Usher, interfered and , to use his own expression , took “ ’” . Gill P him o ff the boy with the words What do you, Dr After the inquiry into this matter Gill was warned that he would not be re - elected at the annual election of masters in

1 6 0 4 , but he found a few friends and gave some trouble, as is evident by what seem to be lawyers’ charges of ’ ‘ ao 41; . 1 3 7s . 7 for displacing Dr Gill , and further in the counts of 1 639- 40 he is paid only the strict stipend allowed by the founder without any of the extra payments and gratuities 86 APP E N DIX III

’ by which the High Master s stipend had been augmented . H e in 2 succeeded , however, obtaining a pension of 5 with the fin all condition that it was to be renewed annually, and y he accepted 50 in full of all demands.

Alexander Gill , in spite of the notice which he had received, presented himself at the election to the High

1 6 0 . Mastership on January 7, 4 , and received some support L exce John angley was , however, elected , and with the p tion of the payment of his allowance up to Michaelmas,

1 6 1 . H e 4 , we have no further notice of him is said to have 1 6 died towards the end of 4 2 , and to have been buried at ’

St . . H e Botolph s, Aldersgate was the author of certain works , and seems to have been fond of celebrating the triumphs ’ : in of Gustavus , King of Sweden a list is given Wood s

A liz. Oxon .

e There is a book in the library of Trinity Colleg , Oxford , presented by Gill ; it has a L atin inscription and his arms first excellently blazoned . "uarterly, and fourth , per pale or

e : and argent beneath a chief dancett e sable second and third,

: sable within an orle of owls , an escutcheon argent for

f o r. di ference a crescent The crest is a salamander, with the motto ’ In the L ibrary of Wadham College is a copy of Buridan s ’ ’ Aristotle s E {h as h 50 0 ) bound with his "ue s tion” on Ar istotle s ‘ Poli tics ( 1 5 1 3) Ex dono Alex : Gill ; art : Baccal : h ujus coll ’ Co rh e n salis 2 6 1 6 1 6 : L o n dini April , , to which is added Empt ’ 1 6 et e t n e ue o . June , cupio q 1 6 6 Further, in the year 3 he gave to the College a copy of his father’s work on the ‘ Sacred Philosophy of Holy ’ ‘ i Scripture, and in the inscription describes himself as auth or s ’

filius e t h u us . ae dituus. successor, j Coll quondam I N DE X I

OF MATTERS .

bsen ce v e of 8 L brar 1 86. A , l a e , 34, 3 , 59, i y, 5, 65.

ust n r ars 8 . Merifi ld . A i F i , , 73 e , 2 , 67

Barbitonsor 1 2 . N o arie s 1 1 6. , t , ,

ac s mo urn n 6 . Bl k ( i g) , 9 Offi cers nomina on s of 2 0 2 , ti , , 3 , 36, ’ h a ain s ch ambers 2 . C pl , 4 4 1 , 44, 52 . ’ h a ain s ace . C pl pl , 37

a e 68 0 1 . Pl t , , 7 , 7

D s u on s 60 . i p tati ,

Domus 2 1 . Re n a Year 1 , , 57 g l , 9, 43.

E d e 1 6 Sch o ars n omin ations of 1 1 g , 4, 4 , 7 l , , 5, 7, E ssex an ds 2 2 1 1 0 62 - l , 4, 7, 3 , 33 , 9, 3 , 33, 39, 47, 1 ’ 8. Sea] rn o d s 1 8. 4 , A l

Se a D oro h s 1 2 . l, t y , ’ as n Da s 2 8. Servan m oh n rno d F ti g y , t, y (J A l ), 7, '

e o ws n om n a on o f 0 6 et asszm. F ll , i ti , 3 , 45, 53, 7, p

Servan s o e e 1 2 2 2 2 . 54, t , C ll g , , , 4 , 74, 75

e owsh i s durat1on of 1 2 8. Statu es c h an e s in 2 2 6 8. F ll p , , 3, t , g , 4, , 37, 3

oun da on ori ina members of S i ends au men e d 2 . F ti , g l , t p , g t , 5

1 1 .

T r ve erm ss o to . a l, p i i n , 57

aud s 2 0 2 1 . G ie , , ‘ o uces er a V lSltOl 2 6 0 . Gl t H ll, 7. , , 7

I V r . ood mon . lton ica age, 4 W ey, 37 I N DE X I I

OF NAMES .

bbo e or e Arch b sh o 2 2 . emin oh n 1 2 1 1 . A tt (G g ) , i p, Fl g, J , , 7, 4

brah am E dward 82 . F lexne Ra h 1 1 6 81 . A , , 47, y, lp , , 3 ,

exan de r Mr. 68. F rank com as e r 62 82 . Al , , , J p , ,

An k till An ck et ll enr 1 1 2 0 r n c om T h omas 62 82 . c ( y ) , H y, , , F a k , , , 1 4 , 43, 47, 55, 75 '

rn o d o h n 1 et asszm . adden Rich ard . A l , J , , 35, p G , , 59

rno d R ch ard 6 82 . ibbe s am . A l , i , 4 , 74 , 75, G , Willi , 7

Arno d Rober 1 1 6 8 6 . i exan de r 1 1 2 81 8 . l , t, , 5 , 5 , 3 , 75 G ll, Al , , 3 , , 3

rn o d Ro be r c h a a n 6 . oo drid e exan d r 6 1 82 . A l , t ( pl i ), 3 G g , Al e , ,

rn o d i iam 1 1 8 . o o drid e oh n 1 1 2 0 2 2 A l , W ll , , 5 , 75 G g , J , , , 3 , 44, 5 ,

75, 77

as T mo h 2 . oo drid e R1ch ard 6 1 2 . B ill, i t y, 7 , 75 G g , , , 8

i sh o i iam 1 2 2 2 . G ree ell Mrs. 68. B p , W ll , , v , ,

isse D r . h i i 1 . B , P l p, 4

on d W a er . arin on ame s 1 1 6 80 . B , lt , 73, 75 H gt , J , , 3 , 75,

oswe derman 68 . arris derman 2 B ll, Al , , 75 H , Al , 9, 74, 75 .

o swe i iam 1 1 6 66 . arr s T h omas 1 1 2 . B ll, W ll , , 3 , , 75 H i , , 9

rewen ruen N i ch o as 1 1 aw e D r. oh n 8. B (B ) , l , , 53, H l y, J ,

e we s N i ch o s . 75 H , la , 59 Brun ck ard Broun cker E dward H ewis uish exander 1 1 0 ( ) , , (H ) , Al , , 3 ,

“ 2 0 2 2 8 7 2 2 a , 3 1 5 , 591 751 7 3 , 3 51 5 1 75

u e r N i ch o as 1 2 2 . ex mi as 1 1 2 B ll , l , , 7, 74, 75 H t, A , , 5 , 53, 75.

ex Sir E dward . H t, , 7 '

Clifie E dward 2 82 . i G e or e 1 1 , , 3 , 75, H ll , g , , 73 , 75.

ol e s oh n . h i 1 1 0 82 C l , J , 7 Hill, P il p , 4, 9, 3 , 75, .

o in s ames 6 1 82 . C ll , J , ,

o re T h omas . acob e or 1 2 2 C y, , 73 , 75 J , G ge, , 4 , 74 . rud e T h omas 2 C g , , 3 , 46, 75, 82 .

L a e r h ur ish o 2 . k (A t ) , B p , 7

Dra e i ber 6 1 82 . L arder o h n 8 82 . k , G l t, , J , 3 ,

D ra e en r 62 82 . L aud am rch b sh o 8 k , H y, , (Willi ) , A i p, 4 . D ra e L auren ce 82 k , , 54, 75, .

W i iam . D ra e 6 82 a h e w R . k , ll , 4 , M tt , , 74, 75. Dra on T h omas 1 1 1 m on ue a e s sh o 2 6 0 . yt , , 3 , 4, 5, 43, M tag (J ), Bi p , , 7 48, 67.

N ch o s W m 1 1 8 1 . i l , illia , , E s Rober 1 1 lli , t, , 73, 75. E stco tt Dan e 1 1 2 0 6 1 2 Osborn e a h e w 1 1 2 0 2 1 , i l, , , 3 , 4 , 5 , , M tt , , , 3 , 4 ,

80 . 2 75, S , 75, 79

E v er oh n 68. y, J ,

E ver Mr. 68. a ton iam 1 1 6 1 8 1 y, , P y , Will , , 3 , 4 , 75, . e re oh n L o rd P t , J , , 7. av e oh n 1 1 0 6 1 e tre am L ord 0 0 Fl ll, J , , 3 , 3 , 4 , 44, P , Willi , , 5 , 7 .

e re Sir iam 2 . 53 P t , Will , , 49