Early English Meals and Manners Part 6

?ef suche won yn that craft schulde dwelle, Of dyvers desesys ?e my?th telle.

For more ?ese thenne, and of honeste, Take a prentes of herre[A] degre.

By olde tyme, wryten y fynde That the prentes schulde be of gentyl kynde; And so sumtyme grete lordys blod Toke thys gemetry that ys ful good.

[Text Note: A: higher.]

I should like to see the evidence of a lord's son having become a working mason, and dwelling seven years with his master 'hys craft to lurne.'

[Headnote: POST-REFORMATION CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS.]

_Cathedral Schools._ About the pre-Reformation Schools I can find only the extract from Tanner given above, p. xlii. On the post-Reformation Schools I refer readers to Mr Whiston's _Cathedral Trusts_, 1850. He says:

"The Cathedrals of England are of two kinds, those of the old and those of the new foundation: of the latter, Canterbury (the old archiepiscopal see) and Carlisle, Durham, Ely, Norwich, Rochester, and Worcester, old episcopal sees, were A.D. 1541-2 refounded, or rather reformed, by Henry VIII. ... Besides these, he created five other cathedral churches or colleges, in connexion with the five new episcopal sees of Bristol, Chester, Gloucester, Oxford, and Peterborough. He further created the see of Westminster, which was ... subsequently (A.D. 1560) converted to a deanery collegiate by Queen Elizabeth ... (p. 6). The preamble of the Act 31 Henry VIII.

c. 9, for founding the new cathedrals, preserved in Henry's own handwriting, recites that they were established 'To the intente that G.o.ds worde myght the better be sett forthe, _cyldren broght up in lernynge, clerces nuryshyd in the universities_, olde servantes decayed, to have lyfing, allmes housys for pour folke to be sustayned in, _Reders of grece, ebrew, and latyne to have good stypende_, dayly almes to be mynistrate, mending of hyght wayes, and exhybision for mynisters of the chyrche.'"

"A general idea of the scope and nature of the cathedral establishments, as originally planned and settled by Henry VIII., may be formed from the first chapter of the old statutes of Canterbury, which is almost identical with the corresponding chapter of the statutes of all the other cathedrals of the new foundation. It is as follows:

"On[68] the entire number of those who have their sustentation (qui sustentantur) in the cathedral and metropolitical church of Canterbury:

"First of all we ordain and direct that there be for ever in our aforesaid church, one dean, twelve canons, six preachers, twelve minor canons, one deacon, one subdeacon, twelve lay-clerks, _one master of the choristers, ten choristers, two teachers of the boys in grammar, one of whom is to be the head master, the other, second master, fifty boys to be instructed in grammar_,[69] twelve poor men to be maintained at the costs and charges of the said church, two vergers, two subsacrists (_i.e._, s.e.xtons), four servants in the church to ring the bells, and arrange all the rest, two porters, who shall also be barber-tonsors, one caterer,[70] one butler, and one under butler, one cook, and one under-cook, who, indeed, in the number prescribed, are to serve in our church every one of them in his own order, according to our statutes and ordinances."

In the Durham statutes, as settled in the first year of Philip and Mary, the corresponding chapter is as follows:

On[71] the total number of those who have their sustentation (qui sustentantur) in the cathedral church of Durham.

"We direct and ordain that there be for ever in the said church, one dean, twelve prebendaries, twelve minor canons, one deacon, one sub-deacon, ten clerks, (who may be either clerks or laymen,) _one master of the choristers, ten choristers, two teachers of the boys in grammar, eighteen boys to be instructed in grammar_, eight poor men to be maintained at the costs of the said church, two subsacrists, two vergers, two porters, one of whom shall also be barber-tonsor, one butler, one under-butler, one cook, and one under-cook."

"The monastic or collegiate character of the bodies thus const.i.tuted, is indicated by the names and offices of the inferior ministers above specified, who were intended to form a part of the establishment of the Common Hall, in which most of the subordinate members, including the boys to be instructed in grammar, were to take their meals. There was also another point in which the cathedrals were meant to resemble and supply the place of the old religious houses, _i.e._, in the maintenance of a certain number of students at the universities."

R^t. WHISTON, _Cathedral Trusts and their Fulfilment_, p. 2-4.

"The nature of these schools, and the desire to perpetuate and improve them, may be inferred from 'certein articles noted for the reformation of the cathedral churche of Excestr', submitted by the commissioners of Henry VIII., unto the correction of the Kynges Majestie,' as follows:

_The tenth Article_ submitted. "That ther may be in the said Cathedral churche a free songe scole, the scolemaster to have yerly of the said pastor and prechars xx. marks for his wages, and his howss free, to teache xl. children frely, to rede, to write, synge and playe upon instruments of musike, also to teache ther A. B. C. in greke and hebrew. And every of the said xl. children to have wekely xiid. for ther meat and drink, and yerly vi^s viii^d. for a gowne; they to be bownd dayly to syng _and_ rede within the said Cathedral churche such divine service as it may please the Kynges Majestie to allowe; the said childre to be at comons alltogether, with three prests hereaffter to be spoke off, to see them well ordered at the meat and to reforme their manners."

_Article the eleventh_, submitted. "That ther may be a fre grammer scole within the same Cathedral churche, the scole-master to have xx^li. by yere and his howss fre, the ussher x^li. & his howss fre, and that the said pastor and prechars may be bound to fynd xl. children at the said grammer scole, giving to every oon of the children xiid. wekely, to go to commons within the citie at the pleasour of the frendes, so long to continew as the scolemaster do se them diligent to lerne. The pastor to appointe viii. every prechar iiii. and the scolemaster iiii.; the said childre serving in the said churche and going to scole, to be preferred before strangers; provided always, that no childe be admitted to thexhibicion of the said churche, whose father is knowne to be worthe in goodes above ccc^li., or elles may dispend above xl^li.

yerly enheritance." --_Ibid._, p. 10--12.

"Now 300 at that time was worth about 5,000 now, so that these schools were _designed_ for the lower ranks of society, and open to the sons of the poorer gentry.

"An interesting ill.u.s.tration of this [and of the cla.s.s-feeling in education at this time] is supplied," says Mr Whiston, "by the narrative of what took place--

"when the Cathedral Church of Canterbury was altered from monks to secular men of the clergy, viz.: prebendaries or canons, petty-canons, choristers and scholars. At this erection were present, Thomas Cranmer, archbishop, with divers other commissioners. And nominating and electing such convenient and fit persons as should serve for the furniture of the said Cathedral church according to the new foundation, it came to pa.s.s that, when they should elect the children of the Grammar school, there were of the commissioners more than one or two who would have none admitted but sons or younger brethren of gentlemen. As for other, husbandmen's children, they were more meet, they said, for the plough, and to be artificers, than to occupy the place of the learned sort; so that they wished none else to be put to school, but only gentlemen's children. Whereunto the most reverend father, the Archbishop, being of a contrary mind, said, 'That he thought it not indifferent so to order the matter; for,' said he, 'poor men's children are many times endued with more singular gifts of nature, which are also the gifts of G.o.d, as, with eloquence, memory, apt p.r.o.nunciation, sobriety, and such like; and also commonly more apt to apply their study, than is the gentleman's son, delicately educated.' Hereunto it was on the other part replied, 'that it was meet for the ploughman's son to go to plough, and the artificer's son to apply the trade of his parent's vocation; and the gentleman's children are meet to have the knowledge of government and rule in the commonwealth. For we have,' said they, 'as much need of ploughmen as any other state; and all sorts of men may not go to school.' 'I grant,' replied the Archbishop, 'much of your meaning herein as needful in a commonwealth; but yet utterly to exclude the ploughman's son and the poor man's son from the benefits of learning, as though they were unworthy to have the gifts of the Holy Ghost bestowed upon them as well as upon others, is as much to say, as that Almighty G.o.d should not be at liberty to bestow his great gifts of grace upon any person, nor nowhere else but as we and other men shall appoint them to be employed, according to our fancy, and not according to his most goodly will and pleasure, who giveth his gifts both of learning, and other perfections in all sciences, unto all kinds and states of people indifferently. Even so doth he many times withdraw from them and their posterity again those beneficial gifts, if they be not thankful. If we should shut up into a strait corner the bountiful grace of the Holy Ghost, and thereupon attempt to build our fancies, we should make as perfect a work thereof as those that took upon them to build the Tower of Babel; for G.o.d would so provide that the offspring of our first-born children should peradventure become most unapt to learn, and very dolts, as I myself have seen no small number of them very dull and without all manner of capacity. And to say the truth, I take it, that none of us all here, being gentlemen born (as I think), but had our beginning that way from a low and base parentage; and through the benefit of learning, and other civil knowledge, for the most part all gentlemen ascend to their estate.' Then it was again answered, that the most part of the n.o.bility came up by feats of arms and martial acts. 'As though,'

said the Archbishop, 'that the n.o.ble captain was always unfurnished of good learning and knowledge to persuade and dissuade his army rhetorically; who rather that way is brought unto authority than else his manly looks. To conclude; the poor man's son by pains-taking will for the most part be learned when the gentleman's son will not take the pains to get it. And we are taught by the Scriptures that Almighty G.o.d raiseth up from the dunghill, and setteth him in high authority. And whensoever it pleaseth him, of his divine providence, he deposeth princes unto a right humble and poor estate. Wherefore, if the gentleman's son be apt to learning, let him be admitted; if not apt, let the poor man's child that is apt enter his room.' With words to the like effect."

R. WHISTON, _Cathedral Trusts_, p. 12-14.

The scandalous way in which the choristers and poor boys were done out of their proportion of the endowments by the Cathedral clergy, is to be seen in Mr Whiston's little book.

[Headnote: POOR MEN'S SONS HAVE HEADS AS WELL AS RICH ONES'.]

6. _Endowed Grammar Schools._ These were mainly founded for citizens'

and townsmen's children. Winchester (founded 1373) was probably the only one that did anything before 1450 for the education of our gentry. Eton was not founded till 1440. The following list of endowed schools founded before 1545, compiled for me by Mr Brock from Carlisle's _Concise Description_, shows the dates of all known to him.

BEFORE 1450 A.D.

bef. 1162 Derby. Free School.

1195 St Alban's. Free Grammar School.

1198 St Edmund's, Bury. Fr. Sch.

1328 Thetford. Gr. Sch.

? 1327 Northallerton. Gr. Sch.

1332 Exeter. Gr. Sch.

1343 Exeter. High School.

bef. 1347 Melton Mowbray. Schools.

1373 Winchester College.

1384 Hereford. Gr. Sch.

1385 Wotton-under-Edge. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1395 or 1340 Penrith. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1399-1413 (Hen. IV.) Oswestry. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1418 Sevenoaks. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1422 Higham Ferrers. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1422-61 (Hen. VI.) Ewelme. Gr. Sch.

1440 Eton College.

1447 London. Mercers' School, but founded earlier.

SCHOOLS FOUNDED 1450--1545 A.D.

1461-83 (Edw. IV.) Chichester. The Prebendal School.

bef. 1477 Ipswich.[72] Gr. Sch.

1484 Wainfleet. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1485-1509 (Hen. VII.) or before. Kibroorth, near Market Harborough. Fr. Gr. Sch.

bef. 1486 Reading. Gr. Sch.

1486 Kingston upon Hull. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1487 Stockport. Gr. Sch.

1487 Chipping Campden. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1491 Sudbury. Fr. Gr. Sch.

bef. 1495 Lancaster. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1497 Wimborne Minster. Fr. Gr. Sch.

time of Hen. VII., 1485-1509 King's Lynn. Gr. Sch.

1502-52 Macclesfield. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1503 Bridgenorth. Fr. Sch.

1506 Brough _or_ Burgh _under_ Stainmore. Fr. Sch.

1507 Enfield. Gr. Sch.

1507 Farnworth, in Widnes, near Prescot. Fr. Gr. Sch.

ab. 1508 Cirencester. Fr. Gr. Sch.

1509 Guildford. Royal Gr. Sch.

t. Hen. VIII. 1509-47 Peterborough. Gr. Sch.

t. Hen. VIII. 1509-47 Basingstoke. Gr Sch.

t. Hen. VIII. 1509-47 Plymouth. Gr. Sch.