A History of Giggleswick School Part 6

Having perused your Advertis.e.m.e.nt in Wright's Paper for a Writing-Master and Accountant for the free Grammar School at Giggleswick in your neighbourhood, I take this Opportunity of offering myself as a Candidate for that Office....

The Salary is but small but from the Tenor of your Advertis.e.m.e.nt, I am inclined to believe that from my a.s.siduity and care, I should soon be able to increase it.

I have studied the French and Italian Languages grammatically and have travelled thro' many Parts of Italy, France and Spain, after 4 years Residence in a Counting House at Leghorn--I will thank you, Revd. Sir, if you will candidly inform me pr Return of Post, whether these two Languages will be useful in your Part and how far Giggleswick is from Settle; also for a particular description of the Place.--For if it be populous, my Wife will carry on her Business, which is that of Mantua making.

I have been twice at Settle, but it is a long time ago. I was private Pupil to the Rev. Mr Shuttleworth B.A., Curate of our Village, upwards of 12 years and from him and from the neighbouring Gentlemen and Clergy, I can obtain the needful; provided you think it wd answer for me to come over with my Family and settle.

I should like a neat House, with a good garden to it and Accommodations for a few boarders.

Most Elections, in different Departments of Life, are very unfair and partial and if you suppose this is likely to be the case on the present Occasion, your Candour will infinitely oblige me and be instrumental in preventing my further trouble.

Your friendly reply as soon as possible will be deem'd a great favour conferr'd on

revd. Sir, Yr mo obedt Sert, JOHN WOOLFENDEN.

He was not selected.

All candidates, or nearly all, sent with their letters of application beautifully written testimonials in different styles to shew their proficiency, one unfortunately made a bad blot. They were also put through an examination in Arithmetic, when they a.s.sembled on the day of election. One confessed to being a member "of ye old Established Church," another "hoped to continue so." Finally, Robert Kidd was chosen. His letter of application is particularly interesting, both because of its beauty and because he says: "I have a good circuit for half-a-year, and if attendance from January to middle of the year, or from Midsummer to January will suit at Giggleswick," he would be ready to come. From this he appears to have been one of the old type of Scrivener, who paid regular visits to different Schools, and for whom the Ancient Statutes of 1592 allowed a special vacation to the Scholars.

He wrote on April 8, from Whalley Grammar School, and a special messenger was sent to fetch him at a cost of 5_s._ In the following year he wrote an elaborate address to the Governors, in which he said, "Permit me to say, I have been a faithful labourer and Disciplinarian in your School. You are truly sensible of the Inequality of the Attendance and Salaries. Now Gentlemen, if it be consistent with your Approbation, and the Inst.i.tution of your Seminary, to make a small adjustment, the Favor shall be gratefully acknowledged." He was accordingly "put to the trouble of Keeping Accounts, etc., for the Governors," and paid an additional two guineas a year.

Archbishop Markham agreed to the alteration of the Statutes with regard to the Governors themselves, and thenceforward a newly elected Governor was to protest and swear to be faithful etc., in the presence of any two Governors, instead of before the Vicar as formerly; and the privilege of summoning meetings was taken away from the Vicar and given to any two Governors. Further, any five, duly a.s.sembled, had the power to act and proceed with business, and "the determination of the major part of them shall be final and conclusive."

The Scholars moreover were at liberty to receive annual rewards and gratuities, in such manner as the Governors may deem "best calculated to excite a laudable emulation." Thus in 1798 three guineas were distributed among them in the presence of the Masters and Governors:

s. d.

Jno. Carr 1 1 0 Jno. Bayley 0 10 6 Enoch Clementson 0 7 0 Wm. Bradley 0 7 0 Jno. Howson 0 7 0 Richd. Paley 0 3 6 Richd. Preston 0 3 6 Jams. Foster 0 3 6

Any Scholar who had attended at the School for the last three years of his education could receive an Exhibition with which to attend any English University, provided that the Governors always reserved in their hands a sufficient sum for the necessary Repairs of the School, and also of a House for the habitation of the Master, if and when such a House should be built.

Mr. Smith, who had been acting as Usher but without a license from the Archbishop, resigned in 1792 and Nicholas Wood succeeded him. Possibly he had been educated at the School, for in 1796 a letter was sent to the Archbishop from the Governors saying that they had appointed Nicholas Wood, of Giggleswick, Clerk, to be Usher, and praying the Archbishop to give him a license "subject to the said Statutes and Ordinances," which had been agreed upon.

The new power to grant an increase of salary was soon exercised and in 1797 the Headmaster received 250, the Usher 100, "in case of Diligence and good Conduct" and the a.s.sistant 60 provided that he a.s.sisted the Governors when necessary in "transacting the business of their Trust"

and taught Writing and Arithmetic to the free School Scholars, "every boy who has been at the free School one month to be ent.i.tled." In the following year Robert Kidd was allowed 70 on condition that he "gives due attention on every day in the year, Sat.u.r.days, Sundays and one month at Christmas only excepted and that, when any boy is initiated into the ffree School he will not take any pay in case such Boy or Boys should attend his School, altho' they may not have been a month at the ffree School."

The matter of prizes is also taken up and a certain sum, which is not named, was allotted to each of the three head cla.s.ses and was to be expended on books, which should be given to the best Scholar of each cla.s.s. No cla.s.s was to compete which had less than nine boys and they were to be examined once every year in the presence of the Governors.

The Master was required to see that the boys in the higher department of the School had their conversation during School hours in Latin. This was evidently a throw-back to the Ancient Statutes of 1592, when they were at least given the alternative of Greek or Hebrew. Further they said "conceiding that a Boy may improve in writing as much by an exercise as a copy, they recommend that every boy be obliged to write his exercise in the high or Writing School, under the inspection of the Writing a.s.sistant and each exercise to have his (_i.e._ the a.s.sistant's) initials affixed to signify that such Boy wrote his best, not to signify whether a good or bad Exercise."

It will be remembered that in the house that James Carr built, the lower part was for advanced teaching, the higher for writing. The distinction had apparently continued and the upper portion alone had materials for writing. Certain it is that each portion was wholly distinct from the other, and Usher and a.s.sistant were masters in their own domain. In June, 1797, the Governors decided that attention should be paid to Cla.s.sics in the Writing Department and Nicholas Wood, the Usher, was asked to undertake the work but refused, whereupon Mr. Clayton an a.s.sistant in the Cla.s.sical Work was requested to do so and accepted the duty for an additional remuneration of 10.

These two men held an interesting position. Wood certainly had a freehold, and Clayton was difficult to remove, so that in 1798 the Governors decided that an a.s.sistant should "be provided during the summer months to teach the Cla.s.sical Scholars, unless Mr. Wood and Mr.

Clayton in three days signifie that one of them will teach." Fortunately Mr. Wood at once agreed to do so. It referred, no doubt, to the Cla.s.sical Scholars in the Writing Department, whom Wood had refused to instruct, but when Clayton undertook the work and received 10 for his trouble, Wood relented.

Two months later the Governors issued a pathetic appeal that the "Master's a.s.sistant and Usher be requested to attend better at the School." It was July and only in the previous April Robert Kidd's salary had been raised to 70 on stringent conditions of attendance.

The numbers of the School were growing apace, for twice in 1798 it was resolved to advertise for a Mathematical a.s.sistant. At the same meeting 25_s._ was allowed to the Master's a.s.sistant "for the purpose of providing fuel during the winter and no collection shall be made from the Scholars." The Staff seem to have been a little difficult. Nicholas Wood refused to sign a receipt in full for his wages when he was only being paid a part, and the Governors resolved to "withold the remainder of his salary."

Robert Kidd and Nicholas Wood left the School in April, 1799, and John Carr, of Beverley, took Kidd's place. Wood's post was filled by Clayton, who was made Usher at a salary of 100 a year, "provided he conducts himself to the satisfaction of the Governors or a majority of them," and agreed to teach five days a week.

Some difficulty arose, and on May 11 there is a minute saying that "Mr.

Wood and Mr. Kidd had been settled with." Wood seems to have been dependent on his wife, who could not make up her mind whether she wished to stay or go.

For the post of Usher there were several applicants as well as Clayton, who got testimonials from Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he had behaved himself with "sobriety." One of the applicants went so far as to give an extract in Hebrew writing in order to shew his capacity. The study of Hebrew in the School had perhaps not lapsed. He further stated that he did not consider it necessary to learn Latin and Greek first, in order to get a good knowledge of Hebrew. A sound foundation in English was sufficient, though he hastened to declare that he was perfectly capable of teaching Latin and Greek "with quickness and accuracy."

An advertis.e.m.e.nt had before appeared with a view to electing a Mathematical a.s.sistant, and was worded thus:

"Whereas the Revenue of the Free Grammar School of King Edward the Sixth at Giggleswick is very much increased. The Governors for that Charity wis.h.i.+ng to appropriate the same to be as useful to the Community at Large as possible, have resolved to appoint an a.s.sISTANT to teach Mathematics in all its Branches, to commence the First Week of February, 1799, provided there be Three Young Men at that Time inclined to be instructed therein."

Therefore, NOTICE is hereby given,

That Cla.s.sics, Mathematics, Writing and Accompts, etc., will be taught free of any Expense to any Person in the Kingdom.

Such Persons as wish to be instructed in Mathematics are desired to signify their Intention by Letter addressed to the Governors of Giggleswick School, on or before Michaelmas Day next, in order that an a.s.sistant may be obtained.

Certain School holidays were fixed at the same meeting. They were to be the 12th and 13th of March (Potation Day and its successor), Monday and Tuesday in Easter Week, Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun-week, two days at Laurence Ma.s.s (Lammas), one month at Christmas, and "one month to commence the first Monday after the 5th day of July annually."

But while the difficulties with the Usher and the a.s.sistants were developing, the att.i.tude of the Head Master was not altogether satisfactory. In December, 1798, "Mr. Preston reports that Rev. Mr.

Paley refuses his resignation upon such terms as the Governors are inclined to receive ... therefore resolved that the Recorder be applyed to for every matter that the Governors are doubtful about." William Paley was a man of considerable age, and disinclined to believe that he was unfit for his work. The Governors had recognized the possibility that he would not be strong enough for his duties, when in 1797 they had agreed to give him a salary of 250 "for the time that School shall be taught by him or by a sufficient and diligent a.s.sistant." Clayton probably acted as the a.s.sistant. Yet in December, 1798, the Governors'

patience was exhausted, for they had already questioned Miss Elizabeth Paley on the subject, and she appears to have given grounds for hoping that her father would resign, but on the twenty-ninth he definitely refused. They waited another nine months, and on September 28, 1799, they adjourned their meeting to October 5, "as the present Master is not considered to survive many days." On September 29 he lay dead.

For fifty-five years William Paley had presided over the destinies of the School and his work may fitly be compared with that of his great predecessor Christopher Shute. Both had taken up their work, when the fortunes of the School were at a low ebb. Shute had watched the careful saving of the School money, until they had been able to purchase "the school-house and yard in 1610 and a cart-road in the same yard and liberty for the schollers to resort to a certain spring to drink and wash themselves 1619, and likewise a garden for the use of the Masters and several other good things." Paley had become Head Master in 1744 when no accounts were kept, when the Master and Usher appropriated all the money from the rents and when the boys were few in number. Rapidly matters began to mend. His own son William left the School in 1759 already a scholar and destined to a lasting fame. Thomas Proctor was a boy at the School between 1760 and 1770, and became a great sculptor.

His "Ixion" exhibited in 1785 is still recognized as a work of genius.

William Carr, of the same family as James Carr, the founder of the School, won a Scholars.h.i.+p at University College, Oxford in 1782, a Fellows.h.i.+p at Magdalen 1787, and settled down at Bolton Rectory in 1789.

His literary tastes brought him the friends.h.i.+p of Wordsworth, and he became famous as the breeder of a heifer of remarkable proportions.

One of Paley's pupils--Thomas Kidd--probably a member of the same family as the Writing a.s.sistant, a family who had lived in the neighbourhood certainly since 1587--wrote from Trinity College, Cambridge, to the Vicar, the Rev. John Clapham, in 1792:

Revd. Sir,

I recd your Draught of 26 0_s._ 0_d._ April 19, 92. Mr. Jas.

Foster left the University in March. I _was_ very happy to congratulate him on his being elected Fellow of S. John's Col.

_by that_ respectable _Society_ and I _hope_ that he will be able to a.s.sert this honour _legally_ x x x. I am sincerely sorry that the Governors are not pleased that I so long deferred to send a certificate of my residence, if it is an _offence_, it is _involuntary_:--and for the future it shall be sent in due time and _nearly_, I expect in the same _formula_. For what business have I in the country previous to "taking" my degree?

There aren't any I remember in the country, _some here_, who affect to despise what they cannot understand; such enterprising critics and fastidiously hypercritics, men of truly philosophical penetration--of a truly cla.s.sical taste spurn aside the coa.r.s.e beverage to be found in Gr. mss. scholiasts and various _lections_; but

[Greek: all' aidesai men ... en lygro gera proleipon ... metera ... he =me= pollakis =theo= aratai zonta pros domous molein.]

This appeals to the feelings: but we must attend to general consequences.

Please to present my respects to my worthy master Mr. Paley--let him know that we have this year gone through Mechanics--Locke on the H.U., Duncan and Watts, etc. Logick--Dr. T. Clarke and Dr.

Foster on the Attributes, Mr. Paley's Moral and P.

Phil.--Spherical Trigonometry--and are going to lectures in Astronomy--That I have written a Gr. Ode in Sapphics--that it has been examined--that I am advised to hazard it in the Lottery.

This year has been distinguished for remarkable events in the litterary world, wh our narrow limits will not permit us to mention.--The learned Dr. Parr _began_ an edition of Horace--it will _come out_ a 4to on _Human Evidence_--(a very interesting subject in _Jurisprudence_)--caused by a political frate.--Porson will vacate the University Scholars.h.i.+p next October.

I am your most obliged humble servant, T. KIDD.

Trin. Coll., Camb., April 24--92.