Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/185

 128. VIII. FEB. 19, 1921.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 147 and buildings at an outlay of 201. and above " say 2001. in our pre-war money. In 1557 an old Northwich boy, a native of Shurlach (a mile or less from the town), a wealthy cleric, rector of St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield, .Dominus John Deane, invested property with local trustees "for the good instruction of boys within the township of Witton near Northwich," and by Michaelmas 1558, a school had been ouilt^and statutes drawn-up for what was thereafter The Free Grammar School of Witton. Br-etchgirdle, without doubt, had to do with this, and was among the "learned" whose "godly and discreet advice " was taken in the framing of the statutes and course of instruction ; and, without doubt, he became the first headmaster (with a salary of 121. and x ' lodgings "), as his boys, including John Brownsword, became the first scholars (with free teaching) of the new foundation. From first to last Brownsword was nearly thirteen years under John Bretchgirdle. He owed to him his excellent, if somewhat pedantic Latigiity ; and in view of the fact that the pupil in a few years followed his master to Stratford and. became himself the head- master of Stratford School, we read with more than curiosity the statute respecting the authors to be studied at Witton: "I will." said the founder following John Colet, Accidence and Grammar set out by King Henry the Eight, or some other if any can be better for the purpose, to induce children more speedily to Latin speech, and then Institutum Christiani Hominis that learned Erasmus made, and then Copia of the same Erasmus, Colloquia Erasmi, Ovidius : Metamorphoses, Terence, Mantuan, Tully, Horace, Salust, Virgil and such other as shall be thought most convenient to the purpose unto true Latin speech." Deane was less of a Protestant than Bretchgirdle, but his language in describing the old learning is significant : " All barbary, all corruption and filthiness, and such abusion which the blind world brouyht in I utterly banish and exclude out of this School, and charge the master that he teach alway that is best and read to them such authors as have with wisdom joined the pure chaste eloquence." Like Colet he had had enough of monkish Latin and monkish morals. But Bretchgirdle had hardly got into the nevv premises when Christchurch presented him to the vicarage of Great Budworth, on Nov. 14, 1558. Apparently he did not object to be a pluralist, and with clerical assistance kept his curacy and mastership at Witton while he held the wealthy living of the mother parish. So we gather, at any rate, from the slender facts available. Queen Mary, however, died on !Nov. 17, 1558, and great changes followed. Bretchgirdle re- signed the vicarage of Great Budworth before May 19, 1560, when .Richard Eaton was presented ; and in Jan. 1561, he gave up the curacy and mastership at AVittoii to become vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon. He was admitted to his difficult charge on Feb. 27. Xothing is said in the record of his investiture about Roger Dyos. The usual per mortem or per resiynationem after vacant-is is wanting. The late vicar, it seems, had neither "deceased" nor "resigned," but had taken his " departure " because the Corpora- tion had adopted the simple but effective expedient of withholding his "wages." For four years and four months John Bretchgirdle, unmarried, with a sister, perhaps two, to keep house for him, was head of the wide Stratford parish in the conten- tious days of transition from Roman Catho- licism to Protestantism. The Prayer Book services were organized on Puritan lines, frescoes were whitewashed, stained glass was replaced by plain, and carvings were hacked. Feeling ran high. Cases of assault were again dealt with at the Court Leet of May 4, 1561. John Tchiner (or Ichiver), a yeoman of Packwood and a brewer in Stratford, living in his own house in Henley Street, a stirring active man and one of the Tasters of this year, was presented for a fray on John Bradshaw the currier ; Tho nas Dickson alias Waterman, of the "Swan," was pre- sented for a fray upon his brother Richard, and for a fray also on his brother-in-law, Edward Walford ; Master John Grantham, the Vicar's kinsman, was presented for drawing blood on Thomas Bates, and Thomas Bates was presented for drawing blood on a stranger of Birmingham ; John Lane of Bridge Street, brother of Nicholas Lane of Bridge Town, was presented for a fray on one Tibbins of Langley ; and Thomas Knight the younger, coverlet- weaver, son of Thomas Knight of Middle Row (next door to the " Swan ") was presented for drawing blood on a stranger in Edmund Barrett's house, the "Crown Inn " in Bridge Street. The fine for reviling an officer was still kept at 20,9. Henry Biddle, Lewis ap Williams, William Minsky and John Shakespeare acted as affeerors and attached their marks to their names written at the end of the minutes by Richard Symons a cross, the church- gable, a headless cross and the glover's compasses a more elaborate pair, again daintily drawn. Symons, it will be observed always spells Shakespeare in his own fashion
 * ' the children learn the Catechisma, and then the