Schools. Ratcliff School. 170

Schools. Ratcliff School.


Entr.
Anno
Contin.
Years.
the Free-School by St. Pauls. He became Parson of Stamford Rivers in Essex, where he dyed Anno. 1611. He writ (as hath been mentioned) a Tract about the Education of Children; and a Book called The Elementary, for the true writing of the English Tongue, Printed 1582, (wherein his Learning may be seen) being but the first Part of the said Elementary; wherein he designed to shew the whole Matter which Children were to learn, and the whole Manner, how Masters were to teach them.
1586.5.Henry Wilkinson.
1592.6.Edmund Smith.
1599.24.William Hayne.
This Man gave several Books to Sion College Library, when it was first Erected, about 1631, viz. Stevens Thesaurus, an Hebrew Bible of Plantins Edition, &c. See the Registry in that Library.
1624.7.Nicolas Gray.
1631.2.John Edwards.
1634.9.William Staple.
1644.5.William Du-Gard.
1649.7.m.John Stevens. Who left in the School Registry this single Memorial of himself, in regard of his short continuance here.
Res Deus nostras celeri citatas Turbine versat.
Joh. Stevens, Sept. 25. 1650.
1650.10.William Dugard.

The Succeedings of these two last named Dugard, were thus expressed in a Distick:


Dugardum sequitur Stephanus, Stephanumque vicissim Dugardus: Sortes versat utrinque Deus.

Registry of the School.

This Dugard was a very diligent, exact, and excellently learned Man in all Grammatical Learning. And under his Care and Influence the School greatly flourished. He Printed several Books for the Use of his School. Had a good Strain himself in Oratory and Poetry. A Stroke or two of his Poety in Greek, we have of his own Hand extant in the School Registry; where by the way we may see, how he stood affected to the Mutations in the Age wherein he lived; first upon the Beheading of K. Charles I.


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Martyr pro divinis patriisque Legibus
Optimus Sceptriger CAROLUS sceleratorum manibus cecidit.

Gulielmus Dugard.

For which Verses perhaps, or for his Affection to that King, (for I find no other Cause*) he might be discharged the School at that time.

* See the particular Cause at the End of this Chapter.

Another Greek Distich remaining in the said Registry under his Hand is upon the Usurper Oliver Cromwell's Mother, buried in Westminster; which perhaps is the only Epitaph extant on her;


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i.e. In Matrem OLIVERI CROMWELLI in Ecclesia Westmonasteriensi sepultam.
Mater nati execrabilis hic jacet:
Qui duos Reges, triáque regna perdidit.

This Dugard, after he had been Master Seventeen Years was dismist the School in the Year 1661, for breaking some Orders of the Company, having been publickly warned and admonished of it before: And departing he left this Verse to his Successor concerning the School Registry, which hitherto he diligently had kept himself;

School Regist.


- Munere cedens
Hanc successori scribendi Lampada trado.

Guil. Du Gard, haud ita pridem Mercatorum Scissorum, jam vero privatæ Scholæ in Vico de Colemanstreet Moderator, Nov. 21. 1661. And such was his Reputation, that when he opened his private School in Colemanstreet, within Eight Months he had gathered 193 Scholars.

John Goad, D.D. He was a Person of very good Esteem, and valuable Learning, and brought up many good Scholars, who honour his Memory; particularly skilled in Astrology and Prognostications of the Winds and Weather; and for some time did present K. Charles with Monthly Accounts of every Days Wind and Weather. He was put out by the Company for too just Suspicions of being Popishly affected; succeeded by

1661. 19.

- Hatcliff.

Ambrose Bonwick, a Nonjuror.

Matthew Shorting, D.D. formerly of Jesus College, and my old Fellow Collegian; after Conduct of Kings College, Cambridge. To whom I was beholden for his ready Admission of me into the School Library, and imparting to me a sight of the first Volume of the Registry; the second whereof I saw in Sion College.

Thomas Parcel, B.D. present Chief Master.

Matthew Smith, B.D.

John Gilman, D.D.

John Critel, M.A. Masters also of the same School.

The Library belonging to this School (as appears by a Parchment Book lying there) was built at the Charge of the Company of Merchant-Taylors. Who have now maintained the School with a Master and Three Ushers an hundred and forty Years and upwards, at their proper Cost and Charges: And after the great Fire, rebuilt it with the Houses for the Master and Ushers.

The Library.

The Gentlemen brought up at this School, Citizens and others, began an Annual Feast in the Year 1698. The Collections made at those Feasts, amounting to a considerable Sum, they do lay out upon Exhibitions, to be allowed to such of the School as are superannuated, and miss of Elections.


RATCLIFF SCHOOL.

 

In Ratcliff, in the Parish of Stepney, is another Free School, convenient for the Inhabitants of those Parts of the City, founded in the Reign of King Henry VIII. by Nicholas Gibson, Grocer; and in the Year 1538, one of the Sheriffs, for Sixty poor Mens Children, to be there taught by a Schoolmaster, who was to have a Salary of 10l. a Year; and an Usher, who was to have 6l. 13s. 4d. This School is under the Care of the Company of Coopers, London. Here the famous Bishop Andrews was some time a Scholar. Out of this School, of later Times, some of the Scholars yearly entertain the Natives of Stepney Parish with Speeches and Verses in Latin and Greek, as they pass by it, on the Day of their Anniversary Feast. To this School is an Almshouse annexed for 14 poor People, by the same Founder.

Ratcliff School.

This charitable Foundation in Ratcliff, (as to the State of it at present) consists of an Hospital, as well as of a School: To which belongs a Chapel, where Prayers are read to those that belong to it. Thirty Boys are here taught free, besides other Children that resort thither for good Learning. Mr. Lee the Schoolmaster's Salary is 36l. per Annum. To which belongeth also an Usher, who teacheth Arithmetick and Mathematicks. They want Exhibitions for the Encouragement of the Scholars, to fit themselves to be

The present State of this Foundation.

sent