be best qualified at the time of examination. In 1808, the number of exhibitions was increased from eight to fourteen, and the value of each augmented to £50 a year for seven years.

In 1814 a fresh act of parliament was obtained, giving additional powers to the trustees, and confirming the particulars in former acts, which may be regarded as the charter of the trust. Under this act, the trustees were empowered, "as soon as the revenues arising out of the said charity estates and funds will admit," to augment the existing exhibitions, and to add to that number not more than seven, each to be £60 a year.

The exhibitions till 1854 were twenty-one in number, and each of the value of £60 a year, and tenable for seven years. But it having been considered that seven years is a needlessly long tenure of an exhibition, the trustees, acting under the sanction of the Charity Commissioners, determined, at a meeting held on the 26th October, 1854, to limit the tenure of exhibitions to the term of four years, and thus gradually to increase their number. It is expected that the annual number of exhibitions given, when the new arrangement is in full operation, will be five, independently of broken ones.

The exhibitions are vacated if the holders fail to keep the annual residence required of members of the foundations of the colleges or halls to which they belong, commencing with the term immediately following their election.

Elections to exhibitions are made, in June, of the boys found most proficient in Divinity, Classics, Mathematics, and History, by two examiners appointed by the vice-chancellors of the Universities.

No scholar can become a foundationer until his parents or guardians have resided two years within five miles of Rugby; nor become a candidate for an exhibition before he has been a resident member of the school for three years.

In June, 1851, it was ordered by the trustees, that no scholar may remain at the school after the completion of his nineteenth year, dating from the day of his birth.

BIRMINGHAM.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1552, a.d.

KING EDWARD VI. in the fifth year of his reign, by letters patent, granted and ordained, that "from thenceforth there should be a free grammar-school in Brymyncham, to be called The Free Grammar

school of King Edward the Sixth, for the education, institution, and instruction of boys and youths in grammar, for ever, under a headmaster and usher."

And that his Majesty's intention might take the better effect, he assigned the possessions of the Guild of the Holy Cross, which had been dissolved by Henry VIII. in 1546, for the support and maintenance of the school, and appointed governors, who were incorporated by the name of " the Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the Free Grammar-school of King Edward the Sixth in Brymyncham,” with perpetual succession, and with power to elect others into the place of those who should die, or remove from that place.

The governors were empowered to appoint the master and usher, and, with the consent of the bishop of the diocese, to make fit and wholesome statutes and ordinances, for the order and government of the master, usher, and scholars, and all things concerning the school, and the revenues of the same. In pursuance of the charter, statutes and orders were made by the governors, and confirmed by the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, on the 21st October, 1676. Towards the close of the reign of Charles II. some of the governors, in opposition to their brethren, surrendered the charter of the school into the hands of the king. A new charter was soon after granted by James II. his successor, in 1685. The ejected governors, however, immediately com menced a suit in chancery for the recovery of their original charter, and six years afterwards obtained a decree instituting them in their functions, annulling the charter of James II. and restoring and confirming that of Edward VI. The concerns of the school now reverting to their legitimate management, the governors were enabled to make laws and ordinances for the better government of the school; yet by the letters patent no express visitor was appointed. In 1723 a commission was issued under the great seal to inspect the conduct of the governors, and all the exceptions made by them being heard and over-ruled, the matter came on to be heard in Hilary Term, 1725, when they objected to the commission, on the ground that the King having appointed governors, had by implication made them visitors likewise; the consequence of which would be, that the crown could not issue out a commission to visit or inspect the conduct of such governors-(according to the express words of Lord Coke in the case of Sutton's Hospital or the Charter-House). Upon this question the Court now delivered their opinion seriatim, and resolved that the commission under the great seal was well issued in this case.

The annual revenue of the Guild of the Holy Cross at the time of its dissolution in 1546 was £31. 2s. 10d.; but the whole of the estates being in Birmingham and in parts adjacent, the increase of buildings has led to a great increase in the revenue, which now exceeds £10,000

a year.

The school is open free to the sons of inhabitants of Birmingham, and of parishes "touching upon and adjacent to the same." There is no age specified for admission of scholars, nor at what age they are to be superannuated; the number in the school is about 500.

There are at this school ten Exhibitions of £50 a year each, tenable for four years, at any college of either University. They are open to all scholars in the school; but a preference is given to those whose parents reside in the parish of Birmingham.

COVENTRY.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1546, A.D.

JOHN HALES, Esq. having purchased divers houses, lands, &c. of the dissolved priory and other religious houses in the city of Coventry, in the 37th year of Henry VIII. obtained his Majesty's licence to found and establish a perpetual free grammar-school there, with full power to himself or any other person to give and devise lands for the maintenance thereof, to the value of £200 per annum.

The school remained unendowed until the death of Mr Hales in 1573, when his executors conveyed to the mayor, bailiffs, and commonalty of Coventry the site of St John's Hospital, with divers houses, lands, &c. for the maintenance of a perpetual free-school in that city.

1656. Thomas Lane, by his will, gave all his fee-farm rents issuing to him out of the city of Coventry, to the mayor, the steward of Coventry, the two ministers, and the lecturer for the time being, in trust, for the relief of ministers' widows, and for the fitting of poor scholars of Coventry for the University, and towards their maintenance there for seven years and a half. He willed that three-fourths of the yearly rents should be employed for assisting poor scholars, and that no poor scholar's allowance, before he was sent to the University, should exceed £5 a year (nor this to begin till he should "be in Greek"), and at the University not to exceed £10 a year to each, for their maintenance there during the space of seven years and a half.

It appears from the Report of the Charity Commissioners, that the administration of this charity had not been satisfactory.

There are now under this bequest six Exhibitions, tenable for seven years, each of the value of £5 per annum for three years, and £56 per annum for the remaining four years. It is intended to found additional exhibitions when the increase of the revenue admits of it.

1691. Rev. Samuel Frankland founded a Fellowship at St Catharine's Hall for persons educated at the free-school of Coventry. (See p. 280.)

STRATFORD-ON-AVON.

THE FREE GRAMMAR-SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1482, A.D.

THIS school was founded by Thomas Jolyffe, a native of the town, and one of the brethren of the ancient Guild of the Holy Cross. At the dissolution of the monasteries, the estate was seized by Henry VIII. but was afterwards restored to the corporation, and the school was refounded and incorporated in the 7th year of the reign of Edward VI.

In 1843 a new scheme was issued by the Court of Chancery for the management of the school.

1855. The Rev. T. R. Medwin, M.A. the present head-master, has raised about £800 towards founding an Exhibition for scholars who may proceed from this school to the University.

LEAMINGTON COLLEGE.

INSTITUTED 1844, A.D.

THE object of this proprietary institution is to provide a sound classical, mathematical, and general education.

An Exhibition has been founded by the late Dr Jephson, of the annual value of £40, which is tenable for three years, at Oxford or Cambridge, by a student from Leamington College.

COUNTY OF WESTMORERLAND.

HEVERSHAM.

THE FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

FOUNDED 1613, A.D.

THIS school was founded by Edward Wilson, Esq. of Heversham Hall, and endowed partly by him, and partly by subsequent benefactors.

In the year 1803, when the commons and waste lands of the parish were inclosed, an allotment was assigned to the grammar-school.

In 1788, the school-house, which was much dilapidated, was repaired at the joint expense of Bishop Watson and Bishop Pearson, who had been exhibitioners from the school, the former to Trinity College, Cambridge, and the latter to Queen's College, Oxford.

1652. Mr Wilson, by will, charged upon the tythes of Leck, in the parish of Tunstall, in the county of Westmoreland, two sums of £6. 13s. 4d. each, to be paid to Queen's College, Oxford, and to Trinity College, Cambridge, for the maintenance of two scholars from Heversham school, one at each college. It is required that the two scholars should be poor men's sons, whose fathers are not able to allow them a competent maintenance, and that they should be nominated by the heirs male of Edward Wilson, or in their default, by the feoffees of the school. The payments were to be made for four years, and no longer, unless there should be no scholar qualified to succeed, in which case the payments might continue for two years longer.

In consequence of Mr Wilson's executors refusing to pay these exhibitions, an application was made to the Court of Chancery, and by two decrees in 1696 and 1762, the executors were obliged to pay all arrears, which occasioned a very considerable increase of the value of the exhibitions.

These exhibitions are open to candidates who have been three years at the school, and are now in the gift of the trustees. They are each about £45 per annum.

• Richard Watson was born in 1737, one year before the death of his father, who had with great reputation been the head-master of Heversham school for nearly 40 years. He received his early education at Heversham school, and came up to Trinity College, Cambridge, with the exhibition founded by Mr Wilson. He subsequently became bishop of Llandaff, and was the author of "The Apology for the Bible," &c. In the anecdotes of his life, written by himself, the following passage

occurs:

"It has been a custom with me, from a very early age, to put down in writing the most important events of my life, with an account of the motives, which, on any occasion of moment, influenced my conduct. This habit hath been both plea sant and useful to me: I have had great pleasure in preserving, as it were, my identity, by reviewing the circumstances which, under the good providence of God, have contributed to place me in my present situation; and a frequent examination of my principles of action has contributed to establish in me a consistency of conduct, and to confirm me, I trust, in that probity of manners in my seventy-fifth year, with which I entered into the world at the age of seventeen."