Education in England in the Middle Ages: Thesis Approved for the Degree of Doctor of Science in the University of LondonParry, Albert William
History
Education in England in the Middle Ages: Thesis Approved for the Degree of Doctor of Science in the University of London
Parry, Albert William
Education -- England -- History; Education, Medieval
Another similar small college was that of Bredgar in Kent which was
founded in 1393 by eight persons, chief among whom was Robert de Bredgar.
The licence to found the college,[651] merely states the usual purpose of
praying for the good estate of the founders while living, and for their
souls, when they have passed from this light, and also for the souls
"omnium fidelium defunctorum." We obtain further knowledge of the
intentions of the founders from a study of the "Statuta et Ordinationes
pro meliori Gubernatione ejusdem."[652] It is not necessary for us to
consider these statutes in detail here, though they emphasise considerably
the educational aspect of the foundation. One of these statutes runs:--
"Volo et ordino, quod nullus capellanus ad capellanium dicti collegi
admittatur nisi tunc sciat bene legere, bene construere, et bene
cantare; nullus praeficiatur clericus scolaris dicti collegii, nisi
tempore praesentationis hujusmodi bene legere et competenter cantare
sciat."
The same year in which Bredgar College was founded witnessed the
establishment of a college at Pleshy, in Essex, by Thomas, Duke of
Gloucester. The foundation was to consist of a master, eight secular
priests, two clerks, and two choristers.[653] The licences for the
foundation of the college do not, as usual, mention anything about
teaching, but the return to the chantry commissioners, 1547-8, states that
a priest, who kept a free grammar school, was attached to the
college.[654] William Courtney, Archbishop of Canterbury, founded in 1396
a college of secular priests on a large scale at Maidstone in Kent. A
hospital, which had been founded in 1260 by a previous Archbishop of
Canterbury, was taken to form the nucleus of the new college. The parish
church was utilised as the collegiate church. The various licences, which
authorised the foundation of the college,[655] do not refer to education,
but we know that provision for teaching was made because at the
dissolution of the college, the town council bought from Edward VI. the
right to keep school.[656]
The church of Hemmingborough, in Yorkshire, was made collegiate in 1426,
with a provost or warden, three prebendaries, six vicars choral and six
clerks.[657] The king's licence for the foundation gives the usual reason
for its establishment stating that there was to be in the church "quoddam
collegium de uno praeposito sive custode et caeteris prebendaris,
vicariis, clericis, et ministris, qui divina in dicta ecclesia celebrent,
pro salubri statu nostro, dum vivimus, et pro anima nostra, cum ab hac
luce subtracti fuerimus."[658] There is a record of the prior of Durham
appointing a master to the school in 1394,[659] so that in all probability
educational facilities were provided by the college.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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