London (England) -- History; London (England) -- Social life and customs
Again, this was a great age for the foundation of grammar-schools. The
education of London in the Middle Ages is a subject which has never yet
been adequately treated. We know very well what was taught at the
universities. But what did the merchant learn, the shopkeeper, the
craftsman? To what school was the boy sent before he was apprenticed?
There was a school, it is said, to every religious house. I think that
latterly the monastic school was kept up with about as much sincerity as
the monastic rule of poverty. Stow certainly says that when Henry V.
dissolved the alien priories, their schools perished as well. On the
other hand, consider the great number of religious houses in and around
London. There should have been schools enough for the whole population.
Yet Henry VI. founded four grammar-schools "besides St. Paul's," viz.,
at St. Martin's le Grand, St. Mary le Bow, St. Dunstan's in the west,
and St. Anthony's. Why did he do this if there were already plenty of
schools? And observe that one of his foundations was at a religious
house--St. Martin's. The year after he created four more schools--at St.
Anthony's (Holborn), All Hallows the Great, St. Peter's (Cornhill), and
St. Thomas of Acon. All these schools perished in the Reformation, with
the exception of St. Paul's and St. Anthony's. Why they perished, unless
they were endowed with property belonging to some monastic house, is not
clear.
For a time the city had no schools, no hospitals, no foundations for the
poor, the sick, or the aged. These grievous losses were speedily
amended. St. Paul's was presently newly founded by Dean Colet. The
Blue-Coat School arose on the ruins of the Grey Friars. The Mercers'
Company continued the School of St. Thomas as their own, and it still
exists. The Merchant Taylors founded their school, which is now at the
Charterhouse. At St. Olave's and St. Saviour's schools were established.
A few years later was founded the Charterhouse School, which is now
removed to Godalming.
In these narrow limits it is impossible to reproduce much of the
Elizabethan daily life. Here, however, are certain details.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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