May 1948

THE SCHOOL ENDOWMENT IN 1697 The letter which we print below was kindly sent to us by Mr. F. H. Woodward, Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge, who came upon it in the course of researches at Bishopthorpe Palace and realised that the Free School mentioned therein must be St. Peter's. We need make no apology for reproducing the letter (and an accompanying enclosure) in full, since any new documentary evidence bearing on the history of the School cannot fail to be of interest. We add, too, some comments of our own on the matters and persons involved, in the hope of setting the letter in perspective and clarifying its significance.

LETTER FROM CUTHBERT HARRISON TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK AT THE HOUSE OF LORDS Acaster Selby, February ye 23rd, 1697.

"May it Please Your Grace : The weighty and important concerns that engross your time for the public good might very well exempt you from a trouble of this kind, did not the advancement of charity and ye promotion of learning and piety claim a favourable access to ye same, and the rather at this time, because if this opportunity be lapsed some years will not retrieve it. I •therefore humbly crave leave to acquaint Your Grace with several lands and tenements in Knapton within ye County of Ye City of York and elsewhere being formerly appropriated to superstitious uses, were about ye third and fourth years of King Philip and Queen Mary by licence from the Crown and ye consent of the then proprietors conveyed by the heirs of the donors to the Dean and Chapter of York for the erecting of a Free School in or near the City of York to the intent that as many poor children as the revenues would extend to might there receive their maintenance and education in learning gratis till they were of ability to serve in the Ministry. This great Charity hath been long neglected and abused by leasing the land, particularly in Knapton, at a very low rent, viz. £30 per annum, whereas they really to my knowledge are of the annual value of £230 per annum and upwards, and converting the fines to the Trustees own use though it's very apparent from ye donation and letters patent that the same ought to have been let for ye most improved value and the profits thereof converted to the maintenance of as many poor children as possible : but on the contrary a competent maintenance is reserved for the Schoolmaster, and the poor are utterly defeated of the Charity. The lease being now intended to be renewed (as soon as the Dean returns to York) I could not, in compassion to the poor and in duty to Your Lordship (who is constituted ye Visitor of ye Charity) omit informing you of the abuse that you may opportunely (if your Grace should think fit) enjoin the Dean to waive renewing the lease till you have made a satisfactory 28