A History of Giggleswick School from its Foundation, 1499 to 1912

by Edward Allen Bell

Any Scholar who had attended at the School for the last three years of his education could receive an Exhibition with which to attend any English University, provided that the Governors always reserved in their hands a sufficient sum for the necessary Repairs of the School, and also of a House for the habitation of the Master, if and when such a House should be built.

Mr. Smith, who had been acting as Usher but without a license from the Archbishop, resigned in 1792 and Nicholas Wood succeeded him. Possibly he had been educated at the School, for in 1796 a letter was sent to the Archbishop from the Governors saying that they had appointed Nicholas Wood, of Giggleswick, Clerk, to be Usher, and praying the Archbishop to give him a license "subject to the said Statutes and Ordinances," which had been agreed upon.

The new power to grant an increase of salary was soon exercised and in 1797 the Headmaster received £250, the Usher £100, "in case of Diligence and good Conduct" and the Assistant £60 provided that he assisted the Governors when necessary in "transacting the business of their Trust" and taught Writing and Arithmetic to the free School Scholars, "every boy who has been at the free School one month to be entitled." In the following year Robert Kidd was allowed £70 on condition that he "gives due attention on every day in the year, Saturdays, Sundays and one month at Christmas only excepted and that, when any boy is initiated into the ffree School he will not take any pay in case such Boy or Boys should attend his School, altho' they may not have been a month at the ffree School."

The matter of prizes is also taken up and a certain sum, which is not named, was allotted to each of the three head classes and was to be expended on books, which should be given to the best Scholar of each class. No class was to compete which had less than nine boys and they were to be examined once every year in the presence of the Governors.

The Master was required to see that the boys in the higher department of the School had their conversation during School hours in Latin. This was evidently a throw-back to the Ancient Statutes of 1592, when they were at least given the alternative of Greek or Hebrew. Further they said "conceiding that a Boy may improve in writing as much by an exercise as a copy, they recommend that every boy be obliged to write his exercise in the high or Writing School, under the inspection of the Writing Assistant and each exercise to have his (i.e. the Assistant's) initials affixed to signify that such Boy wrote his best, not to signify whether a good or bad Exercise."

It will be remembered that in the house that James Carr built, the lower part was for advanced teaching, the higher for writing. The distinction had apparently continued and the upper portion alone had materials for writing. Certain it is that each portion was wholly distinct from the other, and Usher and Assistant were masters in their own domain. In June, 1797, the Governors decided that attention should be paid to Classics in the Writing Department and Nicholas Wood, the Usher, was asked to undertake the work but refused, whereupon Mr. Clayton an Assistant in the Classical Work was requested to do so and accepted the duty for an additional remuneration of £10.

These two men held an interesting position. Wood certainly had a freehold, and Clayton was difficult to remove, so that in 1798 the Governors decided that an Assistant should "be provided during the summer months to teach the Classical Scholars, unless Mr. Wood and Mr. Clayton in three days signifie that one of them will teach." Fortunately Mr. Wood at once agreed to do so. It referred, no doubt, to the Classical Scholars in the Writing Department, whom Wood had refused to instruct, but when Clayton undertook the work and received £10 for his trouble, Wood relented.

Two months later the Governors issued a pathetic appeal that the "Master's Assistant and Usher be requested to attend better at the School." It was July and only in the previous April Robert Kidd's salary had been raised to £70 on stringent conditions of attendance.

The numbers of the School were growing apace, for twice in 1798 it was resolved to advertise for a Mathematical Assistant. At the same meeting 25s. was allowed to the Master's Assistant "for the purpose of providing fuel during the winter and no collection shall be made from the Scholars." The Staff seem to have been a little difficult. Nicholas Wood refused to sign a receipt in full for his wages when he was only being paid a part, and the Governors resolved to "withold the remainder of his salary."

Robert Kidd and Nicholas Wood left the School in April, 1799, and John Carr, of Beverley, took Kidd's place. Wood's post was filled by Clayton, who was made Usher at a salary of £100 a year, "provided he conducts himself to the satisfaction of the Governors or a majority of them," and agreed to teach five days a week.