Some difficulty arose, and on May 11 there is a minute saying that "Mr. Wood and Mr. Kidd had been settled with." Wood seems to have been dependent on his wife, who could not make up her mind whether she wished to stay or go.
For the post of Usher there were several applicants as well as Clayton, who got testimonials from Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he had behaved himself with "sobriety." One of the applicants went so far as to give an extract in Hebrew writing in order to shew his capacity. The study of Hebrew in the School had perhaps not lapsed. He further stated that he did not consider it necessary to learn Latin and Greek first, in order to get a good knowledge of Hebrew. A sound foundation in English was sufficient, though he hastened to declare that he was perfectly capable of teaching Latin and Greek "with quickness and accuracy."
An advertisement had before appeared with a view to electing a Mathematical Assistant, and was worded thus:
"Whereas the Revenue of the Free Grammar School of King Edward the Sixth at Giggleswick is very much increased. The Governors for that Charity wishing to appropriate the same to be as useful to the Community at Large as possible, have resolved to appoint an Assistant to teach Mathematics in all its Branches, to commence the First Week of February, 1799, provided there be Three Young Men at that Time inclined to be instructed therein."
Therefore, Notice is hereby given,
That Classics, Mathematics, Writing and Accompts, etc., will be taught free of any Expense to any Person in the Kingdom.
Such Persons as wish to be instructed in Mathematics are desired to signify their Intention by Letter addressed to the Governors of Giggleswick School, on or before Michaelmas Day next, in order that an Assistant may be obtained.
Certain School holidays were fixed at the same meeting. They were to be the 12th and 13th of March (Potation Day and its successor), Monday and Tuesday in Easter Week, Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun-week, two days at Laurence Mass (Lammas), one month at Christmas, and "one month to commence the first Monday after the 5th day of July annually."
But while the difficulties with the Usher and the Assistants were developing, the attitude of the Head Master was not altogether satisfactory. In December, 1798, "Mr. Preston reports that Rev. Mr. Paley refuses his resignation upon such terms as the Governors are inclined to receive ... therefore resolved that the Recorder be applyed to for every matter that the Governors are doubtful about." William Paley was a man of considerable age, and disinclined to believe that he was unfit for his work. The Governors had recognized the possibility that he would not be strong enough for his duties, when in 1797 they had agreed to give him a salary of £250 "for the time that School shall be taught by him or by a sufficient and diligent Assistant." Clayton probably acted as the Assistant. Yet in December, 1798, the Governors' patience was exhausted, for they had already questioned Miss Elizabeth Paley on the subject, and she appears to have given grounds for hoping that her father would resign, but on the twenty-ninth he definitely refused. They waited another nine months, and on September 28, 1799, they adjourned their meeting to October 5, "as the present Master is not considered to survive many days." On September 29 he lay dead.
For fifty-five years William Paley had presided over the destinies of the School and his work may fitly be compared with that of his great predecessor Christopher Shute. Both had taken up their work, when the fortunes of the School were at a low ebb. Shute had watched the careful saving of the School money, until they had been able to purchase "the school-house and yard in 1610 and a cart-road in the same yard and liberty for the schollers to resort to a certain spring to drink and wash themselves 1619, and likewise a garden for the use of the Masters and several other good things." Paley had become Head Master in 1744 when no accounts were kept, when the Master and Usher appropriated all the money from the rents and when the boys were few in number. Rapidly matters began to mend. His own son William left the School in 1759 already a scholar and destined to a lasting fame. Thomas Proctor was a boy at the School between 1760 and 1770, and became a great sculptor. His "Ixion" exhibited in 1785 is still recognized as a work of genius. William Carr, of the same family as James Carr, the founder of the School, won a Scholarship at University College, Oxford in 1782, a Fellowship at Magdalen 1787, and settled down at Bolton Rectory in 1789. His literary tastes brought him the friendship of Wordsworth, and he became famous as the breeder of a heifer of remarkable proportions.