* Probable or approximate dates.
There are materials extant for a good Life of Udall. Meanwhile there is Mr. Cooper’s excellent Memoir in the Shakespeare Society’s reprint of Ralph Roister Doister [see No. 5 on p. 8]; and Anthony à-Wood’s account of him, Ath. Oxon. i. 211. Ed. 1813.
1485. Aug. 22. Henry VII. becomes king.
| *1504. | Nicholas Udall ... was born in Hampshire, and descended from those of his name, living sometimes at Wykeham in the same county.—Wood. |
1509. April 22. Henry VIII. begins to reign.
| 1520. June 18. æt. 14. | Admitted scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. |
| 1524. May 30. æt. 18. | Takes his B.A. [Wood, Fasti Oxon., i. 65, Ed. 1815.] |
| 1524. Sept. 3. | Elected Probationer Fellow of his College. |
| 1533. May. Whitsun Eve. æt. 27. | Royal MS. 18 A. lxiv. p. 275, has two titles. (1.) Versis and dities made at the coronation of queen Anne. (2.) Hereafter ensuethe a copie of diuers and sundry verses aswell in latin as in Englishe deuised and made partely by Iohn leland and partely by Nicholas Vuedale whereof sum were sette vp and sum were spoken and pronounced vnto the most high and excellente Quene the ladie Anne, wif vnto our sourain lorde King Henry the eight in many goodly and costely pageauntes exhibited and shewed by the mayre and citizens of the famous citie of london at first tyme as hir grace rode from the Towre of London through the said citie to hir most glorious coronation at the monasterie of Westminster on Whitson yeue in th xxvth yere of the raigne of our said soueraigne lorde. |
The Rev. Dr. Goodford, the present Provost of Eton, has most kindly afforded me interesting information obtained by him from the MS. records of the College; viz., the Audit Rolls and the Bursar’s Books, respecting Udall’s connection with Eton.
The salary of the Master at Eton was then £10 a year, or fifty shillings for each of the four terms. In addition, he received 20s. for his ‘livery,’ and other small sums, as for obits (i.e. attending masses for the dead) [e.g. Udall received for obits, 14s. 8d. in 1535, and the same in 1536]; and for candles and ink for the boys [e.g. Udall received for these purposes, 23s. 4d. in 1537, and the same in 1538.] If the assumed multiple of 13 truly express the relatively greater purchasing power of gold and silver more then than now: the salary and emoluments cannot be considered excessive.