A scheme containing a “first plott or proportion” for the new College was prepared for the king by the Court of Augmentations in London; it seems certain that this was worked out in collaboration with Redman. The clerk who drew it up was Thomas Ansill. The College, after its foundation, recognized its obligation to him in the matter and presented him to the vicarage of Barford which was and is in its gift. He preserved a copy of his scheme; this was purchased from his son by one of the fellows in 1611, and given to the College.
The manuscript of the suggested scheme, to which Mr Bird first called my attention, is endorsed Distribucio Collegii and headed “the proporcon diuised for Trinite College.” It is undated, [14] ]but in a later hand it is added that it was made Anno 37 Hen. 8, and therefore before 22 April 1546. From internal evidence it must have been composed in or after March in that year, since those who graduated in that Lent term are described as being of the standing of the degrees then taken. Of those who graduated afterwards some are described correctly, others not so: doubtless Redman knew about the standing of the members of King’s Hall and Michael-House, but he may well have made mistakes about the standing of some of the junior students of other colleges. If however we accept the endorsement as correct, we may fix the date of the composition of the plan as being in the early half of April, 1546. This manuscript has not been printed, and I proceed to describe it.
The object of the compilers of this scheme was to see what income would be required for the suggested new College, and to arrange how the income should be used; incidentally it reveals the general organization proposed. The constitution of the College, the various offices to be created, and the stipends intended are specified. In most cases the names of the proposed fellows, scholars, bedesmen, and servants are given, but generally the allocation of the proposed principal offices is not indicated and probably had not been then arranged. The names of the proposed fellows and scholars [15] ]agree with those appointed later, though the order is not always the same, but the provisional list of bedesmen differs from that of those ultimately nominated.
The Distribucio begins with a statement of the names and suggested stipends of the master and fellows. The stipend of the master was to be £100 a year: that of each of the next fifteen fellows (one of those proposed being a doctor of divinity, ten bachelors of divinity, and four masters of arts) was to be £10 a year and £1 a year for livery: that of each of the next twenty-five fellows (twenty-two of those nominated being masters of arts and three bachelors of arts) was to be £8 a year; that of each of the next twenty fellows and scholars (seven of the nominees being bachelors of arts and thirteen junior scholars) was to be £6. 13s. 4d. a year. The names are given and agree with those in the letters patent of 19 December.
There was to be a schoolmaster (Richard Harman) who was to have £20 a year, an usher of grammar (William Boude) who was to have £10 a year, and provision was made for forty childer grammarians, whose names are given, each of whom was to have £4 a year. This shows that it was intended that the foundation should include students in grammar, and the two teachers specially responsible for them were to be a schoolmaster and usher.
[16]
]The question arises whether it was intended to found a grammar-school connected with the College or whether these grammarians were what we should call undergraduate scholars or exhibitioners. The former view is the correct one, for the royal commissioners in May 1549 definitely asked[11] the College “to surrender the Grammar Schole.” This was done and the school was then absorbed in the College. Probably at that time the distinction between boys at the grammar-school and junior undergraduates was not regarded as important—the term grammarian or grammaticus being commonly used for a junior undergraduate as well as a school-boy[12]. This indifference to the distinction between the two classes is illustrated by the fact that of the grammarian school-boys named in the Distribucio, ten were already matriculated members of the University, nine matriculated from Trinity shortly after its foundation, and of the others six matriculated in 1548 or 1549 which is not inconsistent with their having been students of the University in 1546.
In 1547, the accounts include a particular payment for six boys of the grammar-school, and wages for one quarter for the schoolmaster and Mr Boude; thus showing that the school was then being carried on. In 1548, the accounts specify forty-two [17] ]grammatici, in addition to certain graduates and dialectici, as being in residence, but in this year there is no mention of a schoolmaster or an usher though possibly they may be included among the ten lectors for whom provision is made. In 1551 the grammatici appear as discipuli, and thenceforth the grammarians were treated as undergraduate scholars.
The Distribucio next goes on to enumerate seven readers. Three of these were to be public or university readers, of whom one (John Maydew) was to read in divinity, one (John Cheke) in Greek, and one (Thomas Wakefield) in Hebrew, each at £40 a year. The other four were to be fellows of the College, of whom one (Simon Bridges) was to read in divinity at £6. 13s. 4d. a year, two in philosophy at £5 a year each, and one in logic at £5 a year: such stipends to be in addition to their fellowship emoluments. It would seem that Bridges or Briggs declined to accept the nomination to a fellowship at Trinity and accordingly was not appointed to the office. Provision was also made for two under-readers in logic at £2. 3s. 4d. each. Next are mentioned two examiners in scholastic acts at £5 a year each; and two chaplains at £6. 13s. 4d. a year each, one (Henry Man) for the fellows and the other (unnamed) for the childer and bedesmen. I note that Henry Man occupied for many years [18] ]rooms in the Great Court adjoining and on the west side of what is now known as the Queen’s Gate.
The next entry is that of twenty-four almsmen or bedesmen at £6 a year each; the names of all but one are given, but the list differs somewhat from that appearing in the account book of 1547 of those appointed when the College began work. The unnamed bedesman was the cook of Michael-House, and it is impossible not to wonder whether his inclusion in this list (which involved his retirement from the kitchens) was due to the memory of indifferent dinners eaten by Redman when a guest at the high table of that House.
The Distribucio then returns to the enumeration of the officers and servants of the College. There were to be two bursars at £4 a year each; a vice-master at £5 a year; two deans to direct disputations of divinity and philosophy, one at £4 a year, and the other at £3. 6s. 8d. a year; eight bible-clerks, whose names are given, to serve the hall, choir and vestry, and to attend upon the curate when visiting, at £2. 13s. 4d. a year each; an organ-player at £6 a year and his commons; two butlers, the senior at £5 a year and the junior at £4 a year; a manciple at £6. 13s. 4d. a year; a master-cook at £6 a year; two under-cooks, one at £4 a year, and the other at £3. 6s. 8d. a year; and a turn-spit at £2 a year. There was also to be a barber at £5 [19] ]a year; a laundress at £5 a year; a porter at £6 a year; a bricklayer at £4 a year; a carpenter at £4 a year; a mason at £4 a year; two stewards of lands at £5 a year each; an auditor for the lands at £10 a year; a receiver for the lands at £13. 6s. 8d.; and an attorney in the exchequer for the lands at £3. 6s. 8d. Allowance was to be made for the yearly distribution of alms to the amount of £20; and of another £20 to be spent on the mending of highways. The total expenditure contemplated amounts to £1286. At the end in another handwriting is added that allowance (amount unspecified) should be also made for wine and wax, riding, extraordinary charges, and repairs.