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St Bees School, St Bees
St Bees School
locality:-   St Bees
civil parish:-   St Bees (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   school
coordinates:-   NX96951219 (etc) 
1Km square:-   NX9612
10Km square:-   NX91


photograph
BXQ14.jpg (taken 16.11.2012)  
photograph
BXQ51.jpg (taken 16.11.2012)  

evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 72) 
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
"Grammar School (Endowed)"
St Bees 

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Defoe 1724-26
placename:-  
source data:-   Tour through England and Wales, by Daniel Defoe, published in parts, London, 1724-26.
"In the little town [St Bees], which bears her name there, is a very good free-school, founded by that known and eminent benefactor to, and promoter of pious designs, Archbishop Grindal; it is endowed very well by him, and the charity much encreased by the late Dr. Lamplugh, Archbishop of York: The library annexed to this foundation is very valuable, and still encreasing by several gifts daily added to it; and they show a list of the benefactors, in which are several persons of honour and distinction. The master is put in by the Provost and Fellows of Queen's College in Oxon."

evidence:-   descriptive text:- Simpson 1746
item:-  library
source data:-   Atlas, three volumes of maps and descriptive text published as 'The Agreeable Historian, or the Compleat English Traveller ...', by Samuel Simpson, 1746.
image SMP4P195, button  goto source
"..."
"... Archbishop Grindal, who founded and endow'd a good Grammar School there [St Bees], which has a Library belonging to it: And it is much improved by the Munificence of Dr. Lamplugh, an Archbishop of York; Dr. Smith, Bishop of Carlisle; Sir John Lowther, of Whitehaven, and others: The Right of presenting a Master is in the Provost and Fellows of Queen's College, Oxford."

evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) 
item:-  library
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P180, button  goto source
Page 180:-  "..."
"... Archbishop Grindal, who was born here [St Bees], founded a good grammar-school, to which belongs a library, and it was much improved by the bounty of Dr. Lamplugh archbishop of York, Dr. Smith bishop of Carlisle, sir James Lowther of Whitehaven, &c. The right of presenting a master is in the master and fellows of Queen's college, Oxford, to which its founder was also a benefactor. ..."

evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag
source data:-   Magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine or Monthly Intelligencer or Historical Chronicle, published by Edward Cave under the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban, and by other publishers, London, monthly from 1731 to 1922.
image G831A302, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1831 part 1 p.302  "..."
"... In this immediate neighbourhood, separated only by the high road to Whitehaven, is the grammar school, which has been long eminent in the north, and has produced many very learned characters, amongsts whom was Bishop Hall, Master of Trinity College, Dublin. It was founded in"

evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag 1831
source data:-   image G831A303, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1831 part 1 p.303  "the year 1587, by Edmund Grindall,* Archbishop of Canterbury. Over the door of the school is the date 1583, as there is likewise on the battlements of the bridge leading to the school, with the arms, so that it is probable that the school house was built in that year, though the school was not fully established till afterwards. The benevolent founder obtained letters patent from Queen Elizabeth, dated 24 April, 1583; and on 3d of July, he solemnly delivered and published the Statutes for the regulation of the school, in the presence of eight witnesses. During the life of the founder, certain lands called Palmer's Fields, at Croydon in the County of Surrey, of the value of 50l. per annum, were purchased in the names of the Governors. This estate was afterwards improperly leased for 1000 years, without fine or premium to the school! King James considerably increased the revenues of the school, and several patents were granted and Acts of Parliament passed in its favour, so that the present annual value of its lands is supposed to be at least 8000l. while the income arising from them to the school is stated to be less than 100l. The royalty of Saint Bees still belongs to the school, and a court is yearly held at the school house. To the school is attached a good library, which has been greatly improved at various periods by Sir Joseph Williamson, Secretary of State to Charles II. Dr. Lamplugh, Archbishop of York, Bishop Barlow, Bishop Smith, the Earl of Lonsdale, &c. - By the Statutes only the inhabitants of Cumberland and Westmoreland are eligible for instruction here, but custom has rendered it the same as if free to every county in England; every scholar making a yearly offering to the master, according to his ability, which is termed "Cock-Penny." The master is to be a native of Cumberland, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, or Lancashire, and is nominated by the provost of Queen's, or in default by the master of Pembroke-hall. There have been between 150 and 200 scholars at one time. The present Governors are the Earl of Lonsdale, John Fox, D.D. Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, ex officio, the Rev. Mr. Scott, Rector of Egremont, ex officio, and four others."
"The School has been long in a dclining state, and probably at the present time has a smaller number of scholars than it ever had. Time will best show the cause of this, when under other care it may again attain its pristine celebrity. Its present condition, however, must be lamented by every friend of literature, but especially by those who knew it as the scene of their youthful days, - by those now occupying situations of rank and affluence, for which they were fitted within its walls. ‡"
"GEORGE C. TOMLINSON."
"*It may not be improper to mention that Archbishop Grindall is the Algrind of Spenser, by transposition of the letters of his name. He was born in Hensingham near Saint Bees in 1519, died in 1583, and was buried in the chancel of Croydon Church in the county of Surrey, where there is a monument to his memory. - See Biog. Brit."
"‡Since the above was written, a new Master has been appointed to the School, in the person of Rev. John Fox, M.A. of Queens' College, Oxford, the nephew of the worthy Provost."

evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"ST BEES SCHOOL BUILDINGS AROUND QUADRANGLE TO SOUTH WEST / / B5345 / ST BEES / COPELAND / CUMBRIA / II / 76160 / NX9695312172"

evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"RAILINGS AND GATE CLOSING WEST SIDE OF QUADRANGLE AT ST BEES SCHOOL / / B5345 / ST BEES / COPELAND / CUMBRIA / II / 76161 / NX9692712160"

evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"ST BEES SCHOOL, MUSIC ROOM IN FORMER CHANCEL TO PRIORY CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST BEGA / / B5345 / ST BEES / COPELAND / CUMBRIA / I / 76165 / NX9691012130"


photograph
BNC61.jpg  School chapel.
(taken 2.1.2007)  

Paley and Austin series
person:-   architect
 : Paley, Edward G
person:-   architect
 : Austin, Hubert J
date:-   1885
Building School House.

Paley and Austin series
person:-   architect
 : Austin, Hubert J
person:-   architect
 : Paley, Henry A
date:-   1907
 to 1910
Work on chapel, headmaster's house, laboratories, and library.

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