AN OLD WESTALINATER ENDOWMENT.
An Old Westminster Endowment. By E. S. Day. (Hugh Rees. 35. net.)—In this very readable little book Miss Day tells the story of the Grey Coat Day School, of which she is the Head- Mistress. The school is a native product of Westminster. Eight Westminster tradesmen met together in 1697 and made a start, putting their hands in their pockets for the cost of a beginning. Benefactions came in by degrees. In 1699 one Sandys left £137 13s. 7d., which was owed to him by Lord Wharton, "if they could get it." Get it, or part of it, they did, after taking a world o' trouble, his lordship generally disliking to pay his debts at all, and particularly disliking to pay when the creditor was a Church school. In 1700 the Head-Master had 426 a year, and found it too little. It was raised to £30, and in course of time his " Dyett," and that of his wife, daughter, and son, were added. The cost of teaching and clothing forty boys for a year was about £62, and the boys had plenty of teaching for their money : 6-11 and 1-6 in summer, and 8-11 and 1-4 in winter. In a short time the school became a boarding-school. In 1701 the Trustees found it necessary to pass a self-denying ordinance. No one was to supply the school with any goods. In 1706 Queen Anne granted a charter enabling the school to hold lands, &c. About the same time we have a bill for clothing. This cost for a boy 13s. Oid., for a girl 12s. In 1708 occurs the serious difficulty that "there were sixty-four boys in the house, and but fifty-eight pairs of breeches." But we cannot follow Miss Day's narrative. Not the least interesting part of it is the account of the changes made in 1870-1873, and of the modifications which the school has gone through up to the present time. It must suffice for us to say here that the humble beginnings of 1697 have grown to a great and flourishing institution.
Previous page
