Part 11 (1/2)

Mr. Lord was born at Olney, Bucks., in 1808; and began his ministry in 1834, as pastor of a chapel at Wollaston, Northants, which he held for eleven years; thence removing to Brigstock, in the same county, where he laboured during 17 years. He subsequently held pastorates in Horncastle, Deddington (Co. Oxford), and Great Bridge, Staffords.h.i.+re. He gave up permanent charge in 1878, continuing, however, to a.s.sist other ministers in that neighbourhood, until 1899, when, in consequence of failing eyesight, he removed once more to Horncastle, taking up his abode with his married daughter, Mrs. C. M. Hodgett, on the Wong (No. 7).

Mr. Lord has been an active worker in the temperance cause during more than 70 years; a member of the Liberation Society since its formation; a warm advocate of the Peace Society, of the United Kingdom Alliance; the inaugural meeting of which he attended at Manchester. He was one of the founders of the Congregational Total Abstinence a.s.sociation; and has always been a warm supporter of the London Missionary Society.

Mr. Lord still preaches occasionally in Horncastle. He has officiated more than once recently in the Lincoln Mission Hall, and not unfrequently occupies the pulpit at the Presbyterian Chapel, Kirkstead, to a.s.sist the local minister, Rev. Robert Holden, who is his junior by some 16 years.

On Sunday, May 31, 1908, Mr. Lord preached at Alford, in the Congregational Chapel; and on Sunday, June 7, 1908, at Boston, in the Chapel of the United Methodists.

[Picture: Rev. Thomas Lord, 100 years old, April 22, 1908]

Notwithstanding his age Mr. Lord's voice is still clear, deep-toned, and resonant; his manner is full of vigor, his language simple, yet eloquent and earnest. His step is firm and elastic. In habit he is an early riser.

CHAPTER VI.

EDUCATIONAL INSt.i.tUTIONS.

Having dealt with the places of wors.h.i.+p in the town, we now proceed to give an account of its schools; and among these the Grammar School, from its antiquity, as well as for other reasons, claims precedence.

This Inst.i.tution, on its present foundation, dates from the reign of Elizabeth, {91} one of whose special characteristics was her warm interest in education, which led her to encourage her n.o.bles, and more wealthy subjects, to promote the cause. The Reformation had given an impetus towards emanc.i.p.ation from the ignorance which prevailed in Popish times, when the monasteries were almost the only centres of enlightenment-if so it could be called.

Henry VIII. did little or nothing towards relighting the torch, which had been held up by the monks, whom he abolished. His successor, Edward VI., founded a few grammar schools; among them being, in our own neighbourhood, those at Spilsby, Louth, and Grantham. During the brief reign of the Popish Mary, the movement was again checked; but Elizabeth, herself a cultivated scholar, rekindled the general interest in educational progress.

The t.i.tle deeds of the school are unfortunately lost, which would have shewn to what extent it was then endowed, but doc.u.ments exist belonging to the school, which prove the conveyance of certain lands, by John Neale of Horncastle, in the 17th year of Elizabeth (A.D. 1575); he being one of the first 10 Governors appointed in accordance with the rules of the foundation.

A useful little volume was published in 1894 by the late Dr. Robert Jalland, then Senior Governor of the school, containing its history, from the date of the Elizabethan foundation, gathered from various doc.u.ments and minute books, preserved in the office of the Clerk of the Governors; from which we cull the following particulars:

In the 13th year of her reign (1571), by Letters Patent dated at Westminster, June 25, Elizabeth granted to her ”well-beloved and faithful counsellor, and subject, Edward Fynes, Knight of the most n.o.ble Order of the Garter, Lord Clinton and Saye, High Admiral of England,” that, at his prayer, ”a Grammar School should be established in the town of Horncastle, for the good education of boys and youths, living there, and about the neighbouring parts, habitants and comerants.” {92a} This was to be called ”The Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth, in the Town and Soke of Horncastle of the foundation of (the said) Edward, Lord Clynton,”

&c., {92b} ”to continue for ever.” It was to consist of ”a Master and Sub-Master, or Usher,” and the ”lands, tenements, revenues, reversions, and other hereditaments, for the support of the school, were granted, a.s.signed, and appointed,” for their better management, ”to 10 discreet and honest men, who (should) be styled Governors.”

The first Governors appointed were Clement Monk, clerk; John Smith, clerk; John Sackeverill, gent.; Thomas Litter, gent.; Geo. Hargrave, gent.; Thos. Raithbecke, yeoman; John Neale, yeoman; Thos. Hamerton, yeoman; Willm. Ward, yeoman; Willm. Harrison, yeoman. They were const.i.tuted ”a body corporate,” having a ”common seal, to hold, to manage the revenues of the school, and empowered to spend, and invest, the income at their discretion,” to appoint the teachers, and successors in the governing body, as vacancies should, by death, occur.

The property of the school, either from the original, or later, {92c} endowments, consists of lands, tenements, ground and quit rents, in Horncastle, or in the Wildmore Fen allotment of the same, land and tenement in Hemingby, lands in Winthorpe, Huttoft, Sutton, and in Thornton a payment of 12 a year in lieu of former land, {92d} with certain moneys invested in Government Consols and Indian Stock.

The rental of the school property has varied at various periods. At the time of the civil war, when the neighbourhood was more or less in a state of anarchy, there is no record, for some years, of the Governors having even met to dispense payments; and the Head Master's salary was only 10.

In 1735 it amounted to 42, and that of the Usher to 21; but in 1753 there was a reduction to 30 for the Head Master, and 15 to the Usher, owing to money having to be ”borrowed for the exigenceys of the school.”

In 1786 the income of the school rose to 529; the highest point which it seems ever to have attained was 877, in 1854. In that year the Head Master's stipend is not specified, but two years later it was 235, with capitation fees amounting to 251 odd.

In 1780 the Head Master was the Rev. C. L'Oste; he was also Rector of Langton by Horncastle, and a good scholar. He published a translation, in verse, of Grotius on _The Christian Religion_. It was printed at the Cambridge University Press, dedicated to the Bishop of Lincoln, with a very distinguished list of subscribers. {93}Differences arose between him and the Governors, and in Sept., 1782, he was served with a notice to quit, at the end of six months, for neglect of his duties. He refused to give up office, counsel's opinion was taken by the Governors, Mr. L'Oste pleaded in his own defence. The Governors gave notice of a trial at the a.s.sizes. No result, however, is recorded, and Mr. L'Oste retained office until his death in 1818.

[Picture: The Grammar School]

The year 1854 marked the close of the career of the most remarkable Head Master who ever ruled the school. The Rev. John Bainbridge Smith, D.D., had entered on his duties April 10, 1818, succeeding Mr. L'Oste. Coming to the post as an entirely unknown man, of comparatively humble origin, but of great energy, he soon acquired a leading position in the town and neighbourhood; becoming Rector of Martin, Rector of Sotby, and Vicar of Baumber. He was the author of several standard works on Divinity. Under him the school achieved such a reputation that, besides the day scholars, he had a large number of boarders coming from Scotland, Ireland, Devons.h.i.+re, London, and even Jersey and France. His end was unfortunately as remarkable as his career. Returning by train from Lincoln he fell asleep, and being roused at Kirkstead by the porter giving the name of the station, and the night being dark, he did not perceive that the train was again in motion, and springing out of the carriage, he fell a few yards beyond the platform and broke his neck.

The porter found him lying helpless, but alive, on the line. He was carefully conveyed to his residence at Horncastle, and lingered alive several weeks, retaining his mental faculties, but having no sense of feeling below his neck. At length he recovered slight feeling in his legs and feet, and probably tempted by this to make an effort to move, he was found one morning dead in his bed.

The Duke of Newcastle, who owned property in Baumber (where, as we have said, Dr. Smith was Inc.u.mbent), appointed him his private chaplain; and the Doctor's youngest daughter, Sarah Katherine, married the Rev. Henry Fiennes Clinton, a near relative of the Duke, and a descendant of the founder of the school, Lord Clinton and Saye.

The school building has not always occupied the site on which it now stands. As shewn in Stukeley's plan of the town, printed in 1722, it stood in the north-east corner of the school yard. In 1772 that structure was found to be in a ruinous condition, and the present building was erected, being opened for use at Midsummer 1778. A cla.s.sroom was added at the south end in 1855, and more recently another small room put up at the north end. The residence of the Head Master was formerly a small low cottage, but it was considerably enlarged in the early part of the 19th century, and in 1858 a new wing was added at the north end.

In 1847 two ”Clinton” Exhibitions were founded by the Governors, of 50 a year, to be held for four years, by scholars going to the University.

For lack of such scholars this was granted to Clement Madely Smith, youngest son of Dr. Smith, the Head Master, who studied for the medical profession, in London. No further appointment however was made, as in 1848 the Governors decided that they had no authority so to employ the funds at their disposal.