THE MIRROR
OF
LITERATURE, AMUSEMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.
| Vol. XIII. No. 359. | SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1829. | PRICE 2d. |
RUGBY SCHOOL
RUGBY SCHOOL
On the eastern border of Warwickshire, about 13 miles from Coventry, and16 from Warwick, stands the cheerful town of Rugby, a place of greatantiquity, but of little note previous to the erection of a grammar-schoolthere, towards the close of the sixteenth century. The circumstances underwhich this school was founded, and the rank it has attained among ourclassical seminaries, may probably be interesting to the reader.
Rugby School was founded in the ninth year of Elizabeth, by LawrenceSheriff, grocer, of London, chiefly as a free grammar-school for thechildren of the parishes of Rugby and Brownsover, and places adjacent. Forthe accommodation of the master, who was, "if it conveniently might be, tobe ever a Master of Arts," he bequeathed a messuage at Rugby, in which itis probable he had himself resided during the last few years of his life,and he directed that there should be built, near this residence, a fairand convenient school-house, to defray which expense, and of a contiguousalmshouse, he bequeathed the revenue of the rectory of Brownsover, and athird portion of twenty-four acres of land, situate in Lamb's ConduitFields, "near London," and termed the Conduit Close. These eight acreswere of trivial value at the period; and in 1653, the trustees of theproperty paid the schoolmaster a salary of 12l. a year, and each of thealms-men 7s. 7d. In 1686, the Lamb's Conduit property was leased forfifty years at 50l. per annum. The metropolis increased, and stretchingone of its Briareusian arms in this direction, the once neglected fieldrose in value, and in 1702 (thirty-four years before the expiration of theabove term) the trustees granted a fresh lease to William (afterwards SirWilliam) Milman, of forty-three years, to commence at the termination ofthe former lease. Building was not then a mania, and Sir William obtainedhis term for 60l. per annum; so that until the year 1780, the annualproduce of the estate belonging to the Rugby charity, was only 116l.17s. 6d.! But, shortly after the grant of an extended term to Sir W.Milman, handsome streets of family houses sprung up, and it was computedthat a ground-rent of at least 1,600l. would accrue to the charity onthe expiration of his lease. A much greater income has, in fact, arisen,[pg 146]and the revenues will be materially increased on the termination of thepresent leases.
The flourishing finances of this noble institution are well managed bytwelve trustees, chosen from the nobility and gentry of the country.1
The ancient buildings of the Rugby seminary were a humble tenement for theschoolmaster, a principal school-room, and two or three additionalschool-rooms, built at different times, as the finances would allow. Thesebeing found too limited, in 1808 the trustees commenced the erection ofthe present