The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-12 00:00:00

IN RE BL`GBY FREE SCHOOL,

The petitioner in this case prayed that it might be declared
by the Court that several alterations made in the arrangement
of the school, and in the election to exhibitions, and in the
class of inhabitants to whom the benefit of the school was con-
fined, might be declared to have been improperly made, and
ought to be rectified ; that the trustees might be restrained
from electing any foreigner to such exhibition in any case
where a free boy was willing and fit to be elected, and
that the benefit of the school might be extended o the inhabi-
tants of Rugby, and those residing within twelves miles
thereof, of whatever duration their residence there might have
been.

Mr. PEMBERTON, for the petitioners, stated that the petition
was presented as well under the Act of the 52d of Geo. 111.,
as under the provisions of c-rtain Acts that had been passed
for the reguulation of the school ; and the object of it was to
have what the petitioners considered to he abuses valid' had
crept into the administration of this very important and useful
foundation, corrected under the authority of the Court. These
abuses consisted principally in alterations made in the constitu-
tion of the school, which, although more convenient for wealthy
persons, and individuals who desired to attain great learning,
had rendered the foundation less useful to that class of persons
for whose benefit the charity was established. The petitioner
also complained that the exhibitions were disposed of by the
Trustees, not for the benefit of free scholars, but for the bene-
fit of strangers, and that the Trustees had by certain regula-
tions, not warranted by the rules of the founder, or by any
thing that had been done by the Court confined the benefit of
the charity in a manner that could not be justified by requir-
ing that the inhabitants whose sons were to participate in the
advantages of the foundation should have resided for two
years in the town of Rugby. By an instrument dated the 22d
of July, 1567, Lawrence Sheriff, citizen and grocer of London,
conveyed certain property to Trustees in trust, that after his
decease they should, with the profit of the premises, and with
such money as he should leave by his will, build near to the
Mansion-house of Lawrence Sheriff, in Rugby, a convenient
school-house, and four lodgiNgs for four poor men, and should
cause " an honest, discreet, and learned man, being a Master
of Arts," to be retained to teach a free grammar school in
the school-house, which should serve chiefly for the children
of Rugby and of Brownscover, in the county of Warwick,
and next for such as should be of places thereunto adjoining.
The schoolmaster was to have the mansion-house to dwell in
and a yearly sllary of 121. By the same deed directions were
given for the appointment of four poor men from time to time,
who were to, occupy the four lodgings so to be built; and
they were to receive each seven pence by the week,
and were to be called " The Almsmen of Lawrence
Sheriff, of London, grocer," Lawrence Sheriff made his
will on the same 22d of July, by which he bequeathed to his
trustees 501. towards the building of the school-house and
alms-houses, and 1001. for the purchase of land, of at least
the clear yearly value of 45/ , to be conveyed to the use ex-
pressed in the deed, but by a codicil he revoked the legacy
of 100/ , and gave to his trustees upon the tame trusts
a third part of a freehold in Middlesex. The testator died in
1568, and out of the monies he left, a school and almshouses
were erected at Rugby.
Mr. PEMBERTON, after stating the different rules and regu-
lations that had been adopted from time, to time for the ma.
nagement of the school, proceeded to read the hffidavits.
The Learned Gentleman had not concluded when we left.