Chudleigh Devon
The old grammar school in Fore Street, Chudleigh Devon now a private house, stands in Fore Street just to the south of the church;
"John Pynsent of Lincolnes Inne esq, boren in this p(ar)ish hath erected this for a free schoole & indowed it with thitie poundes pannum for ever 1668"
His coat of arms are a chevron between three stars.
John Pynsent born in Chudleigh, married Mary Clifford and became a wealthy civil servant at Westminster. He never forgot his roots, and in 1666 he expressed his intent to erect a school here for the free education of the children of the parish. He negotiated with Lord Clifford and the leading parishioners of the time to acquire 'part of the sporting place adjacent to the church yard amounting to one acre'. The ground was walled off for a garden, orchard and playground. The school was duly built to accommodate 20 boys, together with the schoolmaster's house. This would appear to be the whole front of the house as it stands today with the school room to the left and the master's house to the right.
Due to delays caused by the executors in administering his will, the house was not completed until the early 1680s and the charity not formally established until a decree in Chancery was issued in 1682.
His plans were for a free school for all the parishioners and inhabitants of Chudleigh for ever, without payment of any sum of money to the schoolmaster for the teaching of children. The schoolmaster was to be " of good name, manners and teaching and conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England'.
Sadly he died in 1668 at his estate in Croydon, Surrey before the school was completed and his wishes were never fully implemented. He was buried in St John the Baptist Church, Croydon and a large memorial erected which was lost in a serious fire in the 1930s.
By his will he also left to 5 poor boys yearly, £3 a piece for five years towards buying them books and clothes. However there appears to have been no endowment funds for this to continue.
Each of the schoolmasters were to take Holy Orders. They were appointed for life and were paid £30 per annum The remainder of their income was drawn from the pupils fees. Out of the total income, the Master was responsible for the running costs of the school together with the repair of the buildings.
In early 20c many of the small endowed grammar schools either closed or were incorporated into the state system. At the close of 1912 only five pupils remained and the decision was made to close the school on 31 July 1913. The scholarship boys were sent to Newton Abbot Secondary School and their fees and maintenance paid. The property was sold to Mr Mackay (one of the teachers) for £700. It was sold below the market value 'as some slight reward for all the years of his teaching life at a meagre salary'. The school became the home of the Mackay family thereafter until c1925
Later it became the home of Major Fleetwood Hugo Pellew and his wife Violet (nee Du Pre) After their deaths in 1961 and 1964 it was run as a boarding house / B & B
chudleighhistorygroup.uk/articles/pynsents_school.html
Picture with thanks - copyright Maigheach-gheal CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/929706 & www.geograph.org.uk/photo/929703
Chudleigh Devon
The old grammar school in Fore Street, Chudleigh Devon now a private house, stands in Fore Street just to the south of the church;
"John Pynsent of Lincolnes Inne esq, boren in this p(ar)ish hath erected this for a free schoole & indowed it with thitie poundes pannum for ever 1668"
His coat of arms are a chevron between three stars.
John Pynsent born in Chudleigh, married Mary Clifford and became a wealthy civil servant at Westminster. He never forgot his roots, and in 1666 he expressed his intent to erect a school here for the free education of the children of the parish. He negotiated with Lord Clifford and the leading parishioners of the time to acquire 'part of the sporting place adjacent to the church yard amounting to one acre'. The ground was walled off for a garden, orchard and playground. The school was duly built to accommodate 20 boys, together with the schoolmaster's house. This would appear to be the whole front of the house as it stands today with the school room to the left and the master's house to the right.
Due to delays caused by the executors in administering his will, the house was not completed until the early 1680s and the charity not formally established until a decree in Chancery was issued in 1682.
His plans were for a free school for all the parishioners and inhabitants of Chudleigh for ever, without payment of any sum of money to the schoolmaster for the teaching of children. The schoolmaster was to be " of good name, manners and teaching and conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England'.
Sadly he died in 1668 at his estate in Croydon, Surrey before the school was completed and his wishes were never fully implemented. He was buried in St John the Baptist Church, Croydon and a large memorial erected which was lost in a serious fire in the 1930s.
By his will he also left to 5 poor boys yearly, £3 a piece for five years towards buying them books and clothes. However there appears to have been no endowment funds for this to continue.
Each of the schoolmasters were to take Holy Orders. They were appointed for life and were paid £30 per annum The remainder of their income was drawn from the pupils fees. Out of the total income, the Master was responsible for the running costs of the school together with the repair of the buildings.
In early 20c many of the small endowed grammar schools either closed or were incorporated into the state system. At the close of 1912 only five pupils remained and the decision was made to close the school on 31 July 1913. The scholarship boys were sent to Newton Abbot Secondary School and their fees and maintenance paid. The property was sold to Mr Mackay (one of the teachers) for £700. It was sold below the market value 'as some slight reward for all the years of his teaching life at a meagre salary'. The school became the home of the Mackay family thereafter until c1925
Later it became the home of Major Fleetwood Hugo Pellew and his wife Violet (nee Du Pre) After their deaths in 1961 and 1964 it was run as a boarding house / B & B
chudleighhistorygroup.uk/articles/pynsents_school.html
Picture with thanks - copyright Maigheach-gheal CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/929706 & www.geograph.org.uk/photo/929703