An XVII Century Who’s Who?
Published in Windlesora 05 (1986)
WLHG
Appeals to the consciences of people of goodwill and substance have long provided a method of raising money for worthy causes. In November 1705 a public subscription was launched in Windsor to provide a Free School for 70 poor children (40 boys and 30 girls). The original subscription list which bears the names of 48 benefactors on a piece of vellum (8″ x 12″) is preserved to this day at The Princess Margaret Royal Free School. Many of the names are quite illegible but I have recently located a fair copy made at the time and from this I have been able to identify almost all the Founders of Windsor’s oldest educational charity that is now known as the Royal Free Foundation.
In a preamble written in a fine copperplate hand (dated November 3rd 1705) is stated “Whereas there is a considerable number of children in this Town and Parish of New Windsor, who have little or no education given them, through the Povertie of their Parents. ‘Tis now agreed and resolved upon by the chief inhabitants (with whom ye Dean and Canons have likewise expressed their readiness to concur) in setting up a Charity School for that purpose. And accordingly we whose Names are underwritten do subscribe for promoting so pious and useful a work in manner following“.
It would appear that this venture to provide Windsor with a Free School was organised jointly by the Mayor and Corporation of Windsor, the Dean and Canons of St. George’s Chapel and the Vicar of Windsor. This early partnership is still reflected in the composition of the Royal Free Trustees and also in the present day Royal Free Schools which are maintained jointly by the local authority and the Church.
The organisers of the scheme were fortunate in gaining the support of Queen Anne and Prince George who subscribed £50 and £30 per annum respectively. Other subscribers followed the royal example and wrote their names, and the amount they were willing to contribute, on the vellum sheet.
The list of subscribers reads like an 18th century Who’s Who of Windsor. As far as I am aware the names have not been published before so I have included them here along with brief biographical details.
The Subscribers
| Queen Anne | (1665-1714) | Daughter of James II and last Sovereign of the House of Stuart, 1702-14. |
| H.R.H. Prince George | (1653-1708) | The Queen’s consort, brother of King Christian V of Denmark. |
| Northumberland | (1665-1716) | George Fitzroy, Youngest illegitimate son of Barbara Palmer by King Charles II. Duke of Northumberland, KG 1684, Constable of Windsor Castle & High Steward of the Borough of New Windsor, 1701-02. Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards 1702. |
| C. Northumberland | (? -1714) | Catherine Lucy, widow of Thomas Lucy of Charlecote and daughter of Robert Wheatley of Bracknell. Married (clandestinely) George Fitzroy (above) 1685. |
| The Mayor, Bailiffs and Burgesses | The Mayor in 1705 was Samuel Gilman Apothecary. Held office four times d.1730. The Bailiffs were: > William Sumner (1667-1728) > Tailor. His son John (1705-1772) became Head Master of Eton. > Richard Reeve Cornchandler d. 732. The Burgesses were the Benchers and Aldermen (town council) 28 or 30 of the more responsible inhabitants. | |
| St. Albans | (1670-1726) | Charles Beauclerk, illegitimate son of Charles II by Nell Gwynne. Created First Duke of St. Albans 1684. Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire 1714-26. |
| D. St. Albans | (d.1742) | Diana second daughter of Aubrey de Vere 20th Earl of Oxford and his second wife Diana Kirke. Married Duke of St. Albans 1694. |
| E. of Ranelagh | (1641-1712) | Richard Jones 3rd Viscount and Ist Earl of Ranelagh, pupil of John Milton, Paymaster General. Convicted of misappropriating £72,000. Expelled from House of Commons 1703. Founded a Free School at Cranbourne in 1709. No obvious Windsor connection. |
| Fitzharding | (1650-1712) | John Berkeley, 4th Viscount Fitzharding of Berehaven (Co. Kerry), MP for Windsor 1695-1710. |
| Richard Topham | MP for Windsor during period 1697-1713. | |
| G. Lyttelton | (1640-1717) | Major George, 12th Son of Sir Thomas Lyttelton Bt Co. Worcester. |
| Elizabeth Lyttleton | His wife. | |
| Jane Roughty | Not identified. | |
| Hen. Proctor | Understeward or Recorder of Borough, 1659-1661. | |
| J. Bruch | (1675-1712) | Apothecary, son of Matthias Bruch. |
| Thos. Dawson | (1676-1741) | Vicar of New Windsor 1703-41. Son of George Dawson (Vicar of Sunninghill). Author of Memoirs of St. George the English Patron and of the most Noble Order of the Garter, published 1714. |
| Wm. Paull | (d.1711) | MP for Windsor in 1701-13. |
| T. Reeve | (d.1737) | Sir Thomas Reeve. Married Annabelle sister of Richard Topham. Knighted 1733, Lord Chief Justice 1736. Bequeathed £100 to the School. |
| Eliz. Hale | (d.1731) | Elizabeth wife of Dr Richard Hale Esq. who died in 1728 and bequeathed £500 to the School. |
| Lend. Wooddson | (1658-1717) | Leonard Wooddson, son of Mr John Wooddson (Clerk to Mayor Bayliffs and Burgesses) Married Jane Lloyd in 1687. |
| Leon Wetherley | (d.1714) | Lionel. Little else known. |
| Mr Randue | (1642-1724) | Theodore Randue. Housekeeper at Windsor Castle. Borough Alderman and Chamberlain. Left £500 “to buy or build a house for the School“. |
| Mr Peisley | (d.1716) | William Peisley. Understeward, or Recorder 1690-1716. Freeman of the Borough 1699 |
| Mr Goldwin | (1667-1719) | John Golding, son of John Golding and Ann Towers. Organist at St. George’s Chapel. |
| Mr Fishbourn | (d.1710) | Richard Fishbourn, one of the King’s loyal subjects 1683. |
| Mr Wm Davis | (1666-1720) | William, son of John Davis, Apothecary, Mayor of Windsor 1714-15. |
| Mr Scott | (d.1710) | Robert Scott, Haberdasher. Freeman of the Borough. |
| Mr Hook (Gov.P.K.) | (1622-1707) | Captain Edmund Hook of Bramshott Co. Hants. Governor of Poor Knights, Windsor Castle 1703-07. |
| Mr Gilman | The Mayor of Windsor (see above). | |
| Mrs Foot | Wife of Topham Foot a Freeman of the Borough. | |
| Mr Lockett | Possibly David Lockett of Maidenhead (married at St. George’s 1699). |
The Dean & Canons of St. George’s Chapel
| The Dean & Canons in 1705 were: | Dr Gregory Haskard, d.1708, Dean 1684-1708. Robert Young d.1716 Canon 1673-1716. Maurice Vaughan (1660-1722) Canon 1695-1722. Edward Jones (1653-1737) Canon 1684-1737. Samuel Pratt DD (1657-1723) Canon 1697-1713. John Hern DD d.1707 Canon 1690-1705. John Wickart DD (1652-1722) Canon 1684-1722, Also Dean of Winchester from 1693. Lord Willoughby de Broke, d.1728, Canon 1701-14 Dean from 1714. Thomas Manningham, d.1722 Canon 1693-1709, Dean 1709. John Mesnard DD d.1727, Canon 1689-1727. William Fleetwood DD (1656- 1723) Canon 1702-08, Bishop of St. Asaph 1708, Bishop of Ely 1714. William Cave DD d.1713, Canon 1684-1713. John Hartcliffe. | |
| Lord Bishop of Sarum | (1643-1715) | Gilbert Burnet was Bishop of Salisbury 1689-1715 in whose Diocese Windsor then was. Wrote History of the Reformation. |
| Mr Godolphin | (1678-1766) | Francis, son of Sydney 1st Earl Godolphin, was MP for Helston Co. Cornwall, later 2nd Earl and Governor of Isles of Scilly. |
| Lady Harriet Godolphin | (1681-1733) | b. Henrietta Churchill dau. of Duke & Duchess of Marlborough. Married Francis Godolphin 1698. Became Duchess of Marlborough in her own right 1722. |
| A. Fresheville | (? d.1717) | Anne Charlotte, daughter of Sir Henry de Vic, Bt. and Margaret dau. of Sir Philip Carteret. Married Lord Fresheville of Staveley 1666. A Lady of the Queen’s Bedchamber. |
| S. Marlborough | (1660-1744) | Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, wife of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough and Commander in Chief. Mother of Lady Henrietta Godolphin. Sarah was a bosom friend of the Queen. |
| Admiral Churchill | (1654-1710) | George Churchill younger brother of Duke of Marlborough. Member of the Council of Prince George of Denmark. |
| Mr Horne | Thomas Horne, Rector of Clewer 1702-1720 and Chaplain to Duke of St. Albans. Son of Thomas Horne, Master of Eton College. | |
| Mr Clark | Possibly Christopher Clark, cutler. | |
| Mr Pearman | Possibly James Pearman a citizen and deal merchant of London. | |
| Mr Rutter | (d.1726) | Thomas Rutter, Tallow Chandler. Four times Mayor of Windsor. |
| Mr Porter | (1646-1712) | John Porter, Son of Thomas Porter. Brewer. Twice Mayor of Windsor. Bequeathed 20 Shillings a year for ever to the School (Porter’s Charity). |
| Mr Vial | (1624-1707) | Richard Voyl Gent. |
| Mr Giles Sanders | (d.1727) | Alderman and twice Mayor of Windsor. |
| Capt. Mineis | (d.1709) | John Mineis. |
| Mr Thos. Hall | Not identified. |
The total annual value of the subscriptions to the charity was £201.19.6 (This is approximately equivalent to £8000 at 1985 prices).
It is clear that, even in 1705, this sum was insufficient to meet all the costs of building and equipping a school and paying the salaries of a Master and Mistress. We know that a Master and Mistress were appointed by the Mayor, the Dean and the Vicar in 1705 and that children were provided with free education and clothing. In the absence of a school building, it has been suggested that the School was held in the Vestry of the Parish Church.
In 1724 plans for a building for a School were well advanced. A house in Church Lane was purchased and additional land behind this was taken in from the church yard. Theodore Randue, one of the original founders, and a great Windsor benefactor died in April 1724. In his will (dated 5th February 1724) he bequeathed £500 “to buy or build a house for the School”. By a stroke of good money management the total cost of the new school which was completed about 1725 or 1726 amounted to £510.0.8
This Wren style building which still stands on the corner of Church Lane and St. Alban’s Street is now a Masonic Hall. It was used by the Free School until 1862 when it moved to new and larger premises on the west side of Bachelors’ Acre.
John R. Townend
Bibliography
The First Hall Book of the Borough of New Windsor 1653-1725 ed. Bond S.M. 1968.
Ollard Canon S.L., Fasti Wyndesorienses: The Deans and Canons of Windsor. 1950.
Royal Free Trustees, Trustees Book Vol.l, 1705-1810 (unpublished).
Parish of New Windsor Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials (unpublished).
The Royal Free Schools Windsor Berkshire 1705-1955, a commemorative book 1955.
Tighe R.R. & Davis J.E., Annals of Windsor Vol II 1858.
Dictionary of National Biography.
Acknowledgements
The Trustees of the Royal Free Foundation for use of the Subscription List, and the Rector and Churchwardens of Windsor parish for the sketches of the parish church and school.
Windsor Local History Group 