Monument record 1160/20/1 - Northampton Free School/Grammar School

In 1556 the site and church of St. Gregory, then in ruins, was granted for a grammar school and the vicarage house as a dwelling for the master. The master's house may have originally been located on the south side of Gregory Street, but was later situated on Marefair. Early 19th-century illustrations of the school show it as a simple rectangular block approximately 23 m by 7 m with two rooms to the south about 9 m by 7.5 m and about 5 m by 5 m. By 1840 the school room was so dilapidated that it was almost entirely rebuilt. The remains of the Free School are located within a partially demolished Victorian shoe factory, which was known as Pateman's. Most of the remains date to the 1840 reconstruction.

{1} A small square building shown on south-west boundary of schoolyard.

{2} Considers likelihood of school in Northampton from C12th; original grammar school was founded by deed dated June 1541 by Thomas Chipsey; granted rents of land in Holcot & Coton to sustain free school in town; in further deed of 1541/2 use of house called The Lamb in Bridge Street as schoolhouse; became known as Song School; in 1557 corporation & parishioners petitioned for grant of St Gregory's church for schoolhouse; in deed of 1556/7 Cardinal Pole incorporated parish of St Gregory into All Saints; granted site & church of St Gregory thus rendered useless with its tower & bells & lead to mayor & parishioners for purpose of school. Priest's house granted as house for schoolmaster on undertaking that they kept both in good repair. Various records of school during C16/17th; details succession of masters; In 1605 when school was repaired by the corporation, the walls of school yard were mended & doors with latches provided; clear that by C17th school had taken in boarders; rules for entry into school laid down in 1817; 85 boys in school in 1818; details of charges made & number of free-schoolers included; in 1864 plans laid for new school buildings in Abington Square & St Gregorie's was sold; new school opened in 1867;

{3}Describes schoolhouse;

{4}1818 illustration of school building (before rebuilding in 1840); photograph of school building 1842-1864 following rebuilding; plan of building layout 1557-1864 shows it may not have been significantly altered. According to Lees parts of schoolyard wall fell down in 1702 due to storm damage.

{5}Old school buildings were demolished in 1840;

{6} Founder in 1542 of free school (Thomas Chipsey) did not provide schoolhouse so site & buildings of St Gregory's Church were granted in 1556 for grammar school; past pupils of school included Bishop of Chester Dr Thomas Cartwright & author Reverend James Hervey; Bishop of Durham Lord Crewe gave books of his collection towards formation of library; school buildings in Free-School Lane recently repaired; in 1840 ancient schoolroom in such ruinous state that was taken down & rebuilt so little of original fabric remains; number of scholars doubled in C19th;

{7}Early C19th illustrations indicate simple rectangular block 23m X 7m with two rooms to south about 9m x 7.5m & 5m x 5m; in 1840 school buildings were pulled down;

{8}Demolition of St Gregory's Church had begun before site granted to Free School; 1557 grant of St Gregory's Church for Free School by Cardinal Pole; translation of grant; would appear that remains of south aisle were used for school building & rest of church demolished; school roofed using local stone slates; new doorway constructed in west gable & west window blocked with insertion of smaller window; reconstructed site plan of 1586 showing Free School land including schoolhouse; two-storey wing & porch added sometime in C16/17th; school was repaired by corporation in 1605; Master's residence occupied Nos.7a&b-13a Marefair; in 1710 doorway was made into school out of "South Lane"; in 1837 building was closed for extensive repairs; reopened in 1842; 1860 photograph shows that radical alterations were made; school continued in use until 1864 when abandoned because structurally unsound; site put up for auction in 1867; 1899 insurance plan shows school building was incorporated into boot factory (Pateman's); demolition of C19th housing in 1978 revealed remains of stone building; stone walls 2-3m high; further demolition at later date revealed further masonry & blocked up window; probably remains of Free School which was constructed in 1557 from ruins of St Gregory's Church; early C20th recollections of ex-grammar-schoolboys;

The site of the Free School was bought for the construction of a shoe factory (Pateman's). Most of 1840's school construction retained & converted; insertion of replacement windows; east gable & C16th extension of school were demolished because in poor condition; gable & part of south wall rebuilt; developer retained historic setting of site by constructing entrance in stone with arched doorway & mock gothic window with fabricated timber tracery & mullions; additional accomodation achieved by excavation of cellar & addition of brick storey; even in latter attempt was made to recreate feeling of history of place by construction of large gothic window visible from Horseshoe Street. In 1990, the factory had been partially demolished, but remains of the Free School survived.

{9}Free School indicated by letter "Y"; building with gable to Gregory Street; chimney & central door shown; no indication of extensions to building;

{11}Shows rectangular building marked "School" & Free School Street widened to create triangular area in front of building;{10}Usher's room to south was built since church converted to school; over usher's room is library;

{12} The Free School is shown as an L-shaped building and there is a square building within the school yard at the junction between Free School Street & Gregory Street. Part of the northern boundary of the school is marked by a wall. The eastern boundary is shown running from the south-east corner of usher's room extension to Gregory Street.

{14}Grammar School viewed from south-west; tall east-west running range with two-storey south-eastern projecting wing & single storey porch; stone roof; chimmey stacks; appears to show blocked up west window of medieval church with recent window inserted; also central doorway in west end; print dated 1818 in Lees';

{15}Shows porch & south-east extension;

{13}Appears to show architectural detail of east end of school;

{16}Free School indicated by No.44; shows additional narrow extension between school & Gregory Street. There may have been a re-location of masters house; if originally priests house considered to lie south of church & school in Gregory Street certainly seems to be considered as lying north of school on Marefair by C18th.

{18}Recollections of ex-grammar-school-boy;

<1> NUNNS G., 1743, MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN2253.

<2> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.234-41 (checked) (Series). SNN100369.

<3> Cox Rev.J.C., 1898, Records of The Borough of Northampton, (unchecked) (Book). SNN3420.

<4> LEES T.C., 1947, A Short History of Northampton Grammar School 1541-1941, (unchecked) (Extract). SNN2244.

<5> SERJEANTSON R.M., 1901, HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, 85-9 (Uncertain). SNN2057.

<6> Wetton, 1849, Guidebook to Northampton and its Vicinity, p.35-36 (checked) (Book). SNN1032.

<7> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.379 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<8> Giggins B., 1990, Gregory Street, Northampton: a report on the development of St. Gregory's church and Northampton Free School, (unchecked) (Report). SNN2054.

<9> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (checked) (Map). SNN559.

<10> Bridges J., 1722, Northamptonshire Topography, p.25 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN2069.

<11> NUNNS G., 1743, MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN2071.

<12> Noble; Butlin, 1746, Town Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN430.

<13> 1822, ILLUSTRATION, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN2258.

<14> 1824, ILLUSTRATION, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN2261.

<15> BUCKLER, St Gregory's, NRO P/7247 DATED 18?? (Drawing). SNN2143.

<16> Wood; Law, 1847, Town Map of Northampton, (unchecked) (Map). SNN752.

<17> 1980, Medieval Archaeology (24), 230 (Journal). SNN55094.

<18> CHERRY J.L., 1902, NORTHAMPTON SEVENTY YEARS AGO, NPL 5623/198-18 (Article). SNN3334.

<19> Whellan, 1874, History, Topography & Directory of Northamptonshire, p.129; Handwritten notes in NDC SMR File M36;; (unchecked) (Book). SNN1002.

<20> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.55 (checked) (Series). SNN100370.

<21> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76SE40 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<22> Historic England, Undated, GRAMMAR SCHOOL, NORTHAMPTON, BF085099 (Archive). SNN115647.

Record last edited

Nov 16 2023 10:55AM