A large proportion of the grammar schools were founded in the reigns of Edward VI. and Elizabeth, and there is no doubt that the desire to give complete ascendency to the tenets of the Reformed Church was a motive which weighed strongly with many of the founders. Since the reign of Elizabeth we find grammar-schools occasionally established, but less frequently, while endowments for schools not grammar-schools have gradu ally increased so as to be much more numerous than the old schools. Foun dations of the latter kind are still made by the bounty of individuals from time to time ; and a recent Act of Parliament (2 & 3 Wm. IV. c. 115) has made it law ful to give money by will for the esta blishing of Roman Catholic schools. The statute of the 9th Geo. II. c. 36, commonly called the Mortmain Act, has placed certain restrictions on gifts by will for charitable purposes, which restrictions consequently extend to donations by will for the establishment or support of schools. [MORTMAIN.] The history of our grammar-schools before the Reformation would be a large part of the history of education in Eng land, for up to that time there were pro bably no other schools. From the time of the Reformation, and particularly till within the last half-century, the gram mar-schools of England were the chief places of early instruction for all those who received a liberal training. From these often humble and unpretending edi fices has issued a series of names illus trious in the annals of their country--a succession of men, often of obscure pa rentage and stinted means, who have jus tified the wisdom of the founders of grammar-schools in providing education for those who would otherwise have been without it, and thus securing to the state the services of the best of her children. Though circumstances are now greatly changed, there is nothinWin the present condition of the country which renders it prudent to alter the foundation of these schools to any great extent ; and cer tainly there is every reason for support ing them in all the integrity of their revenues, and for labouring to make them as efficient as their means will allow. In the conflict of parties who are disputing about education, but in fact rather con tending for other things—in the competi tion of private schools, which from their nature most be conducted by the propri etor with a view to a temporary purpose— and in the attempt made to form pro prietory establishments which shall com bine the advantages of grammar-schools and private schools, and shall not labour under the defects of either—we see no certain elements on which to rest our hopes of a sound education being secured to the youth of the middle and upper classes of this country. The old gram mar-schools, on the whole, possess a bet ter organization than anything that has yet been attempted, and though circum stances demand changes in many of them, they require no changes which shall es sentially alter their character. In the
present state of affairs, these are specially the schools for the middle classes who belong to the Established Church, and it is their interest to cherish and support them.
Digests of the whole body of Reports made by the Commissioners for Inquiry into Charities have been prepared and presented to both Houses of Parliament (1842). Two of these volumes, folios of 825 pages and 829 pages respectively, called an Analytical Digest, are ar ranged according to the alphabetical order of every county in England, in North Wales, and in South Wales ; and under the head of every city and parish in each county are given the following particulars (the cities and parishes are arranged in alphabetical order):—The name of the charity or donor ; for what purpose each charity is applicable ; the quantity of land and number of houses ; the rent paid for the same ; the amount of unimprovable rents and rent-charges, with the amount of land-tax, if any, de ducted therefrom ; the amount of per sonal property, distinguishing money in the funds, on mortgage, or on personal or other security, or to be applied by way of loan, with or without interest ; the total income of each charity ; and a co lumn of observations.
The first volume of the Analytical Di gest contains a reference to the volume and page of each Report.
Such ecclesiastical presentations as are mentioned in the Reports are noticed in the Digest at the end of each county. The Digest concludes with a similar statement of those which are reported on by the Commissioners under the head of General Charities.
The second part of the Return (a folio of 691 pages) contains a more particular Digest of all schools and charities for Education. It is divided into three parts: the first relating to Grammar schools, viz., in which Greek or Latin is required to be, or is in fact, taught ; secondly, Schools not Classical ; and thirdly, Cha rities for Education not attached to En dowed Schools, which include donations for the support of Sunday-schools.
A good deal has been written on the subject of endowments for education from time to time. There are several articles on endowed schools in the 'Journal of Education,' and an article on endow ments in England for the purposes of Education, in the second volume of the publications of the Central Society of Education, by George Long. The evi dence before the select committee of the House of Commons in 1835, contains much valuable information. In 1840 a sensible pamphlet on grammar-schools appeared in the form of a letter to Sir R. H. Inglis, by the Honourable Daniel Finch, for twenty years a charity commis sioner. We are indebted to this letter for several facts and suggestions.