t be holidays at
Whitsuntide and not more than a month in the Summer, and so nothing
could be done.

Perhaps as a man he was too impetuous and slightly intolerant, and,
though it would have been difficult for the most godly of men to keep a
school alive and progressing under such conditions, it was quite
impossible for him to hope to succeed, unless he kept the staff upon his
side. But he quarrelled with John Howson, the Usher, on two distinct
occasions, one on a question of discipline and one with regard to a
French Class that he caused to be held during School hours in his own
house, by a man of his own choice. On both occasions the immediate cause
of disagreement was but the final spark of a smouldering and mutual
discontent, and it is impossible to distribute the blame.

The Modern Language Master was placed upstairs in the High School and a
space was partitioned off for him from the main part of the room, where
Mr. Langhorne was giving Elementary Instruction. Such an arrangement was
not entirely suitable and the French Classes were afterwards taken in
the room which had been especially built for them next to the Library.

The next months saw the gradual development of a situation that caused
Dr. Butterton's retirement. The Rev. John Howson also showed signs of so
serious an illness that he expressed his readiness to retire, should
some suitable arrangement be made. The Governors agreed to give him a
pension of L120 a year.

Dr. Butterton's Headmastership cannot be dismissed without a reference
to certain customs that were prevalent in his time. Down the centre of
the pathway that runs alongside the School palings on to the main road
there is a black stone fixed in the ground. This was a familiar place of
torture. Every new boy was taken thither and made to sit down heavily on
its top. It was a custom that continued for some years, until the
removal of the School buildings to their present position took away the
temptation. The distribution of Figs and Bread on March 12 still
continued but cock-fighting had gradually died out. It had long been the
custom to use the Figs as missiles and the objects of attack were
Masters, Governors, spectators and even Ladies. It is very difficult to
say whether March 12, was ever a day on which the Masters used to
collect money gifts from the boys. Potation Day was the customary day
for such offerings in many schools, but at Giggleswick the practice of
receiving money from the S