th of Gyllyswyke in Crawen within the
countie of york." He and his successors contracted to pay a full or
rack-rent of xij_d._ of lawful English money every year and an
additional vj_s._ viij_d._ as often as it might be desired to extend the
lease. It was also provided that "whensoever the same James Karr shall
change his naturall lyfe that then it shalbe lawful, as ofte tymes as it
shalbe nedful, to the vicar of ye churche afforsaid for the tyme beyng
and kyrkmasters of the same, heires, executors, and assignes to the said
James Karr, jontlie, to elect one person beyng within holye orders, to
be scole master of the gramer scole afforsaid." Such Schoolmaster had
not only to be within "holye orders" but also to receive a license to
teach from the Prior of Durham. Not till the nineteenth century was
teaching a grammar or classical school regarded as a profession
independent of the Church.

The half acre that he thus obtained was ordered to be enclosed and James
Carr agrees that he will keep or cause to be kept there "one gramer
scole" building it "at hys awne propyr charges and costes."

The _Gentleman's Magazine_ in 1786 contains a letter from a
correspondent describing the school that Carr built. It was low, small
and irregular and consisted of two stages, whereof at that period the
upper one was used for writing, etc., that is to say for elementary
education, probably reading, writing and arithmetic; the lower stage on
the other hand was used for advanced teaching. This would include the
elaborate classical curriculum common to almost every school and to
which we shall return later. On the North side there was a small
projecting building, which before 1786 had contained a tolerable
collection of books but at that time they had been dispersed. The date
of the completion of the building is fixed by an inscription on a stone
which was placed almost above one of the doors and is still preserved
in the modern Big School.

Alma dei mater, defende malis Jacobum Car:
Presbiteris, quoque clericulis domus hec fit in anno
Mil' quin' cen' duoden'. Jesu nostri miserere:
Senes cum junioribus laudent nomen Domini.

Kindly Mother of God, defend James Car from ill. For priests
and young clerks this house is made in 1512. Jesus, have mercy
upon us.
Old men and children praise the name of the Lord.

The inscription is an ingenious but not altogether happy