od, and had been wont to "pray for the sowle of the founder
(James Carr) and all Cristen sowles and to synge Mass every Friday of
the name of Jhesu and of the Saterday of our Lady." He had also to be
"sufficientlie sene in playnsonge and gramer and to helpe dyvyne service
in the church."

Thus in addition to his chantry duties he had to perform the double
office of Grammer and Song Schoolmaster, and the work proving too heavy
for him he left money to provide the maintenance of a second Master.
Thomas Iveson received this money and probably acted either as an Usher
or as Song Schoolmaster. Many schools in England employed a Master to
teach music but during the sixteenth century a change was gradually
taking place. Many Song Schools ceased to exist and everywhere the song
master became of less importance. In 1520 Horman had written "No man can
be a grammarian without a knowledge of music;" Roger Ascham, although he
quoted with approval Galen's maxim "Much music marreth man's manners"
considered that its study within certain limits was useful; and in 1561
Mulcaster declared that all elementary schools should teach Reading,
Writing, Drawing and Music. Music then was no longer a part of the
general curriculum, but was chiefly restricted to the Cathedral Choir
Schools, where the young chorister had a career opened up for him either
in the church or as a member of a troupe of boy-actors. It is therefore
of some interest to find that in 1548 the Master at Giggleswick had a
knowledge of plainsong as well as grammar.

[Illustration: Decoration]

CHAPTER II.

1553-1592.

Giggleswick Church had been given to the Priory of Finchale by Henry de
Puteaco about 1200, and Finchale was a cell of the Prior and Convent of
Durham. So from that date till the Dissolution of the Monasteries the
Priors continued to appoint the Vicar. When however in 1548 the church
became vacant the rights of the convent were vested in Edward VI and he
appointed to the office one of his chaplains John Nowell.

Nothing is known of him. He may have been the brother of Alexander
Nowell, a prominent divine both under Mary and her successor, and for a
time Head Master of Westminster, Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford,
and for over forty years Dean of S. Paul's. This Alexander was a leader
of education; he wrote a Catechism that became a school text-book and he
assisted to re-found a free school at Middleton. It is not a wholly
unsound conjecture,