Arthur Francis Leach

“ They provided for a head and 70 scholars, but the latter were divided into 40 fellows and 30 scholars called demies, because their commons were half those of the fellows. Magdalen College School was established at the gates and as a part of the college, to be, like Eton, a free grammar school, free of tuition fees for all comers, under a master and usher, the first master being John Ankywyll, a married man, with a salary of £10 a year, the same as at Winchester and Eton. ”

“ The college was to consist of a provost, 10 priests, 6 choristers; 25 poor and needy scholars, 25 almsmen and a magister informatory “to teach gratis the scholars and all others coming from any part of England to learn grammar.” Only two fellows, 4 choristers, 2 scholars and 2 almsmen were named in the charter and probably were only colour ably members. Waynflete was not, as alleged (Dict. Nat. Biog.) , named a fellow. On the 5th of March 1440–1441, the king endowed the college out of alien priories with some £500 a year, almost exactly the amount of the original endowment of Winchester. ”

“ Waynflete, as bishop, lost no time in following the example of Wykcham and his royal patron in becoming a college founder. On the 6th of May 1448 he obtained licence in mortmain and on the 20th of August founded at Oxford “for the extirpation of heresies and errors, the increase of the clerical order and the adornment of holy mother church, a perpetual hall, called Seint Marie Maudeleyn Halle, for study in the sciences of sacred theology and philosophy,” to consist of a president and 50 scholars. ”

“ The full number of 70 scholars was not filled up till Waynflete’s last year as provost, 1446–1447 (Eton Audit Roll) . So greatly did Waynflete ingratiate himself with Henry that when Beaufort, bishop of Winchester, Henry’s uncle, died on the nth of April 1447, the same day Henry wrote to the chapter of Winchester, the prior and monks of St Swithin’s cathedral, to elect Waynflete as his successor. On the 12th of April he was given the custody of the temporalities, on the 15th of April he was elected, and on the 10th of May provided to the see by a papal bull. ”

“ The new, now the old, buildings at Magdalen were begun the same year, the foundation-stone being laid in the middle of the high altar on the 5th of May 1474 (Wood, 207) . Licences on the 1st of July, the 22nd of July 1477 and the 12th of February 1479, authorized additions to the endowment. ”

“ The number of scholars was largely increased by an election of 25 new ones on the 26th of September 1444, the income being then £946, of which the king contributed £120 and Waynflete £18, or more than half his stipend of £30 a year. ”

“ Reg. Stillington) . A successor to the William Waynflete at the King’s Hall was admitted on the 3rd of April 1434. Meanwhile, our Waynflete had become headmaster of Winchester; Mr William Wanneflete being paid sos. as Informator scolariura, teacher of the scholars of the college, for the quarter beginning on the 24th of June 1430 (Win. Coll. Bursars’ Roll 8-9 Hen. VI.) and so continuously, under many variants of spelling, at the rate of £10 a year until Michaelmas 1441 (V. C. H., Bucks, ii. 134) . ”