B

Summary

REGISTER OF MEMBERS OF GODSHOUSE

It seems desirable to collect together the names of those found to be members of Godshouse between the years 1439 and 1505, during which it was so called. A tentative list was presented by Dr Peile in his Biographical Register but it has been possible to offer a longer one, forty-two names in all, based upon independent research. Some of Dr Peile's names it has been necessary to omit for lack of evidence for the connection of those persons with the college, whether as fellows or as pensioners. Peile's system of indicating fellowship by a single asterisk, proctorship by two, has been retained; some of those not so marked may have been fellows though others were certainly perendinants or pensioners. In the few cases where the association with the college is not definitely established, a query precedes the name.

There are twenty-four names of fellows, adding to which the names of the six Proctors we thus obtain those of thirty persons who were on the foundation. The usual duration of fellowship was about six years, since by the Godshouse statutes a man must ordinarily retire after his first year of regency. Dividing sixty-six years (1439–1505) by six we get eleven periods, and that multiplied by four (the greatest number of fellows at one time) yields a maximum number of forty-four names of fellows during the sixtysix years. There would be some whose period of fellowship would be shortened by death or other accident, as also by the statutory obligation to accept, if required, the mastership of a school upon attaining to the degree of master in grammar, say after four years.