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The original document is in Latin; this English rendering is adapted by Alan H Nelson from the text in Schools Inquiry Commission, vol. 2: Miscellaneous Papers (1868), 73‑6. 



ELIZABETH, by the Grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, Queen Defender of the Faith, &c.

To all men to whom these Our present letters patent shall come, greeting.

Whereas Our well-beloved subjects William Emerson, John Sayer, Richard Ryall, Thomas Cure, John Oliff, Thomas Pulter, Thomas Bill, Thomas Osborne, Richard Baptist, William Browker, Christopher Cambell, and William Gefferson and other discreet and very honest inhabitants of the parish of St Saviour within Our borough of Southwark, in our county of Surrey, of their godly affection and good disposition for the bringing up, institution, and instruction of children and younglings of the said parish, at their no little cost, labour, and charges, in laudable form and order, have of late ordained and erected in the aforesaid borough and parish a Grammar School in the which the children and younglings, as well of rich as the poor, being inhabitants within the aforesaid parish, are inscruted and brought up liberally and prosperously in grammar, to the common utility of all the inhabitants of the parish aforesaid, as we are credibly informed. 

And whereas the same Our subjects of the parish aforesaid, the inhabitants, have made humble supplication unto Us that the said school so by them ordained and erected may have continual succession, and that We would extend and shew Our liberality and princely grace to them in that behalf,

We considering not only the premisses, but also the good, godly, and laudable intent of the same Our subjects in the premises, and entirely desiring as much as in Us lyeth to augment and increase all and singular those things which may in any way concern the bringing up and instruction of the children and younglings, of Our grace, especial certain knowledge, and mere motion, We will, grant, and ordain for Us, Our heirs and successors, that the aforesaid school, so by the inhabitants of the parish of St Saviour aforesaid ordained and erected within the said parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, from henceforth is, and shall be, one grammar school, for the bringing up, institution, and instruction of the children and younglings of the parishioners and inhabitants therein, in grammar, at all times hereafter to endure. 

And that that school shall be called "The Free Grammar School of the parisioners of the parish of St Saviour, in the County of Surrey."  And that school of one master or schoolmaster and one under schoolmaster or usher, forever to endure do erect, treat, ordain, declare, found, and establish by these presents. 

And that our intent aforesaid may take the better effect, and that the lands, tenements, rents, revenues, and other profits for the sustaining and maintaining of the said school to be granted, assigned, and appointed may be better governed for continuance of the same, We will, grant, and ordain that from henceforth forever there are and shall be, within the parish of St Saviour aforesaid, sixteen men of discretion and most honest inhabitants in the said parish for the time being, which are and shall be called Governors of the Possessions, Revenues, and Goods of the Free School, commonly called and to be called and to be called the "Free Grammar School of the Parishioners of the Parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, in the County of Surrey." And therefore know ye, that We have assigned, chosen, named, and appointed, and by these presents do assign, Our well-beloved Thomas Cure, Richard Ryall, John Oliff, Thomas Pulter, Thomas Bill, and William Browker, inhabitants of the aforesaid parish hereafter and now eo be the first present Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the said Free Grammar School of the Parishioners of the Parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, in the County of Surrey. 

And the same office well and faithfully to exercise and occupy from the day of the date of these presents, during the life of them; and that the same Governors, in matters, deeds, and name, from henceforth be and shall be one body corporate and politic of themselves forever, by the name of "The Governors of the Possessions, Revenues, and Goods of the Free Grammar School of the Parishioners of the Parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, in the County of Surrey," incorporated and erected; and them, Thomas Cure, Richard Ryall, John Oliff, Thomas Pulter, Thomas Bill, and William Browker, Thomas Cure, Richard Ryall, John Oliff, Thomas Pulter, Thomas Bill, and William Browker, Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the said Free Grammar School of the Parishioners of the Parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, in the County of Surrey, by these presents We do incorporate,

And [+one] body corporate and politic, by the same name forever to endure, we do really and as fully create, erect, ordain, found, and confirm by these presents. 

And furthermore, We will, and by these presents, for Us, Our heirs and successors, do grant that the same Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the said Free Grammar School of the parishioners of the parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, in the county of Surrey, have perpetual succession, and by that name they be and shall be persons able, apt, and in law of capacity to have, receive, and possess manors, lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, parsonages, tythes, rents, revenues, services, possessions, reversions, and hereditaments whatsoever, as well for Us, Our heirs and successors, as of any other person or any other persons whatsoever. 

And we ordain and decree by these presents for Us, our heirs, and successors, that whensoever it shall happen one or more of the said six Governors for the time being to die, or inhabit elsewhere without the parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, or from thence with his household to depart, that then, and so often, it shall be well and lawful for the other said Governors overliving, and remaining and dwelling with their household within the said parish, with twelve other discreet and very honest inhabitants of St Saviour, in Southwark, or the greater part of them, to elect and name another meet person or meet persons of the inhabitants of the parish of St Saviour aforesaid, to succeed in the office of Governor in the place or places of him or them so dying, or with his or their household so departing, and that so often as it shall happen. 

And furthermore, We will and for Our heirs and successors, by these presents, do grant to the aforesaid Governors and their successors forever from henceforth a common seal to serve for their business in the premises and others in these our letters patent expressed and specified, or some part of the same only touching and concerning. 

And that the same Governors, by the name of Governors of the Possessions, Revenues, and Goods of the Free Grammar School of the Parishioners of the Parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, in the County of Surrey, plead and be impleaded, defend and be defended, answer and be answered unto, in all and singular suits, quarrels, and actions, real, personal, and mixed, of what kind, nature and sort soever they be, or whatsoever locations, places, or Courts of Us, Our heirs and successors, or of others whosoever, or before whatsoever justices and judges, ecclesiastical or temporal, within Our Realm of England or elsewhere, and all and singular the same to make, do and receive in such sort, and in the same manner, as other Our liege persons able and in law, capable within the same Our Realm of England, may and be able, in [whatsoever] Courts, locations, or, places, aforesaid, or before whatsoever justices and judges aforesaid. 

And moreover, of Our abundant grace, we have given and granted, and by these presents, for Us and Our successors, to give and grant to the aforesaid now Governors of the aforesaid School, and their successors, that they and their successors, with the advice of the Bishop of Winchester for the time being, and in the absence of the same bishop for the time being, with the advice of some other honest and learned man, have full power and authority to name and appoint a master and under master or usher of the aforesaid School, so often as the said School of the said master and under master shall be wanting; and that they the said Governors, with the advice of the aforesaid Bishop of Winchester for the time being, from time to time, may make and be of power and validity to make meet and wholesome statutes and ordinances in writing concerning and touching the order, government, and direction of the master, under master, and scholars of the School aforesaid for the time being, and the wages or hire of the same master and under master, and other things touching and concerning the same school, and the ordinance, governance, preservation, and disposition of the rents and revenues, for the sustentation of the said School to be appointed, [and] touching and concerning the said statutes and ordinances for to be made, We will and grant, and by these presents command to be observed inviolably, from time to time forever, so that the statutes and ordinances so to be made be not contrary to the statutes of Our realm of England. 

And moreover, We will, and by these presents, for us, Our heirs and successors, do grant that no person except children or younglings of the parishoners or inhabitants of the parish aforesaid, and other persons of the same parish, be brought up or instructed in Grammar, unless the same persons be first admitted by the Governors of the School aforesaid for the time being; and furthermore, we, of Our especial grace, do give and grant to the aforesaid now Governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the Free Grammar School of the parishoners of the parish of St Saviour, in Southwark, in the county of Surrey, and their successors, special licence, free and lawfull liberty, power, and authority to have, receive, and get to them and their successors forever, for the sustentation and support of the aforesaid School, as well of Us, Our Heirs and successors, as of other whatsoever person or persons, manors, messuages, lands, tenements, parsonages, tythes, and other hereditaments whatsoever within Our Realm of England or elsewhere within our dominions, which are not holden of Us, Our heirs and successors, immediately in chief, so that they do not exceed the clear yearly value of £40, the statute of lands and tenements not to be paid up in mortmain or any other statute act or provision, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever to the contrary thereof, had and set forth, ordained and provided, in anything notwithstanding. 

And We will, and by these presents do ordain that all the issues, rents, and revenues of all the aforesaid lands, tenements, and possessions hereafter to be given and assigned, for the sustaining of the School aforesaid from time to time to be converted to the sustaining of the master and under schoolmaster of the said School for the time being, and to the sustaining and maintaining of the house and buildings of that School, and the lands, tenements, and possessions aforesaid, and not otherwise, or to any other purposes or intents. 

And We will, and by these presents do grant to the aforesaid Governors, that they have and shall have and these Our letters patents under Our great seal of England, in due manner made and sealed, without fine or fee, great or small, to Us in Our having or elsewhere to Our use, for the same to Us, Our heirs and successors, by any means to be rendered, paid, or done; because that expressed mention of the true yearly value or certainty of the premises, or any of them, or of other deeds or grants by Us or by any of Our progenitors to the aforesaid Governors before this time in these presents is not made, any statute, act, or ordinances, provision, proclamation or restraint hitherto to the contrary made, set forth, ordained, and provided, or any other thing, cause, or matter whatsoever in anything notwithstanding. 

In witness whereof, we have caused these letters to be made patents.  Witness our seal at Westminster, this fourth day of June, in the fourth year of Our reign.

By Cordell.

[Sir William Cordell was Master of the Rolls in the Court of Chancery.]