E. Johnson, Trinity Street

Printed by Metcalfe & Co. Limited, Rose Crescent

NOTES FROM THE COLLEGE RECORDS.
(Continued from Vol. XIX, p. 549.)

HE first group of letters here printed refer to
the death of Dr Clayton and the appointment
of Dr Gwyn his successor as Master of

the College. Dr Clayton was Master from 22 December 1594 until his death on 2 May 1612. He was also Dean of Peterborough and Archdeacon and Prebendary of Lincoln. He resided it would appear at Lincoln. He died intestate and in the words of Thomas Baker "his next relations not agreeing about the division, his wealth became a rich booty to the men of the law. It has been said he intended to make the College his heir, I cannot contradict that report, but I have often observed that they that profited most by the College have done the least for it when they come to die, being willing, it seems, to make a gift of what they leave, rather than bestow it where it may be thought a debt." There seems to have been ground for believing that King James I intended to issue a mandate to the Fellows to elect Valentine Carey (afterwards Bishop of Exeter) as their new Master. Richard Neile, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, interesting himself with the King to procure liberty of election.

VOL. XX.

B

As regards the writers of the other letters, Lawrence Stanton became Rector of Redmyle Leicestershire in 1582, Rector of Castor Northamptonshire in August 1600, and Dean and Prebendary of Lincoln in 1601. He died 17 September 1613 and was buried at Uffington.

Ottowell Hill was a Lancashire man; he was admitted a Scholar of the College on Ashton's foundations 12 November 1575; he was admitted Fellow regia authoritate on the last day of February 1578-9. He was Chancellor of Lincoln and died 19 May 1615 aged 56. There is a monument to his memory in Lincoln Cathedral with these lines on it:

Tis Otwel Hill, a Holy Hill,
And truly sooth to say,

Upon this Hill he praised still
The Lord both night and day.
Upon this Hill, this Hill did cry
Aloud, in scripture letters,

And strove yon wicked villians by

Good counsel to make better.

And now this Hill, tho' under stone,
Has the Lord's Hill to lie on.

For Lincoln Hill has got his bones,
His Soul the Hill of Sion.

His wife was buried in Westminster Abbey, her tomb having the following inscription:

Mors mihi lucrum, spe resurgendi solus Christus mihi sola salus. Hic jacet Jana Stotevile, filia Thomae Stoteville de Brinkley in Comitatu Cantabrig: Armigeri: Uxor primo Edwardi Ellis de Chesterton in Comitatu Cantabrig: armigeris Cui peperit 6 filios et 3 filias: uxor deinde Othowelli Hill, Doctoris in jure civili, et Cancellarii Dioces: Lincoln: cujus relicta obiit 27 die Aprilis anno Dom. 1631; Aetatis suae 78. Vivit post funus virtus.

Roland Hill, brother of Ottowell, compounded for first fruits as Vicar of Shalbourne Berkshire 30 June 1593. He became Prebendary of Gretton in Lincoln

Cathedral II December 1606 and was buried at Shalbourne in 1630 aged 74.

Robert Bouth, always a stout friend of the College, was of the household of the Countess of Shrewsbury. To his unwearied efforts we owe the building of the Second Court.

My verie hartie commendacions remembered. I received your letters by Mr Holt and Mr Williams. That which in your letters you doe conceive of my love and care of the prosperous estate of our Colledg of St John's you shall ever fynde me as ready to perform at all tymes, as any other member of the howse. And for the particuler wherein you desier my help in your letters I haue moued his Majestie ande soe shall still continue to doe that you may enioye the liberty of an eleccion, according to the Statutes: onely I pray to God that he vouchsafe to direct you therein to doe that which shall be most for the good of the Colledg, which hath not to this day recovered itselfe of that preiudice which Alueis government in Dr Whittaker's tyme brought upon it.

I am very sorie that it hath pleased God to take away Dr. Clayton in this sodaine manner, I feare the greatest hurt by it will lighte upon the Colledg, to which I know he intended much good. I am persuaded he hath heretofore done something according to a good intention of his to the Colledg, wherewith he some yeares since acquainted me. And therefore I would perswade that there may be all due care vsed in the opening of his Study both in Cambridg and ellswhere, and of such other places in which his writings and deedes and evidences may remaine, that some very discreet and trustie honest mann may have the searching and examining of those places. I hope something may be found that shall make for his owne honourable memory and the good of the Colledg. If I might advice, there should be at the opening of his Study and such other' places, Mr Vicechancellor himself, Dr Carey, Mr President of the Colledg, and someone of the senior fellows with him, and a publique notary with Griffin and one other of Dr Clayton's men, whom he vsed most inwardly, by whom a diligent search may be made of all such writinges as doe concerne his estate, or may reveyle either his will or any good purpose that he had to