The Usher or Second Master at Sherborne School was an official appointed by the School Governors, independent of the Headmaster. He must be at least a BA of Oxford or Cambridge and might be in Holy Orders. The office was abolished under the New Scheme in 1871. This Scheme entirely altered both the personnel and the status of the School Governors and transferred the Visitorial Power from the Bishop of Bristol to the Sovereign, to be exercised only through and by the Charity Commissioners. Along with abolishing the post of Usher it also did away with the Foundationers (local boys who received free education and free books).
Ushers of Sherborne School
| Years employed as Usher | Name and biographical information |
|---|---|
| 1560 | Henry Bagwell (-1584). BA, 13 July 1530. Regular canon of the order of St Austin, of St Mary’s College, Oxford. Rector of Bishop’s Hatfield, December 1559-1584. Rector of Hertingford, 1584. Died 1584. |
| 1561-1563 | John Martin. BA, Fellow of University College, Oxford. Rector of Somerton. |
| 1564-1565 | Thomas Penye. BA. |
| 1565-1569 | George Holman (-1580). BA. Vicar of Sherborne 1566-1580. Died in 1580 and buried in Sherborne Abbey. |
| 1569-1570 | Nicholas Buckler. BA, St Alban Hall, Oxford. |
| 1570-1572 | Hammet Hyde. BA. Rector of Bishop’s Caundle, 1589. |
| 1572-1573 | Walter Bloboll/Blobelle/Bloball (c.1553-1618). Baptised in Sherborne on 16 October 1553. BA. Ordained a priest in 1573. Rector of Poyntington 1575-1618. Buried in Poyntington Church on 15 January 1618. |
| 1573-1575 | John Elford. |
| 1581 | [?] Wornell. |
| 1582-1584 | Philip Morris (c.1561-). Born in Herefordshire. BA, Lincoln College, Oxford. |
| 1585-1589 | Laurence Fuller. BA, Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Rector of Nicholaston, Glamorganshire, 1588. |
| 1589-1595 | John Rooke. MA. |
| 1595-1603 | William More. MA, Gloucester Hall, Oxford. |
| 1603 | Hugh Gurgayne (1571-1620). Born in 1571 in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, son of John Gurgayne. MA, Trinity College, Oxford, 1597. Acted for a short time as Headmaster. He died on 11 February 11 1620 in Virginia. |
| 1605-1611 | George Harrison (c.1584-). Born in Dorset c.1584. BA, St Mary Hall, Oxford, 1604/5. |
| 1611-1625 | George Gardner (c.1588-). Born in Dorset c.1588. BA, Exeter College, Oxford, 1608/9. Ordained a deacon and a priest in 1625. Rector of Bryanston, 1626. |
| 1625-1629 | Randell/Randle Calcott (c.1606-). Son of Thomas Calcott of Calcott, Chester. MA, Magdalen Hall, Oxford. D.D. 1648. Rector of Hayes, Middlesex. |
| 1629 | Richard Camplin (c.1603-). Born in Somerset c. 1603. MA, St Mary Hall, Oxford. Assistant Master at Sherborne since 1623. Ordained a deacon and a priest in 1630. Preacher throughout the diocese of Bath & Wells 1631. |
| 1630-1635 | John Jacob. BA, Merton College, Oxford. |
| 1635-1638 | John Michell/Michaell (c.1615-). Son of Henry Michaell of St Michael’s Gussage, Dorset. MA, Balliol College, Oxford. Proctor in Oxford University 1645. Incorporated at Cambridge 1653. Ordered to officiate at Cottisford, Oxfordshire, in 1647 by the Westminster Assembly, and perhaps ejected from the rectory of Langton Matravers in 1661. |
| 1638-1647 | John Fyler/Filer. BA, Balliol College, Oxford, 1628. Curate of Cranborne, 1632. |
| 1647-1664 | Thomas Martin (1626-) (OS). Son of John Martin of Sherborne. Attended Sherborne School c. 1635. MA, Pembroke College, Oxford. |
| 1664-1667 | Jonathan Gray/Grey. BA. |
| 1667 | John Walker. MA, Demy of Magdalen College, Oxford. |
| 1667-1675 | William Plowman (c.1648-1712) (OS). Son of Thomas Plowman of Sherborne. Attended Sherborne School. MA, Magdalen College, Oxford. Vicar of Abbotsbury 1674-1694. Rector of Winterbourne Steepleton 1694. Rector of Winterbourne Came 1696. Rector of Long Bredy 1701. Died on 20 October 1712 and buried in Long Bredy. |
| 1675-1682 | Peter Blanchard (1647-). Baptised at East Stour on 12 December 1647, son of Peter Blanchard. BA, Magdalen College, Oxford, 1670. Rector of Winterbourne Monkton, 1680-1724. |
| 1682-1695 | Abraham Forrester (c.1659-). Son of Abraham Forrester of Tiverton, Devon. BA, Christ Church, Oxford, 1681. |
| 1695 | Robert Forrester (1663-1695) (OS). Son of Robert Forrester of Sherborne. Attended Sherborne School c.1675. BA, Trinity College, Oxford, 1684/5. Died before 14 October 1695, buried in Sherborne Abbey. |
| 1695-1718 | John Butt (1675-1748) (OS). Son of Francis and Marie Butt of Sherborne. Attended Sherborne School c.1686. MA, Trinity College, Oxford. Ordained a deacon 1702. Ordained a priest 1706. Usher at Sherborne School 1695-1718. Rector of Goathill 1708-1748. Vicar of Milborne Port 1718-1748. Died 18 June 1748. |
| 1718-1723 | Edward Cozens/Cosens (c.1689-1753). Son of Richard Cozens of Castle Cary, Somerset. BA, Queen’s College, Oxford. MA, Magdalen College, Oxford. Ordained a deacon 1712. Ordained a priest 1712. Usher at Sherborne School 1718-1723. Curate at Brympton. Rector of Yarlington 1723. Died December 1753. |
| 1723-1728 | John Gaylard (1690-1743). Born in 1690 son of George and Joane Gaylard of Sherborne. Baptised in Sherborne on 9 September 1690. MA, Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Perpetual Vicar of Winsford 1714. Usher of Sherborne School 1723-1728. Master of Wells Grammar School 1728-1733. Headmaster of Sherborne School 1733-1743. Buried at Haydon on 27 June 1743. |
| 1728-1737 | James Martin (1707-1757). Son of John Martin of London, clerk [possibly John Martin (1673-1717) (OS) vicar of Longburton with Holnest 1696-1712, Rector of Lillington 1712-1718, Rector of Folke 1713-1718]. St Mary Hall, Oxford, matriculated 22 December 1722, aged 14. BA 1728. Appointed vicar of Milton Abbas on 2 September 1737 and headmaster of Milton Abbas School on 13 September 1737. [?Domestic chaplain to Thomas Hamilton, 7th Earl of Haddington, 1742-1750]. Buried at Milton Abbas on 3 December 1757. |
| 1737-1760 | James Thomas (1713-1760). Son of David Thomas of Erlestoke, Wiltshire. Baptised in Erlestoke on 18 September 1713. MA, Church Church, Oxford, 1737. Ordained a deacon in 1736 and a priest in 1738. Died in 1760 and buried in Sherborne on 4 February 1760. |
| 1760-1766 | William Sharpe (1724-1783). Son of John Sharpe of Houghton-le-Spring, co. Durham. Baptised at Houghton on 28 April 1724. MA, University College, Oxford, 1749. Ordained a deacon in 1747 and a priest in 1750. Curate of Leaden Roding, Essex, 1748. Usher at Sherborne School 1760-1766. Vicar of Longburton with Holnest 1763-1783. Author of Treatise upon Coal Mines (1769) and An Appendix to a Treatise on Coal Mines (1770), in which he documented attempts to find coal in the environs of Sherborne. Buried at Houghton-le-Spring, co. Durham on 7 December 1783. Famously mentioned in Hutchins, Dorset iv, 134: ‘it is said of Mr Sharpe that while he lived at Sherborne School he frequently took the exercise of walking in the church, into which there was a door from his house. One night the sexton coming in and seeing him in his dressing gown, was so frightened that he went home, took to his bed, and died.’ |
| 1766-1779 | John Bristed (c.1698-1783). Clare College, Cambridge, MA. Ordained a deacon in 1719 and a priest in 1720. Rector of St Ann’s, St Peter’s and St Mary’s Westout, Lewes, 1725-1742. Rector of Slaugham 1749. Domestic chaplain to Edward Cressett, Bishop of Llandaff 1749. Married to Jane Bristed. Father of Nathaniel Bristed (1733-1810), Headmaster of Sherborne School 1766-1790. Served as Usher at Sherborne School 1766-1779. Died on 25 January 1783 and buried in Sherborne on 31 January 1783. M.I. in Sherborne Abbey. |
| 1779-1780 | Robert Pargeter (c.1759-1803). Son of Robert Pargeter of Buckingham. BA Demy Magdalen College, Oxford. Usher at Sherborne School 1779-1780. Died in London on 20 February 1803. |
| 1780-1790 | William Glasspoole (1756-1799). Son of William Glasspoole of Winchester. Educated at Winchester College. MA & Fellow of New College, Oxford. Rector of Newton Longville. Curate of Haydon. Died in 1799, leaving all his estate to his friend John Ffooks of Shepton Mallet, gent. |
| 1790-1802 | James Knight Moor (1767-1810). Eldest son of Rev. Christopher Moor, Vicar of Lilbourne, Northants. Educated at Rugby School. Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, matriculated Michaelmas 1784, BA 1788, MA 1791. Ordained a deacon (London) 20 December 1789. Curate of Winterbourne Abbas 1790. Usher/Assistant master at Sherborne School 1790-1802 (resigned October 1802). Married on 2 September 1794 at Bradfield, Berkshire, to Selina Frewen, daughter of the Rev. John Frewen. Curate of Sydling, Dorset. Curate of Oborne, where he took the 1801 census, one of the few parishes in England which has a surviving copy of the census for that year. Rector of Sapcote, Leicestershire, 1807-1810. Gave assistance to Richard Gough in the republication of Hutchins’ History of Dorset (2nd ed., 1815). Died at Hinckley, Leicestershire on 27 June 1810. Buried at Rugby, Warwickshire on 30 June 1810. |
| 1802-1804 | William Hoblyn Lake (1779-1811). Son of Rev. John Lake (1728-1805) rector of Lanivet, Cornwall, and Bridget Hoblyn (1731/1742-1827), daughter of John Hoblyn (1693/7-c.1786) and Thomasine Phillips (1706-1773). Brother of Rev. John James Lake (1781-1809), Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. William was educated at Truro school, and Wadham College, Oxford, matriculated 4 June 1794, aged 14, BA 1798, MA 1803, Fellow until 1812. Served as an Usher/Assistant master at Sherborne School 1802-resigned 1804. Ordained a deacon in 1802 and a priest in 1805. Chaplain of HMS St George, under Admiral Reynolds. The HMS St George was escorting a convey from the Swedish east-coast through the Danish interior waters when it suffered damages at Rødsand, south of Lolland. On 17 December 1811 the HMS St George left the Swedish skerries at Gøteborg and escorted by HMS Cressy and HMS Defence headed towards England for the winter. On 24 December 1811, HMS St George (crew of 865 men) and the HMS Defence (crew of 560 men) ran aground 2 km north of Thorsminde on the west coast of Jutland. 1408 men died, with only 17 survivors. In the same hurricane were also lost the HMS Hero and the brig, the HMS Grasshopper at Texel. |
| 1804-1805 | Henry Cutler (1788-). Son of John Cutler, Headmaster of Sherborne School. Attended Sherborne School c.1799. Temporary usher at Sherborne School 1804-1805. BA, Exeter College, Oxford. |
| 1805-1813 | David Williams (1784-1867). Born on 2 January 1784 at Ystrad Teilo, Llanrhystud, Cardiganshire, son of Isaac Williams of Llanrhystud, Cardiganshire. BA, Oriel College, Oxford, 1805, MA, 1810. Curate of Overton. Died on 25 February 1867 at Baughurst Rectory, Baughurst, Hampshire. |
| 1814-1860 | Thomas James (1794-1866). Born in Herefordshire. Attended Hereford School. MA St John’s College, Cambridge. Usher at Sherborne School 1814-1860. Became Sherborne School’s first housemaster (Abbey House) in 1835. Rector of Lillington 1816-1866. Governor of the School 1861-1866. Died at Sherborne on 8 April 1866. M.I. in Lillington Church. |
| 1860-1871 | Arthur Mapletoft Curteis (1833-1922). Born in 1834 in Canterbury, Kent, son of George Curteis. Attended Harrow School. MA, Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. Ceased to be Usher when the office as abolished under the new scheme in 1871. Assistant Master at Sherborne School 1871-1876. Housemaster of Abbey House 1868-1876. Headmaster of Hillside School, Godalming. Died in Kent on 8 September 1922. |
See also:
- A history of the office of Usher at Sherborne School by W.B. Simms (pdf)
- Former Headmasters and School Staff
For further information please contact the School Archivist.
Return to the School Archives homepage.