by the soldiery under Colonel Thomas Birch, when the deeds and writings relating to the foundation were taken to London, and never returned. They were afterwards destroyed in the great fire of 1666. In 1649 the independents converted the Collegehouse into a meeting-house. In 1642, during the siege of Manchester by the Earl of Derby, it had been used as a store-house by the troops within the town. After the death of Mr. Chetham, in 1653, it was purchased of the Earl of Derby, in pursuance of a recommendation in the will of the former, as a suitable building for the benevolent institution he then had in contemplation *. To return to the manor, which passed on the death of the founder of the college, 4th of Henry the Sixth, Roger Delawar, who was at the battle of Poitiers, by a second wife, had a daughter Joan, who was married to Sir Reginald West, knt. the son of Sir Thomas West. He was not only the nearest heir to the estates of Thomas, Baron of Manchester, and rector of the parish, but he was also summoned to parliament in the next year by the title of Lord Delawar, from whom the present Earl Delawar is descended. In R 2 1579, * Of the various wardens of Manchester college who have been promoted to the episcopal bench, John Booth, the successor of John Huntingdon, was consecrated Bishop of Exeter in 1465, when he resigned the wardenship, and died the 5th of April, 1478; Dr. James Stanley, the sixth son of Thomas, Earl of Derby, the fourth warden, was consecrated Bishop of Ely in 1506, and held the wardenship with it until 1509; John Wolton, the tenth warden, was consecrated Bishop of Exeter, August 2d, 1597; William Chadderton, the next warden, held Chester diocese with this wardenship; Nicholas Stratford, the fifteenth warden, was consecrated Bishop of Chester, September 15, 1689, but appears to have vacated the wardenship five years before, when Dr. Wroe was appointed; Samuel Peploe, the seventeenth warden, was consecrated Bishop of Chester, April 12th, 1726; and Dr. Samuel Peploe, his son, held the wardenship from 1738 until 1781; the twelfth warden was John Dee, of whose academical honours biographers are not agreed; but he probably had a claim to the degree of doctor, because that of M. A. would not have qualified him for this preferment. His writings are but little known, though his literary claims may deserve some attention. Dr. Thomas Blackburn succeeded to the wardenship in 1798. 1579, however, the manor was sold, with all its rights and privileges, to John Lacye, a citizen of London, who resold it in 1596 for 3500l. to Sir Nicholas Mosley, from whom it has descended to the present Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart. But whilst so much regard was had to the liberal establishment of a religious fraternity, consisting of persons of distinguished merit, the benevolence of others has equally operated to benefit the younger classes of the community. Hugh Oldham, a native of Oldham, in this county, and Bishop of Exeter, who died in 1519, founded a grammar-school here, and endowed it with certain lands, and some corn-mills, which he had purchased at Manchester. In the year 1524 a full conveyance was made of the property of the said mills, lands, and tenements, to certain trustees for accomplishing the testator's and donor's intentions. Amongst other provisions, it is directed, that no male infant, of whatever county in the kingdom, shall be refused admission. The master and usher are to be appointed by the president of Corpus Christi College, in Oxford, and in in default of nomination within a reasonable time, to devolve on the warden of Manchester College. The principal master, besides a dwelling-house, &c. has 2401. per annum; and the second master 1201. besides three others, who have 80l. a year each. This school has eight exhibitions for Oxford university, each of 251. a year; and those who are entered at Brazen-Nose College, have a fair chance of some valuable exhibitions from lands in Manchester, bequeathed by the late Mr. Hulme, The buildings of the college, or hospital, comprise a refectory, kitchen, dormitory, feoffees-room, and various other domestic apartments, besides a large collegiate library. Most of the rooms, and the whole buildings, resemble the college structures of the universities, and the library is large, with a valuable and numerous collection of books. This was established by the benevolent Mr. Chetham*. A catalogue of the books was published in 1791, in two Of this amiably charitable man, few biographical particulars have ever been published. Hence I am induced to give place to the following memoir, two volumes, octavo, entitled "Bibliotheca Chethamensis," with an engraved portrait of the founder. The books, in this collection, how amount to upwards of fifteen thousand volumes. Among other curious MSS. are a Visitation of Lancashire in 1580,' by Flower and Glover; Smith's ditto, in 1599;' Holinsworth's Mancuniensis;' Kuerdon's Collection for a History of Lancashire; R 3 which has been kindly communicated by the Rev. John Greswell, author of Angelus Politianus. « HUMPHREY CHETHAM, the third son of Henry Chetham, of Crumpsal, near Manchester, esquire, was born July 10th, 1530. Fuller informs us that “this family is thought (on just ground) to descend from Sir Jeffery Cheflram, of Chetham, (a' man of much remark in former days) and some old writings in the hands of worshipful persons, not far renfote from the place, (he adds) do evidence as much." It appears that Sir Jeffery, " in troublesome times," had incurred the king's displeasure, by which the fortunes of his family were materially injured. His posterity, however, still continued to reside near the place where the family had so long been settled, and upon the death of Henry Chetham abovementioned, James, his eldest son, succeeded to the Crumpsal estate, while George, Humphrey, and Ralph, the younger sons, embarked in the trade for which Manchester had for some time been distinguished; the chief branch of which was the manufacture of cottons. At this period Bolton was no less the principal market for fustians, which were brought thither from all parts of the surrounding country. Of these last especially, the Chethams, were the principal buyers, and the London market was chiefly supplied by them with these materials of apparel, then in almost general use thoughout the nation*. By this commerce, which was probably conducted on an extensive scale, Mr. Chetham acquired opulence, while his strict integrity, his piety, his works of charity and benevolence, secured him the respect and esteem of those around him. His chief residence was Clayton-Hall, near Manchester, at that time surrounded by a moat, the traces * So early as the days of Chaucer, Fustians appear to have been worn, even by persons of consideration, since he clothes his “ Knight" in a fustian. gipon or doublet. "Of fustian he werid a gipon Prolog. |