1060). Perryn retired from the bench in the long vacation of 1799 (Durnford and East, Term Reports, 1817, viii. 421), and died at his house at Twickenham on 2 Jan. 1803, aged 79. He was buried on the 10th of the same month in ‘the new burial-ground’ at Twickenham, and a tablet was erected to his memory in the south chancel wall of the old parish church.
Perryn married Mary, eldest daughter of Henry Browne of Skelbrooke in the West Riding of Yorkshire, by whom he had several children. His wife died on 19 April 1795, aged 73. An engraved portrait of Perryn by Dupont, after Gainsborough, was published in 1779. Some remarks on Perryn's charge to the grand jury of Sussex at the Lent assizes in 1785 are appended to ‘Thoughts on Executive Justice with respect to our Criminal Laws, particularly on the Circuits,’ London, 1785, 8vo.
[Foss's Judges of England, 1864, viii. 356; Strictures on the Lives and Characters of the most Eminent Lawyers of the present day, 1790, pp. 175–9; Cobbett's Memorials of Twickenham, 1872, pp. 74, 75, 96–7, 363–4; Martin's Masters of the Bench of the Inner Temple, 1883, p. 81; Carlisle's Endowed Grammar Schools, 1818, ii. 944; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1715–1886, iii. 1101; Lincoln's Inn Admissions; Gent. Mag. 1795 pt. i. p. 440, 1803 pt. i. p. 89; Haydn's Book of Dignities, 1890; Notes and Queries, 8th ser. v. 367, 435, vi. 198.]
PERSALL, alias Harcourt, JOHN (1633–1702), jesuit, born in Staffordshire in 1633, of an ancient catholic family, made his humanity studies in the college of the English jesuits at St. Omer. He entered the Society of Jesus at Watten on 7 Sept. 1653, under the name of John Harcourt, and was professed of the four vows on 2 Feb. 1670–1. About 1668 he had been appointed professor of philosophy at Liège, and from 1672 to 1679 he was professor of theology there, appearing from that time under his real name of Persall. In 1683–5 he was a missioner in the Hampshire district. He was appointed one of the preachers in ordinary to James II, and resided in the jesuit college which was opened in the Savoy, London, on 24 May 1687. Upon the breaking out of the revolution in December 1688 he effected his escape to the continent. In 1694 he was declared rector of the college at Liège. He was appointed vice-provincial of England in 1696, and in that capacity attended the fourteenth general congregation of the society held at Rome in the same year. In 1701 he was a missioner in the London district, where probably he died on 9 Sept. 1702.
Two sermons by him, preached before James II and his queen, and printed separately in London in 1686, are reprinted in ‘A Select Collection of Catholick Sermons preached before King James II,’ &c., 2 vols., London, 1741, 8vo.
[Dodd's Church Hist. iii. 494; Foley's Records, v. 300, vii. 588; Jones's Popery Tracts, p. 455; Oliver's Jesuit Collections, p. 157.]
PERSE, STEPHEN (1548–1615), founder of the Perse grammar school at Cambridge, born in 1548, was son of John Perse (‘mediocris fortunæ’) of Great Massingham, Norfolk. He was educated at Norwich school, and on 29 Oct. 1565 was admitted pensioner of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. 1568–9, and proceeded M.D. 1582. He was fellow of the college from October 1571 till his death, and bursar in 1570 and 1592. Perse was a practising physician, who became rich before his death, as his will shows that he held considerable landed property in the town of Cambridge. He died unmarried on 30 Sept. 1615, and was buried in the college chapel. His will, dated 27 Sept. 1615, gave 100l. towards the building of the new library should it be commenced within a definite time, which it was not, and Perse also founded six fellowships and six scholarships at Caius College; but the bulk of his property was left to found a free grammar school for the benefit of the town of Cambridge, with one lodging chamber for the master and another for the usher. In his will he also laid down certain provisions for the conduct of the school, to be carried out by the master and fellows of his college. A suitable site was found in what is now known as Free School Lane, at the back of Corpus Christi College, and buildings were erected. The first master was Thomas Lovering, M.A., of Pembroke College, who, as he was afterwards said to have made the boys of Norwich grammar school ‘Minerva's darlings,’ was probably competent. He occurs as master in 1619. Among the pupils who passed through the school was Jeremy Taylor. At the beginning of this century the school had decayed. From 1805 to about 1836 no usher is recorded to have been appointed. From 1816 to 1842 the large schoolroom was used as a picture-gallery to contain the Fitzwilliam collection. A print is extant of the school when thus employed. In 1833 an information was filed in the court of chancery by the attorney-general against the master and fellows of Gonville and Caius College with a view to the better regulation of Dr. Perse's benefactions. The cause was heard before Lord Langdale, master of the rolls, on 31 May
