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126 HISTORY OP BISHOP AUCKLAND. with the time spent in them, and without feeling much substantial benefit in an educational point of view. It is, therefore, well that these model and pet establishments of former days have become a mere matter of history, and that their noble endowments, which in bygone days were oft wasted and misapplied, should now be made to bear fruit worthy of the intention of their original donors. A writer on this subject says : — " It is no unmeaning laudation to say that the large sums which Bishop Barrington expended for charitable purposes were most munificent ; and whiLst many of the prelates before, and since his time, left at their deaths fleeting remembrances, his memoty stUl survives, and, in the expressive words recorded upon the beautiful monument in Durham Cathedral, * He being dead yet speaketL' '* On Thursday, the 18th September, 1817, the Baron de Strandman and four Eussian students, from St. Petersburgh, visited — at the command of the Emperor Alexander — ^the Barrington School at Bishop Auckland. The school, at the time, had been dismissed for the harvest vaca- tion, but, on the suggestion of the Rev. Dr. Bell, in the absence of Mr. George Nicholson, the master, a number of the children were immediately assembled, and an examination took place, for the purpose of showing the iQustrious foreigners the merits of Dr. Bell's system, which was about to be introduced by him into their country. The Baron expressed himself in terms of the highest approbation of the proficiency of the children, and failed not justly to eulogise the munificence of the venerable founder of the schooL The management of the funds given by Bishop Barrington for the support of the above school, and other charitable purposes, was vested in trust of Viscount Barrington, the Honourable William Keppel BarringtOD, the Honourable Augustus Barringbm, and the Honourable Russell Barrington; and it appears, from a copy of a letter of instructions addressed by the Bishop to the trustees above named, in March, 1823, that, by a deed bearing date 22nd February of the same year, the sum of £30,000 Three per Cent. Reduced Annuities was invested in their names upon trust, amongst other things, " to pay yearly out of the dividends £436, to the religious, moral, and useful education of poor children in the diocese of Durham and elsewhere, in the Barrington School at Bishop Auckland ; and, in case that sum should be more than sufficient for maintaining, repairing, and providing for all the exigencies of the said school, to be applied to such of the schools in the diocese of Durham as his said trustees should conceive that, if living, he would have directed the appli- cation of the same." And in the letter above referred to, the Bishop also recommends the insurance of the school against fire; and to have the accounts kept in the name of the trustees, and closed on the 31st December every year, and a copy thereof transmitted to each trustee. In August, 1822, the Bishop himself, with the assistance of his chaplain, the Rev. J. Baker, and his secretary, Mr. Faber, drew up some regulations with respect to the school, by which it was provided — That a sum not exceeding £24 per annum should be appropriated for rewards to the teachers or assistants, to be laid out, at the discretion of one or more visitors, in the purchase of clothes, or in any other manner which might be thought expedient. That for the encouragement of teachers and assistants, a sum not exceeding £20 yearly should be applied, at the discretion of one or more visitors, to the putting them out apprentices to any trade, the master being approved by a visitor. That each deserving teacher or assistant should, upon leaving school, receive a certificate of good conduct from a visitor and the master ; and if, in three years from the time of his having left school, he should produce a certificate to the same effect from the master whom he should have served, he should receive a reward of £2. That the schoolmaster should be at liberty to apportion, as rewards, amongst the teachers, assistants, and deserving children, £20 a-year, as he should think proper, taking into consideration their regularity of attendance at church and chapel. bi pursuance of these regulations, rewards were given to the scholai's in the school, and to such as left and conducted themselves well in service for the term of three years afterwards. In the " Beport Digitized by Google