History of St. Bees School - Early History; 1588-1788

Early History; 1588-1788

As early as 1604 the school was attracting pupils from outside Cumberland and Westmorland. The second Headmaster, William Briscoe, sent to the board of governors a petition which included the comment; "It may be a fitting school not only for the English, but also to instruct Scots in our language, for which purpose divers Scottish gentlemen have already sent their children to this School". Attracting more pupils was crucial - in its early years the school's complement of pupils never rose above thirty and both Copland and Briscoe had to contend with financial difficulties arising in a dispute between the school and the executors of the late Archbishop.

The third Headmaster, William Lickbarrow flagrantly abused his position by making his few pupils work on the land and act as servants. The administration of the school property was neglected while Lickbarrow was buying up local land, and the board of governors for various reasons did not meet for years at a time. Eventually Lickbarrow left and was replaced by Francis Radcliffe, who remained in the position from 1630 to 1678. Under his long tenure the school prospered. After two headmasters in eight years, Richard Jackson become Headmaster in 1686 and guided the school for the next fifty-two years.

The school had as part of its property the mineral rights to Whitehaven. In 1742 Sir James Lowther managed to extract from the board of governors a lease on the mineral rights for eight hundred and sixty-seven years for the lowly sum of £3.10s per annum. The loss of such potential financial resources (the West Cumbrian mines as run by the Lowthers were very productive) held back the school, but not by much. The eighteenth century saw a period of continued growth and increasing academic excellence.