Editing Dulwich College (section)

===1619: The College of God's Gift===
{{main|College of God's Gift}}
[[File:Edward alleyn.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Edward Alleyn]], founder of the School]]
On 21 June 1619, the [[College of God's Gift]] was established in [[Dulwich]] by [[Edward Alleyn]] with the signing [[letters patent]] by [[James VI and I|James I]].<ref name="GG3 5">Hodges, S. (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History of Dulwich College'', pp. 3–5 (Heinemann: London).</ref> The term "Dulwich College" was used [[colloquially]] from that date, such as in 1675 when [[John Evelyn]] described his visit to Dulwich College in his ''[[John Evelyn's Diary|Diary]]''.<ref>Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History of Dulwich College'', p. 20.</ref> However, for at least 263 years this colloquialism was incorrect as the school was part of the overall charitable Foundation.<ref name="DD32">Darby, W. (1966), ''Dulwich Discovered'', p. 32, (William Darby: Dulwich)</ref> Edward Alleyn, as well as being a famous Elizabethan actor, for whom [[Christopher Marlowe]] wrote his title roles, performed at the [[The Rose (theatre)|Rose Theatre]],<ref>Piggott, J. R. (2008), ''Dulwich College, a History 1616–2008'', pp. 3–10 (Dulwich College: London).</ref> was also a man of great property and wealth, derived mainly from places of entertainment including theatres and bear-gardens.<ref name="DD22">Darby (1966), ''Dulwich Discovered'', p. 22. Piggott (2008), ''Dulwich College, a History 1616–2008'', pp. 18–21.</ref> There is no documentary evidence for the legend that he owned brothels. He was "Chief Maister, Ruler and Overseer of [the King's] games of Beares, Bulls, Mastiff Dogs and Mastiff Bitches".<ref>Piggott (2008), ''Dulwich College, a History, 1616–2008'', p. 15. Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 11.</ref> Allegations that Alleyn turned his attention towards charitable pursuits out of {{clarify|date=April 2022|text=fear for his moral well-being}} have been traced to the 19th-century journalist [[George Augustus Henry Sala|George Sala]] and questioned, though never firmly answered in the negative.<ref name="DD22" />

Since 1605, Alleyn had owned the [[Manorialism|manorial]] estate of Dulwich, and it may have been around this time that he first had the idea of establishing a college or hospital for poor people and the education of poor boys.<ref name="GG3 5" /> The building on Dulwich Green of a chapel, a schoolhouse and twelve almshouses began in 1613 and was completed in the autumn of 1616. On 1 September 1616 the chapel was consecrated by the [[George Abbot (Archbishop of Canterbury)|Archbishop of Canterbury]], who became the official [[Visitor]]. However, Edward Alleyn faced objections from [[Francis Bacon]], the [[Lord Chancellor]], in getting the patent of incorporation that was necessary to secure the Foundation's status as a college. It was Alleyn's persistence that led to the foundation being endowed by James I's signing of the letters patent.<ref name="GG3 5" />

The charity originally consisted of a Master, Warden, four fellows, six poor brothers, six poor sisters and twelve poor scholars (orphans admitted from the age of six years), who became the joint legal owners of Alleyn's endowment of the manor and lands of Dulwich, collectively known as the Members of the College.<ref name="GG3 5" /> The poor brothers and sisters and scholars were to be drawn from the four parishes that were most closely tied to Alleyn (being St Botolph's Bishopsgate where he was born, St Giles, Middlesex where he had built his Fortune Theatre, St Saviour's Southwark where he had the Paris Bear Garden and had managed the [[The Rose (theatre)|Rose Theatre]], and St Giles Camberwell where the college was founded).<ref>Darby (1966), ''Dulwich Discovered'', p. 24.</ref> The business of the charity was conducted in the name of these 30 members by the Master, Warden and four Fellows (Chaplain, Schoolmaster, Usher and Organist).<ref name="DD32" />

Alleyn drew upon the experience of other similar establishments in order to formulate the statutes and ordinances of the college, including drawing on the statutes of the already ancient [[Winchester College]] and visiting the more contemporary establishments of Sutton's Hospital (now [[Charterhouse School]]) and Croydon's Hospital (now the [[almshouses]] of the [[Whitgift Foundation]]).<ref>Darby (1966), ''Dulwich Discovered'', p. 23.</ref> Among the many statutes and ordinances signed by Alleyn that pertained to the charitable scheme were provisions that the scholars ''w''ere "entitled to stay until they were eighteen". And "to be taught in good and sound learning ... that they might be prepared for university or for good and sweet trades and occupations".<ref>Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 9.</ref> Another stipulation was that the Master and Warden should always be unmarried and of Alleyn's blood, and surname, and if the former was impossible then at least of Alleyn's surname.<ref name="GG8">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 8.</ref> Alleyn also made provision that the people of Dulwich should be able to have their ''men children'' instructed at the school for a fee as well as children from outside Dulwich for a separate fee.<ref name="GG8" />

The next two centuries were beset by both external difficulties such as diminishing financial fortunes and failing buildings as well as internal strife between the various Members of the College. The Official Visitor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose function was to ensure that the statutes were obeyed, was called in many times.<ref>Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', pp. 11–13.</ref> The lack of a disinterested body of governors and of any official connection to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge contributed significantly to the school failing to fulfill Alleyn's vision in its first two centuries.<ref name="GG26">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 26.</ref> Some notable Masters did preside over the college during this time, including [[James Allen (educator)|James Allen]] (the first Master to drop the 'y' from his surname), who in 1741 made over to the college six houses in Kensington, the rents of which were to be used in the establishment of two small schools in Dulwich, one for boys from the village, the other for girls to read and sew, out of which [[James Allen's Girls' School]] (JAGS) arose. Dr [[John Allen (historian)|John Allen]] (1771–1843) of [[Holland House, London|Holland House]] was a most learned and influential man, but neglected the education of the Poor Scholars.<ref>Piggott (2008), ''Dulwich College, a History, 1616–2008'', pp. 84–88.</ref>

Having already obtained an Act in 1805 allowing them to enclose and develop {{convert|130|acre|km2}} of common land within the manor, the college was granted the power by the 1808 Dulwich College Building Act to extend the period over which leases ran, from 21 years as laid down by Alleyn, to 84 years, thus attracting richer tenants and bringing in large sums of money.<ref name="GG26" /> The increased wealth of the college eventually resulted in the [[Charity Commission]] establishment of an enquiry into the advisability of widening the application of the funds to those extra beneficiaries Alleyn had specified in later amended clauses to the foundation's original statutes. Although the [[Master of the Rolls]], [[Henry Bickersteth, 1st Baron Langdale|Lord Langdale]], rejected the appeal in 1841 on the grounds that Alleyn had no right to alter the original statutes, he did express dissatisfaction with the college's educational provision.<ref>Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', p. 29.</ref>

Immediately after this criticism, the Dulwich College Grammar School was established in 1842 for the education of poor boys from Dulwich and [[Camberwell]]. To this school were transferred the boys of the James Allen Foundation, leaving James Allen's school for girls only. The Old Grammar School, as it became known, was erected in 1841 opposite the Old College, designed by Sir [[Charles Barry]], the architect of the [[Palace of Westminster]]. It still exists today.<ref>Darby (1967), ''Dulwich: A Place in History'', p. 34.</ref> The foundation scholars of the college continued to receive an education far short of Alleyn's vision, despite further attempts at reform by the Visitor. In 1854, the college was investigated by a new Commission set up by the 1853 Charitable Trusts Act, which led to the 1857 Dulwich College Act.<ref name="GG32 34">Hodges (1981), ''God's Gift: A Living History'', pp. 32–34.</ref>