Journal entry – Henry Gipps to John Grey – 24 Apr 1835

      Corbridge 24 April 1835.   



My dear Sir

      I take the liberty of requesting you to lay the following statement before the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital.  

      By the grant of £18 pr annum which they were kind enough to make me a year or two ago and the subscriptions of individuals a National School has been established & is at this time in full & beneficial operation in this place but the number of scholars is temporarily limited to sixty from the totally inadequate size of the only room & that extremely old & ruinous we at present have for the purpose.

      The Lord of his Majesty’s Treasury - the National Society in London (with which in an union) and the Diocesan Society of Durham have each on my representation granted small sums towds the erection of a room competent to hold 120 Scholars - but the aggregate of all 3 Benefactions amounts only to 90£ and I am at a loss to make up a sufficient sum for the Building. To the individual amount contributors not one of whom save you and myself are resident within the bounds of the parish I cannot in reason apply for further assistance - but I am willing to hope the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital, who are by far our largest Proprietor, may be prevailed on to render some additional aid to a neighbourhood so poor as ours - and from which they derive so large an annual income.

      I trust therefore they will pardon my troubling them with a solicitation for some pecuniary assistance towards accomplishment of an object of so great & acknowledged public benefit - and that they will also be good enough to allow me a sufficiency of larch Timber from the Woods in this parish for the roofing etc of the building.  It cannot be much or of great value - the projected room is to be 20 feet by 36 inside measure, and as plain and simple in its structure as is at all consistent with durability.

      As your Residence in this parish has put you in possession of full and accurate information as to the whole circumstances of the above case I think it unnecessary to say more than that I trust you will think it reasonable to recommend my application to the favourable consideration of the Board and I beg to remain 

      My dear Sir Yrs very faithfully 

      H. Gipps

      Vicar of Corbridge 



John Grey Esq