anything more expensive than the old-fashioned ordinary German flute having one key.

In

It has been already mentioned that on one occasion, in 1834, the School Committee recommended to the Conference that boys should enter the school at ten years of age instead of eight, and should continue at school five years instead of six; and again in 1851 a suggestion was made that boys should enter at nine instead of eight years of age. No such change was made, however, for several years after, when from nine to fifteen years of age was adopted. 1874 the term was again altered, and ten to sixteen was adopted, the last alteration having been made in obedience to the recommendations of the special committee appointed by the Conference to consider improvements in the management of the two schools. The committee go even beyond this. They say: "We consider it most important that every effort should be made to keep in the school the best scholars up to the age of eighteen." We see then that for most of the time of the existence of Woodhouse Grove School, the time for education there has ranged from eight to fourteen years of age. In the face of this fact, it is pleasant to find the Special Commissioners speaking of the past successes of the schools as being very great and in some respects unparallelled; adding that these successes more than suffice to demonstrate that the general principles of their organisation are excellent.

For some years the income of the two connexional schools had not equalled the expenditure; and their sustentation had been carried on with difficulty. It had been felt by all the friends of the institution that the one

must be increased or the other considerably decreased. The ways and means were widely discussed by numerous friends. Amongst many of the supporters of the schools a favourite scheme of meeting the difficulty was to throw the schools open to the sons of laymen, not restricting their use to those of ministers. Long before any definite step was taken the question had been freely discussed.

The schools had taken such a position in the country that their excellence was acknowledged on all hands, and it was reasonably expected that many well-to-do Wesleyan laymen would gladly embrace the opportunity of obtaining for their sons such a first-class education, amidst such surroundings. At the annual meeting of the committee of the schools in 1871, it was resolved that the Conference should be requested to appoint a committee to enquire what improvements could be introduced in the management and education of the two schools. The result was that a sub-committee, composed of the following gentlemen, undertook the enquiry:-Revs. B. Gregory, W. J. Tweddle, and Dr. Moulton, with Messrs. H. H. Fowler, Lidgett, and P. W. Bunting. They produced an admirable and valuable report. Amongst other steps which they took, they addressed a circular to a number of Wesleyan ministers and laymen, asking for arguments and suggestions on two questions, one of which was: "Could the two schools be wisely opened to the sons of laymen-of course upon payment?" The answers they received shewed that about three to two were against the measure. In 1873 the Conference, whilst recording its approbation of the abstract principle of admitting the sons of laymen, yet said that in

view of many practical difficulties it was not prepared to adopt the change.

The next alternative was to give up one of the schools, and concentrate both in one spot. At the same Conference, which has just been referred to (1873), it was resolved that the whole system of education in our two schools should be concentrated, and the schools themselves be centred in one ocality; and that the Woodhouse Grove estate should be sold, and the proceeds be devoted to the erection of additional buildings at Kingswood. This resolution was ike a knife piercing the heart of many an old Grove boy, as well as of the Yorkshire and other friends of the school.

The commotion produced evidently influenced the Conference, for in 1874 it resolved to suspend any action n that direction, till the question should be debated in Conference again. The Conference, however, at the same ime, agreed that the system of education should be concentrated under one head master, and that in place of wo schools there should be one school in two departments, higher and a lower; that the higher school should be ifurcated into a classical and modern school, and that Kingswood should be taken for the older and Woodhouse Grove for the younger boys. In 1875 the Conference gain postponed the taking of any steps towards the conentration of the schools in one locality, and at the same me it appointed Mr. Thomas G. Osborn, M.A., to be ead master of the two schools, thus united into one. Ir. Osborn's admirable capabilities for the post, notice has een taken in the chapter on head masters. In compliance ith the recommendation of the sub-committee already

Of

referred to, and with its own decision in 1874 quoted above, the Conference laid down the following curriculum: "The subjects of instruction shall be

"In both Schools.-Thorough English education, biblical instruction, history, geography, singing, and drawing.

"Lower School. Writing, Latin, French, arithmetic, elementary mathematics, and object lessons in science.

"Upper School-Classical Side.-Latin, Greek, French, German, mathematics, and physical science.

"Modern Side.-Latin, French, German, mathematics, book-keeping, land surveying, physical science, and political economy."

The Commission already named recommended that boys under thirteen years of age should be taught in the lower school, and boys from thirteen to sixteen in the higher. Consequently, the boys of the latter age after 1875 were transferred to Kingswood, and the younger ones were retained at the Grove. In consequence of this new arrangement and of the resolution of Conference, Dr. Raby, who had been head master at the Grove up to that time, resigned his post, and Mr. Osborn became head master over the higher school at Kingswood and the lower at Woodhouse Grove, and remained such until June, 1883, when the "Wesleyan Academy, Woodhouse Grove," which had been opened in 1812, ceased to exist as a school for the sons of Wesleyan ministers.

To complete this notice of school life, it should be stated that at Woodhouse Grove there were seven prizes instituted which were awarded to boys of mark and merit, four o them being scholarships, and three of them medals. The

oldest of these was a scholarship granted by the Conference, and established in 1840, enabling the most deserving boy in the school to enjoy an extra year without expense. The next was the scholarship established in commemoration of the Jubilee held in 1862, which was for one year also. The next were two scholarships, founded on the same occasion, by the late George Morley, Esq., the eminent surgeon, of Leeds, which were of similar value. The three medals were: First, a silver medal, presented by Frederick William Bedford, Esq., LL.D., T.C.D., of Heriot's Hospital, Edinburgh, to the most proficient out-going boy, and was originated in 1857. The next was also a silver medal, presented by J. C. Lane, Esq., Edenfield House, Doncaster, for proficiency in the French and German languages. It appears not to have been continued after 1868, and has been perpetuated since by Thomas Dewhurst, Esq., of Bradford, and J. W. Winterburn, Esq., of Huddersfield. The remaining one was a gold medal, presented by the late Thomas Meek, Esq., of Preston, for proficiency in biblical studies, originated in 1865. The following is a list of the. recipients of these prizes to the year 1875