Whiston v The Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Rochester
| Jurisdiction | England & Wales |
| Judgment Date | 08 August 1849 |
| Date | 08 August 1849 |
| Court | High Court of Chancery |
English Reports Citation: 68 E.R. 220
HIGH COURT OF CHANCERY
S. C. 18 L. J. Ch. 473; 13 Jur. 694.
[532] whiston v. the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of rochester. July 27, August 1, 2, 8, 1849. [S. C. 18 L. J. Ch. 473; 13 Jur. 694.] The master of a grammar school appointed by the dean and chapter of a cathedral church, and which grammar school was, by the statutes imposed by the founder, directed to be established and maintained from the endowments of such church, which were held in frankalmoigne : Held, not to be a cestui que trust of the stipend and emolument of the office, but to be only an officer of the Cathedral Church, appointed to perform one of the duties imposed upon it by the statutes. In such a case, whoever may be visitor, whatever may be the interest of such visitor in the matter in dispute, or whatever may be the right of the schoolmaster to a mandamus or prohibition at law, the Court of Chancery cannot, in the exercise of its ordinary jurisdiction by bill, try the right of the schoolmaster to his office. The Court of Chancery cannot be called upon, in every dispute arising about a right of office, as a matter of course to prevent the party from being displaced until the right shall have been tried. There are cases even of irreparable mischief, in which the Court cannot give any ultimate relief, and will not therefore interfere between adverse claimants. The Cathedral Church of Eochester was founded and endowed in the 33d year of Henry VIII., with estates which had belonged to the dissolved monastery or priory and church of St. Andrew, of that city, to hold such lands and hereditaments to the dean and chapter, and their successors, from the king and his successors "in pur am et perpetuam eleemosynam." (1) The decree was affirmed by the Lord Chancellor on the 10th of March 1849; but, Eliza Phillipson having died since the decree of the Vice-Chancellor, the same was by consent varied by directing the trustees to pay Mary Ann Phillipson £1000, one moiety of the £2000 secured by the deed of the 9th of November 1837. 7 HARE, 533. *WHISTON V. THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OF -ROCHESTER 221 The statutes given by the king for the government of the Cathedral body were as follows:- De Numero integro eorum qui in Ecclesia Cathedrali Boffensi sustententur. Imprimis, statuimus et ordinavimus ut sint perpetuo in dicta Ecclesia unus Decanus, sex Canonici, sex Minores Canonici, unus Diaconus, unus Sub-diaconus, sex Clerici Laici, unus Magister Choristarum, octo Choristas, duo Informatores Puerorum in Grammatica, quorum [533] unus sit Preeceptor, alter Sub-preeceptor, viginti Pueri in Grammatica erudiendi, sex Pauperes de sumptibus dictae Ecclesiaa alendi, duo Sub-sacristse, unicus Janitor, qui et Barbi-tonsor erit, unus Pincerna, unus Coquus, unus Sub-coquus. Qui quidem in eadem Ecclesia Cathedrali numero prascripto, unus-quisque in suo ordine, juxta statuta et ordinationes nostras, sedulo inserviant. De Qualitatibus, Electione, et Admissione Decani. Juramentum Decani.(l) De Offido Decani. De Fisitatione Terrarum. Demissio Terrarum et Tenementorum ad Fir-mam. De Traditione Bonorum Decano. De Residentia Decani. De Obedientia Decano, &c., Monstranda. Quum doceat Divus Paulus Prsepositis obediendum esse : volumus et mandamus Ut jam Canonici et ceeteri Ecclesise nostrae Ministri, omnes et singuli, ipsum Decanum caput suum et ducem agnoscant, ipsumque reverentur, et in omnibus rebus ac man-datis licitis et honestis, quse statuta nostra concernunt, aut ad bonum regimen et statftm Ecclesise nostr-se pertinent, ipsi Decano aut ipsius Vice-gerenti, aut, illis absentibus, seniori secundum admissionem Canonico pareant, obediant, adsistant, et auxilientur. De Qualitatibus, Electione, et Admissione Oanonicorum. De Juramento Canonicoruin. De ResidentiA Canonicorum. De Canonicis in Ecclesia nostra habendis. . ò De Mensa Oanonicorum. De Stipendio Decani et Canonicorum. S i34] De Electione Offidariorum, et Pcena Absentium Tempore Electionis Offidariorum. e Offido Vice-decani. . De Offido Seceptoris. ò De Officio Thesaurarii. De Qualitate, Electione, et Admissione Minorum Canonicorum et Olericorum. Juramentum, &c. De Residentid Ministrorum. De Prcecentore et ejus Officio. De Sacrista et Sub-sacrista. De Choristis et eorum Magistro. De Pueris Grammaticis et eorum Informatoribus. Ut pietas et bonas literaa perpetuo in Ecclesia nostra suppullescant, crescant, floreant, et suo tempore in gloriam Dei, et Reipubliese commodum et ornamentum fructificent, statuimus et ordinamus, ut ad electionem et designationem Decani, aut eo absente Vice-decani, et Capituli, sint perpetuo in Ecclesia nostra Koffensi viginti pueri pauperes et amicorum ope destituti, de bonis Ecclesise nostraa alendi, ingeniis (quoad fieri potest) ad discendum nati et apti. Quos tamen admitti nolumus in pauperes pueros Ecclesisa nostrse antequam noverint legere, 'scribere, et mediocriter (1) Only those statutes, and parts of statutes, are fully set out which were . thought to affect the position of the master of the school. The titles of the whole are stated. 222 WHISTON V. THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OF ROCHESTER ,7 HARE, 535. calluerint prima Grammaticae rudimenta, idque judicio Decani et Archididascali; atque hos pueros volumus impensis Ecclesiae nostrae ali, donee mediocrem Latinse Grammaticse notitiam adepti fuerint, et Latine loqui et Latine scribere didicerint; cui rei dabitur quatuor annorum spatium, aut, si ita Decano et Archi-didascalo visum fuerit, ad summum quinque annorum et non amplius. Volumus autem ut nullus nisi Ecclesiae nostrae Eoffensis Chorista fuerit in pauperem discipulum Ecclesia3 nostrae eligatur, qui nonum aetatis suss annum non compleverit, vel quintum decimum setatis suae annum non excesserit. . . . Statuimus praeterea, ut, per Decanum, vel eo absente [535] Vice-decanum, et Capitulum, unus elgitur Latine et Greece doctus, bonae famae et piae vitse, docendi facultate imbutus, qui tarn viginti illos Ecclesise nostrae Pueros, quam alios quoscunque Grammaticam discendi gratia ad Scholam nostram confluentes, pietate excolat et bonis literis exornet; hie in Schola nostra primus obtinebit et Archi-didascalus sive Prseeipuus Informator esto. Eursum per Decanum, aut eo absente Vioe-decanum, et Capitulum volumus, virum aliquem eligi, bonas famas et pias vitaa, Latine doctum, docendique facultate imbutum, qui sub Archi-didascalo pueros docebit prima scilicet Grammatices rudimenta, et proinde Hypo-didascalus sive Secundarius Informator appellabitur. Hos vero Informatores Puerorum volumus, ut regulis et docendi ordine, quern Decanus et Capitulum praescribendum duxerint, dili-genter et fideliter obsecundent. Quod si desidiosi, aut negligentes, aut minus ad docendum apti inveniantur, post trinam monitionem a Deeano et Capitulo amove-antur, et ab officio deponantur. Omnia autem ad functionem suam spectantia se fideliter praestituros juramento promittent. De Pauperibus et eorum Officio. De In/erioribus EcdesicK nostrce Ministris. De Communi Mensa omnium Ministrorum. In qu& quidem aula Praecentor, vel eo absente primus admissione Minor Canonicus, in superiore mensa primus accumbat. Deinde Archi-didascalus et eaateri Minores Canonici et Magister Choristarum. In secundo ordine sedeant Diaconus et Sub-diaconus, sex Clerici et Hypo-didascalus. In tertio ordine sedeant Pueri Grammatiei et Choristae. In secundo prandio sedeant Sub-sacristae, Pincerna, Janitor, et Coquus. Momum Censor in Aulft erit Prascentor, aut eo absente primus admissione [536] Minor Canonicus, qui viros immorigeros arguet; Pueros autem arguent etiam ipsoram Prseceptores, ut omnia cum silentio, ordine, et decore agantus in AuM. Nimirum pro vescentibus in primo ordine, id est, pro singulis Canonicis Min-oribus, pro Primario Informatore Puerorum Grammaticorum, et pro Magistro Choristarum, per mensem, sex solidos pro mensa et communiis communiter vescentium. In secundo ordine, nimirum pro Diacono et Sub-diacono, singulis Clericis, ac Inferiore Informatore Puerorum Grammaticorum, per mensem, quatuor solidos et octo denarios pro mensa et communiis singulorum communiter vescentium. In tertio ordine, nimirum pro singulis Pueris Grammaticis et Choristis, per mensem, tres solidos et quatuor denarios. Postremo omnes Ministri Eeclesiae nostreg communiter victitantes ordinationibus, formulis, et statutis, qusa per Decanum et Capitulum hisce de rebus olim edentur, parere et obsequi debent. De Vestibus Ministrorum guas Liberatas vacant. Eecipient singuli Minores Canonici et Superior Informator Grammatices quatuor virgatas panni pro togis suis, pretium cujuslibet virgatae quinque solidos. Eecipiet Magister Choristarum pro veste sua tres virgatas panni, pretium virgatae quinque solidos. Eecipient Diaconus, Sub-diaconus, singuli Clerici, et Inferior Informator 7 HAKE, 537. WHISTON V. THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OF EOCHESTEB 223 Grammatices pro vestibus tres virgatas panni, pretium virgatse quatuor solidos. Eeeipient et alii ministri. De Stipendiis Ministrorum in Ecclesia Nostra. Statuimus et volumus ut ex bonis commuaibus Ecclesise nostrse, prseter communias et liberatas superius assignatas, solventur stipendia omnibus ministris Ec-[537]-clesise nostrse per manus Thesaurarii singulis anni terminis, per sequales portiones, ad hunc qui sequitur modum, viz :-ò Singulis Minoribus Canonieis pro portione sua £528 Superiori Informatori Grammatices . . 888 Magistro Choristarum. . . .570 Inferiori Informatori Grammatices . . 2192 Diacono . . . . 2 19 2 De Celebratione Divinorum. Volumus prseterea ut uterque Informator Grammatices, Diebus Festis, Choro intersit, Insignibus Choro convenientibus indutus; quorum alter super Minores Canonicos, alter post Minores Canonicos proximum in Choro locum obtinent. Ad hsec Pueros Grammaticos qui sumptibus Ecclesise nostrse aluntur, festis diebus volumus Choro interesse, et officium sibi mandatum a Prascentore sedulo...
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