Lincoln Grammar School or Lincoln Free School was formed as the result of the amalgamation of the Lincoln City Free School and the Lincoln Chapter Grammar School. The amalgamation occurred in January 1584, but the two schools may have been effectively working as single school from 1560. In 1574 Lincoln City Corporation had reached an agreement with Robert Monson who was donating the Greyfriars for use as a Grammar School. This was to replace an older City Free school, which had been in . The exact location of this Free school is uncertain, but probably refers to Danesgate, but other evidence suggests that the earlier school was close to St Rumbold's church.
The school moved to the Greyfriars in Lincoln probably in 1575. In 1861 the Grammar school started to move to a new site on Upper Lindum Terrace, to the east of Lincoln Cathedral. The move was completed by 1900, but the site became too small and a new school was built on Wragby Road in Lincoln. The name of the school was changed to Lincoln School in 1912. In 1974 the school became a Comprehensive school and merged with other Lincoln schools. The name was changed to Lincoln Christ's Hospital School
The School in the Greyfriars
The City Free school was moved to the upper storey of the Greyfriars building, probably in 1575, under the mastership of Mr John Plumtre. Plumtre appears to have been previously employed by the cathedral. In 1576 the City appointed an Usher for the Lower School. Negotiations between the Dean and Chapter and the city were taking place in 1580 to unite the Cathedral School and the City Free School. This took place in 1584. The Dean and Chapter would pay the salary of the Master of the Upper School and the city the salary of Usher of the Lower School. The Master of the School had to be a Master of Arts of either Oxford or Cambridge Universities. The first master to be appointed under this regime was William Temple, who had attended Eton and King's College, Cambridge. He only remained a short time at the School before becoming Sir Philip Sidney's secretary. Then in 1598 he became Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex's deputy in Ireland, at the time of Tyrone's Rebellion. He established himself as a logician and Ramist philosopher. He returned to Ireland in 1609, when he became Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, which he reformed along the lines of an Oxford or Cambridge College and became a member of the Irish Parliament. He became Sir William Temple in 1617.
In 1589 the City Council decided to store gunpowder and matches, as well as armour, in a chamber in the undercroft under schoolroom. Fortunately for the pupils no explosion occurred! After that the undercroft was used as a Spinning or Jersey School for the unemployed, a use for which it continued until 1831.
17th Century
During the early 17th century many scholars were sent from the school to study at Cambridge colleges. In 1622 the Rev John Clarke became the master and he continued through English Civil War until 1651. Clarke was appointed at about the age of 26 and had previously been the tutor to the sons of the Earl of Lindsey. It was under Clarke that two of the school's most famous pupils were educated. These were Colonel John Hutchinson (1615–1664) and Colonel Sir Francis Thornhagh or Thornhaugh (1617–1648). Both were Members of Parliament and Parliamentarian leaders. Hutchinson was Governor of Nottingham Castle and signed King Charles’ death warrant. Thornhaugh was High Sheriff Nottinghamshire and was killed at a battle at Chorley in Lancashire in the Second Civil War.
Clarke is noted for his publications on educational and religious subjects. The first of these, published in 1628, was Transitionum formulae, a book which was intended to teach his pupils skills in oratory and writing based on Latin and Greek texts. This book, published in London, was to be re-titled Formulae Orationes went through seven editions, the last being in 1672. In the forth edition of 1632 he notes that 7000 copies had been sold. He followed this in 1630 with Holy Oyle for the Lampes of the Sanctuarie. a concordance of quotations from the King James Bible, published in 1611. In 1633 he published an edition of Erasmus and Dux Grammaticus. This was followed in by Phraseologia puerilis, Anglo–Latina.(1638) and Paroemiologia Anglo–Latina.(1639). Lucy Hutchinson, the wife of Colonel Hutchinson, records that her husband thought Clarke a master very famous for learning and piety, but