The Charter
This is our Foundation Charter - the Letters Patent granted by Elizabeth I on 25 June 1561 which enabled Robert Pursglove to found his free school and almshouses in Guisborough.
It is written in Latin on parchment - made from animal skin, probably goat or calf - and has the royal seal in green wax.
To read a translation of the charter in full, click here.
In spring 2012, the charter was conserved thanks to our grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Before this work, the charter was glued to a board and in a very poor state of repair with considerable fading from light and damage from water and moist conditions.
Conservator Rachel Greenwood carefully removed the charter from its board, cleaned the parchment, reinforced the holes, and repaired the seal. She made a new display so that the charter can be stored safely in a cabinet that was specially made for it in the twentieth century.
The charter is kept at Prior Pursglove College under monitored conditions. It can be viewed by appointment.