THE PETERITE Vol. XLI
MAY, 1949
No. 321
EDITORIAL In the course of the Easter holidays the School acquired an unique relic of the days of its residence in the Horsefair, in the premises, formerly the Hospital of St. Mary, granted in 1557 by a licence of Philip and Mary. This link with the Tudor period of our history takes the form of manuscript copies of exercises over the signatures of numerous of the School's scholars. The leaves have been bound into a book between vellum covers which appear to be portions of a pre-Reformation breviary. We are indebted for this most interesting gift to Mr. G. Westland who, finding it among his possessions, commissioned his solicitors in Manchester to endeavour to trace a rightful owner or, alternatively, suggest some permanent collection to whose custody it might be entrusted. In this way the manuscript has been offered to the School 'on permanent loan, subject to the rights of the original owner, should he be discovered'. The offer has been gratefully accepted. We give elsewhere in this issue a more detailed account of the manuscript, which appears to belong to a date 1591-1595, the time of the mastership of John Pulleyn or, as is more likely, of his successor, the Rev. John Bayles. Our comments are based on a report furnished by Professor C. R. Cheney with the assistance of the authorities of the Rylands Library in Manchester. In our last number we printed, under the title of "And So to Kenya", an article by Mrs. A. Nairn Baird describing her journey to Africa. It is sad indeed that this issue must contain her obituary. All who knew her felt very deeply this swift and ruthless end to her days of retirement. We feel sure that the Memorial Service in the School Chapel, when her friend, the Bishop of Selby, gave an address which was moving in its simplicity and truth, was as she herself would have wished it. Her love for St. Peter's was very real. Calamity indeed seemed to be our lot during the term. The death of Mr. and Mrs. Howat's little son, Antony, as the result of a road accident was another grievous blow. The dangers of crossing the Clifton and Bootham stretch of York's highway to the north have been growing more and more apparent. Between Clifton Green and the Bar crossings to several Schools are involved, and the City authorities have been moved by the catastrophe to take precautionary measures. These, it is hoped, will include a pedestrian crossing and the re-siting of 'bus stops. Popular clamour has already induced the military authorities to make changes which will avoid the necessity for the routine use of this thoroughfare by army vehicles. 1
