† ˈcock-ˌpenny Obs.
A customary payment at Shrovetide, formerly made to the schoolmaster in certain schools in the north of England.
Originally applied to defray the expense of cock-fighting or cock-throwing. See N. Carlisle, Endowed Gram. Schools (1818); also N. & Q. Feb. 1890.
| 1524 (Apr. 1) Indenture in N. Carlisle Endowed Gram. Schools I. 677 (Manchester Gram. Sch.) Item that every Schoolmaster..shall teach freely..without any money or other rewards taken therefore, as Cock-penny, Victor-penny, Potation-penny, or any other whatsoever it be. 1597 Pilgr. Parnass. v. 594 A companie of ragged vicars and forlorne schoolemaisters..looking for cockpence in the bottome of a pue. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. I. 562. 1721 in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1886) II. 74 All gratuities..such as entrance money, cockpenny, fire money, and quarteridge. 1756 Boucher in Lett. Radcliffe & James (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) Pref. 7 My salary [at St. Bees' School]..was {pstlg}10 a year; and entrances and cock-pennies amounted to as much more. 1818 N. Carlisle Gram. Schools I. 647 (at Cartmel, Lanc.) It is customary for persons of property, who have children at the School, to make a compliment to the Master at Shrovetide of a sum, called ‘Cock pence’. This cannot be demanded of right. Ibid. I. 662 (at Hawkshead). 1870 Hazlitt in Brand's Pop. Antiq. I. 42 The scholars of Clitheroe Free Grammar-School have to pay at Shrovetide what is called a cock-penny..supposed to be a substitute for bringing the animal itself to school, which formerly was very common. |