El acceso al empleo de preceptor de la cátedra de gramática de Benavente (Zamora)

Abstract

Grammar Schools were one of the most characteristic educational institutions in Spain during the Ancien Régime, together with basic education schools (in which children learned the basic skills of reading, writing, arithmetic and the Christian doctrine). They were founded in towns of some importance – due to their geographical location, administrative function or economic level – and granted many young people the opportunity to access further studies, which mainly consisted of Latin grammar. The teacher charged with imparting such lessons was called a preceptor, though in historical documentation we often find them referred to by other names, such as bachiller, dómine or lector. On most occasions, prospective preceptors did not have to undergo any form of formal competitive examination, although there was such a requirement in some exceptional towns. In this regard, our research focuses on how these exams were organized, and the professional profile required to win the post of preceptor of the Chair of Grammar in Benavente, an educational institute founded using a bequest left in the will of don Alonso de Carvajal, a local canon. This case study enables us to provide a comprehensive and coherent overview of the various aspects that characterized the teaching of Grammar during the Ancien Régime.