One of the principal in habitants of Beachampton, William Elmer, founded a free grammar school, which was opened in 1667. This school was built as a result of a bequest in William Elmer's will (see also 'Descriptions and Travel'), which was dated January 3rd 1648, and was proved May 3rd 1653. Browne Willis in his book, "The History and Antiquities of the Town, Hundred and Deanry of Buckingham", has included a transcritpion of the will. The section which relates to the school reads as follows:

"...and likewise out of these Estates empowered and appointed his Feoffees or Trustees, to found and endow a Free School, in Bechampton; which when built and finished, out of the Profits of his Estate, he directed that they should nominate, appoint, and elect an honest, able and sufficient Person, being a good Scholar, and a single Man, to be School-master, and there continually to dwell and abide, and to tech and instruct all such Youth and Children, as shall resort unto him; in the English and Latin Tongues, and to cast Accounts; and in Case the said School-master shall die, depart, or marry, that the said Feoffees shall chuse another School-master, qualified as aforesaid; and if he should prove a vicious Man, cut down Timber, without the Trustees Consent, misuse his Scholars, or do any thing unfitting; they shall have Power to put him out, and chuse another"

Browne Willis then proceeds to list the School masters for the school as follows:

"...they appointed the Reverend Mr. John Mansell, LL.B. of Magdalen hall, Oxford, to be first Master, who became licensed 23 March 1669, 21 Car.II. He resigning the Mastership Anno. 1675, was succeeded by

John Owen, A.B. of All Souls-College, Oxford, licensed October 14, 1675, 27 Charles II. to whom succeeded Anno 1678, 8 Jan.

Abraham Freestonie, A.B. of Sidney-College, Cambridge; he quitted it, being beneficed in Lincolnshire, and was succeeded by

Benjamin Pritchard, A.M. Fellow of Brazen-nose College, Oxon. elected 3 December, 1703, and licensed 3 May, 1706, he resigned it to his Brother

Herbert Pritchard, A.M. Fellow also of Brazen-nose College, who was licensed 24 April, 1712. On whose quitting it

William Cooke, also of Brazen-nose College, became elected Anno 1717, and is the present Master Anno 1735.

Mr Mansell the first Master lived till January 31, 1729, when he died, and was buried at Cosgrave in the County of Northampton, where he was Rector, being aged about 86 Years."

According to the "The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Buckinghamshire":

"The education was still Elementary in 1867, when there were 43 Scholars, four of them boarders at 20 guineas a year. The school appears to be the Beachampton Church of England school, which had an average attendance of 47 children in 1903-4..."
[© copyright of the editors of The Victoria Histories of the Counties of England]

There are several Research Guides from The National Archives giving an excellent overview of the history of education in this country. Also look under keywords 'educational history' and 'schools'.

• UK Schools & Colleges Database: provides information on more than 31,000 UK state and independent Schools and Colleges, and over 29,000 UK School, College and University websites (as of June 2016).
• MissingAncestors.com (archived copy) - contains information on staff and students at Industrial/Reformatory Schools & the like during the 19th and early 20th century.
• Anguline Research Archives (archived copy) produce CDs of a number of major public school registers.
• Universities: Brief biographical details of graduates of Cambridge or Oxford Universities are provided in either Alumni Cantabrigienses by JA Venn or  Alumni Oxonienses : the Members of the University of Oxford, by Joseph Foster, respectively, which are particularly useful for C of E ministers.  They are available in various forms:
  • Hard copies are held by many public libraries, including Reading Central Library.  
  • Cambridge Alumni Database free online from Cambridge University.  See also their research guide. 
  • Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford, 1500-1714 and 1715-1886 free from Internet Archive.  
  • Online subscription access from Ancestry:  Oxford University Alumni, 1500-1886  and  Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900.