cock-pennyn.
/ˈkɒkˌpɛni/, U.S. /ˈkɑkˌpɛni/ Now historical.
A customary payment made to a schoolmaster at Shrovetide in certain schools in the north of England, originally apparently as a contribution towards the costs of cockfighting or cock-throwing, and later as a payment for a pupil's education. Cf. cock-money n. at cock n.1 and int. Compounds 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > fees and taxes > payment for labour or service > fee for services rendered > [noun] > fee of professional person > money paid to schoolmaster > in connection with cock-fighting
cock-penny1524
victor penny1525
cock-money1687
1524 Indenture Manch. Grammar School 1 Apr. in N. Carlisle Conc. Descr. Endowed Gram. Schools (1818) I. 676 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 Pilgrimage Parnassus v. 594 A companie of ragged vicars and forlorne schoolemaisters..looking for cockpence in the bottome of a pue.
1721 in J. A. Picton City of Liverpool: Select. Munic. Rec. (1886) II. 74 All gratuities..such as entrance money, cockpenny, fire money, and quarteridge.
1818 N. Carlisle Descr. Endowed Gram. Schools Eng. & Wales I. 662 at Hawkshead They pay about Two guineas Entrance, and a like sum at Shrovetide, called their ‘Cock-penny’, which is all the Charge that is made for their education.
1870 W. C. Hazlitt Brand's Pop. Antiq. Great Brit. (rev. ed.) 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.
1962 Brit. Jrnl. Educ. Stud. 11 33 In 1826 the predominantly classical position was much changed, as the usher was teaching reading, writing and classics free save for a cockpenny.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1524