DACRE, a township in that part of the parish of
RIPON which is in the lower division of the wapentake
of CLARO, West riding of the county of YORK, 6 miles
(W.) from Ripley, containing 777 inhabitants. A schoolroom
was built in 1695, by William Hardcastle, who
endowed it with £100 for the education of children;
and in 1778 William Mountain bequeathed £100 in
addition to the above, producing together £8. 8. per
annum; but from its being generally conceived that the
benefit of the school is confined to the descendants of
William Hardcastle, the number of free scholars has been
very limited. In 1774, Edward Yates bequeathed an
estate, now producing £32 per annum, for the endowment
of a schpol; between thirty and forty scholars are
educated.