A RARE invoice from Blackburn Grammar School dating back to 1840 will go under the hammer next week at a specialist sale of historical documents.

The invoice, issued by headmaster Dr T Atkinson, was for two quarters of education for a Master Thomas Parker and lists everything which was provided for him during that period.

It included board and lodgings at the school and in total, Thomas' family had to find £16/15s/9d which in today's money would be approaching £2,000.

The invoice will go up for auction at Mullock Madeley auctioneers in Ludlow, Shropshire, on December 9.

Auctioneers documents expert, Richard Westwood-Brookes, today said: "Education in those days was a far cry from what we are used to today. Thanks to advances in social development we have come to regard education as free for all and of a right."