John Thorpe's younger brother is at Merchant Taylors. I know that MT was founded in the 16th century, has a long history as a prestigious school, etc.

But I'm wondering what it meant to have a younger son a Merchant Taylors in 1800 or thereabouts. Was it something one bragged of? Would the Morlands have been proud of it? the Tilneys? do you think Thorpe the younger would have been a free student?