Having bought the presses of James Young and established a printing business, Dugard became an official printer to the
Commonwealth and
Oliver Cromwell, the
Lord Protector. For showing, as was thought, too great an affection to the
royalist cause, on 20 February 1650, he was deprived of his press and equipment, valued at £1000 (£ in today's money), and imprisoned in
Newgate. His wife and six surviving children were turned out of doors. Dugard was released from prison after only a month, In April 1650, Dugard opened a private school on Peter's Hill, now in the
City of London, but in September was restored to his former station as headmaster at the Merchant Taylor's School. There he remained until 1661, when he was dismissed for breaking orders issued by the school, about which he had been given prior warning. These probably related to the low pupil numbers, or for not declaring extracurricular activities such as becoming a member of the
Stationers' Company in 1648, principally to edit textbooks. He appealed against his dismissal but to no avail. Finding himself unemployed once more, Dugard opened a private school in Coleman street in July 1661 and by the next March had gathered 193 scholars, "so great was his reputation and the fame of his abilities". Dugard did not live to expand the school further, however. By 27 November 1662, when he drew up his
will, he was "sicke and weake in body" and died on 3 December 1662, leaving his daughter Lydia, apparently his only surviving child, as his heir and executor; his second wife had predeceased him in 1661. Both were buried at St Lawrence Pountney, London. In his will he left several books, including the register of the Merchant Taylor's School, in which he had documented his thoughts, to the library of
Sion College, London. == Political views ==