USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > This is Fairfield, 1639-1940 > Part 28
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In 1680 he was to receive 40 pounds per year for his services with the privilege of the school- house and land.
It was a continuous struggle for those first folks to keep their schools going for not only did they find it difficult to secure and keep a teacher but the few necessaries of the buildings too were a worry. One reads where the "Towne gave five loads of wood out of the Town Treas- ury towards the firing of the night scholars". One reads later -
In getting the wood for the schoolhouse is to be raised upon the scholars, the schoolmaster is to proportion equitably according to the scholars sent: who and what loads of wood each inhabitant shall send in and to inform Goodman Rowland whose turn it is to bring in their proportion of wood and if such inhabitants shall neglect so to do: the said Goodman Rowland is to bring it in himself such delinquent inhabitant to pay him 3 shilling 4 d per load.
and a little later -
The Townsmen enters an addition to the former order for the providing of wood for the present school whereas by the said order Goodman Rowland was to have three shillings and 4 pence per load, for such loads as he bring to the school to supply the defect of those that are delinquent therein, the Townsmen orders that the said 3 shillings 4 pence per load shall be added to next year's Towne Rate of such as are delinquent.
We also find that on another occasion the parents were to supply one load of wood for every two scholars. If they were delinquent, 4 shillings per load was added to their Towne Rate.
The early buildings, too, were at best very simple. They were perhaps about 18 feet by 12 feet in size with maybe a door and a window or two covered with oiled paper to let the light in. Glass was still scarce in this period. There probably was a fireplace for winter heating of the schoolroom.
Those parents, like Fairfield parents today, were seldom satisfied with their holdings and were always working toward improvement. They wanted the best for their children and were willing to work toward that.
It was not long before a new building was proposed on the Village Green and 20 lbs. set aside toward its construction. It was also voted that anything over in the "Sheep Treasury" was to go towards the building of the new school.
So often the Sheep Treasury helped out in an emergency. It must have been the "piggy bank" of the time.
While the new building was pending an ap- propriate room was ordered sought:
December 2, 1673
The Towne Impowers Henry Rowland and Ser- geant Squire to procure a room for the teaching of School in this winter but the rent is to be paid not out of the Towne Treasury except what rent is due from Ely Browne.
The Towne hath chosen Mr. Jehu Burr and Ser- geant Banks forthwith to go to all the Inhabitants of the Towne and take an account of each one of them will give to the maintenance of the school and to bring a list to the Towne of all the Youth that needs learning.
An early census you see!
The Towne impowers the Townsmen, the major part of them to agree with Mr. Charleton in the be- half of them to teach school in the Towne 12 months and what bargains they make with the schoolmaster the Towne will stand to.
1 The Sheep Treasury was made up of money acquired by the Town from fines for wandering sheep or from damage done by wandering animals to the sheep, or from the sale of unclaimed sheep. In other words any monies received from activities in- volving sheep.
144
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24; #783.
[Nº. 830.]
LIVERPOOL, June 5. Extract of a letter from on officer of the Sith regiment, who Guine pallenger on board of his Mijetty & thip Cato ta gendeman -in Whitehaven, datel Antigua, AprilI
FTER. the history of dreHer which wole you from Halifax, I was in Hopes to get hom ", inflend of which I hate cow + nomer to feld you from Anti rua
from Hahfax the zoth of January, in foo
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four days after; about noon, being theo o the an( Newfoundland) the wind began to adana from the N
Staples's Free-School, AIRFIELD.
TOTICE is hereby given, That Staples's Free-School will be kept the enfuing Year in the Parith of Stratfield, in which will be taught the Latin & Creek Languages Rbe- forick, Geography; Geometry & other Branch- es of the Mathematicks, by Gentlemen pro- perly qualitied for thefe Furyofes. The next Term to beginMonday the zoth of this infant, September. By ORDER, ANDREW ELIOT, One of the Truthers of frid Schoot
the man had in their porsches. However, the batives did not think proper to attack us
June 2. A report is circulated, that a treaty of amity and commerce is about to be ne asi- ated between the court of Madrid & the ities of America, according to which, the latter are to bind themfelves to fupport the foreignty of Spain over har American poffelhone, in confideration of being allowed certain cor mercial privileges in trading with the f European lea porte belonging to the er
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day from Amterdam
Announcement of Staples's Free School-The Connecticut Journal-September 24, 1783
This may Certify that M. James Lyon has been Inspected by us and in our Opinions he is Capable of Teaching a good Ditmaal School Salt Hill * Gensham Bradley Simon Fenton
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Teaching Certificate of James Lyon-about 1800
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Eleanor B. Banks was born on August 26, 1792, the daughter of Joseph Banks who had been a Sergeant in the Revolutionary War. She had a sister Caroline who was born December 19, 1800. These are sample pages from Eleanor's Copy Book, dated 1805. This book together with Caroline's dated 1811, is at the Pequot Library. Both little girls attended Hulls Farms School which stood on Hulls Farms Road on the west corner of Morehouse Lane and was open only a few months each year at the time they attended. It would seem that they lived on Cedar Road.
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Mr. Charleton must have earned the townspeo- ples' approval for on April 28, 1674:
The Towne impowers the Townsmen in the Town's behalf to hire Mr. Charleton, a schoolmaster among us for another half year more that the Towne hath already impowered them to hire him and what bar- gain they make the Towne will stand to it.
In 1687 another new name appears as school- master-Edward Howard was chosen for the year. He was to receive 4 pence per week from each scholar, he was allowed to use one half of the Towne House-however John Burr, Sr., pro- tested against paying anything to the "said schoolmaster". It was difficult for the school- master to please everyone.
In most instances the schoolmaster seemed to stay about a year.
New names appeared ever so frequently either directly through school matters or in some other way. For example we find that 30 lbs. of said produce (sheep) was given to Mr. Wakeman (minister), and 25 lbs. to Mr. Simson to encour- age him in his keeping a free school. Anything above this was to go to the Towne- Mr. Dugal Simson was to use the School land and the Towne House for a free school.
One wonders about the Curriculum of the first schools. Those schools though meager in structure were respected places by young and old alike. Records show that in 1644 children were compelled to make many a deep indenta- tion in their brain with the sharp points of sums in Arithmetic not easy to do, and with sentences not readily subjected to the rules of grammar, and long words difficult to spell. One must con- fess though, that while long and difficult words were accepted as a regular part of the curricu- lum, there was apparently little carry over into regular and practical use each day. The old records indicate the evidence of frequent mis- spelling of words. Old letters, old reports, old accounts, old records, all so often show extreme- ly poor spelling. However, incorrect or correct, we shall ever be grateful for the tireless effort and zeal of those early people in putting things down in writing so that we might today know what took place then. Also included in the Cur- riculum were hard points in theology, seasoned with texts of scripture coupled with knotty ques- tions of election, of faith, of works and saving grace. Bits of practical philosophy, maxims that had been tested and found to be solid, old Eng- lish proverbs, scraps of experience were salted down for future reference. Reverence of gray
hairs and respectful treatment of woman were also among the things they were obliged to learn.
Next to the minister, the schoolmaster was re- garded with the profoundest respect and when he rambled in the fields or walked in the village with his head bowed in meditation upon some grave moral question or perhaps solving some ponderous sum, the boys dared never pass him without pulling off their hats.
In 1693 it was voted that the schoolmaster be ordered to "teach English and Latin to those who desire it".
Great attention had been paid to the estab- lishment of schools throughout Connecticut since its settlement and in 1674 the General Court had granted 200 acres of land to Fairfield for a Grammar School. The land was "to be improved in the best way for the benefit of such a school and to no other use or end whatever". In 1678 the Court ordered every town to keep school at least three months in a year or forfeit five pounds which sum should be paid towards the maintenance of a grammar school in the coun- ty. The schools had been up to now maintained by a general tax locally unless some other way of supporting a schoolmaster was adopted. Every town in Connecticut that had increased to 30 families was now ordered to maintain a school to teach children to read and write.
In 1691 the Assembly voted that the Grand Jurymen in each town should visit each family once a year and "to satisfy themselves whether all children under age and servants were making due progress in learning". They were to be fined twenty shillings for each child or servant not sent to school unless their children or servants were not able to learn.
Town schools were to be kept up where such had already existed, and were exempt from fine, provided they were open six months in the year for all such children and servants as were en- gaged in the summer months in the fields.
In May 1693 the General Court granted Fair- field County 20 pounds towards maintaining grammar schools. That amount was to be drawn upon by the towns. Previously it had been only 10 pounds.
A new schoolhouse was planned in 1695 to be "23 feet x 16 feet, one room high and shall stand between the smith's shop and the parson- age". The committee was ordered "to procure ye said house as cheap as they can at ye Towne's Charge". The Towne was growing and so was the size of the schoolhouse!
145
In 1702 Captain Nathan Gold, Lieutenant John Wakeman and Peter Burr were appointed to lay out six hundred acres of land in the Town of Fairfield for the benefit of a grammar school.
The next year the farmers at Maxumux were allowed "to erect a schoolhouse on the Green about where the present school now stands in Southport".
A portion of the school long-lot was granted to Joseph Bradley in exchange for other land included in the Mile of Common and was grant- ed to Mr. Bradley for the purpose of aiding in the maintenance of a school in Greenfield.
In 1713 it was ordered by the General Court that every Parish in the State should have a school of its own and that 40 shillings on every thousand pounds should be paid out of taxes of each parish towards its support.
The Selectmen were ordered by the State in 1715 to visit the schools in their town quarterly and inquire into the qualifications of the mas- ters, their diligence in teaching, as well as the proficiency of the scholars and to make a report of their findings to the next Assembly.
Two years later each Society or Parish con- sisting of 70 families was made to keep a school 11 months and if there were fewer families the time requirement was set at six months.
Fairfield was granted a patent for the school lands. These lands were to be improved for the use of a Grammar School and for nothing else. The patent was granted to Hon. Nathan Gold Esqr., Peter Burr Esqr., Major John Burr, Capt. Joseph Wakeman, Capt. Moses Dimon, Lieut. Jonathan Sturges and their heirs at the common law, to hold the said 600 acres of land for the use of the schools.
Church business and school business were one and both were considered at the same meeting. The earliest First Church of Christ records which are available show the following:
January 13, 1728-also voted that Moses Dimon Esqr., Lieut. Gideon Allen, John Osborn, Robert Silliman, Sen'r., Andrew Burr Esq. and Samuel A. Burr shall be a Committee for said School for this Society for said year ensuing and yearly as in Sep- tember 1734. Put to vote whether Andrew W. Burr, Thos. Hult, Thomas Merwin shall be a Committee for said School in said Society and passed in the affirmative.
The Committee varied in size and its members were not assigned necessarily to districts until-
February 4, 1746-Put to vote whether Benjamin , Eph'rm Burr, Nathaniel Burr, Jur., shall be a Committee for said School that is kept on said
meeting house Green and passed in the affirmative. Put to vote whether Robert Wilson, Daniel Jennings shall be a Committee for the School that is kept in Jennings Woods and passed in the affirmative.
Put to vote whether James Beers, Ebn'r Osborn shall be a committee for that School that is kept on ye Mill Plain and passed in the affirmative.
Put to a vote whether that School in Jennings Woods and that School on ye Mill Plain-shall have £18 old tenor money provided they keep for writing and reading school three months in this year and passed in the affirmative.
Put to a vote whether to be necessary to build a new Meeting House in this Society and passed in the affirmative by more than two thirds of the legal voters then present.
On March 31, 1755, the town meeting voted that all school lands in the town should be sold for lawful money and distributed among the Societies of the Town, viz; the first and ancient Society to have one half of said money said land shall sell for; the other half to be divided into three equal parts; the West Parish to have one- third part, and the other third part to be divided between the parish of Redding and part of the parish of Stratfield-for the maintenance of the schools only.
These records were also available:
An account of the expenses of the School kept in Hulls Farms by Samuel Smith from ye 2nd of De- cember 1754 to March 2, 1775 at £25 per month.
for eight Load of wood at 35/ £14-0-0
£75
The wood was provided by: Jonathan Middlebrooke-one load
Joseph Jennings-one load Cornelius Hull-half load
Daniel Sherwood-half load
Samuel Smith 2nd-half load Nehemiah Banks-one load
Ebenezer Banks-half load
Sarah Redfield-half load
Daniel Sturgis-one load and half
Fairfield March ye 26, 1755
Then received of Daniel Sherwood School Com- mittee the sum of sixty-five pounds seven shillings money of old tenor. I say rec'd by me.
Samuel Smith.
And also these:
Fairfield May ye 29, 1769
Rec'd of Daniel Sherwood 3rd School Committee the sum of eight pounds lawful money which is in full of all my demands for keeping school the term of four months.
I say Rec'd by me Ebenezer Banks Schoolmaster
Fairfield June ye 21, 1776
Rec'd of Daniel Sherwood 2nd School Committee the sum of forty shillings lawful money in part of my school wages.
David Burr 3rd Schoolmaster
146
In 1786 it was voted that the "two Center School districts in the Prime Society in this Town have Liberty to make a swing partition across the Town House that for the convenience of the school".
In May 1795, the General Court of Connecti- cut passed an Act requiring all duly located So- cieties of the State to hold annual meetings in October and as a part of the prescribed business for these sessions to "transact such business on the subject of schooling" as might be necessary to enable them to receive for educational pur- poses the proceeds of the then recent sale of Connecticut lands in the "Western Reserve" which proceeds form the nucleus of our present school fund. The Towne being obedient to that Statute, a meeting of all the voters living in "the First Located Society in Fairfield" later known as the "First Located School Society" was called for October 27, 1796. Six School Districts were formed out of the area, the bounds established and officers chosen. The districts named were Black Rock, Jennings Woods, Middle, East of Middle, Mill Plain and Mill River. These dis- tricts were undoubtedly the parish of the Prime Society or the Congregational Church for the Church had managed and located the schools. As new Parishes were set apart, new school districts were established. Records of this First Located School Society are now at the Fairfield Historical Society. Bounds established at that very first meeting are included here.
1796
At a meeting of all the Inhabitants living within the limits of the first located Society in Fairfield, legally warned and held at the Court House in said Society on the 27th Day of October A.D. 1796.
In order to form and organize the place into a School Society according to one Statute Law of this State act appropriating arising on the Sale of the Western Lands.
Elijah Abel to be chosen Moderator for said School meeting.
Daniel Osborn was chosen clerk for the school Society and sworn according to the Law.
Voted and agreed that the School Society Clerk purchase a book to record the doings of the said School Society at the cost of said Society.
Voted and agreed that Samuel Rowland Esqr., Isaac Bibbins and Nathan Beers '3rd be appointed a Committee to take care of and manage the pru- dential affairs of the said School Society and also to receive the interest of the monies arising on the sale of the Western Lands that belongs to this School Society.
Voted and agreed that the several districts for Schools in this Society be and remain the same as they were in the last Ecclesiastical Society Meeting
-and the clerk for the School Society is hereby ordered to locate the said districts.
Voted and agreed that the first District for a school in this Society-to begin at Black Rock a little easterly of John Wheeler's house and to run northwardly of David Wheeler's house-and from thence to run down to Morehouse's Bridge so called thence to run down the River eastward to Grover's Hill point-and from thence running up the Har- bor as far as to the place first set out-all the In- habitants contained within said limits to be one district for a school in said Society-and to be called by the name of Black Rock district.
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