USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historical collections, Vol. II > Part 4
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The names of the teachers who had the honor of laying the foundation of school instruction here were Margaret Manning and Mary Hoar, subsequently the wives of Jeremiah Streeter and John Stacy.
The next year thirty pounds was voted for the same object, and divided in the same manner; and the year following forty pounds, and it was ordered that one half be expended for winter schools, and the other half for summer; and it appears that in 1745 a school committee of four persons was chosen to hire the dames, and have the charge of the schools.
In 1753 the town voted to build three school-houses, one in the south-east section, within the present limits of Southbridge, one in the north-western, and the other in the center.
* The following comments appcar in a note on the subject of schools in this town by Rev. Mr. Clarke, in his centennial address: " Probably there is not a circumstanee in the early history of this town which the present and future generation will review with less satisfac- tion. It had been a law of the Province for almost an hundred years," that every township within this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty house- holders, shall then forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him, to write and read. The ancient law was substantially re-enacted with a penalty of ten pounds, about fifty years before this town was incorporated, which penalty, in 1702, was inereased to twenty pounds. As the citizens of Sturbridge do not appear to have incurred this penalty, while thus neglecting to provide a public school, we hope that there was sufficient reason, which we can not now discover, for this neglect. But to us, with only the facts we have, it certainly appears unaccountable that while the swine, the cattle, and even the wild deer of the forests came into remembrance at every annual meeting, and secured public favor, the children were thus forgotten." Rev. Mr Clark did not take into his calculation, probably, the fact that during the first seven years but few families resided permanently on this grant, and many of these pioneer settlers were young men, sons of the petitioners ; and again inany, not much unlike Mr. James Denison, returned to their native
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The next year, 1754, a committee was appointed to locate a school-house in the north-eastern part of the town. The same year there was an article in the warrant, to see if the town will grant a sum of money for schooling children, or employ Ichabod Sparrow Paine in that business. It was voted to engage this Mr. Paine as school-master ; and thus it is quite probable that he was the first man employed for that purpose in Sturbridge.
It was quite common in that period for towns to engage one school-master, whose duty it was to attend at the several school-houses, giving a pro rata share of his time to each school.
The usual course of study at this time was, first, " The New England Primer" and "Dilworth's Spelling-Book;" then the Psalter, which was the principal reading-book ; but in order to give the youthful powers of eloention their finishing touch, they were exercised on the first book of Chronicles, the tenth chapter of Nehemiah, or wherever else the teacher could find a page of pure Hebrew names.
In arithmetic, the " Golden Rule of Three " was the limit which boys were expected to reach. The girls at that time were not expected to learn figures ; and for either grammar or geography, the former was deemed in that day of no use to common people, and the latter had not been heard of at that distance in the country.
The annual appropriations of money for schools at this time was seventy to eighty pounds, old tenor, or about thirty to thirty-five dollars. But there was generally an ammal ad- vance in the sum raised.
In the year 1761 there appears to have been a more
places for wives, some perhaps about as early as he, but, no doubt, others at a later period ; and thus, in 1740, when the vote was against raising money for schools, it is reasonable to suppose that there were but few children, if any, of suitable age to attend school. This cir- cumstance is ample justification, and relieves these founders from any imputation of want of care for their children.
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earnest attention to schools, when a committee of ten, selected from different parts of the town, was instructed to consult and report the best method for their government. The result was a division of the town into districts, with boundaries de- fined. And it was decided that, in the appropriation of money, each district should have the right to draw for its school the sum which it had paid into the town treasury on the school tax. And thus having the privilege of spending according to their discretion the money they had paid, bring- ing the matter of education for their children under their own supervision, making each separate district a body politic for the election of their committee for engaging their teachers ; also for repairs of their school-house, and providing fuel for warming the same. To save paying money, the wood was supplied by those who had their children educated ; and fur- ther to extend the time of schooling their children, each family boarded the teacher according to the number of scholars attending.
The division at this time was into five districts, viz .: The middle or center ; the southern, now Southbridge ; the south- west ; the north-west ; and the north-east. The same year twenty-five pounds lawful money, or $110, was raised, when they adopted this division of the money: one third for summer schools, and two thirds for winter.
This apportionment has since prevailed in this town.
Other districts have since been added, and the appropria- tions increased till there are now thirteen districts, and the annual sum raised for schools is about $3,000.
During the first thirty years of the progress of this town there is but one instance recorded of any aid rendered to the poor, and that was for an old Frenchman, in the year 1765, while in sickness, to pay Dr. Erasmus Babbit for his services nineteen shillings and eleven pence, lawful money ; and several years elapsed before any further aid was required. This is
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but a sample of the industry and thrift of the pioneer people who founded the towns in New England.
This brings the history of this town to the commencement of those measures which the English Parliament instituted for the oppression of the people of her colonies in America.
This town has a record of patriotism by no measure short of that of her neighbors.
In the warrant for a town meeting, held, October 17, 1765, there was an article, " to see if the town will give their repre- sentative some instructions respecting the Stamp aet coming in force, imposing a tax upon these colonies." After some debate in the meeting upon the Stamp act, the town pro- ceeded to give instructions to their representative, viz. : " That the town look upon the duty of the Stamp act to be insupportable, and do instruct and desire their representative to use the utmost of his endeavors, consistent with loyalty, that said Stamp act may be repealed." Colonel Moses Marcy was then the representative, and also chairman of the board of selectmen.
At the town meeting, September 12, 1766, the question be- fore the meeting arose upon the propriety of paying the gov- ernor, Mr. Hutchinson, and the lieutenant, Mr. Oliver, for damages sustained during the riot, by their houses being sacked and despoiled of goods and furniture. The vote was as follows : " That our representative use his endeavors in the General Court, that the loss which the lieutenant-governor sustained last year by the mob, respecting the Stamp act, be made up to him, with as much credit, and as little charge to the province, as may be ;" meaning, when explained, to do nothing about it .*
* The breaking into the houses of Governor Hutchinson and Lieutenant-Governor Oliver was the effect of the exasperation of the citizens of Boston, caused by the letters of these officials written to a former member of Parliament, designed to induce the English govern- ment to adopt more stringent measures for checking and restraining the leading men of Massachusetts in their opposition to the unconstitutional acts of Parliament for taxing the American colonies.
3A
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A special meeting was called by the selectmen, June 27, 1774, to consider of some measure proper to be adopted for the safety and defense of the province in her distressed eondi- tion, by reason of several late acts of the British Parliament.
The selectmen at this time were Daniel Fiske, Nathaniel Walker, James Johnson, John Tarbell, and Samuel Ellis. After solemn prayer to God for direction, they chose one of their number to act as speaker, and having discussed the pub- lie grievances for several hours, the vote of the town was, not to purchase any goods which should be imported from Eng- land. This was in conformity to the late Non-Importation act, fixing public sentiment uniformly through all the towns in the province.
On the 25th of August following, another meeting was called for considering provincial affairs, viz. :
"That, considering the present alarming condition of our public affairs, by reason of several late acts of the British Parliament, altering the course of justice, and annihilating our once free constitution and government, a committee be chosen in each town in the county to meet at Worcester, or some other suitable place, to consult and advise what is necessary and prudent to be done by the inhabitants of this county."
After some disenssion a committee was appointed, consisting of Moses Weld, Timothy Newell,* William MeKinstry, John
These letters were addressed to Mr. Thomas Whately, former member of Parliament, who having deceased, they by some means fell into the hands of Dr. Franklin, then residing in London, as the agent of both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania; and finding that the object of said letters was prejudicial to the interests of the colony of Massachusetts, for whom he was there to aid and defend, he felt it his duty to return the same to his constitu- ents. Their contents becoming known in Boston, it caused these officials, Hutchinson and Oliver, to be regarded as traitors to the rights and interests of the people; thus, through excitement, these gentlemen's houses were mobbed, broken into, and the furniture and personal property contained in them destroyed. The English government bad demanded payment of the colony for this damage to these officials, and that question was to come be- fore the Legislature for their action : thus the instructions to their representative.
* The Hon. Timothy Newell was born at Needham in 1742. He removed to Sturbridge without property or patrons, and, being a mechanic, he engaged in the manufacture of spinning-wheels, rakes, and chairs, about the year 1763. By industry and economy, he was soon enabled to open a small store. and continued enlarging his business until he was an extensive country trader, and accumulated a large estate for that period in such business. His early education was quite limited ; but being an attentive reader, he became a person of
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Salmon, and Benjamin Freeman. The convention was held soon after, and a report of its proceedings was prepared for each town to act upon, in the county. This being read at a town meeting, called for that purpose in Sturbridge, was unan- imously approved by vote. The foregoing preamble and action was the result of correspondence received from the vigilance committee at Boston, the duty of which was not only to keep the citizens of the interior towns advised of the actions of the British Parliament, but to guide their opinions, so as to form a unanimity of sentiment in opposition to any and all encroachments upon the hitherto rights and liberties exercised and enjoyed by the people of the colonies, whether by charter or assumed rights, or by a broader sense, which in- cluded those rights as English subjects, claimed by all as Englishmen, under the provisions of the great charter of England, the constitution .* It is probably not affirming too
quite varied intelligence, and familiar with many of the sciences, to which he added a gen- eral knowledge of history and politics.
His general knowledge of subjects gave him much influence in society, which soon brought him into publie business. He entered the Revolutionary army at the commence- ment of the war as brigade major, and when he left the service he held the rank of colonel.
Ile was one of the foremost in resisting the mutinous spirit of Shay's rebellion in the year 1786, which arose on account of the heavy taxes following the late war; the State debt being £1,300,000, besides £250,000 due the officers and soldiers of the State line of the army, and their proportion of the Federal debt was not less than £1,000,000, while the State debt, before the war, was but about £100,000.
This heavy burden was the cause of their rebellion; they did not, in their trouble, stop to calculate the great blessing this debt had purchased for them and their descendants in the future of time. This unwise and misjudged affair was closed the beginning of the follow- ing year. About this time Mr. Newell was advanced to a major-general of the militia. As a civilian he became a man of distinction; and was elected several times to a seat in the governor's council.
General Newell was a leading man in this town many years, and contributed liberally for the support of all good objects. He was influential in placing a steeple upon the Congrega- tional meeting-house, and contributed a clock at his own expense. He died, February 5, 1819, aged seventy-six.
* The rights of Englishmen were guaranteed to the colonists of Massachusetts by the terms of their charter, given in the old and repeated in the new, by King William, as follows:
" And further our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby for ns, our heirs and successors grant, establish, and ordain that all and every the subjects of ns, our heirs and successors. which shall go to and inhabit within our said provinee and territory, and every of their children which shall happen to be born there, or on the seas in going thither, or returning from thence, shall have and enjoy all liberties and immunities of free and natural subjects, within any of the dominion of us, our heirs and successors, to all intents, constructions,
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strongly to say that no party or class of men within the limits of the English colonies in America had a clearer understand- ing of the rights and position of the colonists during this pre- liminary period, which ushered in the Revolutionary war, than was exhibited by the leading men at Boston ; nor were there any who maintained those rights with greater firmness.
It was not only the interior people of Massachusetts that were ably advised and prepared for the impending storm by the leading men at Boston, but their views and sentiments penetrated every part of the thirteen old colonies. And this view of the case was well understood by the statesmen of England,-so much so, that when terms of reconciliation were proffered by the English government, pardon for past offenses was offered to all, except to those leaders at Boston.
Ten years of struggle had been past by the colonies in con- tending for their rights against the illegal and oppressive acts of Parliament, and the people had been driven, step by step, from their love and reverence for the English government to a feeling of despair for any thing good or friendly from that source, which had justice for its basis.
The people had been forced to a point when it appeared clear to them that nothing short of resistance by physical force would be any remedy for the designs of the British government. And this feeling appeared to control the senti- ments and actions of all everywhere ; even the remote inhabit- ants of the interior towns were alike fully prepared for the fearful combat that was to ensue.
They were thinking, therefore, with painful interest upon this last resort, and the people of Sturbridge were, in no respect, behind others of their fellow-countrymen in giving ex- pression to these sentiments.
In a town meeting, called for the purpose of preparing for
and purposes whatsoever as if they and every of them were born within this our realm of England."
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the exigency of the time, on the 28th of September, 1774, it was voted to provide four half-barrels of powder, 500 pounds of lead, and 500 flints. Timothy Newell* and Erasmus Babbit volunteered to furnish one half-barrel of powder at their own expense.
A committee of seven was then raised to make provision for the men of the town in case they should be called into service, and a vote was passed by a great majority, to pay the men, if called, for the service rendered.
At this same town meeting they chose Captain Timothy Parker a delegate to the Provincial Congress to be convened at Concord.
In the month of November another town meeting was called, when the selectmen were authorized to provide a further sup- ply of ammunition. On this occasion the Rev. Joshna Paine, then pastor of the Congregational church, proposed to pay for one barrel of powder if the town would be at the trouble of providing it ; wherenpon, Lieutenant Henry Fiske, one of the principal members of the Baptist church, offered to give one hundred-weight of lead to go with it. This shows the unani- inity of sentiment that had merged all other causes, feelings, or preferences, into this one great object-the preservation of their liberties as a free people under a government of their own instituting, and not the arbitrary will of Parliament.
As a further expression of the feeling of resistance, at this time, this meeting was adjourned to the first Monday in De- cember, at ten o'clock, A. M., with the request that all the men in town, from sixteen years old and upwards, then assemble at the meeting-house with arms and ammunition in order for reviewing.
Sturbridge common, around the center meeting-house, at ten
* The memorial stone at the grave of General Timothy Newell bears the following honorable testimony: " Distinguished for his wisdom in council, and his valor in defend- ing the liberties of his country." His wife was Miriam, the daughter of Colone! Moses Marcy; they had nine children.
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o'clock, A. M., on the first Monday of December, 1774, pre- sented that extraordinary scene in a quiet interior town-a military array, under martial order, and in review, preparing for actual war. No such exciting cause had ever before stirred the minds of this people, and it could well be imagined that the whole inhabitants of the town, from its remotest limits, were attracted thither to witness this novel and alarming spec- tacle ; nothing like it had ever been presented to the people before. The old men of the town were formed into a com- pany of "alarm men," and the active middle-aged, and young men were marshaled into companies, styled " Minute Men," ready to answer the call at the head-quarters of the Continen- tal army at a moment's notice.
Captain Parker had formed, and was at the head of one company ; Captain Newell had formed another, called "The Grenadiers," while Captain Craft had marshaled a company of cavalry. These arrangements having been completed, they were marched into the meeting-house in military order. "After solemn prayer to God, and singing, the Rev. Joshua Paine preached a sermon from Psalms. After the exercises were over, the adjournment of the town meeting was read, and the remaining part of the articles which had not been acted upon. It was then proposed by the town to call over a list of the men, beginning with the "Alarm Men" first, the number of which was 103, some of the men sixty, and some over seventy years of age ; most of them deficient as to arms or ammuni- tion, and some of both.
The clerks of the companies made returns to the town that the men were generally present ou this occasion, and generally equipped, or would be soon; and if there were any not likely to be, their names would be returned to the town. Captain Ebenezer Craft returned, for the cavalry company, that all were well equipped and prepared.
There were a few men in town who did not make appear-
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ance on this occasion ; and the selectmen, with two other citizens, were appointed a committee to go to them and take an exact account of their preparation as to arms and ammuni- tion, and make report at the next meeting.
When that report was made, the town passed the following :
"It is the sense of this meeting that every man in town able to fur- nish himself with arms and ammunition, do forthwith fix himself com- plete ; and be it further recommended in the strongest terms to all in town unprepared to defend ourajust rights and privileges, and all that is dear to us in this time of great danger and distress, to exert themselves to the utmost to be prepared immediately."
A committee of one from each school district was also employed to obtain the signature of every individual to a written pledge, for the strict observance of the laws and resolves of Congress, and particularly that part called the association. The subjoined extracts will show the spirit and the enlarged view which the people took here upon the affairs of the public.
On the 29th of May, 1775, the following instructions were given to the delegate whom they were about sending to the Provincial Congress, then to be holden at Watertown :
" 1st. Respecting civil government (in case the petition or address to his majesty should be rejected), we think it highly necessary to assume government by and with the advice of our sister colonies, as soon as may be.
"2d. Respecting the demands of the Grand Congress, we advise that the whole of their expenses be paid ; and as to their wages, we think that thirteen shillings and six pence per day is too much, and we advise our delegates to plead in behalf of the province, that things may be carried on with as little expense as possible in this day of trouble and distress."
The citizens of Sturbridge had already borrowed money to redeem the pledge which they had given to support the com- mon cause. They had made great sacrifices, and were pre- pared to make still greater. A vote which was passed at a previous town meeting to raise £100, for repair of roads, was
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promptly reconsidered, because, in their judgment, political oppression was worse than bad roads. They had been con- templating the erection of a new meeting-house, but this, though greatly needed, they cheerfully deferred till they had first seenred their liberty and right to a constitutional govern- ment.
Under such circumstances they could very justly ask for economy in the management of public affairs, and, if rigid on this point, it was not the result of parsimony, but of patriotism. It was in behalf of the province, and not of themselves, that they pleaded.
The following communication from their minister, Rev. Mr. Paine, is another evidence of the spirit and effort of the people in this great cause, showing that the feeling was not confined to politicians or a few leading men, but a general determina- tion of the masses to sustain their rights.
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Sturbridge:
GENTLEMEN-" While you are preparing arms and ammunition to de- fend our just rights and privileges, occasioned by the alarming tidings from Parliament, I feel it my duty to engage in the common cause for liberty, believing he is unjust to God who can tamely submit to tyranny. I proposed at a former meeting to pay for a barrel of powder, providing you would be at the trouble of procuring it; but as I understand you have been unable so to do (neither does it appear to me to be worth your while at this time), I still find it my duty to bear my part in the calamities that are common to us all. Not to rest in word, I propose to make a present to the town of £100, old tenor, to be deducted out of my next assessment, i. e., to assess but £53, and, to oblige, I propose, if the town will give me security for what then shall be due in June, that I will wait one year for it, and longer, unless mortality or some- thing extraordinary shall present."
The sum of £100, old tenor, was equal to thirteen pounds, six shillings, and eight pence, lawful money, or forty four dollars and thirty-four cents, which was about one fifth of Mr. Paine's annual salary.
He waited, instead of one year, four, at which time this old
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tenor currency had greatly depreciated ; but in making a set- tlement with their minister, they made an estimate of the articles of consumption that fifty-three pounds would purchase in the year 1775, and paid him a sufficient sum to supply the same articles, which was £1,060, or abont twenty for one received.
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