History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 192

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 192

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

were held. Both these meetings in time were dis- continued, and in 1874 what was called the Oakland Union was organized, uniting most of the Christian elements, and sustaining with a good measure of suc- cess a Sabbath-school and a regular Sabbath preach- ing service by the different ministers of the city. The officers of the union the present year are, George T. Bullock, president; L. L. Short, vice-president; J. Gegenheimer, secretary ; John Willis, treasurer; Jo- seph S. Tidd, Alfred Stall, Oliver H. Crossman, S. L. Reed, E. O. Wilmarth, Lorenzo Bushee, Alfred Wil- marth, executive committee; Allen Burt, trustee for three years.

The Arlington Street organization is on the same union principle. They sustain a Sabbath-school, but no preaching service on the Sabbath, only on Wednes- day evening. Their recently-elected board of offi- cers are, J. A. Matthews Wilbur, president; George H. Fairbanks, vice-president; George Chace, clerk ; Edwin M. Hills, treasurer; Frank G. Lindsey, col- lector; William Carsley, Edwin Leonard, William McKendrick, executive committee ; Charles L. Lov- ering, Seth C. French, Dr. J. S. Andrews, Dr. N. M. Ransom, Jeremy B. Dennett, trustees.

The chapel was built in the summer of 1876, and first occupied August 13th of that year.

The officers of the Sabbath-school are, Edwin M. Hills, superintendent; Thomas W. Sherman, assist- ant superintendent ; Mrs. Emma Leonard, secretary ; George H. Fairbanks, treasurer; George Williams, librarian; William Williams, assistant librarian; Miss Clara Wilbur, organist; Miss Gertrude Sher- man, assistant organist ; Mrs. A. F. Hersey, Mrs. H. C. Kennicutt, Miss Maria D. Hills, William Cars- ley, Edwin Leonard, executive committee of the school.

The Taunton Union Mission and the Associated Charities-Cedar Street Chapel .- This mission, which included no church organization but repre- sented all the churches, was organized in March, 1861, and began to occupy its chapel, built by Mr. Joseph Dean, in 1867. It has been served by Rev. Messrs. Joshua A. Stetson, Reuben H. Cobb, George M. Hamlen, and S. Hopkins Emery. In 1881 the mission carried on its work under a new name,-The Associated Charities of Taunton,-and in January, 1883, it received a charter of incorporation from the commonwealth, with the following , list of officers : President, Samuel L. Crocker;1 Vice-Presidents, Mortimer Blake, Joseph Dean ; Secretary and Super- intendent, S. Hopkins Emery ; Treasurer, Orville A. Barker; Directors, Samuel L. Crocker, Henry G. Reed, A. King Williams, A. B. Harvey, George A. Washburn; a board of managers consisting of the above-named and William C. Lovering, H. P. De

1 The Hon. Samuel L. Crocker having died Feb. 10, 1883, the directors, March 12th, unanimously elected as president Mr. Henry Goodwin Reed, of the firm of Reed & Barton, who, from the beginning, has been deeply interested in the work of the Mission and the Associated Charities.

799

TAUNTON.

Forest, Jeremy B. Dennett, James H. Anthony, Charles H. Laroyd, A. J. Lawrence, Charles Foster, William H. Merrill, Job. G. Luscomb, William H. Pleadwell, William H. Wolcott, Hezekiah L. Merrill, George F. Pratt, George C. Wilson, George M. Wood- ward, Frank L. Fish, J. B. Briggs, Andrew S. Briggs, Frederick Farnsworth, Robert H. Tozer, Edward K. Emerson.

Its aim and work, approved by all the churches, are well expressed in the " agreement" of the corpo- rators in these words, "To assist the needy, and raise them as far as practicable above the need of relief; to prevent street-begging, imposition, and the existence of a pauper caste ; to secure the united action of the different charities, and of all benevolent persons in one harmonious system of wise aid to the poor."

CHAPTER LXV.

TAUNTON .- ( Continued.)

The Educational Interests-Bristol Academy-Taunton Water-Works- Taunton Lunatic Hospital-The Old Colony Historical Society-Public Library-Bible Society-Good Templars-Humane Society-Early Physicians-Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The Educational Interests of Taunton.1-The first settlers of Taunton, as of other New England towns, erected not only the meeting-house, but the school-house. The two went everywhere together. If Messrs. Hooke and Street were the first ministers, the schoolmaster was here even before them, and his name was Bishop. Some have presumed to question whether there ever was such a man, or at least that we have any knowledge of him ; but I claim we know something, although we might wish it were more.

Thomas Lechford, " of Clement Inne, in the county of Middlesex," was a visitor to this country, and on his return to England he published a pamphlet, in which, under date of Jan. 17, 1641, he relates con- cerning Taunton, " Master Hooke received ordination from the hands of one Master Bishop, a school-master, etc." Then, as now, the " school-master" was a per- son of considerable consequence in the community. This Bishop, with others, was deemed worthy to " lay hands" on " Master Hooke."

Mr. Winsor, in his "History of Duxbury," p. 228, makes mention of " an ancient freeman of Taunton" bearing the name of "Mr. John Bushop," having that " honorable prefix." Mr. Baylies, in his " His- tory of the Plymouth Colony," Part II., p. 277, al- ludes to a "Mr. Boshop, interested in the first pur- chase of Taunton, whose 'rights' in 1675 were owned by Lieut. George Macey."

And again, Mr. Baylies calls "Mr. Bishop," the schoolmaster, "one of the earliest proprietors and

settlers," although his name is not catalogued, as also the names of other proprietors appear not to have been. (Part II., p. 265.) The Bushop, Boshop, or Bishop above named, Mr. John Dean, of the New England Genealogical Society, in 1854 (see “Genealogical Register," April, 1854), considered one and the same man, and also the John Bishop, who afterward went to Stamford, Conn. Mr. Baylies was of the opinion "he went to New Haven," which was not far from Stamford. (Part II., pp. 265 and 282.) Mr. Savage, in his "Genealogical Dictionary of New England," vol. i. p. 185, asserts the John Bishop, of Stamford, " had been in Taunton as early as 1640," and thinks he was before that in Dorchester, as he seems to have known Richard Mather, writing a Latin epitaph on him, which may be found in the "Magnolia," cap. xx. of III., p. 131, signing himself " J. Episcopius," which Savage calls a pun on his name. All this agrees very well with what we know of the "young man of promise," as the historian of Stamford (p. 119) calls the ministerial supply, whom the church of that place sought and found in this region about the time Bishop is supposed to have left. Trumbull, in his " History of Connecticut," vol. i. p. 299, gives an interesting account of it in these words : "The church sent two of their members to seek them a minister. They traveled on foot to the eastward of Boston, where they found Mr. John Bishop, who left England before he had finished his academical studies, and who had completed his education in this country. They engaged him to go with them to Stamford. He traveled with them on foot so great a distance. The people were united in him, and he labored with them in the ministry nearly fifty years."

Rev. J. W. Alvord, in a historical address at Stam- ford (p. 17), gives the names of the "members of the church" who "traveled on foot to the eastward of Boston,"-George Slason, Francis Bell. He also states, " Mr. Bishop carried his Bible under his arm through the wilderness to Stamford," which Bible, in 1841, was in the possession of Noah Bishop, one of his de- scendants. If one will look at a map of New Eng- land he will see that this journey "on foot through the wilderness" was from the extreme west of Connecticut to wellnigh the extreme east of Massachusetts, no small undertaking for even such resolute souls, and when you remember that their regular " wilderness" path from New Haven to Boston or Plymouth would lead through Taunton, you need not wonder, if find- ing John Bishop at the latter place and recommended by Hooke and Street, they were willing, footsore and weary, to stop short of either Boston or Plymouth, to accept of " the Taunton schoolmaster," a "young man of promise," who was also a student in theology with these eminent divines, "completing," as Trumbull tells us, " in this country the education" which had been begun in the motherland. "Eastward of Bos- ton" may sufficiently describe the place, although it be south as well as east.

1 By S. Hopkins Emery.

800

HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

We have dwelt thns long on this case to establish, if nothing more, the probability that the first Taun- ton schoolmaster was the first Stamford minister.

The name of another schoolmaster of the town in the same century has just come to light in an old ac- count-book of Thomas Leonard, found in a box hid away in some part of a chimney in the house of a grandson, lately taken down in East Taunton, near the Forge. The schoolmaster as well as the minister of that early day was paid at public expense, as a public benefactor and a public necessity, in the cur- rency of the time,-iron. Thomas Leonard kept the account with him in this book from 1683 to 1687. His name was James Green. It would be interesting if we could give other names, but the record is not at hand.

We know the provision which our fathers made for the education of their children. The colonial laws were very strict on this subject, and made it certain every town should have not only a minister but a schoolmaster. The town was one school dis- trict, owned its school property, and controlled the schools through a superintending committee. This was the system of school management for more than two centuries. It was not till 1826 the district system was established dividing each town into smaller dis- tricts, which should own their school-houses and other school property, and through a prudential committee- man select and contract with the teacher, and attend to supplies for the school. There were still a town school committee, to examine and indorse the teach- ers, and with a general supervision, but their author- ity, of course, was weakened and their guiding influ- ence less felt. There could not be that unity of action and wise method of administering the schools, with so many varying and sometimes conflicting parties to be consulted and provided for. Thus, in 1864, when the town became a city, the people were probably glad to return to the primitive municipal system of caring for the schools through one general committee, who subsequently appointed a superintendent to give all his time to the work.

This superintendent, Dr. W. W. Waterman, has recently written and published an able paper on the duty of a commonwealth to educate its children, which shows him to be thoroughly acquainted with his business, and possessed of a suitable enthusiasm. His school report also in 1876 is stored with much historical matter, from which I gladly draw for my present use.

His remarks on the classification of studies and the grading of the schools are to the point. Until eigh- teen years ago, the studies adjudged requisite to a common school education were all taught in each separate elementary school. Pupils began and ended their education in the same grade of school, except when they resorted to the classical or high school for more thorough instruction or further advancement; but whenever a school occupied two or more school-

rooms, or was taught by more than one teacher, the sections into which such school was divided were ar- ranged with reference to the relative attainments of the pupils and an economical classification of instruc- tion. These sections, constituting progressive stages, were commonly known as lower and higher depart- ments, sometimes as primary and grammar depart- ments. With the large growth of population at the Centre, it was thought that the philosophical principle of division of labor and concentration of ability which had been applied with benefit to instruction in the larger schools might be embodied advantageously in a more comprehensive system of school as well as class gradation. Accordingly, in 1858, there was a consolidation of school districts contiguous to the Green, containing nearly one-half of the pupils in town. Next the schools were classified in grades. A graduated, consecutive course of study was systemati- cally arranged, and an appropriate part of the course was assigned to each grade. The classes of the higher or grammar grade occupied a portion of the large central building, the Cohannet Street school-house. A part of that building and the smaller school-houses were appropriated to the lower classes. The high school was permanently established in 1849, although previous to that time a similar school had been kept temporarily in different sections of the town. The present system of graduated classification and study was instituted in 1862, and in 1871 the high school became a part of the system of school gradation, thus making three grades, known as primary, grammar, and high. The larger portion of the primary schools are in separate buildings, containing from one to six school-rooms each. Pupils are admitted at five years of age, and the course of instruction is designed for five years. The grammar schools have no age quali- fication, although ten or twelve years would be the usual age. The course of instruction comprises four steps, each requiring about one year. The primary and grammar courses together comprise the complete course of elementary instruction designed for all the pupils.

The high school constitutes the third and last grade of the system. The course of instruction com- prises four steps, each designed for one year. The studies are : English Language, including Grammar, Rhetoric, English Literature, Reading, Writing, Or- thography, Orthoepy, Composition, Declamation ; Latin, French, Greek; Algebra, Geometry, Trigo- nometry, Surveying, Elementary Mechanics, Prac- tical Problems in Arithmetic, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Physiology, Physical Geography, Geology, Botany, Zoology, Astronomy ; Intellectual Philosophy, Political Economy, and Constitution of the United States, General History, Ancient Geography, and History ; Free-Hand Drawing; Vocal Music.

Besides the foregoing, the system comprises also evening elementary schools and an evening drawing school.

801

TAUNTON.

The good State of Massachusetts intends that its' · citizens shall be educated, at least so as to read and write and master the common branches of education. Towards this end its legislation has tended, and every child between the ages of eight and fourteen must attend the free school provided at least twenty weeks of the year. This is considerably less than half the year, and it would seem, if their work was needed for the support of the family, thirty weeks should be enough for this purpose. So our legislators thought, and no employer of labor has the right to hire a child between these ages without a certificate of having at- tended school the year preceding such employment the specified time. This is called " compulsory edu- cation," and it is a credit to the commonwealth. The number of children in Taunton, according to the cen- sus of 1882, between the ages of eight and fourteen, was two thousand four hundred and forty-five. The number between those ages in the public schools for the school year ending Aug. 31, 1882, was 2387, show- ing that the law of the commonwealth is respected in the city of Taunton. The whole number of different pupils of every age in the public day schools for the same year was 4004,-2112 małes, 1892 females. The cost of the public schools for this year was $50,190.60.

The number of teachers employed in the twenty- nine school-houses proper for the public day schools is seventy-six, with occasional temporary help. For the evening elementary school and evening drawing school in rooms hired for the purpose eight teachers are employed. In the Cohannet Street school, which is the largest grammar school, with a primary de- partment, Mr. Clarence F. Boyden is employed as principal, at a salary of fourteen hundred dollars, with eleven assistants. At the Weir, Mr. Horatio D. Newton serves as principal, at a salary of twelve hundred dollars, with eight assistants. At Whit- tenton, Mr. Edward S. Hersey is principal; salary, eleven hundred dollars, with six assistants. The high school is in charge of Mr. Charles S. Moore; salary, seventeen hundred dollars, with three assistants. The school is worthy of better school accommodations than are at present provided, but in the near future a high school building, which will be a credit to the city and a comfort to the scholars, is certain. The principals of the high school, running back from the present, have been as follows : John P. Swinerton, Laban E. Warren, Charles P. Gorely, Silas D. Pres- brey, William E. Fuller, John Ruggles, William L. Gage, Ozias C. Pitkin, Justin Field, Frederic Crafts.

The school could hardly be called a fixture, but ' rather a foot-ball under Messrs. Crafts and Field, for, as the writer well remembers, it was not only a mov- ! able institution, but much spoken against, as the records of the town-meetings from 1838 onward will show. Under the wise administration of Mr. Pitkin, however, from 1849 to 1854, who was an eminent ed- ucator, it grew in favor with the people, and they at length allowed it to locate and live.

No history of the educational interests of Taunton would be complete without the Bristol Academy, which had its beginning in the last century (in 1792). It is a pleasure to acknowledge my indebtedness for material to the careful research of my friend, Mr. Charles W. Hartshorn, a long time secretary of the board of trustees, from whose notes I am permitted to draw. The academy had its origin in an agree- ment to form the "Taunton School Society," to pay certain sums named, and to abide by some ten rules of agreement carefully set forth. There were four -. teen subscribers to this agreement, men prominent in Taunton in the latter part of the last century, James Tisdale heading the list with a subscription of thirty pounds, and John Bowers closing it with a like sum, Samuel Leonard the same, and others less, in all amounting to seven hundred and ten pounds.

On the 30th of June, 1792, on petition of David Cobb and others, Walter Spooner, William Baylies, David Cobb, Elisha May, James Williams, Apollos Leonard, Seth Padelford, Samuel Fales, Samuel Leon- ard, Simeon Tisdale, James Tisdale, Joseph Tisdale, and Jonathan Cobb were appointed trustees of Bristol Academy and incorporated under that name, "for the purpose of promoting piety, morality, and patriotism, and for the education of youth, etc." The first meet- ing of the trustees was held at Josiah Crocker's, Sept. 21, 1792. James Williams was chosen secretary ; Walter Spooner, president; David Cobb, vice-presi- dent; Seth Padelford, treasurer. A committee was chosen to "form a coad of bye-laws," and another to provide or point out a suitable piece of ground to build upon, and each trustee directed to exert him- self to obtain subscriptions.

From this date there were a number of meetings and votes, showing the work to be in progress, until March 7, 1796, when a committee was appointed " to enquire and procure an Instructor," and another " to make enquiry respecting boarding scholars." The following action was also taken: "Whereas Bristol Academy was promoted and established principally by the exertions of David Cobb, Esq., a late trustee of said academy ; therefore voted unanimously that the thanks of the trustees of said academy be presented to the said David Cobb, Esq., for his great and friendly exertions in favor of said academy, and that he be informed by the secretary that the trustees do con- sider him entitled to the honor of being the patron and the founder of the same."

At an adjournment of this meeting, April 6, 1796, "the trustees made choice of Mr. Simeon Doggett, Jr., for a preceptor."

The first meeting of the trustees held at the acad- emy appears to have been July 4, 1796, when "Miss Sally Cady was chosen preceptress." The academy Was formally opened July 18th, when an address was delivered by the preceptor, Mr. Doggett, which by request of the trustees was afterwards printed. No | other mention is made of the opening in the records,

802

HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

but it is otherwise learned that Deacon Jeremiah Sumner, of Taunton, composed his famous "Ode on Science" for that occasion. The building then dedi- cated stood nearer the northwest corner of the acad- emy lot than the present one, and fronting towards Summer Street. It answered a good educational pur- pose for more than half a century, when it was sold and removed to Broadway, just north of the Catholic Church, where it is still occupied as a tenement- house.

At a meeting of the trustees, Feb. 1, 1849, a com- mittee appointed "to suggest improvements" speak of the academy building as " not so well adapted to its uses as it ought to be." Aug. 14, 1850, the pre- ceptor, in his report, urgently asks for a new build- ing, stating the number of pupils to be " one hundred and eleven." George A. Crocker was appointed com- mittee to procure subscriptions. Feb. 19, 1851, Mr. Crocker reported a list of subscriptions amounting to five thousand eight hundred and ninety-five dollars, a Tisdale again, this time Samuel T., standing at the head, with Mr. Crocker himself, for one thousand dol- lars each, and a committee was chosen to erect the new building. " 1852, August 25th, the board met at the new academy at 10 A.M. to witness the exercises of dedication. At 10.15 the exercises began. Rev. Mr. Maltby made a few introductory remarks. A hymn was sung by a select choir, led by William B. Crandell. Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. Maltby. The secretary, Rev. Mr. Bingham, read a short his- torical sketch of the institution. The ' Ode on Science,' written for the first dedication, was then sung. Next an address on classical education was delivered by Professor C. C. Felton, of Harvard University, and a hymn, written for the occasion by Mr. Hodges Reed, closed the performances."

It is difficult to ascertain the number of pupils in the earlier years of the academy, as it was not gen- erally entered upon the records.

At a special meeting of the trustees, Aug. 19, 1800, a committee was appointed "to inquire of Mr. Dog- gett the usual emolument of his office as preceptor." An old paper is found, in the handwriting of Mr. Doggett, which gives the number of pupils for four years, the amount received for tuition, etc. The average of pupils for the first year was 94; the second, 84; the third, 50; the fourth, 50. During the first year of Mr. Bellows' service as preceptor the number of pupils for the first term was 52; the second, 76; the third, 66; the fourth, 80. At the meeting of the trustees, Nov. 19, 1852, at the close of the first term in the new building, it is recorded "the whole number of names on the register of the fall term, 148."

The preceptors of the academy from the beginning have been as follows : 4

Simeon Doggett, Jr., from April 6, 1796, to April 17, 1813; Luther Bailey, from April 17, 1813, to Oct. 11, 1816; Otis Pierce, from Oct. 16, 1816, to April 1,

1818; John Brewer, from April 27, 1818, to July 10, 1818; John Hubbard Wilkins, from July 20, 1818, . to Aug. 18, 1819 ; Otis Pierce, from Aug. 18, 1819, to May 23, 1821; John Goldsbury, from May 23, 1821, to April 8, 1824; John Lee Watson, from May 13, 1824, to April 30, 1828; Frederick Crafts, from June 23, 1828, to June 7, 1837; John N. Bellows, from June 7, 1837, to Aug. 23, 1838; Mr. Leach (ad in- terim), from Sept. 6, 1838, to Sept. 24, 1838; Nich- olas A. Clarke, from Sept. 24, 1838, to Aug. 17, 1842; John D. Sweet, from Dec. 1, 1842, to May 27, 1844; Mr. Walker (one term), from June 5, 1844, to -; John N. Bellows, from Aug. 21, 1844, to Feb. 9, 1846; Samuel R. Townsend, from March 2, 1846, to May, 1849; Henry B. Wheelwright, from Sept. 1, 1849, to Dec. 20, 1854; John E. Sanford, from Jan. 10, 1855, to Aug. 3, 1855; Henry S. Nonrse, from Aug. 29, 1855, to Aug. 7, 1857 ; Joseph A. Hale, from Aug. 24, 1857, to Feb. 15, 1859 ; William G. Gordon, from Feb. 15, 1859, to Feb. 3, 1864; Robert E. Babson, from Feb. 18, 1864, to March 22, 1864; James L. Perry, from March 22, 1864, to Feb. 10, 1865 ; Henry Leonard, from March 3, 1865, to July 2, 1869; William H. French, from Aug. 27, 1869, to -; J. C. Bartlett, from July 1, 1870, to July 30, 1871; J. Russell Reed, from Oct. 13, 1871, to July 3, 1874; Arthur Driver, from Aug. 12, 1874, to July 11, 1877 ; J. C. Barlett, from July 18, 1877, to June 25, 1880; Frederic Farnsworth, from July 2, 1880, the present preceptor, under whose management the academy is in a flourishing condi- tion. His assistants are George F. Chace, A.M., Miss Anna L. Bonney, Miss Julia A. Sampson, primary department.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 192

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1818

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818