History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 169

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).

In 1743 a committee of five were chosen to visit the schools, as often as they thought proper, and in- quire into the conduct of the master and the behavior of the scholars, and report to the town. In 1756 the town appropriated two hundred and fifty pounds, old tenor, for a master who was to be employed three months and two weeks at Chebacco, three months and two weeks at the Hamlet, two months at Line- brook, and otherwise as directed by the selectmen. This amount and plan of appropriation continued a number of years.

In 1761 the General Court authorized the sale of school rights in Birch Island, Bush Hill, Bartholo- mew Hill and Chebacco Woods, and the next year rejected proposals to sell the school farm. A school house was built at Linebrook, on land two rods front and fonr rods deep, enfeoffed by Jeremiah Smith October 30, 1765, so long as used for the purpose of a school. In 1783 the town employed two masters, and raised one hundred and forty ponnds for schools, and granted land for a school-house near Joseph Fowler's lane.

Appropriations .- The yearly appropriation, 1785- 94, was £160; 1795-96, £230; 1797-1801, $766.66 ; 1802, $900; 1810, $1200; 1816, $1500; 1840, $1600; 1854, $2000 ; 1861, $2500; 1866, $3000; 1868, $3500; 1871, 84000; 1886, $4400 and $2300 for High School.

In 1791 the visiting committee consisted of forty members ; eleven in the body of the town, seven at Chebacco, nine at the Hamlet, five at Linebrook, two

at Candlewood, two at Argilla, two at Moses Jewett's and two at John Patch's.

The Studies .- The variety, extent and relative im- portance of the studies a century ago, may best be learned from perusing the committee's instruction from the town April 2, 1792, viz .: "To go with the Latin scholars to the Grammar School, are those who study English grammar, those who are to be taught in book-keeping and after them, the foremost in read- ing and spelling, nntil the number in the Grammar School shall rise to a third part of the whole existing number in both. To read well in the Bible and spell should be necessary qualificatious for entering as stu- dents in English grammar. To be taught in book- keeping, the pupil must have gone through the four first rules of arithmetic, simple and compound; Re- ductions in both parts; the Rules of Proportion, di- rect, inverse and compound ; and the rules of Prac- tice. The master of the English school shall attend upon all in Arithmetic except the Latin scholars and those in book-keeping as aforesaid. In both schools the Catechism of the Assembly of Divines with Dr. Watts' explanatory Notes and the Catechism by the same author be constantly used as much as three or four times a week according to the different grades of the scholars, until the same are committed to memo- ry." The practice of teaching the Catechism lasted till 1826.

Committees Chosen .- In 1794 a committee of seven was chosen to consider the subject of schooling. They recommended a committee "to regulate and visit the schools, as it is thought it would be an encourage- ment to the masters and scholars, and consequently would be beneficial to the education of the youth." A committee of nine were chosen. In 1795 five were chosen; in 1796, nine; in 1798, seven ; and the same in 1800. The number now is three.

Districts .- Shortly after 1800 the school districts were defined by metes and bounds. Some twenty- five years later, prudential committees were em- ployed. This plan was probably the remains of the old system of parish committees respectively. Still later, by some ten years, the prudential committees were empowered to hire their respective teachers, The prudential system was abolished in April, 1869, when the district property was appraised and pur- chased by the town.

Expense .- The present number of pupils enrolled is six hundred and eighty, distributed in seven un- graded schools, three primary, three intermediate and one high. The total cost for the year is seventy-six hundred dollars, making a per capita cost of eleven and eighteen-one-hundredths dollars.

Our Schools Free .- The existence and importance of schools was inbred in our ancestors, and the first and leading thought in relation to them was that they should be free. Their first vote declared the senti- ment, and along the years circumstances have been made subservient, and pecuniary ability has been

610

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

pledged to hasten the grand consummation. With free text-books in the hands of the scholars, as has been the case for the last year or two, our schools are absolutely free. If the spirits of the departed are conversant with the affairs of men, there is a multi- tude of our citizen benefactors with the Paines, and Hubbard, and Cross, and Burley, and Manning, and Cogswell at their head, uniting with the generous living in one glad acclaim for the fruition of their hope-absolutely free schools for all our sons and danghters.

THE IPSWICH FEMALE SEMINARY.

The Academy .- The institution now or lately known by the above title was incorporated February 28, 1828, by the name of the Proprietors of Ipswich Acad- emy. The incorporators' names were Nathaniel Lord, Jr., Joseph Farley, Ammi R. Smith, George W. Hart and Charles Kimball. They could hold a personal estate of ten thousand dollars and a real of eight thousand dollars. The building was completed early in 1826, fifty-six feet long, thirty-five wide and two stories high, at a cost of four thousand dollars. The last Wednesday in the following April, REV. HERVEY WILBUR opened the school and with a female assist- ant taught one year. In his advertisement he called the school a Classical Seminary for Young Ladies. In May, 1827, JAMES W. WARD began, and he continued to March, 1828.

The Seminary .- In 1818 Rev. Joseph Emerson, a descendant of Thomas, of Ipswich in 1642, opened in Byfield the pioneer school for educating young ladies. Two of his assistant pupils, Miss Grant and Miss Lyon, went out and opened schools on the same plan. These designs were not long in maturing; female schools soon became a settled fact, and the proprietors of the Ipswich Academy, imbibing the sentiment, made their school a seminary, and, in the well-chosen words of another,

"Ipswich wae favored for nearly half a century with a celebrated school for young ladies. A large and commedions edifice, erected ie 1825, was in April, 1828, placed withont rent in the hands of Miss Z. I. Grant, then already well and widely known as an instructor. Many of her scholars followed hier from the Adams Female Academy in Derry, N. Il., where she had taught with great success, and her Ipswich Schoel became at once the resort of young ladies from all parts of the country. IIer able associate, Mary Lyon, and other competent assistants helped her to make it one of the best in the land. She arranged a course of study, liberal for the times, established regnlar classes-jnvier, middle and senior-to which students were admitted on examination, and intro- duced the custom ef conferring diplomas en those who completed the course. She made education the handmaid of religion, the Bible a daily study, and the school a nursery of character nnd scholarship. Her scholars were in great demand as tenchers, und so known and prized for purity of intention and active usefulnese that wherever they went their presence was a recommendation and advertisement of the Seminary.

" Miss Grant's hope of founding a college for Indies at Ipswich was frustrated more by the delicate state of her health than by the want of funds, but her ideas were happily incorporated in the Mt. Ilolyoke Sem- inary by her associate, Mary Lyon, its eminent founder. Miss Grant resigned the charge of the school ia 1839, having had during her clevea yeurs at Ipswich 1458 scholars, of whom 130 were full graduates, and te that date twenty hnd become missionaries of the American Board, and 48x teachers in various parte of our own country.

" In 1841 Miss Grant was married to llon. Wm. B. Barrister, of New-

buryport ; she survived in honor and nsefulness till 1874. Her memory is preserved iu an excellent volume, "The Use of a Life," printed by the American Tract Society.

" In the spring of 1814 the trustees, after various changes and disap- pointments, installed Rev. and Mrs John P. Cowles as principale. Mr. Cowles was a graduate of Yale College, class of 1826, and has been pro- fessor of Hebrew in the Oberlin Theological Seminary, while Mre. Cowles, for ten years before her marriage, had been associated either as pupil ør teacher with Miss Grant or Miss Lyon. They brought to their work industry, energy and zeal, and with the aid of vigorous and acconi- plished assistants, mostly of their own training, they not only kept up the previous moral and religions tone of the iostitution, but raised its classical and literary character to equal, if not surpass, the general ad- vance in the country. Young ladies, from one to two hundred, according to the uccemmodations for beardiog in the village, soon gathered around them, often continuing with them three, fenr or five years before grad- nation.

" Although the stochholders had granted the use of their property rent free, yet, for the sake of much needed improvemente, the principals benght it sud added to it the adjacent Dutch estate, thus extending the grounds to the river, and by means of fencing, terracing, grading and planting fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs and vines, they transfermed it into one of the fairest, as it had always been one of the airiest and healthiest, sites of the village. For thirty-two years they coutioned their onward and upward way, over teaching and training minds in the line of natural development, faithful study, careful investigation and no- shackled freedom and independence of thought. . Their students, no less than Mrs. Barrieter's, have enrolled themselves as thiukers, toilers, teachers and writers, whose names their conutry-men and conatry-we men will not Good nør willingly let die."

The school was closed in 1876.

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS .- One of the most powerful edu- cational agencies of the present time is the Sunday- school. Our schools enroll as many scholars as the day schools and even more. They embrace all ages, and although they have one grand central theme there is a correlation of themes, which gives breadth and scope to their work and enhances their influence and importance. The youngest are taught to talk, to read, to memorize; others study geography, his- tory, biography, and still others comparative ethics, and the methods and principles of Christian living, preparing the mind and heart and soul for an intelli- gent reception of the gift of eternal life. As re- ported, there are 8,034,478 scholars thus engaged in the United States, seven millions of whom are child- ren and youth. The same report estimates nine mil- lion children and youth not yet reached-a glorious work and opportunity. The schools here were or- ganized in the First and South Churches in 1816, and at Linebrook about 1818. In 1832 or 1833 the First Church school had two hundred scholars and three hundred and eighty-four volumes in the library ; the South Church school had two hundred scholars and four hundred and fifty volumes; the Methodist Church school one hundred and thirty scholars and three hundred and ninety volumes. The First Church school now has two hundred scholars and three hun- dred and fifty volumes. The Line Brook Church school fifty scholars and two hundred and fifty volumes. These teachers labor without pay ; they give their time and exertions for the love they bear the cause. Their influence upon the moral and social condition of the town is great, and their office deserves a more helpful public recognition.

611

IPSWICHI.

LIBRARIES .- There were two libraries in town in 1833. They were called the social and the religious, and had each about three hundred volumes. They are now out of remembrance. One was kept in the town house, and uupaid fines and dues excluded oue and another of the proprietors till ouly two or three remained, when the books were divided to each, and the library closed.

The present "Free Public Library " was founded in 1868 by the munificence of Captain Augustine Heard. It was opened to the public, March 1, 1869. Captain Heard donated the building, three thousand volumes, and an endowment fund of $10,000, making a grand total of about $40,000. This gift was sup- plemented by Prof. Daniel Treadwell, of Harvard College, who gave his private library, some valuable paintings and a fund of $20,000. These princely gifts have made the lives of these gentlemen a per- petual blessing. The trustees are Hon. George Has- kell, Zenas Cushing, Joseph Ross and ex officio, the principal of the Manning High School and the pas- tor of the First Congregational Church. Miss Lydia Caldwell has been the librarian from the very first and has proved herself very efficient. The library contains some more than ten thousand volumes, which have been selected with great care, especially the works of fiction, which are, scrupulously stand- ard, and which constitute three-fourths of the books loaned.

BOOKS .- New England's first book of poetry was by Mrs. Anna Bradstreet, early of Ipswich. One of the first histories of New England was by an Ips- wich clergyman, William Hubbard. The first Latin book printed in America was by Rev. John Norton, of Ipswich. The "Body of Liberties," containing the essence of our civil rights to-day, and the "Sim- ple Cobbler of Agawam," long to be remembered as an old-time classic, were the work of the author, preacher, jurist and scholar, Nathaniel Ward, of Ips- wich. These are a few of the most illustrious names. For two centuries, Ipswich clergymen and scholars issued many publications ; but now the profession of authorship precludes the double vocation that for- merly obtained, and clergyman and scholar and author have each his respetive province. A little volume of poems, from the pen of Mr. Edward G. Hull, was issued in 1886. Mr. John Patch has pub- lished a volume of poems. He was a poet of very high, if not the highest rank. He had genius of a marked character. His compositions evince poetic fervor and keen appreciation of both moral and physi- cal beauty. He had warm partialities for the sea and all that concerns it, and for nature in all her varying moods. Many of his best poems are sea pictures and descriptions of rural scenes. His versification is noble. and his poems in general have worthy com- pleteness. A tone of calm elevation and hopeful contemplation is well sustained throughout. The rhythm is well modulated, and in some of his shorter

poems inexpressibly pathetic. His poems are richly ideal, and abound iu detached images of exceeding beauty aud of high merit.

NEWSPAPERS .- One of the best popular educators is a carefully edited family newspaper. The first news- paper started here was The Ipswich Journal. It was issned weekly by John H. Harris, who began its publi- cation iu July, 1827, and discontinued it August, 1828. The next venture was The Ipswich Register, edited by Engeue F. W. Gray, and published by Gray & Smith. It was a weekly ; it began June 1, 1837, and, we presume, was issued last, May 25, 1838. The next was The Ipswich Clarion, beguu February 23, 1850, and is- sued fortuightly by Timothy B. Ross. It was folio and very newsy. The first Saturday in January, 1868, the Ipswich Bulletin first appeared. It continued till about August 1st. The proprietor, Mr. Charles WV. Felt, of Salem, proposed to furnish a paper to each of several towns, cheaply, by having local cor- respondeots who were to manage their respective localities, and by changing the name of the print to correspond. Thus the Rockport Quarry and the Ips- wich Bulletin were the same with change of name. The plan was new, an advance thought. and had merits, besides being the first deviation from the old method. Soon after came the " patent" sheets, then sterotyped stories and news. The next was The Ips- wich Advance with Mr. Edward B. Putnam as editor and proprietor. He began July 3, 1871, and con- tinued till March 16, 1872, when Edward L. Daven- port and Frederick W. Goodwiu, having purchased the establishment, began its publication as The Ips- wich Chronicle. They ran it about ten months, and Mr. Goodwin sold his interest to his partner, who alone began January 4, 1873, and continued four years, when Lyman H. Daniels bought it and began its publication January 6, 1877. Mr. Daniels asso- ciated with him, January 1, 1881, Mr. I. J. Potter, who purchased Mr. Daniels' interest, June 4th, of the same year, and September 9, 1882, changed the large, unwieldy folio to the present neat quarto. Within a year or two, Mr. Potter has associated himself with his brother, J. M. Potter, and is now joint proprietor of the Ipswich Chronicle, the Amesbury Villager, the Lynn Reporter, the Lynn Bee, aud the Yankec Blade, Boston. Recently, September 10, 1886, began The Ipswich Independent, a sizable folio, edited by Mr. Charles G. Hull.

THE BURLEY FUND .- Captain William Burley was a native of Ipswich, born January 6, 1750. He died in Beverly December 22, 1822, and left to his na- tive town a bequest of fifty dollars to be paid annu- ally for ten years " for the sole purpose of teaching poor children to read and instructing them in the principles of the Christian religion." The town voted, April 7, 1823, "expressive of their respect to his memory." The executors agreed with the town that the equity should be liquidated in one payment. Accordingly, an act of incorporation, dated June 18,

612

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

1825, was obtained, and "Nathaniel Lord, Jr., and William Conant, Jr., Esquires, Josiah Brown and John Kimball, gentlemen, and Daniel Cogswell, mer- chant," became a "body politic" by the name of "The Trustees of the Burley Educational Fund in Ipswich." The amount of the trust was five hundred dollars, but the Sunday-schools and the Bible socie- ties, and our admirable system of free schools and school-books, are performing the mission of this be- quest almost entirely, and the fund only labors to grow. It is now seven thousand five hundred dol- lars. Some future Legislature may reappropriate it, when, in a maturer growth and strength, it will per- form a wider range of service, and the generous thoughtfulness of the donor build wiser and better than he planned.

ABRAHAM HAMMATT .- Among the men who have fostered the educational growth of our town, and de- serve a warm sentiment of regard, is Mr. Hammatt. He was born in Plymouth in 1780 of Puritan ancestry, and there learned the trade of rope-making. In 1800 he removed to Bath, Me., and began business for him- self. Years of industry and frugality gave him a competence. He then devoted his time and talents to literature and science, for which he had a fine taste. He was said to have been the best scholar in Bath, not excepting the men of any of the learned professions. He died August 9, 1854, aged seventy- four years. About eighteen years before, he removed to this town. He was a member of the New England Historical-Genealogical Society, and was by them considered a true antiquarian and an accurate gene- alogist. In his death they sustained a severe loss. He was for a long time feoffee of the grammar school and member of the Town School Board. He was an earnest and efficient officer, and his genial presence was always welcome in the school-room. In his later years he prepared "Early Inhabitants of Ipswich," copied the ancient inscriptions in the High Street Cemetery, and wrote a bi-centennial his- tory of the grammar school-all noble, serviceable labors. His death closed a blameless, benevolent and useful life.

ANNE BRADSTREET was born in Northampton, England, in 1612. She married at the age of sixteen, and in 1630 came to this country. Her father was Governor Thomas Dudley, her husband Governor Simon Bradstreet. She resided in Ipswich about twenty years, and then removed with her husband to Andover. She was the earliest poet of New Eng- land, and was noble and gifted. Rev. Cotton Mather wrote,-" Her poems, divers times printed, have af- forded a grateful entertainment unto the ingenious, and a monument for her memory, beyond the state- liest marble." Rev. John Norton calls her "the mir- ror of her age and the glory of her sex." The second edition of her poems is said "to be the work of a woman honored and esteemed where she lives for her gracious demeanor, her eminent parts, her pious con-

versation, her courteous disposition, her exact dili- gence in her place, and discreet managing of her family occasions ; and, more than so, these poems are the fruit of but some few hours curtailed from her sleep and other refreshments." She was as much loved for gentleness, discretion and domestic dili- gence as she was admired for her genius, wit and love of learning. Her death occurred September 16, 1672.

CHAPTER XL V.

IPSWICH (Continued).

MILITARY AND MARTIAL.

THE SITUATION .- Although this town had a very fortunate situation as regards the Indians, yet, in the same manner, though not to the same extent, as the frontier towns, our ancestors were obliged to be ever on the alert, and ever ready to meet an active display of the treachery, perfidy and jealousy of the red man. As our later New England ancestors planted the school-house by the church, very truly and wisely our early ancestors planted a fort also. The Eastern Indians were jealous, blood-thirsty and cruel, and any day or night their war canoes might float in our har- bor. They were active, among other tribes, in plot- ting mischief and instilling a spirit of dissatisfaction. At the south-in Eastern Connecticut and Western Rhode Island, and extending from the sea several leagues to the north-were the Pequods, a race, the quintessence of jealousy, cruel mischief and murder. Their emissaries were in every camp; they were a scourge from the very first. Every hamlet, every home, was in jeopardy and fear. The sudden rush of attack and the startling war-whoop were their dec- laration of war, and whoever was surprised thereby paid the penalty with his blood and scalp.

CAUTION .- Tbis condition of circumstances occa- sioned a careful carriage, and an adequate protection of some weapon of defence. The musket was the white man's vade mecum upon the road, in the field and workshop, and at church and home. To meet this emergency the town's people maintained watches and erected forts ; powder was kept in store under penalty ; night signals and day signals of alarm were established; companies were formed, and the entire populace were minute-men.

MEANS .- In 1633 it was ordered that Saugus, Sa- lem and Agawam assist Boston in building a fort. The next year the Ipswich assistant is ordered to so- licit funds for a movable fort at Bostou; every man must be trained for service. Daniel Denison and Nicholas Easton have charge of the powder here. The town was to receive its proportion of muskets, bandoleers and rests, just then imported, and to have

613

IPSWICH.

the use of two sakers, if they will provide carriages and Captain Daniel Denison was commissioned colo- for them. nel.

In 1635 the company was ordered to maintain its officers ; eight swords were added to their equipments. In 1636 the military force of the jurisdiction was di- vided into three regiments-Sangus, Salem, Ipswich and Newbury making one, with John Endicott, Esq., of Salem, colonel; and John Winthrop, Jr., of Ips- wich, lieutenant-colonel. The next year it was or- dered that " no person shall travel above a mile from his dwelling, except where other dwellings are near, without some arms, upon pain of 12s. for every de- fault ; " each town must have a watch-house, and keep a watch ; eight annual trainings were ordered ; Daniel Denison was commissioned captain.

THE PEQUOD WAR .- This year occurred the mem- orable Peqnod War, wherein Ipswich was repre- sented by twenty-three soldiers and William Fuller as gnnsmith. History depicts the overwhelming dis- aster of the Indians. Therein Francis Wainwright attacked a knot of Pequods, expended his ammuni- tion, broke his gun over them and brought in two scalps. John Wedgewood was wounded and taken prisoner, and John Sherman was wounded in the neck. The following-named persons were granted from two to ten acres of land for their services : John Andrews, John Burnum, Robert Castell, Rob- ert Cross, Robert Filbrick, Edward Lumus, Andrew Story, William Swynder, Palmer Tingley, Francis Wainwright and William Whitred. In 1668 Edward Thomas was granted six acres of land for services rendered at some time, against the Indians.

OTHER MEANS .- In 1639 a reservation is made for a fort on Castle Hill, where the land was granted John Winthrop, Jr. The town has two barrels of powder, and may sell, on the county's account, at two shillings per pound; and the following year the meeting-house was used as a watch-honse. In 1642 there was a general suspicion and alarm. It was thought the various tribes of Indians had conspired to annihilate the white man, and Ipswich, Rowley and Newbury were ordered to disarm the Merrimac sachem. Forty men went the next day, and not finding the chief, they took away his son as a hostage. The town record allows "twenty men 12d. each per day for three days." That year a retreat for wives and children must be provided ; twelve saker bullets were allowed to the town ; the town must have spe- cial alarms-sentinels who, going to the houses, shall, in case of attack, cry : "Arm, Arm!" This general suspicion and alarm of the colonists was the pre- cnrsor of the famous colonial leagne of March 19, 1643, and its earnest, nnanswerable thongh silent ad- vocate. In 1643 worshippers must go in arms to meeting on Lord's day. In 1644 the counties of Es- sex and Norfolk-which extended from the Merri- mac River and included Exeter, Dover and Ports- month in New Hampshire, while Essex then ex- tended only to the Merrimac-form one regiment,

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 Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 169

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538