History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 13

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 13

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"3. Did try a voat for ye granting ye remoat parts of ye towne twelve potrods annualy for schoolfog among themselves. So long as ye schools should be kept in one place, and it was negatived.

"4. Did trye a voat yt ye gramer school should be keept att ye school- house by the meeting-house for ye present year. Negatived.

"5 Did try to have it kept at ye school-house at ye south part of ye town, and it was negatived." "

Mr. Samuel Miller, promising before the town in said meeting, that he would find a room in his own house to keep school in, and not charge the town any- thing for the use of it, --

"7. The inhabitants did voat yt the school should be kept att ye house of said Mr. Saml. Miller for the present or ensuing year."

Mr. Miller lived in the West Parish. This arrange- ment of having but one school-and that at the west -was unsatisfactory, and at the next March meeting they voted that the school should be kept two-thirds of the time at the meeting-house, and one-third of the time at the south end of the town.

But apparently the stormiest sessions were in 1723. At the March meeting the inhabitants provided for a school one-half of the year at the west, and at the north and south parte one-quarter each; in October they changed their plan, and changed again in De- cember, at which time they voted twelve pounds ten shillings toward the building of a school-house within forty rods of the house of Samuel Miller, also that the

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

inhabitants of the town should have the privilege of sending to either school they chose, or to all three. This apparently settled the difficulty. In 1726 Mr. Miller gave four rods of land for the school-house.

SEVERAL MASTERS HIRED, AND SCHOOL TAUGHT ONLY IN THE WINTER MONTHS .- The next change in the management of the schools worthy of note occurred in December, 1751, when winter schools were provided for all the districts, to be kept at the same time, thus requiring two more school-masters. This proved satisfactory, and three winter schools after this were taught from year to year, continuing till Mareh,

THE CHARACTER OF THE " GRAMMAR SCHOOL."- It is difficult, if not impossible, at this late day, to ascertain if the expression "Grammar School," as used in the records, meant a school in which Latin and Greek were taught, and students fitted for the university, or simply a school for English studies. A record of 1751 stands :

"Dec. 4, 1751 .- The question was put wheather their should be two more school-masters provided to keep English schools in town, that there may be a school kept at each school House untill the aniversary in March next, and it passed in the affirmative."

A record of 1754 stands:

"Voted, that the committee that was chosen in March lest to provide a Grammar School Master, should be the committee to provide two mas- ters more."

If we look back in the records of 1731, we shall find that a committee was appointed to petition the General Court for a grant of land to enable the town to support a grammar school. As common English schools had been supported by the town ever since its organization, the inference certainly must be that the people in 1731 were looking towards the estab- lishment of a grammar school as defined by the General Court. The record quoted above, as well as the following record, dated. March, 1761, certainly seems to imply the existence of such a school, or an attempt to make what schools they had answer the requirements of the law :

" Voted, that fifty pounds of the Town rate shall and hereby is ap- propriated for the Grammar-school.

" l'oted, that if the said Fifty pounds shall not he expended for the support of the Grammar School, the remainder shall be laid out in other schooling at the discretion of the Committee that is to provide the Grammar School Master."

Probably some subterfuge was here used, and but little of this was expended for the said "Grammar School," for the next year the town was presented for not setting up a grammar school, as the laws of Massachusetts required, and the seleetmen were in- structed to endeavor to defend the town before the next Court of General Sessions to be held in Cam- bridge. The selectmen would hardly have attempted to defend the town if they had not some defense to make. After this for some years it was voted to keep the grammar school at the house of Edward Durant, and then, in 1767, " at such school house as the com- mittee shall think proper."

INCREASED INTEREST IN THE SCHOOLS .- The year 1763 seems to have been a year of increased interest in school affairs, and several changes were made in the schools and in their administration. First, the people voted for four schools to be opened at the fonr school-houses "beside the grammar school ;" also voted that the selectmen should apportion the school money and school time according to the list of polls and valnation of estates the preceding year, " except- ing this allowance, viz. : that those persons who are unable to pay their polls, as large a share as if they had been able and did pay for the same." Under this direction the following apportionment of school money was made. For the school near the meeting- house, £19 98 .; Northwest, £13 118 .; Oak Hill, £10 10s. ; Southwest, £6 10s. total, £50.

The apportionment of school time was :- At the Centre, 20 weeks, 2 days; Northwest, 14 weeks, 0 days ; Oak Hill, 10 weeks, 6 days; Southwest 6 weeks, 5 days-total, 52 weeks, 1 day.

There had been some trouble in regard to the fur- nishing of wood for the schools, and after some debate concerning the method of providing it, it was voted that it should be paid for from the town treas- ury ; at the same time the people showed their thrift by choosing one person for each of the five schools to purchase wood " at as low a rate as they can."

This year the School Committee was increased from three to five.

SCHOOL-HOUSES .- As a sample of the school-houses of the time, that located in the Southwest District, near the spot where the railroad station in Newton Highlands now stands (1890), is thus described in Smith's " History of Newton : ""The building was brick, 14 by 16 feet square, and chimney room, It was covered with a hip roof coming together at a point in the centre. A fireplace about six feet wide and four feet deep, with a large chimney, in which they burned wood four feet long, occupied one side of the room. This house became very much dilapidat- ed, and the roof so leaky in its later years, that it was not uncommon for the teacher to huddle the scholars together under an umbrella or two to prevent their getting wet during the summer showers." The house was rebuilt in 1811.

An amusing incident may be recorded here to illus- trate the capacity of chimneys in those days. It is related of a Master Hovey, who taught in one of the school-houses last used in 1809, corner of Ward Street and Waverly Avenue, that a roguish boy once let down a fish-line and hook from the chimney-top, which hook an equally rognish boy in the room fastened to the wig of the venerable master, when, presto ! the wig suddenly disappeared up the chimney.

WOMEN EMPLOYED AS TEACHERS .- At the May town-meeting in 1766 the people took a new depart- ure, and, "after some debate, voted :- that sixteen pounds be assessed in the polls and estates in Newton, by an addition 'of said sum to the town rate, and to be

NEWTON.

laid out in paying school mistresses for the instruction of children this present year at the discretion of the committee chosen in March last to provide a gram- mar schcol-master."

Like appropriations of sixteen pounds a year were made. and school-mistresses employed "for the in- struction of young children " till 1774, after which, till 1803, only masters were employed. These "wo- men's schools " were summer schools, while the mas- ters' schools, with the exception of the grammar school, were taught in the winter. In 1773 and for several subsequent years the town voted "that the grammar school be taught in the summer."

INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF SCHOOLS .- It does not appear that there was much supervision of the schools in those early days, by any one. In the year 1761 and after, the committee who provided the school-masters were empowered to expend the school money at their discretion ; the selectmen were often employed to perform other duties which now pertain to the office of School Committee, while special com- mittees were appointed for many specific purposes- to locate school buildings, to make repairs, to appor- tion school money and school time, to district the town, to provide wood, etc., etc.

In the record of December 22, 1772, is found the first item that looks towards much supervision of any kind, as follows :

" The question was put whether the selecctmen should be enjoined to inspect the several schools in the town and see that the several school- masters and mistresses do their respective duties in keeping said schools, and what proficiency the scholars make in their learning, and the vote passed in the negative."

Then

" Voted that the school committee, so called, be enjoined to visit the several schools and see that the several school-masters and school-mis. tresses do their respective duties and see what proficiency the scholars make in their learning."

In 1790, also in 1791, in the vote that the School Committee should locate the schools, etc., it was added " the said committee to inspect the several schools and see that they are kept as the law directs," and at a later meeting the same year, after voting that the East School Society might lay out their money as they thought proper, they added to their vote :

" Notwithstanding, the school committec to exercise the same authority as they were directed to when chosen in March last."

This year the Lower Falls District was set off, and the money apportioned accordingly.

OWNERSHIP OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS .- In the year 1793 measures were taken for the purchase of the sev- eral school-houses, which were hitherto owned by the several school districts, and a committee of eleven was chosen to draw up a plan respecting the school- houses and schooling and to report at the next meet- ing. The next year the town voted to reconsider all former votes respecting school-houses and schooling and chose a committee of five to draw up a plan,

Colonel Benjamin Hammond being the only person on this committee that was on the committee of eleven. The report of this committee seemed to sat- isfy, and the same committee were directed to pur- chase, as soon as convenient, as many of the school buildings, with the land, as could be obtained on rea- sonable terms. The price paid varied from £40 to £100.

REGULATION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE SCHOOLS, -In the year 1795 the town voted to choose a commit- tee of six persons to prepare rules and regulations to be observed by the several schools within the town, and made choice of Colonel Josiah Fuller, Major Timothy Jackson, Captain William Ilammond, Lieu- tenant Caleb Kendrick, Dr. John King and Dr. Eb- enezer Starr. This committee was directed to give the several ministers of the Gospel within the town an invitation to assist them, and to report at the next May meeting. With a committee thus made up of men devoted either to the spiritual, physical or bellig- erent interests of the community, it might be sup- posed that a fine set of rules would be presented and adopted. But, alas I no report appeared; at least, none is recorded.

In 1802 another committee was chosen to join with the ministers for the same purpose, and the next year a third committee, but no report was forthcoming.

YEARLY APPROPRIATION FOR SCHOOLS TO 1800. -The yearly grant for schooling from the town treas- ury was, from 1761-65, £50; 1766-73, £66; 1774, £60; 1775-76, £50; 1777, £40; 1778, £80; 1782-85, £60 ; 1786-89, £80; 1790,£90; 1791-94, £100; 1795, £130 ; 1796-99, $500.

The school appropriations of 1778-81 are given in depreciated currency ; thus, 1779, £200; 1780, £2000; 1781, £2000. The other appropriations are in silver coin.

THE SCHOOLS FROM 1800 TO 1817 .- From 1800 to 1817 little can be gleaned concerning the public schools of Newton which is of interest to the general reader. The town owned its several school-houses, and in 1808 it was divided into seven school wards- the West, the North, the East, the South, the South- west, the Lower Falls and the Centre.

From the winter of 1809-10 to that of 1812-13, and again from 1814-17 Mr. Seth Davis, a well-known centenarian of Newton, taught in the public schools in the West and North Wards. It is related of him that, in 1810, he introduced into his school decla- mation and geography, with map-drawing. This created a great sensation, and a special town-meet- ing was called to consider whether such a dangerous innovation should be tolerated. After long discus- sion on the demoralizing tendencies of the times, it was decided by a large majority that map-drawing might be continued, but declamation must not be allowed. Mr. Davis' determined will undoubtedly chafed under such limitations, and in 1817 he estab- lished a private school, a notice of which school will be found later in this article.

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

FROM 1817 TO 1827 .- At the March meeting of 1817 another attempt was made to secure some plan for the better regulation and government of the schools, and a committee of the three ministers, with one person from each school district, Rev. William Greenough, chairman, was requested to draw up a plan and report, On the 12th of May following the report was presented, and, with the exception of the eighth clause, was adopted. The report is given en- tire as an exponent of the prevailing opinions of the times :

"Your committee, appointed to determine some regulations for the schools in Newton, have attended to that service and report as follows :

"1. For the purpose of exciting in the minds of the scholars a rever- ence for the Word of God, and of aiding them in reading it with propriety, it is recommended that a portion of it be publicly and daily read in the morning in each school by the Preceptor or Precepiress, and that the scholars shall read the same after bim or her.

"2. That whereas there has been long and frequent complaint of grest deficiency of books among the scholars in several of the schools, it is earnestly recommended that all parents and guardians procure suit- able books for each of the children or youth under their care, and that the Selectmen be requested by the Committeemen of the district to fur- Disb hooks at the expense of the town for those scholars whose parents or guardiaos, in his opinion, are noable to purchase them.

"3. That the New Testament be one of the standard reading books in all the schools in this town. And your committee do, io a special maoner, recommend Cummings' New Testament, designed for schools, with muy's of the countries and places mentioned in the Scriptures and explanatory notes.

"4. That Murrey's English Reader or Lyman's American Reader be recommended for instruction in reading in the schools of this town.

"5. That wherens, it appears, upon enquiry, that Walker's Dictionary has become a growing and general standard for prvounciation jo the colleges of the State, and in the colleges and academies of the United States, your Committee recommend Walker's Pronouncing Dictionary as, in the general tenor of the work, the best standard to be used by in- structors in the public schools ; and that the scholars of the first class be provided with the small edition of this Dictionary.

" Your committee, however, in recommending Walker's Dictionary, would be understood as having reference principully to the accent, and not as deciding on the promiety or impropriety of his mode of pro- nonbeing virtue, nature, creature,- virtabo, natshure, cretshore,-and a few other words.

"6. That the town recommend toevery religious teacher of the schools to open and close them daily by prayer.

" That every master be desired to comply with the laws of the Com- monwealth, which requires him to give moral sud religions instruction to his pupils.

" 7. As most of your committee have been called frequently to visit the schools in this town, and have been satisfied that the number of chil- dren in several of them is greater than can be taught or governed to advantage, they earnestly recommend, as an essential and important aid in instructing and governing the public schools, that no children shall be admitted into the winter schools nutil the complete age of seven years.

"9. It is recommended to the town that a fourth part of tho moneys annually granted for the support of public schools be devoted to the support of summer schools.

"10. That the Town Clerk be requested hy the town annually to for- nish, at the town's expense, copies of these votes to ouch school commit- teeman.

"11. We recommend renewed attention on the part of the town to a former vote of the town, ¿relative to the committeemien of the several schools acting in concert, not separately, in employing instructors."

The adoption of these measures was a great step in advance of previous legislation.

For some years the committee in their united ca- pacity provided the several teachers, but this did not satisfy, and in 1821 the committee of each district was empowered "to employ such instructors and

spend their proportion of money in such a way as they think proper, complying with the law of the Commonwealth for governing schools under the diree- tion of the inhabitants qualified to vote in town affairs in the district for which he is chosen. But it shall be the duty of each committeeman to notify the inhabitants of the district for which he is chosen, qualified as aforesaid, to meet at some convenient place within said distriet before he proceeds to hire an Instructor to make arrangements for said school." A similar vote was passed in 1823. This arrangement was unsatisfactory, and in 1826 the committee, as a whole, was again required to provide instructors.

The school law of 1826 first made it obligatory upon the towns to elect a School Committee, and by the statutes of 1827 every town was required to elect three, five or seven persons, and towns containing four thousand inhabitants were empowered to choose an additional number, not exceeding five. Newton contained less than three thousand inhabitants.

FROM 1827 TO THE ABOLITION OF THE DISTRICT SYSTEM AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GRADED SCHOOLS IN 1852-53 .- In accordance with the law of 1827, the town chose a general School Committee of three, consisting of Rev. Alfred J. Barry, Hon. Wil- liam Jackson and Deacon Elijah F. Woodward; the next year Rev. James Bates and Mr. Seth Davis were added to the committee. After this, Superintending Committees of five were generally chosen. Prudential Committees were also chosen from year to year, one for each district, sometimes by the school districts themselves. The duties of the Prudential Committee of each district were to keep the school-house of his distriet in repair, to furnish it with all things suitable, to provide fuel, to contraet conditionally with the teacher, and to keep the Visiting Committee informed of the condition of the school. The Visiting Com- mittee were required to examine all candidates for teaching, to certify to their ability, and also to have a general charge of all school interests. This sub- division of duties and responsibilities had some few advantages, but they were more than counterbalanced by its disadvantages, and too often caused much friction in the working of the school machinery. Thus, the method of securing and examining teachers was frequently complained of by the Examining Committee. The Prudential Committees would some- times secure teachers and send them to the Examin- ing Committee for approval without any notice, when it would be absolutely impossible to give a thorough examination. It often happened, even, that the teachers commenced their schools before examination, or were examined and rejected so late as to delay the commencement of school at the proper time, the Pru- dential Committee being, meantime, in search of an- other candidate. If a relative or favorite of the local committee chaneed to be rejected, hard feelings were thereby engendered. In the report of 1844 the con- mittee complained that teachers had been allowed to

NEWTON.

teach through the term and even to draw their pay either without examination or on the approval of a previous certificate, though the statute provided that no teacher should commence without a certificate for the occasion, while the fact that a person had taught the year before might furnish the best possible reason why his application should be rejected.

In their report of 1847-48 the Superintending Com- mittee cited State rules for the guidance of the Pru. dential Committee, and earnestly and solemnly urged that no pains should be spared and no reasonable compensation refused that might secure teachers of the right stamp. In 1849-50 they urged the advis- ability of having the teachers chosen and contracted for by the Examining Committee, and reminded the citizens that by a law of the State this should be so, unless a town having an article in the warrant for the purpose should expressly vote to give that duty to the Prudential Committee.

Under the double committee system the schools lacked unity of method and of results, and though stead- ily improving, yet made slow progress. The duties of Prudential Committee were finally merged into those of the Superintending Committee, and the Pru- dential Committee was abolished in 1852-53.

Since the first establishment of the general Visiting Committee, names of responsible, painstaking and able persons are found upon the Newton lists, and earnest efforts were constantly made to better the schools. After the establishment of the Massachu- setts Board of Education, great assistance was derived from the annual reports of the secretary of the board, which were sent to the School Committee of each town, and perhaps quite as much, from the necessity, imposed npon every town, of reporting in detail the condition of every public school within its boundaries. These reports are on file at the State-House, and atford ample evidence of conscientious, painstaking service.

Rev. Lyman Gilbert and Mr. Ebenezer Woodward were for many years members of the committee, and to them may be attributed much of the progress of education in their day. Mr. Woodward was a practi- cal teacher, and kept a very successful private school in Newton Centre from 1837 till 1843; Mr. Gilbert had, for a short time, been usher in Phillips Acad- emy, Andover. The reports in which their names appear evince ability, patience, interest and fearless- ness, and are at once critical and inspiring. The following extract from the report of 1838-39 may not be out of place ;

" The idea of having learning enough for common business merely, should be sentenced to perpetual banishment. Learning in any of its branches can be useless to no one. The acquisition of knowledge is moreover a design of life. This consideration should be oftener present to the mind, as well as the moral obligation all are under to make the most and the best of their faculties, and to be satisfied with no degree of attainment so long as a higher attainment is within their reach."

STATISTICS OF 1839-40 .- In the year ending April, 1840, Newton had eleven public schools ; the whole

number of pupils was, in summer, 534; average at- tendance, 420; in winter, 632; average attendance, 520. There were ten female teachers iu summer; in the winter nine male and two female teachers. Ave- rage monthly wages of male teachers, including board, $34.88; average board, $10.44; average monthly wages of female teachers, including board, $14.50 ; average board per month, $6.55; aggregate length of the winter schools, forty weeks; of the summer, forty weeks, fourteen days.

There were two incorporated academies ; aggregate number of months in session, twenty-two; average number of pupils, fifty ; aggregate paid for tuition, $800.

BOOKS IN USE .- The books used in the public schools at this time were :

For Spelling .-- Webster's Spelling.Book and Dictionary ; National Spelling- Book.

For Reading .- Pierpont's Reading-Books, Abbott's Reading.Books, Worcester's Fourth Book, Testament.

For Geography .- Olney's Geography.

For Grammar .-- Parley & Fox's, Smith's.

For Arithmetic .- Emersuo's, Smith's, Colburn's.

For Algebra .- Culburn's, Day's.

For History .- Worcester's History, Whelpley's Compend, Goodrich's History of the United States.

Other Books .- Blake's Philosophy and Astronomy, Watt's On the Mind, Book of Commerce.

SCHOOL APPARATUS .- At quite an early period there were those in town whose ideas upon education were much advanced, and in 1833 they succeeded in getting into the warrant for town-meeting an article to see if the town would furnish each school district with a copy of the Family Encyclopedia, but the article was dismissed. In 1835 they induced the town to vote that a terrestrial globe be purchased for each of the district schools, and instructed the committee in each district to provide a box for its safe keeping. But, alas ! of what use is the best apparatus without the power or inclination to use it? In 1847-48 the committee reports "Globes in school, but not in use." " They had never seen one in any school." On in- quiry as to their whereabouts, some were found buried in dust in broken boxes, some were stowed away in the entries among wood and other rubbish, and some could not be accountel for, " perhaps removed with the old house and regarded as too superannuated to be introduced into a modern structure." "As if the earth was not round still, and America where it was a century since and China its antipodal, and as if these and a thousand other parts of the earth's sur- face could be made plain as daylight to the learner by any other means than the very miniature of the earth itself."

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 13

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278