USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > History of Newbury, Mass., 1635-1902 > Part 32
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May 21, 1855, Josiah Little, of Newburyport, sold to " David Sawyer and Robert L. Brown, overseers of the So- ciety of Friends in West Newbury," about one acre of land " on the road leading from Newburyport to West Newbury by Turkey Hill," which has been since that date used by the members of the society as a burying-ground .¿
A private school was kept by Miss Upham for several years in the meeting-house on High street after it came into the possession of Josiah Little, Esq. The second quarter of the school was advertised in the Newburyport Herald "to commence August 31, 1825."
Miss Upham was a sister of Thomas C. Upham, Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy in Bowdoin College, Bruns- wick, Me. In 1827, she announced that "The French and Italian languages, Painting and other branches of Education usual in Female Seminaries " § would be taught in her school at Belleville.
Some years later the old meeting-house was used as a ves- * Essex Deeds, vol. ccxxxviii., leaf 141. t Ibid., vol. cclii., leaf 239. # Ibid., vol. dlxiv., leaf 28r.
§ See advertisement in Newburyport Herald, April 3, 1827.
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CHURCHES AND PASTORS
try for the Fourth Parish church in Newbury, now the Belle- ville Congregational church of Newburyport. In 1857, it was removed to a lot of land on the northeasterly side of the ferry road, a few rods in a southeasterly direction from Meeting-house lane, now Noble street, Newburyport, and con- verted into a dwelling house to take the place of one - owned and occupied by Mr. Charles Bartlett - destroyed by fire Feb- ruary 24, 1857. It is still standing, and is now the property of Mr. George A. Menut, Newburyport.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN BYFIELD.
In 1827, Rev. William French, of Sandown, N.H., visited Newbury, and induced some of the people living near the "Great Rock" to form a class for the study of the Bible, with special reference to the doctrines and principles of the Christian religion as taught by the Methodist church. For several years he came at regular stated intervals to aid and assist in the work, and encourage the weak-hearted and despondent.
In 1830, a small chapel was built near the "Great Rock," and services were held there on Sundays by Methodist preachers from the neighboring towns. In 1831, Rev. Philo Bronson was appointed to the work of the ministry there by the New England Conference. In 1832, Rev. Joseph Brown supplied the pulpit for three or four months, and Rev. Thomas W. Gile for the remainder of the year. The church as well as the parish was organized during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Gile, under the name of "The First Parish of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the towns of West Newbury and New- bury," and Micajah Poor was chosen clerk.
Rev. Samuel W. Coggshall was appointed pastor of the church in 1833. He was succeeded by Rev. Hezekiah Thatcher, who remained in charge of the parish until 1838. After that date, services were conducted by occasional preachers from Ipswich, Rowley, Salisbury, and other towns in the neighborhood until 1846, when the church was placed in charge of the officers and members of the Methodist so-
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY
ciety in Newburyport, and a vigorous effort was made to in- crease and strengthen its work and influence.
In 1855, during the pastorate of Rev. John L. Trefren, the chapel was removed to its present location, near the Boston & Maine Railroad station, in Byfield parish, Newbury, and subsequently remodelled and enlarged .* Most of the minis- ters appointed to carry on the work in the new chapel, follow- ing the rule or custom of the Methodist church, remained only one year. Several, however, were retained for a longer term of service. Rev. O. S. Butler occupied the pulpit from 1858 to 1861 and again from 1863 to 1866. In 1868, during the pastorate of Rev. Garret Beckman, the church was again remodelled and enlarged.
Rev. William W. Bowers was appointed pastor of the church April 14, 1900, and still retains that office. In the month of September, 1901, the meeting house was removed and a new one erected on the same site. It was dedicated to the worship of God, Sunday, June 15, 1902.
* Land was purchased July 24, 1855, and March 21, 1859. (See Essex Deeds, book dxvii., leaf 88; book dixxxiv., leaves 299, 300.)
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CHAPTER VII.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS.
ANTHONY SOMERBY came to New England in 1639 in the ship " Jonathan." * He was probably the first school-teacher employed by the town of Newbury.
There was granted unto Anthony Somerby in the year 1639 for his encouragement to keepe schoole for one yeare foure Akers of upland over the great river in the necke, also sixe Akers of salt marsh next to Abraham Toppan's twenty akers, the which twenty Akers lyes on the south side of it.t
Soon after the removal of the inhabitants of Newbury from Parker river to the new settlement on Merrimack river, Anthony Somerby was chosen town clerk, which office he held for more than thirty-eight years. The new meeting-house erected "upon a knowle of upland by Abraham Toppan's barne " was used as a school-house until a more suitable building was provided. Taxes were assessed for the main- tenance and support of the school, which was established by vote of the town, and placed under the supervision of the committee named in the following certificate : -
At a town meeting Nov. 29 1652 There was voted by the major part of the towne that there should be a convenient house built for a schoole. There was also voted that there should be twenty pounds a yeare allowed for to maintaine a schoolmaster out of the Towne rate. There was also voted that Mr Woodman, Richard Kent, Junr, Lieut : Pike & Nicholas Noyes should be a committee for manageing of the business of the the schoole &c
At a generall meeting of the town May 14, 1653 (?) there was ordered & voted that the towne should by an equall proportion according to mens estates by way of rates pay foure and twenty pounds by the yeare
* New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. xxxii., p. 411.
t Town of Newbury Records, p. 34 ; also, Proprietors' Records, p. 47.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY
to maintain a free schoole to be kept at the meeting house & the master to teach all such inhabitants children as shall be sent to him so soon as they know their letters & begin to read.
A true coppy taken out of the Towne Book
pr ANTHONY SOMERBY .*
The General Court, in order to encourage and promote the dissemination of knowledge, ordered, November 11, 1647, every town having fifty householders to appoint a suitable person to teach reading and writing in that town, and further ordered
. . . yt where any towne shall increase to ye numbr of 100 families or householdrs they shall set up a gramer schoole, ye mr thereof being able to instruct youth so farr as they may be fited for ye University, prvided yt if any towne neglect ye pformance hereof above one yeare, yt every such towne shall pay 5{ to ye next schoole till they shall pforme this order.t
For non-compliance with this law the inhabitants of New- bury were compelled to answer at the court held at Ipswich May 6, 1658.
Newbury upon their presentment for want of a latin scoole is to pay five pounds to Ipswich lattin scool, unless they by the nexte court provyde a lattin scoole master according to law.#
Whether the fine imposed by the court was paid or a " lattin scoole master " employed within the time named is uncertain, as the town records for several years subsequent to that date have been lost or destroyed.
At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of Newbury held October 5, 1675, " it was voted to have a schoolmaster got to teach to write & read & cypher & teach a gramer schoole"; § and, November 10, 1675, the selectmen voted " That whereas the Law requires that our Towne should maintaine a Gram- mer schoole & a schoole master to teach to recite & read, the Selectmen agreed with Henry Short to be the schoolmaster and to have for this first halfe yeare five pounds to be paid out of the Towne Rate and to have sixpence a week for every scholar."§
* Ipswich Court Files, vol. iv., leaf 21.
t Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. ii., p. 203.
# Ipswich Court Records, vol. i., leaf 68. § Town of Newbury Records.
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SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS
June 21, 1676 the selectmen agreed with Henry Short to keep schoole for this yeare from the first Day of May last past (which time untill now he hath taught children) & he is to teach untill the first day of May next & the selectmen Do engage to pay him ten pounds out of the next Towne Rate and if the number be about twenty scholars & upwards he is to teach them at the watch house .*
At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of the town held September 21, 1677, Daniel Pierce, jr., and Nicholas Noyes were chosen "to get a schoolmaster and agree with him to teach children, and the Towne voted for in- couragement to give twenty pounds for a yeare besides what they shal agree upon for the children that shall come to schoole to him." * .
November 22, 1678, the town again voted to give twenty pounds a year to maintain the schoolmaster, and April 13, 1680, voted to pay twenty pounds out of the town rate "to Mr Emerson for to keep school."
In answer to the petition of several of the inhabitants 'of Newbury the General Court authorized the selectmen of the town, June 11, 1680, to raise the sum of sixty pounds annually "for the encouragement of learning & Maintenance of the schole master there." t Taking advantage of this order of the court, Mr. Emerson demanded an increase of salary ; but the town answered that it had no further use for his services, and dismissed him. On the fourteenth day of September fol- lowing, a committee was appointed to see if he would accept twenty pounds a year for keeping the school. He declined the offer, and claimed that the notice of dismissal was illegal.}
October 13, 1680, the General Court ordered that Mr. Emerson should continue to be schoolmaster at Newbury until the next session of the court, and that threescore pounds should be paid him for his services.§ The town, however, voted to employ Mr. Baily to keep a school in the watch- house, and appointed a committee to settle with Mr. Emerson, if possible. The question of salary could not be satisfactorily adjusted, although repeated attempts were made to accomplish
* Town of Newbury Records. + Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. v., p. 272.
# Town of Newbury Records ; see also " Ould Newbury," p. 105.
§ Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. v., p. 299.
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398
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
that result. At a town meeting held May 4, 1681, the sub- ject was again considered.
Sergeant Tristram Coffin and Joseph Pike were desired by the Towne to treat with Mr John Emerson about his wages for keeping schoole this last yeare past from May in the yeare 1680 untill this present May : whereupon the said Mr Emerson did promise and engage to us above mentioned that in case the Towne pay or give security for the payment (to the said Mr Emerson) of twenty pounds in merchantable corne or mault by the twentieth of this Instant May, and by the last of October next forty pounds more in the like merchantable corne & mault that the said Mr Emerson do engage to desist from keeping schoole in Newbury forthwith upon such engagement. -
This proposal or agreement was accepted without further delay, and the following order was then adopted : -
The Towne having heard & received Mr Emersons answer to the said Sergeant Coffin & Joseph Pike do consent thereunto and do hereby grant the same and do hereby order and empower the Selectmen to make a rate of sixty pounds for the settlement [with] Mr Emerson according to the said agreement, to be levied on the Towne in part, and the rest on the schollars that have been Instructed by the said Mr Emerson this last yeare, according to theire discretion .*
The following petition was presented to the General Court for the repeal of the order requiring the town of Newbury to raise the sum of sixty pounds annually for the support of a schoolmaster.
To the Honoured Generall Court now assembled at Boston May II, 1681.
The Humble petition of the Selectmen of Newbury in the behalf of the Towne Humbly Sheweth
That whereas this Honoured Court was pleased to order our Town to pay sixty pounds pr Annum to a schoolmaster this may certify this Honoured Court that according to their order wee have taken a course for the paying of the said sixty pounds unto Mr Emerson who was then in the place to his satisfaction. And the Towne hath agreed with a schoolmaster and taken order for his maintenance, who is an able ortho- dox man. Therefore wee humbly desire this Honoured Court that they wil bee pleased to repeale the order for the payment of the said three score pounds pr Annum and leave our Towne to the same Liberty to make a bargaine for a school as the rest of the Townes in the Country
* Town of Newbury Records.
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SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS
399
are, we are all now agreed and if that order should stand we feare it may make a breach amongst us, not doubting but that you will be pleased to consider and grant our humble request we humbly pray
NICHOLAS NOYES
SAMUEL PLUMER
JOSEPH PIKE Selectmen*
Granted by the deputies
GEORGE MARCH
Consented to by the magistrates EDWARD RAWSON Secretary
MOSES GERRISH
In ansr to the petition of Nicholas Noyes, Samuel Plumer &c select- men of Newbury, humbly desiring that, being agreed, the late order for the payment of sixty pounds p anna to their then schoole master, may be repealled, the Court judgeth it meet to grant the peticon.t
A statement of Mr. Emerson's account, with the following voucher, was recorded, with other transactions of the town, a few months later :---
Received of Joseph Pike constable of Newbury according to accord- ing to the severall sums above mentioned, the full and just summe of an hundred & ten pounds in satisfaction in full for whatsoever is due to me from the towne of Newbury for keeping schoole in the said towne of Newbury, and I do hereby acquit & discharge the said Constable & Towne from all debts & demands on that account from the begining of the world to this present day dated February 22, 1681-2 As witness my hand
JNO EMERSON.
On the ninteenth day of October, 168 1, the town of Newbury voted "that the selectmen shall make a rate of twenty pounds for the Towne pay for Mr Baily. And that the yeare begine for M' Baily schooling this day October 19, 1681." §
Mr. Baily was probably employed as schoolmaster until his successor, Mr. Edward Tomson, was appointed. In 1684, there was due from the town of Newbury "To M' Edward Tomson for keeping school this year £30." §
March 28, 1687 The Towne voted that ye selectmen should agree wth Mr Tompson to keepe scoole for the Towne one quarter of a year from this time, provided he will be pleased to keepe ye schoole ye sd
* Massachusetts Archives, vol. Iviii., p. 107.
t Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. v., p. 316.
# Town of Newbury Records. Mr. Emerson subsequently taught school in Salem from 1699 to 1712. (See Felt's Annals of Salem, p. 354.)
§ Town of Newbury Records (1680-92).
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY
quarter of a yeare for seven pounds & ten shillings. Ye scholars to pay pr week as formerly .*
September 6, 1687, The Towne considering the great advantage & benefit that have been & may be to ye Towne by promoting of Learn- ing among us do desire ye Revnd Mr Richardson and ye selectmen to procure an able schoolmaster for us for ye Teaching of children to Read write & cipher and to ffit them for the Colledg and for ye [maintenance] of a schoolmaster we do promise to give twenty pounds for ye first yeare in good country pay, besides what the schollers shall give, and also five pounds for this yeare to each end of ye Towne to be disposed of by ye selectmen according to yr discretion to such schoolmasters as shall be improved for ye teaching of children to Read, write & cipher. But if ye ends of the Towne shall neglect to procure a schoolmaster to teach to reade, write & cypher as aforesd that then ye whole thirty pounds shall go to ye Latin schoolmaster .*
On the eighteenth day of October following, the committee, consisting of Rev. Mr. Richardson and the selectmen, re- ported as follows : -
Whereas ye Towne of Newbury at a meeting of theyrs Sept. 6 last past did imploy us ye subscribers a committee for ye procuring of a school- master as in the said vote may appear : We have accordingly now agreed wth Mr Seth Shove to be ye lattin schoolmaster for ye Towne for this present year & to performe sd worke of a Lattin schoolmaster for read- ing, writing and cyphering according to sd vote.
JNO RICHARDSON DANIEL PEARCE TRISTRAM COFFIN NATHL CLARKE RICHARD BARTLET JOSEPH BAYLEY.t
December 25, 1689 voted that Mr Seth Shove should have twenty pounds for this last yr for keeping schoole & after yt proportion if he hath kept schoole above a yre since the first year.#
April 22, 1690 the Towne voted to give Mr Seth Shove twenty five pounds in Townes pay for this present year & the pay of the schollers according to custom, provided he keeps a Lattin schoole amongst us according to Law and a schoole for teaching to rede, wright & cypher.#
In May, 1691, the town voted to pay Mr. Seth Shove thirty pounds upon the following conditions, namely, that for
*Town of Newbury Records (1680-92), vol. ii., p. 71.
t Town of Newbury Records ; " Ould Newbury," p. 107.
# Town of Newbury Records.
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SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS
one year he would teach "readers free, Latin scholars six- pence per week, writers and cypherers four pence per week, to keep the school one third part of the year at the middle of the new towne, one third part at the school house, and the other third part about middle way between the meeting house and old town ferry." *
May 10, 1693 voted that Mr. John Clarke be called to assist Mr Richardson in the work of the ministry at the west end ... and also to keep a grammar schoole .*
At a meeting of the legal voters of the town held March 26, 1694, a petition presented by "Capt Dan11 Peirce, Esq., Capt Thomas Noyes, Lieu' Moses Gerrish, M' Joseph Wood- bridge, Mr Nathaniel Coffin & Benjamin Morse in the behalfe of them selves & neighbors for liberty to erect a little house by the Rock between the end of Capt Noyes lane & M Woodbridge for the accomodation of a good & sufficient schoole dame " || was granted upon condition that the land should revert to the town if the building was used for any other purpose than a school-house. This land was laid out by the lot-layers July 24, 1704, "upon the little Hill between the end of L' Col. Noyes his lane & Mr. Woodbridges house according to sd grant as it is bounded wth the comon on every side being about forty foote square." }
June 5, 1695, Mr. Christopher Toppan was invited to assist Rev. Mr. Richardson in the work of the ministry ; and the town voted to give him "thirty pounds a year so long as he shall keep a grammar and a writing schoole, the scholars to pay as they did to M' John Clarke."
July 29, 1696 for the encouragement of Mr Nicholas Webster for keeping of a Gramer school heer in Newbury the Town voted to give to him the said Mr Nicholas Webster thirty pounds for one year in country pay, provided he demand but four pence per weeke for Lattin schollers and teach all the Towns children that come to him to read write & cipher freely, without pay .*
May 11, 1697 voted that the agreement made with Nicholas Webster July 29, 1696 about keeping school be renewed for the year ensuing .*
* Town of Newbury Records.
t Town of Newbury (Proprietors') Records, P. 31.
402
HISTORY OF NEWBURY
December 18, 1699 Lieut Coffin, Lieut Noyes & Decn William Noyes were desired to discourse wth Mr Toppan & Mr Richard Browne for Mr Browne to preach a lecture once a month & once every sacramt day and to keepe ye Grammer Schoole and to help Mr Toppan or Mr Bel- cher in preaching in case of sickness, and if Mr Browne accept of the call, then to give Mr Webster a quarter of a years warning to Leave ye schoole .*
Mr. Richard Brown was employed March 18, 1700-1, " to keep the Grammer Schoole for the year ensuing on the same conditions as last year "; and two years later his salary was fixed at thirty pounds per annum .*
March 7, 1709-10, the inhabitants of Newbury voted to employ Mr. Brown to keep the grammar school for another year, and the selectmen were authorized to expend twenty pounds at their discretion "for ye promoting of writing & cy- phering in the remote parts of ye Town." *
March 13, 1710-1, Mr. Brown was again engaged to keep the grammar school ; and it was also " voted that he is to have liberty to leave it when he pleases." * The same day he was re-elected town clerk. In the month of October following, having decided to remove to Reading, where he was after- wards ordained as a minister, he wrote on a fly-leaf of one of the town books as follows : -
I have served Newbury as schoolmaster eleven years and an half and as town clerk about five years and have been repaid with abuse, con- tempt and ingratitude. I have sent nigh as many to college as all the masters before me since the reverend and learned Parker. Those I have bred think themselves better than their master (God make them better still) and yet they may remember ye foundation of all their growing greatness was laid in the sweat of my brows.
I pray that poor unacknowledging Newbury may get them that may serve them better and find thanks when they have done.
If to find a house for ye school two years, when ye town had none, gratis, if to take the scholars to my own fire when there was no wood at school as frequently, if to give records to the poor, and record their births and deaths gratis deserves acknowledgements, then it is my due, but hard to come by.
Est aliqua ingrato meritum exprobare voluptas
Hoc fruar, haec de te gaudia sola feram.
R. BROWN. t
* Town of Newbury Records.
t See Record of Births, Marriages, and Deaths in the town of Newbury for the years 1635-1735-
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS 403
October 9, 1711 Mr. Joshua Moody was chosen to keep ye Gramar School ye remainder of ye present year ... also voted that ye gramar school be removed to Greenleafs Lane or near there abouts provided a convenient place be forthwith provided by ye selectmen and the master be willing to keep it there until the town meeting in March next .*
March II, 1711-12 voted that a house for ye keeping ye Gramer school in, shall be bilt and set up near ye middle waye, between ye old school house & ye little old house now standing by ye way near frog Pond and that the Gramer schoole master shall have fifteen pounds in money and fifteen pounds as money for keeping the Schollers to learn Lattin & to write & cypher for the year ensuing .*
March 10, 1712-3, John Woodbridge, son of Rev. John Woodbridge, was chosen to keep the grammar school at a salary of twenty-five pounds .* He was elected annually for eighteen years. In 1718, his salary was raised to forty pounds per annum, and in 1719 sixty pounds additional was raised "for maintaining schools in the remote parts of the town." * March 9, 1730-1, the town voted that Mr. John Woodbridge " shall have forty five pounds for his service and shall have none but Latin scholars." *
Reading and writing schools for the instruction of children living in the Second parish in Newbury were established February 12, 1716-7; and the assessors were authorized "to agree with four schoolmasters to teach to write and cypher, and to keep schoole in four places in the precinct, viz : one below Artechoak River and one neere the meeting house, one neere Joseph Hills and one neere Capt Hugh Marches, each schoole to have an equal share of the ten pounds which is allotted by the Town for ye schools." t .
After the organization of the Third parish in 1725, the town voted March 11, 1728-9, to raise for the maintenance of schools in the First parish thirty pounds, for the Second parish thirty pounds; and for the Third parish, the same amount ; "also fifteen pounds for Newbury's part of the Falls parish." *
At that date schools were kept in private houses, or in other buildings conveniently located, as well as in the school-
* Town of Newbury Records.
t Newbury (Second Parish) Records, p. 53.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY
house then standing near the First Parish meeting-house. In 1691 Mr. Seth Shove was employed to teach "at the new town " one-third of the year, "at the school house " one-third of the year, and at a place, to be agreed upon, "between the meeting house and old town ferry," for the remainder of the year. Subsequently the amount appropriated annually by the town for the support of schools was divided among the parishes, and they were authorized and instructed to provide convenient school-rooms and suitable teachers.
April 22, 1729, the inhabitants of the Second parish voted " to hire a gramer school master to keep school in ye parish and to keep ye school half ye year at ye easterly end of ye parish as neer ye middle, between indian river and Thomas Bartlets as may be, and ye other half of ye year as neer ye middle of ye West part of ye parish, between indian river and Bradford, as may be." *
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