USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 30
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 30
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Orange lodges were formed about the 27th of Sept., 1795, to commemorate the battle of the Dimond, fought in Armagh County, North of Ireland, on the 21st of September, between the " Peep-o-day Boys " and the "Defenders." For some years an Orange lodge has existed in this town, and we believe it still survives.
The first Young Friends Catholic Society was organized in 1852, and held their meetings in the St. John's Church, before it was completed. This organization was finally emerged into the Saint Patrick's, which was established for their mutual im- provement. Their library was in Blake's Hall, near the Public Library, on Hancock street, where their meetings were held. The members losing their interest in the meetings of the associ- ation, and the want of funds, were the main causes why they were obliged to suspend their meetings. The society still con- tinues in a lifeless and inanimate condition.
SCHOOLS.
Next to the formation and organization of the church by the first settlers of the town, was the establishment of our schools. This, they considered coeval and coexistent with their religious institutions in protecting them from the " wily devices of Satan," as will be seen by the first section of the earliest law enacted by the colonists for public education :-
" It being one chief project of the auld deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the scriptures, as in former times keeping them in unknown tongues, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be elouded and corrupted with false glosses of deceivers, to the end that learning may not be buried in the graves of our forefathers in church and common- wealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors.
" It is therefore ordered by this court and authority thereof, that every township within this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders, shall then forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such chil- dren as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint; provided that those who send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they ean have them taught for in other towns. In May, 1647, every town having the requisite number of householders was required to 'set up' a school of a higher order-a Grammar school-where the youth might be fitted for 'ye university.'1
1. The following literary qualifications were required to enter "ye university." This order of the college was in full force as early as 1647.
ยท " When any scholar is able to read Tully, or such like classical Latin author
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"Forasmuch as it greatly concerns the welfare of this country, that the youth thereof be educated, not only in good literature, but in sound doctrine, this court doth therefore commend it to the serious consideration and special care of our overseers of the college, and the Selectmen in the several towns, not to admit or suffer any such to be continued in the office or place of teaching, educating or instructing, youth or children in the college or schools, that have manifested themselves unsound in the faith, or scandalous in their lives, and have not given satisfaction according to the rule of Christ."
The schools of that day were neither financially, nor ecclesias- tically free, nor by statute were they required to be. Probably the town was not able to sustain free schools, for she demanded a tuition for the education of her children, as will be seen by the votes passed by the inhabitants requiring a certain contribution of wood, and payment of money, for the tuition of the scholars. The amount, indeed, was small, but small as it appears to have been, it was an onerous and severe tax upon the inhabitants of the town in their poverty, who found it very difficult, by the most economical habits, to procure the most common necessaries of life.
March 3d, 1679. At a public town meeting it was " voted in the affirmative that Mr. Benjamin Tompson, school-master, shall have for his salary this year, the rent of the town's land, made up to thirty pounds." And it was also agreed that every child should carry in to the school-master half a cord of wood besides the quarter money every year.
May 13th, 1700. At a public town meeting, the inhabitants of Braintree, lawfully convened, " voted that for the year ensuing, that is to say, from August 18th next ensuing, every scholar shall pay for his entry into the school one shilling, and so suc- cessively for every quarter, and this shall be a part of the school
extempore, and speak true Latin in verse and prose sus (ut aiunt) marte, and decline perfectly the paradigms of nouns and verbs in the Greek tongue, then may he be admitted into college, nor shall any claim admission before such qualification." It was about this period that the public Latin school was established in Braintree. Who the teacher was we do not know. It may have been in this school that Mr. Benjamin Tompson, who was the first recorded schoolmaster in this town, prepared for college.
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salary to be paid unto the school-master, and he to give an account of all that comes, to the Selectmen."
In 1701, the payment of the teacher's salary was in part by the scholars, and the balance by a direct town tax.
Sept. 26th, 1701. "Voted, that the rent of the town lands formerly paid to the school, shall continue as part of the salary ; that the parent or master that shall send any scholar or scholars to said school, shall pay for each scholar to the Town Treas- urer for the support of school, five shillings a year, and pro- portionably for any part of it; that any person or persons living ont of the town, who shall send any scholar or scholars to the aforesaid school, shall pay twenty shillings a year to the Town Treasurer, and proportionally for any part of it ; that any poor person in this town who shall send any children to said school, and find themselves unable to pay, upon their application to the Selectmen, it shall be in their power to abate or remit a part or the whole of the above sum; that what the rent of the town lands and the head money of the scholars shall fall short of the school-master's salary, shall be raised by a town rate, equally proportioned upon the inhabitants of the town."
Dec. 26th, 1715. " Voted, that the parents and masters of all children or servants that go to school, shall forthwith, that is to say, upon the first or next appearance at the school, and so from this day until the first of April next coming, deliver in to the present school-master, for the use of the school at the school- house, three feet of wood, to be the proportion for each child or servant for this year."
Thus it will be seen that the schools were not free at this time, but somewhat mixed in their character with regard to the manner and method of payment. The custom of demanding payment from pupils for schooling continued in vogne for many years, or to about 1720; from this time the schools of this town became financially free.
It appears by reading the Colonial, Provincial and State his- tory of Massachusetts, that the ecclesiastical and parochial ele- ment in these nurseries of education, was continued to their disadvantage to a much later period. The teachers at that time had to be selected from the Orthodox sect, so called, and
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approved by the ministers of the town, and the ministers of the same faith of the two next adjacent towns; and no minister was allowed to be a school-master. It was over two centuries before this religious oppression was, by an enactment stricken from the statute book. Still to a great extent this statute had become obsolete, as will be seen by the following statement, made by Mr. Horace Mann in his twelfth annual report on the state of education in Massachusetts :- " The history of Massachusetts shows by what slow degrees the rigor of our own laws was relaxed, as the day star of religious freedom slowly arose after the long black midnight of the past. It was not until the tenth day of March, 1827, that it was made unlawful to use the com- mon schools of the State as the means of proselyting children to the belief in the doctrines of particular sects, whether their parents believed in those doctrines or not."
In this town, the parochial element was eliminated from our schools at a much carlier period ; in fact, there was very little, if any, religious proselyting left in them after 1700. From that time, the public schools became liberal and free, so much so was this the case, that they were sought after by persons from other towns, for their liberality and high educational standing. The catechism, one of the principal text books, had been discarded and the old primer was little in use, as most persons had become sufficiently imbued with its cardinal text :- " In Adam's fall, we sinned all." Up to 1740, a century after the incorporation of the town, forty-nine persons entered college for a university edu- cation, forty-seven of whom were from the First Church; a larger number than has since received a liberal education, in comparison with the same number of inhabitants in the same space of time.
On the worn and tattered first page of the old Braintree town records, we find the copy of a conveyance, which gave to Brain- tree, (now Quincy,) a large tract of territory, the income of which has ever since been held for the benefit of the public schools.1 Who was this earliest benefactor? It was Mr. Wil-
1. " April 18th, 1792, the question of dividing the school lands came up. After some debate, it was agreed between the two towns, Braintree and Quincy, that the whole subject should be referred to a committee.
The committee
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liam Coddington, a man who deserves to be remembered by the present and future inhabitants of the town. Mr. Coddington was a man of high respectability and of good intellect; but because he dared to advocate a religious doctrine, which to-day would be considered but a common belief, he was forced to leave the colony. Mr. Coddington, soon after he removed to Rhode Island, through his agent, Mr. Richard Wright, gave his large landed estate, comprising what is now the town farm, the Mount Wollaston Cemetery, and meadow land at Rock Island, to the town of Braintree for the purpose of establishing and supporting the public schools, in order that future generations might reap
appointed on the part of Braintree was as follows, viz :- John Vinton, Stephen Penniman, Nathaniel Niles, Jr., Samuel Bass, Ebenezer Thayer, Jr. On the part of Quincy the following persons were selected :- Peter B. Adams, James Brackett and Moses Black. The essential abstract of their reports read as fol- lows :--
"One piece of upland adjoining land of Brackett, Black, Baxter and Quincy, containing 43 acres, 3 quarters, 23 rods, exclusive of the road ; also, one other piece of upland containing 9 acres, at Rock Island ; also, one piece of salt marsh adjoining the upland at Rock Island, containing 9 acres and 3 quarters ; also, two pieces of upland lying at Germantown, between Norton Quincy's, Esq., and Peter Bicknell's, containing 52 1-2 acres, exclusive of a road 2 rods wide ; also, a piece of salt marsh, adjoining on the east side of the north piece of upland at Germantown, containing 10 aeres, 1 quarter, 32 rods ; also, one other piece of salt marsh lying on the west side of said north piece of upland at Germantown, containing 4 acres. After enumerating the several pieces of land that belonged to this grant, the commission proceeded to make the division of this estate, and were very careful not to divide the lots ; but each party was to take the lot as assigned them on the plan. Each town's share was based on the town's property or valuation. The following is the division agreed upon :- "The piece of upland containing 43 acres, 3 quarters, 23 rods, adjoining land of Brackett, Black, Baxter and Quincy, was assigned to the town of Quincy ; the upland at Rock Island, was also assigned to Quincy ; the piece of salt marsh adjoining the upland at Rock Island was assigned to the town of Braintree ; the two pieces of upland lying at Germantown containing 52 1-2 acres, and the piece of salt marsh lying east of the northerly piece of upland, was assigned to Braintree ; and the piece of salt marsh containing by estimation 4 acres, lying on the west side of the north piece of upland at Germantown, was assigned to Quincy. 'Subsequently, another division was made between Braintree and Ran- dolph, at the time Randolph was set off from Braintree as an independent town- ship. Randolph after receiving their share of the Coddington grant, sold it, from the proceeds of which, they still have a school fund in their treasury, amounting to $1600. The salt marsh that was allotted to them, they still hold, and it is valued at five hundred dollars."
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the benefit of a liberal education, and thus see the folly of ex-communicating from society, individuals for their honest religious opinions. The income of this munificent bequest has been used to advance the interest of education in this town from that time to this. The first vote that we find on the town rec- ords in reference to the appropriation of this fund, is in Februa- ry, 1658, viz :- " That the town of Braintree did consent to lay the school lands, that is to say, the income of it, for a salary for a school-master, and to make twenty pounds, besides what every child must give."
The school district system was a germ of the old Provincial law of 1767.1 In 1789 an act was passed to establish district lines for the better instruction and the " promotion of educa- tion." This law did not however make them a corporation, nor authorize them to furnish school-houses, elect officers, contract with teachers, not a single duty of this kind was imposed upon the districts. It was not until 1799 that a statute was enacted
1. Whereas, it may happen that, where towns or districts consist of several precincts, some of such precincts may be disposed to expend more for the instruction of children and youth in useful learning; within their own bounds, than as parts of such towns or districts they are by law held to do, and no pro- vision has hitherto been made to enable precincts to raise money for that purpose, and whereas the encouragement of learning tends to the promotion of religion and good morals, and the establishment of liberty, civil and religions.
Be it therefore enacted, by the governor, council and house of representatives, that when and so often as the major part of the inhabitants of any precinct, at their annual meeting legally warned, shall agree on the building, finishing or repairing of any school-house, or the defraying any other charge for the support of schools and school-masters, and shall also agree on any sum or sums of money for such purpose or purposes, the Assessors of such precinct are hereby empowered and required to assess the same on the polls and estates within the said precinet, and all such rates or assessments shall be paid to the constable or collector to whom the same shall be committed, with a warrant from said Assessors in form as by law is prescribed for collecting of town assessments, and every constable or collector to whom any such rates or assessments shall be committed, with a warrant as aforesaid, shall levy, gather and receive the same according to the direction in the warrant to him given, and shall account for all such sums as he shall so receive, and make payment of the same to the treas- urer of such precinct or other receiver as by warrant he shall be required, and be subject to the pains and penalties in case of neglect, as is by law provided in the several acts of this province, respecting the levying and collecting of other precinct assessments. GEORGE III,-8.
.
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authorizing the Selectmen to issue a warrant for district meet- ings. The legal voters were instructed to choose a district clerk, raise money for the erection and repairs of school-houses, and ' the purchase of all necessary utensils. The Assessors of the respective towns were required to assess such sums of money as might be voted by the several districts. In 1817, a statute was enacted that school districts should be made a corporation in name, and authorized to sue and be sned, and empowered to hold in fee simple or otherwise, real or personal estate for the use of the schools.
In 1827, a statute was enacted which gave the district the privilege of electing a prudential committee of one or more per- sons, and consigned to them the important trust of contracting and engaging teachers. The first vote that we find on the town records instructing the several districts to contract with teachers was in 1831. The prudential system never was in full force in this town, for the reason that the town of Quincy always con- structed her school-houses instead of the districts, which obviated and set aside this unjust and obnoxious portion of the law, which gave the rich districts the advantage over their poorer neighbors in constructing better and more commodious houses. This law caused a great deal of conflict and trouble between the school and prudential committees until it was abolished in 1869, by statute. Several of the districts in this town voluntarily gave up the district system several years before this statute was enacted ; the South or Adams, and the Willard, continued until dissolved by this enactment.
In 1826, the first statute was enacted, obliging the towns in the State to choose yearly a school committee. Previous to that time the election of school committees was optional, but in a great many cases they were designated, or appointed by the town. In Quincy, however, they were appointed or elected by the town from its first incorporation. Previous to 1837, there had been no special attention given to the schools of the State, at this time a statute was enacted for the purpose of organizing and establishing a Board of Education, which wrought a great and favorable change in the advancement of education in the Commonwealth; and also a complete revolution in the system of
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public instruction, by directing school committees in the various cities and towns of the State, to present a detailed account of the school to the town or city, and obliging them to send a copy of their report to the Board of Education, that it might publish extracts from them in their annual report. As far as we are able to ascertain, the first school committee report read in open town meeting in the State was not until 1830. The yearly choice of school committees was found, or thought to be found detrimen- tal to the progress of education, by the Innited time of service. To obviate this difficulty, the State in 1857, enacted a statute extending the number of years for which they were to serve to three, instead of one.
Who the first school-teacher was in Braintree we are not able to say. The town records do not make any mention of a teacher being selected until 1678, and that was Mr. Benjamin Tomp- son, son of the first clergyman. By profession Mr. Tompson was a physician, and is supposed to have been the first practising physician in Braintree. In urgent cases he was obliged to close his school to attend to his professional duties. In 1696, we find him acting as Town Clerk. The amount of salary Mr. Tompson received for teaching, may be judged from the following vote of the town, passed at a town meeting held March 3d, 1678 :-
" It was voted in the affirmative that Mr. Benjamin Tompson, school-master, shall have this year for his salary the rent of the town land made up to thirty pounds, and that the town give him a piece of land to put a house upon on the common, to be set out by Joseph Crosby and Christopher Webb, not exceeding an acre and a half, or there about, and in case he leaves the town the land to return to the town, they paying for his building and fencing as it is then worth; but if he die in the town's service as school-master, the land to be his heirs forever."
In 1699, there arose a controversy between Mr. Tompson and the town, in reference to the payment of his salary. The town appointed a committee to settle all differences between them, and to protect and defend the town, in case Mr. Tompson pros- ecuted it for his salary.
March 4th, 1699,-" Voted by the inhabitants of Braintree law- fully convened that John Ruggles, Sen., Deacon Nathaniel
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Wales and Lt. Samuel Penniman should be a committee appoint- ed and empowered to treat and make up the account with Mr. Benjamin Tompson, and to defend the town, if in case he prose- cutes us in course of law."
May 13th, 1700,-" Voted that Mr. Benjamin Tompson should have five pounds in money allowed him by the town, he acquit- ting and fully discharging ye town for the time past, and also that John Ruggles, Sen., and Lt. Samuel Penniman should go and make the tender thereof unto him."
A final settlement of this trouble was made July 29th, 1700, when Mr. Tompson received the money and acquitted the town of the demand by the following receipt :- " Whereas,-There had been an old reckoning upon ye account of my services for many years, which I have served them, that all may issue in love, and all other matters of difference ended, and all former accounts balanced, upon their clearing debt to Jonathan Hayward and Mr. Willard, in all being five pounds, I do forever acquit and discharge the town of Braintree from all dues and demands, this being a mutual and everlasting discharge." June 1st, 1703, Mr. Tompson was again engaged to keep school. May 16th, 1704, he was re-engaged to teach school, and this appears to have been the last of Mr. Tompson's teaching in this town.
Mr. Tompson was an eminent and learned man, and besides teaching and the practice of medicine, he engaged in writing poetry1 on different occasions and subjects. He was also an eccentric and high-spirited person, as the following lamentation on the unsuccessful attempt to establish a family in this new country would seem to indicate :-
1. The following extract taken from a poem by Mr. Tompson, on the death of the Rev. Samuel Whiting, is said by Mr. Winthrop to have been the best one in Cotton Mather's Magnalia :--
"Mount, Fame, the glorious chariot of the sun; Through the world's cirque all you, her heralds, run; And let this great saint's merits be revealed, Which, during life, he studiously concealed. Cite all the Levites, fetch the sons of art- In these our dolours to sustain a part. Warn all that value worth, and every one Within their eyes to bring an Helicon.
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"To his Excellency, Sr Edmund Andros Knight, Governor and Capt. General of all his Majesty's territories in New Eng- land :-
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" The most humble Petition of Benjamin Tompson, Physician and School Maister of the town of Braintrey, Showing that Your poor Supplicant's father, a divine of good note, declaring it was not lands he came for, lived and died with his heart always above worldly things, his not begging as others did, others of far inferior note, being vastly accommodated, puts mee, who have a numerous race, upon this essay. Not having found yr Excellen- cy averse thereunto, I therefore humbly begge part of the lands to mee demised by the towne, viz :- Twenty acres of upland fit for pasturage only, lying between Mr. Shepard's Farme and the towne, As also twelve Acres of Salt Marish by mee this year demised to Capt. Samuel White, Also, one or two hundred Acres of Wilderness land, bounded Southerly with land Petitioned by Samuel Niles, the Roade Running thorow the same. I know not any other way to gaine a lasting acknowledgement of my father's and his orphan's service in the towne. I am also hereby willing to shroud my person, my children and my estate under the umbrage of our gracious Sovereigne, and shall seasonably bring in an account of the small shreds of land I have, that I
For in this single person we have lost More riches than an India has engrost. * * * * * * * New England, didst thou know this mighty one,
His weight and worth, thou'dst think thyself undone;
One of thy golden chariots, which, among The clergy, rendered thee a thousand strong;
One who, for learning, wisdom, grace and years,
Among the Levites hath not many peers; One, yet with God a kind of heavenly band, Who did whole regiments of woes withstand;
One that prevailed with heaven; one greatly mist, On earth, he gained of Christ whate'er he list; One of a world-who was both born and bred At wisdom's feet, hard by the fountain's head, The loss of such an one would fetch a tear From Niobe herself, if she were here.
What qualifies our grief, centers in this-
Be our loss near so great, the gain is his.
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