USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Dorchester > History of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts > Part 29
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On the 18th of December following, the town voted that "our representative, Col. Thomas Tile- stone, Petition ye Great and General Court, in ye Name & behalf of this Town, for a Grant of a Tract of Land of ye Unappropriated Lands of this Pro-
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vince, towards ye Maintenance of a Grammar School in this Town." It is inferred that Col. Tileston did not offer the petition, as the town and Court records are silent in regard to its presentation.
Distinct from the before-mentioned grant of the General Court to Dorchester, for the use of " a free school," the inhabitants of the town, in 1657, voted to appropriate 1000 acres of her own soil for the same noble and specific purpose. Accordingly, in 1662, Roger Clap, Hopestill Foster, William Sum- ner and John Minot, were chosen " to look out some .. convenient place or places for the laying out " the said land. In the latter part of the next summer they rode into the country for this end, "and com- ing to a place above Dedham," did agree "to take up 300 acres at one place; namely, beginning at that place where Dedham and Dorchester line doe meet with Naponset River, and so to come down, as far as 300 acres will extend, both in length and breadth, as the conveniency of the land will afford when it is layd out by measure." The residue of the land, as will subsequently appear, was laid out near forty years afterwards. A return was made to the town of the doings of their committee, above- mentioned, which was accepted, and John Capen and William Sumner were appointed feofees of the school land, with power to let the same " at their best discretion." Leases were granted to different individuals ; among others to John Farrington, Rich- ard Elice, and John Pigge, in 1677, for £4. They were to pay in such corn as grew on the ground leased them, and " to leaue such a fence about it as
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they make vse of," provided "that ye warrs with ye Indians doe not pruent improuement."
In 1668, it was voted that the thousand acres "given to the use of the school should never be alienated to any other use, nor sold, nor any part of it, but be reserved for the maintenance of a Free School in Dorchester forever." The phraseology of this vote, and its disconnection, make it uncertain to us whether it related to the town grant or to that of the General Court. So far as results are con- cerned, it is immaterial, for both parcels were, event- ually, " alienated " and " sold."
At the request of Lieut. Capen and William Sum- ner, in 1680, the town " dismissed" them from the office of feofees for the school land, and made choice of Timothy Tileston and John Breck in their stead. In 1687, the latter individuals, with John Withing- ton, were chosen " a Committee to set the bounds of the three hundred acres of land which formerly was pitched upon for the use of the school, and to make their return to the selectmen."
On the 25th of March, 1699, John Bird, Charles Davenport and Daniel Preston were constituted a Committee " to lay out the remainder of the said thousand acres," "for the use of the free school," " in some convenient place or places in the township of Dorchester not already laid out." In October following, the above-named individuals laid out " seven hundred acres of upland and meadow" (mentioned on page 270). The latter was between Taunton line and Seconk plain, near eight-mile brook ; a portion of said meadow being called 48
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" Lelme's meadow." By a subsequent settlement of the division line between Dorchester and Bridgewa- ter, some parts of the school land were annexed to the latter town. It was found necessary, therefore, to lay out portions of the land anew. This was done in 1705.
Robert Calef, for several years, rented a portion of the school farm at £6 per annum, it being " on this side Wading River." In 1709, 800 acres of the school land was leased to him, " his heirs and as- signs, for the term of 308 years." The final dispo -.. sition that was made of this " farm," by the town, will presently appear.
Daniel Waldo was another tenant. He gave the town some trouble. In 1710, Robert Spurr, Thomas Tileston and Edward Breck were chosen to sue him " off the farm." The " court charges" to the town, in this affair (1713), was £5 16s. 6d. In 1715, the town voted " to treat" with Waldo in the matter, and ascertain the amount of damage he had sustain- ed " by reason of Plimouth line cutting off a part of said farm." It was agreed, in 1721, that some consideration should be made him. The town de- layed in the matter. Waldo set forth that he had been a great sufferer by being ejected from the farm, and reminded the town of their promise, " that they would consider of his case when they should come again into ye Possession of sª land, which they since have, and now enjoy ye produce of." They voted, therefore, in 1728, to pay him £25.
It is stated, in the deeds of division, that the " Waldo farm" contained about 230 acres. On the
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15th of November, 1747, these lands were divided between the towns of Dorchester and Stoughton by committees of both towns. Dorchester had 140 acres on the south side, near the colony line, being (7115) seven thousand one hundred and fifteenth parts. Stoughton had the remainder (4115), four thousand one hundred and fifteenth parts, or 90 acres. Provision was made that, " if hereafter there should happen to be Iron Ore found in any part of ye sª Tract of Land, it shall be to ye use of ye schools of both ye sª Towns in ye Proportion abouesaid, the sª Division of ye Land notwithstanding."
On the 12th of June, 1767, the General Court empowered the town of Dorchester to sell their above-mentioned school land. Richard Hall, Wil- liam Holden and Elijah Davis were appointed by the town, in March following, as a committee to dis- pose of it. On consideration, therefore, of £420 paid by Theophilus Curtis, of Stoughton, gentleman, and Edmund Soper, of Braintree, trader, on the 12th of January, 1768, the committee gave them a deed for 105 acres. (Suffolk Deeds, Lib. 124, fol. 96.)
We have found no record of the disposition, by deed or otherwise, of the residue of this school land, being 35 acres. It is mentioned in 1772 (Town Records, Vol. III., p. 375), that Mr. Seth Turner was one of the purchasers of the school farm near Bridgewater. Whether he obtained it of the town, or of the grantees, we are not informed.
In 1687 it was voted, " that the meadow called Everett's, being about six miles off the school land,
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shall be and lie for the use of the school." There seems to be no mention, so far as we have learned, of the quantity, precise locality, nor of the sale, by name, of the " Everett meadow."
In 1790, sixteen acres and thirty-seven rods of land, being " a part of the school farm," was sold to Seth Bullard, Andrew Willet and John Hartshorn, of Walpole, for £81 3s. This was probably undi- vided land, as the committee of disposal were select- ed from the towns of Dorchester, Stoughton and Sharon.
Robert Calef, the lessee of the school land, before- mentioned, died 13th of April, 1719, at the age of 71, and was interred in the Roxbury burial ground. He was father of the celebrated Robert Calef, author of " More Wonders of the Invisible World," &c. In 1744 the town voted to sue the heirs of Robert Calef, " who hold under a lease of an Excessive Length, and also refuse to pay their Annual Rent in Money or Bills of Credit." A writ of ejectment was accord- ingly issued against two of the heirs, Daniel Hewes and William Hewes, by name, though they were not the only persons who had a right, by the lease of Mr. Calef, to occupy the land. In 1759, it is recorded that the action was continued from the Superior Court, that the town might be consulted whether they would have the controverted subject left in equity to the Court, or to referees, Stoughton having a right to a part of the income of the farm. In 1771, the town petitioned the General Court for leave to sell this land ... . The following, in relation to it, is from the Court Records, Vol. 29, p. 123 :
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" July 4th, 1771. - A petition of Elijah Davis and others, a Committee of the Town of Dorchester, and of Elijah Dunbar and others, a Committee of the Town of Stoughton, Praying that they may be impowered to make sale of 800 acres of Land now lying in Wrentham, which was laid out and appropriated by the Town of Dorches- ter, in the year 1657, for the benefit of a Free School in said Town, and was leased in the year 1709 to Mr. Rob- ert Calef, his Heirs and assigns, for the term of 308 years ; and that the money arising by said sale be applied for the benefit of Free Schools in said Towns; Doctor Timothy Stevens, the present Lessee, joining in the prayer of the Petition."
The General Court granted the prayer of the pe- titioners, who were empowered to sell the land and apply the income thereof for the benefit of free schools in Dorchester, Stoughton and Stoughtonham.
William Holden, Ebenezer Pope and Elijah Davis, of Dorchester-Elijah Dunbar, Benjamin Gill and Thomas Crane, of Stoughton-being appointed by their respective towns a committee to make sale of the above-said land, did, on the 5th of November, 1772, in consideration of £284 13s. 4d. lawful money, paid by Timothy Stevens, sell him the school farm in Wrentham (except what was granted to Samuel Brenton, Wading river house, and John Fos- ter)-in all, 800 acres. Seven days after the above date, Dr. Stevens sold Stephen Cooke 142 acres of the land, for £282; on the 2d of December, Ralph Freeman, of Bellingham, 110 acres, for £155 1s. 8d., and Richard Stratton, of Providence, R. I., 107 acres, for £142 13s. 4d .; also to Stratton, on the 18th of January following, 100 acres, for £133 6s. 8d .; the
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day succeeding, to Samuel Scott, 176 acres, 3 quar- ters, 11 rods, for £145 17s. The total sum, there- fore, received by Dr. Stevens for less than five-sixths of his land, was £858 18s. 3d., or more than three times the amount paid for the whole. This was not the first nor last time that public property has been thus disposed of.
Having traced the history of the " thousand acre " grants to the " free school," from the General Court,; and from the town itself, we proceed to notice indi- vidual bequests to the school. Earliest among these,. was the legacy of John Clap, of Dorchester, son of Richard Clap, of England, and a brother of Nicho- las and Thomas, who settled in Dorchester. He died the 24th of July, 1655, without issue, leaving a wife, Joan, who married, subsequently, John Ellis, of Medfield.
The following is an extract from Mr. Clap's will, dated 11 July, 1655. " I giue and bequeath to my dear and loving wife, my now dwelling house with all my lands both in ye necke & in the woods wch to me doth appertayne, dureing her naturall life ; & after my wife's decease I giue my said house and land to the maintenance of the ministry & a Schoole in Dorchester foreuer." The value of these, by the in- ventory rendered, was £56. The " land in ye necke " contained, by admeasurement, 13} acres, 15 rods. It is situated at South Boston Point, nearly opposite the grounds connected with the City Institutions. This land was sold on the 16th of June, 1835, to the " Warren Association " (John Pickering and oth- ers, trustees), for the sum of $13,590 62. (See Suf-
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folk Deeds, Lib. 392, fol. 170.) The proceeds were used by the town towards erecting new school- houses, as will subsequently appear.
Dr. Harris says, it "is supposed " " the piece of salt marsh at Farm-bar, containing 5a. 3qr. 22r." was also a gift to the town from Mr. Clap. " The origin of the Town's title to the latter piece," he continues, " is in some measure conjectural. Mr. Noah Clap, as Town Clerk, and by direction of the Town, made an entry of these and other town lands in the re- cords of 1793, wherein he states that Edward Mills, a former schoolmaster, made a contract with the town, which is on the files, to teach the school for the annual salary of £20 in grain, and £10 in mon- ey, and the improvement of the school land at Smelt brook and ' the school meadow over the water,' and as an inference says, 'it was probable that the meadow at Farm-bar was the gift of John Clap.'"
John Gornel, in 1673, by will donated £20 " for the maintenance of the scoole." (See pp. 121, 236.)
Christopher Gibson, by his will, made in 1674, after the payment of debts and legacies, devised that the residue of his property should " redown to the free school of Dorchester for perpetuity." Daniel Preston, Sen., as surviving executor of the will of Mr. Gibson, purchased of Samuel Rigbee, in 1680, for £104, the " school pasture," so called, contain- ing about 26 acres. This land was conveyed by said Preston, in February, 1693, to the Selectmen of the town, to hold, to them and their successors, for the use of the schools in Dorchester, forever. A fund has accumulated from the sales of the said land,
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amounting, in 1857, to $11,192 41. (See pp. 53, 227, 241.)
Hopestill Foster, in 1676, gave £5, " to be added to brother Gibson's legacy" to the free school. (p. 118.)
Lieut. Gov. Stoughton, a native of Dorchester, who died in 1701, was an important donor to the school, the details of whose bequest, extracted from his will, are given on pages 274-276 of this work. The " Stoughton school fund," in 1857, was $3,320.
In the assignment of names to the schools in town, .. that only of Gibson, among the above-mentioned donors, has been taken.
Hon. James Bowdoin, son of Gov. Bowdoin, pur- chased of Capt. John Homans a piece of wood-land in Milton, containing 9} acres and 15 rods. On the first day of March, 1797, Mr. B. made a deed of gift of said land to the town, for the use of the schools. In the winter of 1821-2, the wood from this lot was sold, and the proceeds, amounting to $964 54, were placed in the treasury. This money was afterwards paid out in support of schools, and to meet other current expenses of the town.
Having, to some extent, noted the public grants and individual gifts to the town for school pur- poses, let us return to the primitive " scoole house," on " Settlers street," as it has been called, where Ichabod Wiswall taught, and was succeeded by Atherton, Foster, Minot, Dennison, Williams and others. In 1674, Ensign Richard Hall was " em- powered to see that the school house be repaired either by Clabording or Shingleing the Roofe."
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The next year, Richard Withington and Daniel Pres- ton were appointed, by the Selectmen, " to see that the school-house be fitted up with seats, and a lock and key for the door." On the 8th of March, 1680, it was voted, that the school-house be repaired " where it now stands"-John Breck and Timothy Tileston to attend the work. The above emphatic vote leads us to infer that questionings may have arisen in regard to a new house, and a different loca- tion. Soon after, a new building seems to have been called for. The town voted to erect one, in 1694 ; said house to be located by the Selectmen. An agreement was therefore made with John Trescot to build a house 20 feet long and 19 feet in width, with a ground floor and chamber floor, one pair of stairs and a chimney-to be boarded and clapboard- ed-filled up between the studs-fully covered with boards and shingles, and to be finished before the 29th of September, 1694; said Trescot to have the glass, lock and key, hooks and hinges of the old school-house, and £22 current money of New England.
This new house was erected on the hill, near the meeting-house. "The smooth face of a large rock," says Rev. Dr. Harris, " made the principal part of the north end and formed the back of the fire-place." According to tradition, it was situated on the east- erly side of what is now Winter street, nearly oppo- site the residence of Mr. Hiram Shepard-the large perpendicular rock yet remaining. In 1727, a leanto was to be built to the school-house, " to put wood in." With regard to the supply for the school, it 49
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has already been seen, that in the year 1645-6 the Wardens were authorized to provide " 12 sufficient Cart or wayne loads of wood for fewell," for the use of the school, the expense to be borne by the scho- lars, who were to be taxed for that purpose. In 1668, it was ordered that " those that send their Children to schole shall, the winter time, bring for Each Child a load of wood, or halfe a Cord of Cord wood; and thos yt bring it in log-wood are to cut it after it come to ye schol hous, and for thos boys yt goe but a prt of ye winter we leaue it to ye Masters discretion to appoint ye prportion for such." In 1710, it was voted that each of the children should be provided, by those who sent them, with "two feet of wood, or two shillings and six pence money, to be delivered to the School Master within one month after the 29th of September, annually, or their children to have no privilege of the fire." In 1715, from the first of September to the last of March, it was to be, either two feet of wood, or three shillings and sixpence in money, to be furnished within seven days after the child came to the school. Similar votes were passed, at various times, until 1732, when the school was provided with wood at the town's charge.
In 1726, there was a petition from sundry inhabi- tants of the south precinct, praying that the town would continue a reading and writing school among them. Twenty pounds were allowed-the Select- men to appoint the schoolmaster, and "where ye school shall be kept."
In 1731, there was a petition for two schools in town, but the request was not granted. Next year
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the town voted, that a writing school be kept in the south-end of the town, for four months, to com- mence on the first of November.
In 1734, it was proposed-" Whether ye Town would have a writing school in ye South end of ye Town, part of ye year current ?" The vote was in the negative. Some years afterwards, we find, they were again " allowed towards a school."
In the year 1759, and before, there was a school- house standing on what is now Hancock street, a little north of the present residence of Mr. William D. Swan. When this house was erected, we have not the means of ascertaining. It is described as being a low building, with a pitched roof. The school-room was nearly square. On three sides of the house a seat was attached, for the boys to sit on, in front of which, at a proper distance, was the place to write and lay their books while studying. This flat desk or form was made of a sufficient width to accommodate them with another range of seats on the inside, so that the boys would write and study facing each other. There was a shelf, also, run- ning round the house on three sides, on which the books were laid when not in use. The boys of the inner seat, coming to the school, through mud and snow, as they often did, by stepping on their own seat to the place on which they wrote, had access to their books on the shelves. The heavy, awkward tread of a thoughtless boy on the writing place of a school-fellow, would have no great tendency to im- prove said scholar in the art of penmanship. On the contrary, his " pot-hooks and trammels " might
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suddenly assume a zigzag shape, or run at once into a tangent, while he, a careful child, was endeavoring to "follow copy." One who was of that " old school " (Deacon James Humphreys), has said: "I once stood on the place where the boys were writing, having my book on the shelf, and read through the general Epistle of St. James, without being inter- rupted by the Master, and not much by the boys." In the centre of the room was a large table and an arm chair for the teacher. The chimney was on the west side, near the road. The jambs were so large that they embraced the entire space, save that for the entry door. The wood used for fuel was cut four feet in length. The door faced the south ; the wood- house, in the form of a leanto, was towards the road.
On the 4th of March, 1771, the town voted to build a new school-house, to be situated on " meet- ing-house hill." This house stood a little south of the former one, nearer " the parsonage," and on the same side of the street, both houses on land now owned by Mr. Swan. The latter school-house was afterwards removed, and is now the upper story of a dwelling in Commercial street, spoken of on page 356.
The inhabitants of Squantum neck and the farms were allowed £12 towards a school as early as 1735. The same year it was agreed that the school lands should be divided with the town of Stoughton. In 1771, the inhabitants of " the lower country road " were to have £2 12s. towards keeping a school. This was renewed to them the subsequent year, when those "of the upper country road and others that
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live at that part of the Town " were allowed £7 8s. for the like purpose. At the same time the inhabi- tants of Dorchester Neck were to receive " so much towards keeping a school there, for Reading, Writ- ing and Cyphering, as they pay to the Grammar school in Dorchester." " Samuel Robinson, who lives on Thompson's Island" (1771), was to have his proportionate part of the £10 granted towards a school on that side the river. In the apportionment of the school money the inhabitants of Dorchester Neck, the farms, Squantum, Thompson's Island, and the west part of the town, were often provided for as in the above instance, by a special vote. "The upper country road inhabitants " were allowed, in 1774, £12 towards keeping a school, provided “ it be kept where the school house now stands, near said road;" those on the lower road to have £4. In 1776, it was voted that three schools be kept; the £40 allowed to be divided into three parts, " for the upper country road," "lower country road," and " lower part of the town." It was voted, in 1779, that there be a grammar school at the south end of the town for four months in the year, " to begin to be kept there after Mr. Smith's present quarter is out, viz., at the beginning of July." In 1781, it was to be continued for the same length of time; in the two following years to be maintained by the town, through the half of each year. It was also voted, in 1782, " that there be a Grammar school kept at the School House, near the Meeting House, the whole year; " and, in 1784, the " school in the up- per country road " was to be an annual one.
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In 1784, also, the town voted-" That such Girls as can read in a Psalter, be allowed to go to the Grammar School from the first Day of June to the first Day of October." This seems to have been the first vote on record, providing for the public educa- tion of females in the town of Dorchester. They had hitherto resorted to the " dame schools," where they had received simple instruction in reading and spelling, in sewing and embroidery, working of " samplers," &c. They had, previously, been admit- ted to the public school one afternoon annually, at. the general catechizing in the fall of the year, when each child was expected to answer two questions, at least, from the Assembly's Catechism. The exer- cises would then close with some good advice from the pastor, and a prayer. Our fathers did not seem to understand it necessary that " the girls " should receive equal education with "the boys." Arithme- tic, geography, writing and grammar, were not al- ways considered as important or requisite portions of female learning. In more senses than one, our honored mothers received a home education. As light broke in, the needs and necessities of females became more manifest, and it is pleasant to chroni- cle the fact of their being permitted to attend the public schools, even for four months in the year.
In 1785, a committee was chosen to "view the school farm at Dedham," and see what it could be sold for. Said farm contained, by admeasurement, 2994 acres, 12 rods. The committee were offered $3500 for it, which was £3 10s. per acre, on an average. A larger committee were afterwards cho-
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sen, who were to act discretionary as to the dispos- ing of it. They reported verbally, the next year, that an offer had been made of $4000, which they did not judge enough for it, and had not disposed of it." The land was sold on the 25th of March, 1790, for £1332 9s. 10d .; and in the following year the towns of Stoughton and Sharon received their pro- portion, in full, of the money, which was £509 16s. 5&d. ; Dorchester part being £822 13s. 42d.
In 1785, £15 were allowed to the " proprietors of the upper school house," as a compensation for their building. In 1790, £6 were voted to Ebene- zer Trescott, and others at the west part of the town, for school money. In 1787, it was voted, that the article respecting a stove in the grammar school be referred to the Selectmen, who decided that it is " not expedient to purchase a Stove for said purpose at the present time." So the suggested improvement for bodily comfort was deferred, to become practical at a later day.
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