USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Dorchester > History of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts > Part 31
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completely changed. Additional female assistants were also appointed, in many of the schools ; so that the year 1848 has been set down as " an important and memorable one" in the annals of Dorchester schools-" a year," the committee remark, " in which more has been attempted, and, it is believed, more accomplished, than in any previous year." In this eventful year, by the vote of the town and the action of the school committee, the large sum of $31,000 was specially devoted to school purposes.
The school-house above alluded to, on Commer- cial Street, between Commercial Point and Harrison Square, was first occupied in 1849-the primary school being removed thither from the house at the Point, and an intermediate school formed to meet the increased wants of the inhabitants. The two schools were united, and known as the " Maverick School."
Names were assigned to the several schools in town, this year (1849), the committee thinking it more convenient and proper to designate a school " by a name, rather than by the number of the Dis- trict." It was thought desirable, also, and well, to bring the schools "into association with some of the great and good men who have lived among us." (We quote from the report of the school committee.) " Accordingly, the school formerly designated as ' the school in District No. 1' (Sumner Street), was called the EVERETT SCHOOL: in token of the fact, that the family of distinguished scholars of that name- one of whom has borne the highest honors, both literary and civil, of the State-began their public
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education in that school; " as also, it might be added, in honor of their father and his brother, who exerted each their influence, successfully, towards the establishment of the school. "The school on Meeting-House Hill" "received the name of the MATHER SCHOOL: after that eminent scholar and divine-one of the most so, of his time, in New England-Richard Mather ; and who, for more than the third of a century, sustained, in that locality, the office of Christian preacher. The school on the Lower Road (Adams St.) has been called the ADAMS SCHOOL : on account of its location on said street, and for the sake of an additional public remembrancer of that so honored New England name. To the school on the Upper Road (School Street) has been given the name of the GIBSON SCHOOL: in memory of" " Chris- topher Gibson," whose liberal donation to the free school, in 1674, has been already mentioned. "The school at the Lower Mills (River St.)" " received the name of the WINTHROP SCHOOL:" in honor of Gov. Winthrop. "The Intermediate school in connection with the Winthrop (on Adams Street) has received the name of the ELIOT SCHOOL: after John Eliot (the friend of Winthrop), designated as ' the Apos- tle to the Indians'-a name of peculiar propriety for that school, as being located in the immediate neighborhood of the scene of the missionary labors of that true apostle. The school at the Upper Mills " was " called the NORFOLK SCHOOL : from the street of that name on which it stands. The school at Little Neck" [now Washington Village, South Boston] was " called the WASHINGTON SCHOOL:" "a
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name especially appropriate for that school, from the fact that it stands in the near vicinity of a spot selected by " " the father of his country " "as the scene of important operations in the war of the revo- lution. To the school at Neponset Village " was " given the name of the NEPONSET SCHOOL. To that on Columbia Street, the name of the BOWDOIN SCHOOL: from its location at the foot of Mt. Bowdoin," so named for Gov. Bowdoin and his son, who resided, for some time, on the easterly side of that eminence. To that between Commercial Point and Harrison Square, "the name of the MAVERICK SCHOOL: after John Maverick, one of the early ministers of the town," who has been noticed in this work. "And to that in the Western District (River Street), the name of the BUTLER SCHOOL:" after Rev. Henry Butler, one of the early teachers in the town, of whom more in the following chapter.
In February, 1850, one hundred and eighty-three citizens and tax-payers of the town petitioned the school committee "to recommend to the town the immediate establishment of a high school." The subject was presented as desired. After much dis- cussion and reflection, action was finally taken in regard to it, in 1852. An appropriation was made of $6000 for the erection of a suitable building, to be located on what is called the "School Pasture " land, " on the westerly side of South Boston turn- pike, a little " " north of Centre Street." From re- turns made by Mr. Otis Shepard, it appeared there were more than 1,500 children in town, between the ages of 5 and 15 years, and that four-fifths of these
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children were within two miles distance of the above location. The house was accordingly built on the land designated. The building was entered and the school organized in the month of December, 1852. There were 59 scholars admitted, of both sexes, from the following Grammar Schools, viz. :- From the Everett, 12; Mather, 10; Adams and Gibson, 7 each ; Winthrop, 17; Norfolk, 2; and from private schools, 4. Mr. William J. Rolfe was chosen Prin- cipal, and, in January, 1853, a female assistant was appointed. The next year a second assistant was added, and two assistants have been since continued. Mr. Rolfe was succeeded in April, 1856, by Mr. Jonathan Kimball, the present incumbent. Scholars are examined at the close of the summer term, for admission into this school. The examination is then conducted by printed and oral questions, seventy-five per cent. of correct answers being re- quired as the condition of admittance.
A new primary school was opened in the vestry of the Methodist Meeting-House, at Port Norfolk, in the early part of May, 1853, and was called the " Stoughton School." This was kept as a separate school until the close of the year 1855, when the new house, erected by the town, was completed. The Neponset and Stoughton schools were then united, and called the " Washington School." The building, which was dedicated on the 3d of January, 1856, is located midway between Neponset Village and Port Norfolk. As a matter of history, it may be mentioned, that the Washington School, noticed on a former page, located in the village of that name,
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was, with a territory of 150 acres, annexed to Boston in 1855. The school was discontinued by . the Dorchester committee in the early part of that year, and the house sold to the city for $6,000.
On the 25th of February, 1856, the new building for the "Everett " school, at the north part of the town, was dedicated. Among the speakers present on this occasion, was the Hon. Edward Everett.
The new house at the Lower Mills Village, erect- ed for the use of the united " Winthrop " and . " Eliot " schools, was consecrated to the purposes of .. education on the 5th of March following. The school-house lot was enlarged by a purchase of land, to the value of $1000, from the estate of Thomas Crehore.
The new "Mather School " was dedicated Sep- tember 4, 1856.
The "Gibson " school-house, the last of the five stately and commodious edifices erected by the town, within two years, for the grammar and primary schools, was publicly set apart for the objects appro- priate to such institutions, on the 21st of May, 1857. The aggregate expense of the house, land, furniture, &c., was about $16,000. Three thousand dollars of the above sum was for land-one thousand of which was munificently donated to the town by Hon. Edmund P. Tileston. Three hundred and forty dollars were also given by Roswell Gleason, Esq., for external useful adornments to this house, which is on a new site. The old house and land connected with it were sold.
The whole amount of cost, for building and fur-
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nishing the five houses, the land inclusive, was nearly $60,000. The proceeds from the sale of the old houses, which was upwards of $5,000, more than covered the amount paid for land for the new accommodations. The expense of a few hundred dollars was incurred for an enlargement of the Eve- rett School-house lot, but none for the location of the new Mather School. The old building of the Everett School was purchased by several gentlemen in the north part of the town, and moved to the junc- tion of Pleasant, Cottage and Pond Streets. The upper room was fitted up as a hall for lectures, the lower story was converted into a library and shop, and it is now called the " Dorchester Athenæum."
The old " Neponset " school-house was remodelled into a dwelling-house for two families.
The "Winthrop " and "Eliot " buildings were purchased and removed to the site of the Roman Catholic Church, which was demolished a few years since by persons unknown. These two buildings are now fine dwelling-houses. The old " Mather " is transformed into a double dwelling-house. It is situated near the residence of Enoch Train, Esq., on Centre Street.
Good school buildings are important means to- wards making good schools. Through the liberality of the town, the former have been provided-" ample in their accommodations ; chaste in their outward appearance ; convenient in their internal arrange- ments "-" a credit to their Architect and the town." May there be a corresponding symmetry and perfec- tion in the character and condition of the pupils.
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In 1857, the amount of money appropriated by the town for the public education of each child, between the ages of 5 and 15, was $13 18. So that Dorchester stands, in this respect, the third in the Common- wealth, and the second in Norfolk County-the towns of Nahant and Brookline only being before it. The whole number of children in town, between the ages above mentioned, May 1, 1857, were 1657. The whole number in the schools, the High School in- cluded, as given in the committee's report, April 1, 1858, was 1704 in summer, 1691 in winter ; aver- age attendance, 1334 in summer, 1360 in winter.
A few words may properly be given here, in re- gard to the books that have been used in our schools. One of the earliest, undoubtedly, was the old-fashion- ed, blue-covered, New England Primer, so well known to us, which has passed through such a vari- ety of editions-the undisputed standard of ortho- doxy in the days of our fathers. There was another book, however, which may have been, to some ex- tent, its antecedent. A single leaf of coarse paper, with the alphabet and Lord's prayer printed on it, was fastened firmly, with glue, or some other simi- lar substance, on a thin piece of board, and covered over with horn, to keep it from soiling. A book thus manufactured was called a " horn book," and was " used for teaching children their letters." Not unlikely it may have had priority to the primer in the Dorchester dame schools. It was a requisite of admission into the grammar school, that the child should be able to read correctly in the primer. Pre- viously to 1665, Richard Mather's catechism was
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in use. In that year, the town voted to distribute a " new impression " of the book among the fami- lies in town. In relation to the books and classes in the old school, near Meeting-house Hill, a century ago, Dea. Humphreys states there were three classi- fications. The lowest was called " the Psalter class," next " the Testament class," then " the Bible class." The latter were required to read about two chapters at the commencement and close of the school, spell words contained in those chapters, and write and cypher. From the year 1759 to 1767, when he left the school, he saw " no other English books " there, he says, except those that have been mentioned, " till about the last two years, we had Dilworth's spelling-book and Hodder's arithmetic." The fa- mous spelling-book of Noah Webster was first pub- lished by him in Hartford, in 1783; the grammar and reader followed. These three parts were enti- tled, " A Grammatical Institute of the English Lan- guage." " Thomas & Andrews's twenty-fourth edi- tion " of the spelling-book was printed by them in Boston, in 1802, the said firm having been induced, in 1790, by the popularity of the work, "to pur- chase the exclusive right of printing all the three parts of said Institute, in the States of Massachu- setts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, for the term of fourteen years."* How early these works
* Noah Webster once stated, that seven millions of copies of his spell- ing-book had been published, and that probably two thirds of all the [then] inhabitants of the United States had received the rudiments of their education from the use of this book .- Salem Observer.
He died at New Haven, Ct., May 28, 1843, in his eighty-fifth year.
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were introduced into the Dorchester schools, we are not informed.
In 1816, there were various rules and regulations passed by the school committee, to be observed by the teachers. These rules were printed on a half sheet, and continued in force for many years. Pre- vious to 1820, it is believed, the following books were introduced. For the "5th class, New York Primer ; 4th class, New York Preceptor, and Tem- ple's Child's Assistant ; 3d class, Picket's Juvenile Spelling-Book, New York Reader No. 1, and Bing- ham's Geographical Catechism ; 2d class, New York Reader No. 2, Abridgement of Murray's Gram- mar, Temple's Arithmetic, Cummings's First Lessons in Geography and Astronomy, and the TESTAMENT; 1st class, New York Reader No. 3, Kinne's Practi- cal Arithmetic, System of Polite Learning, Perry's Dictionary, or, in preference, Sheridan improved, and the BIBLE." To the more advanced were recom- mended, " Cummings's Ancient and Modern Geogra- phy, and Maps," and " Blair's Universal Preceptor." Morse's Geography, Walsh's, Pike's and Adams's Arithmetics, American Preceptor, Columbian Orator, and Scott's Lessons, were also used.
A part of every Saturday was to be spent by the children in reciting from such catechisms as they might " severally bring, with a written request from their parents."
Subsequently, Lee's Spelling Book, Leavitt's Reading Lessons, Cummings's Pronouncing Spel- ling-Book, Wilkins's Astronomy, Murray's English Reader, Worcester's Friend of Youth, Whelpley's
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Compend of History, Woodbridge's Geography and Atlas, Daboll's Arithmetic, Colburn's Arithmetic, Walker's Dictionary, Pierpont's Readers, and other books, were brought into use.
In the year 1832, there was a new selection made by the school committee, and, from time to time since, various books have been introduced, as they were considered needed. Prominent among these, have been the works of Mess. Swan, Emerson and Greenleaf.
Cooper's Thesaurus Romanæe et Britannica (the old Latin Dictionary, folio, referred to on page 259) was presented to the Dorchester school by Rev. Richard Mather. With the exception of the title- page, which is gone, the book is still in a good con- dition, like the one in the Boston Athenaeum, print- ed in London in 1578, though evidently not of the same edition. By a memorandum on the margin of one of the leaves, it appears to have been presented to the school in 1669. Four editions of this work have been issued. The first, in 1565; the same, re- printed in 1573, 1578, 1584. It is probable that eight or nine successive generations of children and youth have taken " fruit and commoditte," as the author expresses it, from this identical book. " A studious yong man," he continues, " with small paines, by the helpe of this booke may gather to himself goode furniture both of wordes and approued phrases and fashions of speaking for any thing, that he shall eyther write or speake of, and so make vnto his vse, as it were a common place booke for such a pur- pose ;" so that those disposed may " by their owne
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labour, without instruction or helpe of maisters, traueyle to attaine the knowledge of the Latine tongue." The author of this Dictionary, Thomas Cooper, or Couper, was born at Oxford, about the year 1517. He styles himself, in the first edition of his Chronicles, school-master at Oxford, but was afterwards Bishop of Lincoln, and then translated to Winchester. He enlarged the " Bibliotheca Eliota" -a compilation by " Sir Thomas Eliote." In the hands of Mr. Cooper this work passed through three editions (the first in 1541), each with addi- tions and corrections. In the Library of the Massa- chusetts Historical Society is a copy of the book (edition 1559), which contains the autograph of Adam Winthrop, father of the elder Gov. Winthrop, as also that of the Governor and his son John, after- wards Governor of Connecticut. This Dictionary is referred to, in a letter from the elder John to his son, while the latter was at college, in Dublin, June 26, 1623. (See Appendix to Savage's Winthrop, page 410.) Mr. Cooper died in 1594.
We cannot better close our sketch of the public schools of Dorchester, than by quoting the remarks made some years since, by a former pupil, the Hon. Edward Everett.
" I hold, Sir, that to read the English language well, that is, with intelligence, feeling, spirit and effect ;- to write with despatch, a neat, handsome, legible hand (for it is, after all, a great object in writing, to have others able to read what you write), and to be master of the four rules of arithmetic, so as to dispose at once with accuracy of every ques-
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tion of figures which comes up in practical life ;- I say I call this a good education ; and if you add the ability to write grammatical English, with the help of very few hard words, I regard it as an excel- lent education. These are the tools :- you can do much with them, but you are helpless without them. They are the foundation ; and unless you begin with these, all your flashy attainments, a little natural philosophy and a little mental philosophy, a little physiology and a little geology, and all the other ologies and osophies, are but ostentatious rubbish."
CHAPTER XXIII.
Brief Notices of the Early Teachers in the Public Schools.
IT is purposed, in this chapter, to give a succinct account of all the teachers in our Dorchester free school, whose names have been ascertained, from the year 1639 to 1804, inclusive-a period of 166 years. Many of the names in our list are found written in the old Latin Dictionary referred to on pages 259 and 477. The earliest entries made in that volume, are, apparently, in the hand writing of Rev. Dr. Harris. This book is in charge of the teacher of the " Mather School."
The facts in relation to these individuals have been gleaned from various sources, presumed to be reliable. Much additional information could have been given in regard to many of them ; but, to bring
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the matter within proper limits, it was found neces sary to condense.
It may be well, in the outset, to mention the re- markable fact, that of the seventy teachers whose names have been found connected with the Dorches- ter schools, during the time above mentioned - nearly a century and three quarters-fifty-three, or three-fourths of the whole number, graduated at Harvard College. Another obtained his education at that College, but, for reasons hereafter to be men- tioned, did not receive a degree, though he subse- quently fulfilled, faithfully, the duties of a minister, both in a clerical and in a political capacity.
Of the remaining seventeen in the list, two gradu- ated at Cambridge University, in England, two at Brown University, R. I., and one at Dartmouth Col- lege. Thirty-one of these school-masters, or nearly one half, were ordained ministers, the most of them subsequent to their teaching school. It is probable not a few of the number were assisted in their stu- dies for the ministry by their respective pastors, Mather, Flint, Danforth, Bowman, Everett and Harris.
Dr. Harris mentions the name of " Mr. Conant " as a teacher of the school in 1638. We find no other authority for this statement.
REV. THOMAS WATERHOUSE is the pioneer teacher on the records of our town. He was born about the year 1600; was a graduate of Cambridge Uni- versity, in England; taught in Dorchester in the year 1639, but soon after returned to England, and
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was a preacher in the county of Suffolk. (See p. 141 of this work, for information in regard to his family.)
The following, in relation to Mr. W., is copied from Palmer's "Nonconformist's Memorial," vol. 2, p. 408.
" He was a scholar of the Charter house. He came from the university very zealous for the ceremonies, but being curate to old Mr. Candler of Coddenham, his zeal very much abated. He there married a gentlewoman of a very good family. He afterwards had a living (in the gift of the Charter house) near Bishops-Stortford, in Herts. Upon the breaking out of the civil war, he went to New-England, and had removed all his effects in order to his settling there. But soon hearing of the death of his wife's brother (upon which a good estate fell to her and her sister), he returned to Old England, when he became master of the public school in Colchester. He had not been there long before he had an impulse upon his spirit that some remarkable judgment would befall that place, upon which he determined to remove, and no arguments could prevail with him to stay. Accordingly, in about half a year that town was besieged, and the hard- ships they went thro' were peculiar. Mr. W. had removed into High-Suffolk, where his wife's estate lay. After be- · ing silenced, he lived at Ipswich, and sometimes preached there occasionally; but his principal employment was teaching a school, for which he was peculiarly qualified, and he had good success. He died at Creeting in 1679 or 1680, near 80 years of age. He was a very useful man, of a blameless conversation, and very firm in his Non- conformity."
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HENRY BUTLER was the teacher as early as 1648. He was born in the county of Kent, England, and received the degree of M.A. at Cambridge University. " When he was about 30 years of age he took a voyage into New England, with several others, for the free exercise of their religion, and continued there 11 or 12 years in the work of the ministry, and teaching university learning."*
His wife was Anne, probably a daughter of John Holman.t Mr. B. seems to have been connected with the school as late as the year 1652.
" Returning into England, he spent a year or two in Dorchester, and then settled at Yeovil [in Somersetshire], where he continued public minister till August 24, 1662. He continued his ministry afterwards in that town, and in other places as he had opportunity, and was often con- victed, apprehended and imprisoned. He suffered great losses by fines and feizures of his goods, and was often forced to remove from his habitation. At length he set- tled at a place in this country called Withamfrary, about 5 miles from Frome, where he was pastor of a congrega- tion; and no danger from enemies, weather or indisposi- tion of body, hindered him from meeting his people, either in private houses or in Sir Edward Seymour's woods, as was thought most safe; and though it was with difficulty
* Palmer's Nonconformist's Memorial, vol. 2, p. 388.
+ Abstract of a deed from Butler to Holman, dated 4 August, 1673. (Suffolk Deeds, Lib. 9, fol. 46.) Henry Butler, now or late of Yeouel in the County of Somerset, Eng. Consideration £160 paid by Thomas Holman of Milton, do sell him all that housinge, lands, &c., which I the said Henry Butler have or should have in Milton or Dorchester in New England, which did formerly belong unto John Holman, late of Milton, deceased. Henry Allen, Joseph Allen, Attorney. Acknow- ledged 7 Nov. 1674.
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and hazard that they met together, the congregation grew, and he did much good. Tho' he had not 201. per annum to live upon till about two years before his death, no offers of worldly advantage would tempt him to leave his charge. He was much afflicted with the stone in the lat- ter part of his life, and yet continued his labours among his people as his strength would permit. He died April 24, 1696, aged 72. His last words were, 'A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.' "*
In 1670, when the church in Dorchester were about to choose a minister to fill the vacancy oc- casioned by the death of Mr. Mather, three candi- dates were nominated, one of whom was " Mr. But- ler, in Old England." (See ante, p. 219.)
The " Butler School," at the " Upper Mills vil- lage," has been appropriately named for this ancient instructor of our fathers.
ICHABOD WISWALL, the second son of Elder Tho- mas and Elizabeth Wiswall, was born in Dorchester in 1637, and entered Harvard College, 1654. Seve- ral of the members of his class were dissatisfied with a vote of the College Corporation requiring that stu- dents should pass four years in the institution pre- vious to taking a degree, whereas, at the time they entered, a continuance of three years entitled them to that honor. Accordingly, Mr. Wiswall, with William Brimsmead, of Dorchester-who was after- wards the first minister of Marlborough-and per- haps others, in a spirit, as they thought, of manly independence, left the College at the expiration of
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