USA > Maryland > Talbot County > History of Talbot county, Maryland, 1661-1861, Volume II > Part 47
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Commensurate with the growth of the county, and the same may be said, of course, of the whole province, in population, in wealth, and
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THE SCHOOLS OF TALBOT
all the elements of civilization, was the improvement in the character of the teachers; so that at the close of the period to which this paper is confined, there was to be found in Talbot, as elsewhere, no inconsider- able number of very competent and exemplary instructors; though it must be confessed that much the larger part of this body of useful citizens, were still, and for years continued to be poorly qualified mor- ally, and intellectually, for their high vocation. The legislation im- mediately preceding and during the war of the Revolution, by depriving many worthy and accomplished clergymen of their legal stipends, gave to the class of teachers a number of men possessed of very respect- able scholarship, and irreproachable character. These were the incum- bents of some of the parishes who continued to perform their ministe- rial duties with most conscientious fidelity, after their legal support was withdrawn, and they were left without any maintenance except that they could earn by extra-ministerial duty, and what pious benevolence felt impelled to bestow.
EARLY SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS
II
Having now completed this general view or periscope of the early schools and schoolmasters of Talbot, this paper will be concluded by necessarily brief notices of such particular schools and schoolmasters as have been commemorated in our very imperfect records. The first mention of any schoolmaster is that contained in the judgment record of the Court of Talbot County for the March term of 1680, and this men- tion is not creditable to the person of whom it is recorded, nor of the re- corder, for "John Stevens, school-master" is represented as having been presented by the grand jury for being drunk on the Sabbath day, at the house of John Aldridge; and the clerk who has thus impaled John Stevens, uses such abominable orthography as to show his want of acquaintance with a good schoolmaster in his youth, or an acquaintance with even so drunken a schoolmaster as he who was arraigned. John Stevens was fined one hundred pounds of tobacco.
The school and schoolmaster next mentioned in any record, belonged to the society of Friends or Quakers. These plain, but eminently wise people, who do not disdain nourishing the inner and divine light with the oil of outward and human knowledge, have never been back- ward or indifferent in promoting education; and they have always preferred, for one reason or another, to have their children taught in
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HISTORY OF TALBOT COUNTY
schools under their own denominational influence. At this time, when the public schools are so good, of their kind, the Quakers, while mak- ing no protest against them, except the one that education is a matter of private concern and not of public, in which position they are supported by some of the best authorities in social philosophy, prefer to establish schools of their own. In the year 1683 the minutes of the meeting in Talbot indicate that the Quakers had a school at or near their meet- ing-house in Tuckahoe, on King's Creek. This school was taught by Isaac Smith, of Virginia, that commonwealth then, as now, sending us teachers. Isaac Smith, it is stated, fell into "distraction of mind," and during his paroxysms of madness would tear his clothes, commit other destructive acts, and would also wander away from his home, near the school. The meeting ordered that this unfortunate man should be properly cared for by the Tuckahoe Friends until he could be re- stored to his family in Virginia. Of this school in Tuckahoe nothing more is known.
In the year 1691, among the land records of the county was recorded a deed of "Thomas Wallis, scholmaster" (the clerk still having failed to perfect his spelling of this word) to Robert Smith, for one hundred acres of land on the north side of Saint Michaels River, bordering on Bachelor's Branch, and called "Neglect"-a very appropriate name for a teacher's home. This Thomas Wallis, in the year succeeding, had all his personal effects seized under an attachment. The schedule of his property evinces his poverty, and was as follows:
Schedule
Lbs. Tobacco
One old chest .
15
One parcel of old iron
15
Two pot-hooks, a cutting knife and a pen knife.
60
A parcel of old nayles
120
A parcel of old books.
100
Eight old pewter spoons
20
A parcel of pewter
100
One old feather bed 200
A spinners wheel 150
750
The pen-knife and old books are the only symbols of Thomas Wallis' profession. This memorandum will serve to indicate the growth of humane feelings, for it shows the custom then prevailing of stripping the unfortunate debtor absolutely bare.
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THE SCHOOLS OF TALBOT
In 1693, at the March term of the county court, Henry Adcock, "being a man well skilled in ye art of teaching good letters," brought suit against William Warrilowe, who, according to the narrative of the case, "did retaine ye said Henry to teach and instruct his sonn William Warrilowe, Jun'r, in good letters and manners for and during the term of one yeare next ensueing ye day and yeare of (viz .: Nov. 21, 1687), and ye said Henry in fact saith that he then keeping a public school at Miles River, within the jurisdiction of this court, &c., &c." The narra- tive further says that William Warrilowe had promised to pay Henry Adcock the "full and just summe of four hundred pounds of tobacco," but did not. The school teacher was cast in his suit, and he not only failed to recover the amount of his tuition fee, but he was required to pay William Warrilowe two hundred and forty-two pounds of tobacco for his "false clamour." He was, however, more successful in another case in which he was sued by a tavern-keeper, the matter in contention being the "shugar" which the publican alleged, and the dominic denied, had been added to Henry Adcock's potations. It would seem, from the result, that the school teacher did not use "shugar" with his rum. This Henry Adcock, it appears, was one of those indentured servants mentioned in another part of this article, and had served, for the space of two years, Mr. Thomas Impey, sometime clerk of the county court, and resident of Bayside.
The schoolmaster whose name is next encountered was Thomas Green- wood, who, in 1717, conveyed to Christopher Sprigall a tract of land called "Adventure," upon one of the branches of King's Creek, and con- taining two hundred acres. The only notable circumstances connected with Thomas Greenwood are, that his wife Elizabeth could not write her name and that he was a man of comfortable fortune-a very rare hap- pening to school-teachers, who as a class are poor. In 1720, James Fletcher, schoolmaster at Oxford, was sued by Mr. James Hollyday for a debt owing to Sarah his wife. In 1722, Daniel Walker, school- master, purchased of Joseph Pond ninety-two acres of land called "Jamaica," at the head of one of the branches of Third Haven Creek, upon which Daniel Walker then lived. Of this teacher we know some- thing more than of those before mentioned, from records written by his own hand, for he was the clerk and register of Saint Peter's Parish from 1707 to August 28, 1724. He was born at Pilkington, England, and was the son of John and Elizabeth Walker. In 1677 he was ap- pointed to keep a ferry over Saint Michaels River, at the point where the bridge now stands, and in the levy record of the county it is quaintly
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HISTORY OF TALBOT COUNTY
stated: "To Daniel Walker, in consideration of his poverty, many chil- dren, loss, ferriage over river with a canowe, at least 2,500 lbs." He has not left the number of his children in doubt, for he has faithfully recorded in the parish registry their several names, the year, day of the month, day of the week, and hour of the day, when each was born.
In November, 1725, Thomas Smith, schoolmaster, is named in the public levy list as having been allowed for three days service as a petit juror, fifteen pounds of tobacco per diem, or about sixty cents of the money of today. It would seem from this that schoolmasters were not then, as now, exempt from jury duty, though Thomas Smith may have been a schoolmaster retired from business, for he was evidently a man of substance and a good liver. As late as 1755 he was residing upon his estate, part of "Grafton Manor" on Bayside, for upon the rent-roll of Lord Baltimore for that year he was assessed upon one hundred acres of land so designated. It is further known that he would occasionally draw blood, not, it is to be hoped, from the luckless urchin's back, but from his neighbors' arms when applied to to exercise the functions of a phlebotomist. For this purpose he habitually carried a lancet.
In the year 1728, was established the Talbot County Free School, to which reference has already been made, and of which a full and de- tailed account has been given in another contribution of this series. But one teacher's name has reached us of those certainly belonging to this school, and that is commemorated by the infamy attaching. Here, too, Mr. George Rule probably taught, and taught acceptably.
In 1747, Stephen Stitchbury, schoolmaster, bought a parcel of land in Island Creek Neck, called "Boone's Hope." Of him nothing more is known, but his ability to buy land argues favorably for his skill as a teacher. It is probable this worthy man has living descendants now in the county where the name is perpetuated.
In 1751, Richard Rowlinson, schoolmaster, was required to enter his recognizance for the appearance of his wife at the August term of the Court. Fortunately the offence of Mrs. Rowlinson is not men- tioned.
In the year 1753 or 1754, the Charity Working School of Parson Bacon was established in Oxford Neck. A full account of this school has already been published in these contributions.
Lawrence Maynard, schoolmaster, was sued by Michael Hackett, upon his note, for 600 lbs. tobacco and twenty shillings currency, at the August term of the Court in 1755. It is likely this person has left descendants, as the name survives in the state, but not in the county.
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THE SCHOOLS OF TALBOT
Joseph Toope, schoolmaster, was sued in the June Court, of 1756, by Messrs. Gildart and Sons, merchants of Liverpool, who had their fac- tors established in this county at several points, of whom Mr. Thomas Harrison, of Canton, near St. Michaels, presently to be mentioned, was one.
In 1756, Thomas Harrison, merchant on Broad Creek, sued James Price, schoolmaster, for a debt incurred to him. Price was allowed a credit for three months' schooling of Harrison's children. He after- wards absconded carrying off most of his effects. What was left was levied upon by Harrison. Among his property were found a parcel of books valued at ten shillings, and a paper of ink-powder, which mark the profession of the owner.
Among the court records of the same year, 1756, may be found the exceedingly curious petition of John Jones, schoolmaster, "to the wor- shipful, the Commissioners and Justices of the Peace." As this is illustrative of the condition and position of that class of teachers which was made up of indentured servants, it is copied in full. It serves also to present one phase of society in Talbot.
vs. John Jones, to the Court here, prefers the following Thomas Tims
John Jones - petition :
Worthy Gentlemen:
Your humble petitioner humbly sheweth that he is a bond servant to Thomas Timons, and has received a great deal of ill usage by blows and stripes. Imprimis: On the first day of October I related to him that he had violated his promise in imposing servile labour on me, and not giv- ing me cloathes as that was his agreement when he desired me to act in quality as school master under him, whereupon he beat me with his fist about the face and much bruised me, of which Mr. Robert Goldsborough was spectator, and desired him to desist from like cruelty, and ordered him at the same time to provide me warm cloathes. Secondly, on the 15th day of the same instant, he whipt me by reason I did not walk the main road home from school according to his orders. I acquainted him that I was ashamed, as that I had scarce a shirt to my back or breaches to wear. Thirdly: on the 19th of the same instant I returned home from school, and finding no one at home, I went to the place where all the family were. I had not been there a quarter of an hour, till the master came and told me it was time to go home, and I acquainted him there was no one at home and then he went away, and in a very short time he came and told me that my mistress was gone home and I must go and shell corn. Then I desired the favour of him to let me get a drink of cyder and he replyed, dare any one give you a drop. Whereupon my fellow servant who was there came along with me, and
448
HISTORY OF TALBOT COUNTY
as we walked along I related to him that master thinks to frighten one by his spleen and revenge; and I said at the same time, I have as many friends as he, and he walking behind incognito heard the words, and he directly made use of this expression: then damn you I will be your foe. Whereupon he took up a piece of pine plank about three feet long and three or four inches broad, and an inch thick, and with the said instrument struck me several blows and bruised me very much in the body, and afterward beat me with his fist and bruised me in the face, of which Mr. John Goldsborough was a spectator. Gentlemen, the real cause of the cruelties that I have suffered is, that I went into a public place there were several of the subscribers, and showed how he had beat me, and related to them the whole affair, how that he detained me every morning to work, and required the same in the evening, if occasion offered; and in doing this he says I have calumni- ated his reputation and character and he has often said, since I declared this, that if he cannot have satisfaction one way he will another. This my fellow-servant can affirm. So I humbly beg, worthy gentlemen, that you will take my present circumstances into consideration, and grant in your great impartiality and wisdom that I may be ordered to another master, as soon as this year's schooling is completed, that I may shun those barbarities and cruelties that are likely to attend me hereafter, which shall ever be with gratitude acknowledged by your most obedient servant and humble petitioner. JOHN JONES. Talbot County, Nov. 2d, 1756.
Thomas Timmes was summoned to answer. The court heard and determined. The case was dismissed, Timmes discharged, and Jones sentenced to pay to him a sum in consideration of the costs and charges incurred by the said Timmes. If John Jones' statement was not true, it must have had the semblance of truth. It is, therefore, very sugges- tive as to the character and condition of that class of school teachers furnished by the indentured servants bought out of the ships by the planters. As the court dismissed the case, it is not unlikely this com- plainant was a drunkard and disreputable person, whose disorderly conduct, when in liquor, provoked the anger of his master, and whose unfitness for his calling condemned him to "servile labour," as he de- served to be.
The proceedings of the county court for the November term of 1757 contain the following minute: "Joseph Price, schoolmaster, in the court here, before the Justices aforesaid takes the oath of allegiance, the oath of abhorrency, the oath of abjuration and makes the declaration called the Test, as they are appointed to be taken and made by an Act of Assembly of this province, and doth subscribe the adjuration and declaration aforesaid severally."
449
THE SCHOOLS OF TALBOT
At the same court William Edmondson, schoolmaster, took similar oaths and made like subscriptions. These proceedings were probably under the Act of 1716, entitled "An Act for the better security of the peace and safety of his Lordship's government, and the Protestant in- terest in this province," which required all persons holding offices and places of trust to take the oaths and pledges indicated. Schoolmasters and clergymen were included. But there are no other records dis- covered of any one of the first named class of citizens having been re- quired to comply with this law; and why at this time there should have been this revival of loyalty to the house of Hanover, and fidelity to the Church of England, is not apparent, unless the Jacobite rebellion, and the rising in Scotland under Charles Edward, in the years just preceding, account for the new zeal. The defeat of the pretender sent many of the rebels to Maryland, and Talbot received her due share of these involuntary but acceptable emigrants.
In 1761, Patrick Parks, schoolmaster, was the principal party to a bill of sale to satisfy a debt.
In the same year, James Donellan, schoolmaster, was non-suited by Thomas Clayland. This teacher seems to have been litigious, as his name frequently appears in the records as a party to suits, either as plaintiff or defendant.
Nicholas Seymour, in the same year, was sued by Andrew Law, and cast.
In point of time, the period of a great political and social revolution has been approached in this article, and here must close this very im- perfect account of the early schools and schoolmasters in Talbot. It is not pretended, of course, that those mentioned constituted the whole number or even the majority of those that existed in this county during the many years traversed by this record. Doubtless much the greater part of them have passed into entire oblivion, from which their memories can never be rescued by the most diligent student of our local history. The paucity of the facts which have been related, and the obscurity which clothes those few have rendered the attempt which has been made in the first part of this contribution to draw some general deductions, extremely hazardous. All, therefore, that has been said, aside from the plain and simple recital from authentic records, has been said hesitatingly by the writer and should be so received by the reader. Many of the details and incidents are exceedingly trivial, but not, there- fore, necessarily insignificant. They constitute, perhaps, the most valuable part of this contribution, for even if they have been misunder-
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HISTORY OF TALBOT COUNTY
stood and misused, they may again be employed by a more cunning hand, and a more perspicacious mind to write the history of education, not of Talbot, only, but of the commonwealth at large.
QUAKER SCHOOLS
The Friends or Quakers, as they are commonly but no longer de- risively called, very early in our history acquired a strong foothold in Talbot, under the earnest teachings of the apostles of this faith, and even of the very founder himself, they increased so rapidly in numbers that they soon became a most influential body, dictating, when they had need, the politics and giving tone to the society of the county. Originally drawn from the poor and simple, here they very soon became conspicuous for their wealth and intelligence. Among them were to be found some of the most enterprising and successful merchants and the largest planters of Maryland. They were among the first to appre- ciate the advantages which education affords not only for the increase of material prosperity, of social consideration and personal happiness, but also for the promotion of sound religious influence and healthy spiritual growth. Besides they were not slow to perceive that the errors into which were most liable to fall and into which some of the first disciples had actually fallen, after escaping those of a rigid formal- ity, were those of a perfervid enthusiasm in religion; and that the most effective and salutary check upon those extravagancies which are said to have characterized the early Friends, and which had been, in a meas- ure, transported to America, was the cultivation of those faculties of the mind which are the natural antagonists of the tumultuous feelings. Another motive prompted them to intellectual culture. This was a desire to acquire or furnish a substitute for those pleasures which their system of religion condemned and which neither an indulgence in re- ligious emotion, nor an extreme devotion to the acquisition of wealth, which have always characterized this pious and thrifty people, could supply. These considerations prepare us to expect to find traces in the historic sands indicating the presence in Talbot at a very early day of Quaker schools.1 In a previous number of this series of con-
1 It is an interesting fact that the first public library ever formed in this county and probably in the province was the one collected by the Friends in 1676 and after, at the Betty's Cove meeting house. The following is a minute of the meeting held on the 14th of the 5th month of that year. "It is thought fit by the meeting that a stock be kept amongst Friends to pay for books, and to dispose of as Friends shall see need, from time to time, for ye service of
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THE SCHOOLS OF TALBOT
tributions reference was made to the establishment of such schools, and brief notices were given of one or more of them. In this paper it is proposed to present an account of some others of which uncertain traditions or scanty written records have preserved the memory.
It was stated, in the article referred to, that there exist traditions of the existence of a Quaker school upon or near the site of the first meet- ing house of the Friends, at Betty's Cove. There is no account of this school in the minutes of the Friends, and those minutes extend back to a period anterior to the abandonment of the ancient meeting house at that place; but this absence of record is no proof that such a school had no existence, in the face of a tradition which seems to be very posi- tive and tolerably well substantiated. A private letter from James Dixon, a Friend, says: "We have no records of the meeting at Betty's Cove" [this is hardly correct], "but there was a Free School on that same lot under the direction of Friends belonging to that meeting, so I was informed by Henry Hollyday, Sr., who had been a pupil there." It is possible that the Free School attended by Mr. Henry Hollyday, was the Talbot Free School, of which an account has been given, and which was certainly near where the old Quaker meeting house once stood. But there exist records of another Quaker school, which was established at or near the "great meeting house," on Third Haven, of which it is proposed now to speak.
On the 25th of November, 1779, at a monthly meeting of the Society of Friends at Third Haven, there was present a committee, appointed by the Quarterly Meeting, in conformity with the advice of the Yearly
Truth, every Friend being left to his own liberty and freedom what to give. Upon which Friends subsided as follows:" William Berry 400 lbs. Tobacco, Bryan O. Mealy 400, John Pitt 350, Howell Powell 400, Ralph Fishbourne 400, Thomas Taylor 400, John Edmondson 400, William Southbee 200, John Jadwin 200, Henry Woolchurch 200, James Hall 100, William Sharpe 300, John Pemberton 100, Henry Parrott 200, John Dickinson and Charles Gorsuch 400, Alexander Nash 200, Obediah Judkins 100, in all 4750 pounds of tobacco. Thomas Taylor, who was clerk of the meeting, was appointed Librarian or keeper of the books. In 1681 the library had an accession of "a parcell of bookes which came from our dear friend and brother George Fox, before his death as a token of his love." It should be remembered that this was long before the attempt of the Bishop of London through Commissary Bray to establish parochial libraries in this province. Remnants of this original Quaker library are still in existence. The writer has in his possession one of its volumes much mutilated and otherwise disfigured, entitled "A Whip for the Snake," being a reply to an attack on the Friends in a book entitled "A Snake in the Grass." Lovers of peace as were the early Friends, they were not averse from religious controversy.
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HISTORY OF TALBOT COUNTY
Meeting within the bounds of which this Monthly and Quarterly Meet- ing was comprised. Among other subjects commended to the considera- tion of this committee was that of the establishment of schools for the education of the children of Friends. This committee having duly weighed the matter, reported to the meeting and advised
that a suitable school for the instruction of youth in useful learning be erected within the verge of this meeting and that this meeting do appoint a committee to take the same under care and pro- ceed therein as way may open.
Whereupon the meeting after due deliberation, appointed these gentlemen members of the committee proposed, viz .:
WILLIAM EDMONDSON, BENJAMIN PARVIN, TRISTRAM NEEDLES, RICHARD BARTLETT.
On the 27th of July, 1780, this committee reported to the meeting that "they met on the occasion in company with a number of members of this meeting, and concluded that it will be expedient to raise the sum of fifty pounds ($133.33) for that purpose." The collectors of the meeting were directed to collect this sum before the last of the twelfth month (December). In August Thomas Wickersham and James Berry were appointed members of the school committee in the place of Benjamin Parvin and William Edmondson, relieved at their own re- quest. On the 12th of November of same year the committee was directed by the meeting to "proceed to build a house on Third Haven meeting house lot for the aforesaid purpose." A minute of the meet- ing held the 22nd of the 2nd month (February), 1781, is in these words: "The consideration in regard of a school being weighty before this meeting, it appears to be the sense and judgment thereof that a house be built of brick, forty feet long and twenty feet wide, with a cellar under the whole, at the place heretofore mentioned; and the committee already appointed are directed to proceed thereto as speedily as way may be opened." On the 26th of July, of the same year "the commit- tee appointed in the case of the school informs this meeting that they have employed a Master, who has opened a school at this place; which being approved the same committee are continued and to have oversight and care thereof until further directions." The teacher thus em- ployed was Samuel Hutton, as appears from the following minute of a meeting held November 29, 1781: "the meeting directs the Treasurer to pay unto Samuel Hutton the sum of three pounds thirteen shillings, it being the balance due him for teaching Friends school last quarter."
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