USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Plymouth > History of Plymouth, New Hampshire; vol. I. Narrative--vol. II. Genealogies, Volume I > Part 24
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3. Voted to choose a Committee of four men, one in each district, to divide said town into districts.
4. Voted that John Rogers, Esq., Capt. Samuel Dearborn, Mr. Jona- than Robbins and Mr. Peter Dearborn be said committee.
5. Voted to dismiss the third article [relating to school money]. The committee to divide the town into districts reported, whereupon the town voted :
6. To accept of the report of the committee for dividing the town into districts which is :
The first or lower district to be from Lieut. Jonathan Robbins to Mr. Amos Phillips inclusively, including Aaron Stearns and all the families easterly of him on Cummings hill.
The second district to begin at Lieut. Richard Bayley's and to extend to Mr. Enoch Ward's inclusively and from Moses Thurlow's to Capt. John Willoughby's inclusively and James Ryan and Jonas Keyes north of Baker's river.
The third district to begin at Doctor Jonathan Robbins' and to extend to the Bridge next beyond or westerly of William George, Esq. and from Major Benjamin Goold's to Jacob Merrill, Junr. including Capt. Samuel Dearborn, Thomas Harriman and Reuben Dearborn.
The fourth district from and including Capt. Stephen Wells to David Alls' inclusively and from Thomas McClure's to William Greenough's inclusively and including Nathan Penniman and all on that road to and including David Senter and all betwixt this and the river road.
7. Voted that there be a school house built in each district by the inhabitants of each respective district not less than twenty one by twenty six feet on the ground and not less than nine feet stud.
8. Voted to choose a Committee of four men to procure agree with and hire a suitable person to keep said Grammar School.
9. Voted that Lient. Jonathan Robbins, John Rogers, Esq., John Porter Esq. and Capt. Stephen Wells be said Committee.
10. Voted that all those persons living in the south part of the town and without the bounds of any of said districts to have the privilege, if they see cause, of using their proportion of school money in a district of their own, otherwise to be laid out in and they join some other district.
11. Voted that the said Grammar School be first opened in the first or lower district.
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The permission given to the families in the south part of the town was soon followed by the establishment of the Southern or Fifth school district.
The names of some of the early teachers of the schools of Ply- mouth do not appear in the records and have faded from the tablets of human memory. In 1784 Elijah Brainerd, a native of Had- dam, Conn., and then a student in Dartmouth College, taught one or more terms of school in this town. Subsequently he was pastor of the Congregational churches of Randolph, Vt., and Claremont. The same year a part of the school money was paid to Col. Joseph Senter as a teacher or an agent who paid for services. In 1786 Absalom Peters, Dartmouth College, 1780, and then a resident of Wentworth, was employed a part of the year. Other teachers previous to 1792 were Joshua Thornton, Joshua Smith, Jotham Cummings, Jr., and Jonathan Strong, Dartmouth, 1786, a native of Bolton, Conn., and later pastor of the Congregational Church of Randolph, Mass.
Beginning with the establishment of the grammar school in 1792, Benjamin Snow, having returned from Nova Scotia (see Revolu- tionary history), was a school teacher in this town fifteen years. Another grammar-school teacher was John Morris Tillotson, Dart- mouth, 1796, a native of Orford. While a student in college he taught a part of the time 1793, 1794, and 1795. Subsequently he was a teacher in Haverhill and a lawyer in Northumberland. In 1795 Joshua Thornton was paid for a journey to Hanover " to fetch a teacher." This was Peter Cochran, a native of New Boston, who graduated from Dartmouth, 1798, and who died at sea 1806. Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth, 1776, son of President Eleazar Wheelock, was a teacher in this town 1794, 1798, and 1799. Other Dartmouth graduates who taught in Plymouth previous to 1810 were as follows (the date preceding the name is the year in which they were in this town, and the date following the name is the year of their class) : -
1794 John F. Jennison 1797. 1798, 1800 Samuel Eastman 1802.
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1798, 1799, 1800 Samuel A. Pearson 1803.
1801 George Farrar 1800.
1801, 1803 Joseph Gillett 1802.
1802 Elisha Rockwood 1802.
1802 Silas H. Sabin 1803.
1803 James Brackett 1805.
1804 Constant Storrs 1807.
1804 Alpheus Roberts 1807.
1805 William Bradbury 1809.
1805, 1806 Samuel Fletcher 1810.
Other teachers in this town from 1792 to 1810 were Nathan Penniman, Benjamin Ward, William Cummings, William Rogers, Rev. Robert Fowle, William Gale, - Chase, Jeremiah Noyes, King George, Moses Hull, Paul Dodge Phillips, Henry Coleman, Rev. Drury Fairbank, Benjamin Bayley, Moses Hadley, Benjamin Morse, Samuel Rogers, William Tarlton, Jr., Nathan Harris, Edward Senter, Israel E. Cheney, John Dame, Dolly Brown, Jemima Brainerd, Lucy Blodgett, Sarah Tarbell, Betsey Clark, Sarah Robbins, Sally Pulsifer, Mrs. Dorcas (Wilson) Webster, Dorothy Smith, Jane Johnston, Abigail Johnston, Eliza Smith, Mrs. Mary (Reed) Melvin, Hannah French, Lydia Peters, Jane Porter, Susannah Reed, Betsey Tarlton, Sally Webber, Mrs. Susannah (Reed) Darling, Polly Cochran, Sally Worcester, Sally Phelps, Eunice Rogers.
In this manner the public schools of Plymouth were founded. There were very few laws upon the subject. The creation of a system and the voluntary support given to the structure were the matured opinions of the fathers expressed in town meeting. At the close of the century the boundaries of the school districts were more clearly defined, and the families living in each district in the year 1799 are here presented: -
The Lower End District: Capt. Jotham Cummings, Jotham Cum- mings, Jr., Jarahmael Cummings, Jonathan Cummings, Joseph F. Cum- mings, Nathaniel Emerson, William Going, Nathan Stearns, Samuel Stearns, Aaron Stearns, Joel Taylor, Lieut. Jonathan Robbins, Asa Rob- bins, David Brainerd, Francis Worcester, Jr., Capt. Josiah Brown,
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Edward Webber, Deacon Joshua Fletcher, Ensign Joseph Reed, Crisp B. Noyes, James Gorman, Edward Senter, Reuben Phillips, William Currier, Daniel Currier, Luke Wilson, Joshua Fleteher, Jr.
The Middle District : David Haseltine, Lieut. Richard Bayley, Rich- ard Bayley, Jr., Joseph Coffren, Jacob Fellows, John Farnum, Moses French, James Hazeltine, John Porter, Esq., Dr. Jonathan Robbins, Gain Robertson, Moses Thurlow, Dr. John Rogers, Jabez H. Weld, Phineas Walker, Esq., Nathan Harris, Col. David Webster, Col. William Web- ster, George W. Webster, Deacon John Willoughby, Abner Willoughby, Enoch Ward, Daniel C. Webster, Samuel Greenleaf, James Miller, Moses Mulliken, Peter McQuesten, Joseph Bayley, Isaac Ward, Benjamin Ward, Elephas Reed, Zachariah Parker, Jonathan Parker, Daniel Ladd, Liberty Cary, James McQuesten, Daniel Ward.
The Upper End District : David Alls, Jacob Marsh, Samuel Marsh, Onesipherus Marsh, Joseph Clifford, Capt. Joshua Thornton, Lieut. Elisha Bean, Peter Dearborn, Nason West, Winthrop Wells, Jacob Smith, Edmund Webber, Peter Webster, Jeremiah Bean, John Webber, William Webber, Ezekiel Gile, Phillip Wells, Samuel Wells, William George, Esq., King George, Moses George, John Kemp, Enoch Melvin, Amos Webster, Jesse Taylor, Stephen Webster, Jr., Jeremiah Smith, Pearson Berry.
The South District: Capt. Samuel Dearborn, Thomas Harriman, Nathan Penniman, Stephen Bartlett, Sargent Bartlett, Amos Blood, Jacob Draper, Solomon Bayley, Nehemiah Snow, Samuel Morse, John Rollins, John Harriman, Israel Hoyt, Abel Chamberlain, Samuel Abbot, Currier Barnard, William George, Jr., Robert George, John Keyes, Thomas Fuller, Edward Dearborn, Reuben Dearborn, James McClure, Abiel Blodgett, James Blodgett, Simeon Blodgett, Andrew Hickok, John Rideout, Noah Phillips, Peter D. Blanchard, Abraham Cole.
The North of Baker's River District: Major Benjamin Goold, Jolin . Goold, Widow Abigal McClure, Samuel Emerson, Ebenezer Emerson, Jonathan Emerson, Ephraim Keyes, James Harvell, Esq., James Harvell, Jr., John Hull, Moses Hull, Jonas Keyes, James Ryan, Isaac Ryan, Jacob Merrill, Esq., Jacob Merrill, Jr., Moses Merrill, Giles Merrill, Moses Emerson.
In 1808 a new district was created with name and families as follows : -
The Meeting House District: Zachariah Parker, Jonathan Parker, Abraham Darling, Isaac Stafford, Zachariah Cleasby, Isaac Ward, Peter McQuesten, Reuben Dearborn, Edward Dearborn, Widow Lydia Ward,
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Samuel Dearborn, Jr., Edward Robie, Edward Robie, Jr., Thomas Robie, John Porter, Esq., Dr. Jonathan Robbins, Enoch Ward, Bradbury Furguson, Capt. Samuel Dearborn, Moses Mulliken.
A few families in the southwest part of the town, and remote from any of the established schools, for several years received per- mission of the town to retain their school tax and expend it for the instruction of their children. Subsequently these families were included in a new district called the Seventh, and sometimes the New, district. The heads of the families were Edward Senter, Peter Wells, Robert Glover, Benjamin Glover, and Oliver Blake.
In 1809, in accordance with a vote of the town, the selectmen divided the Fourth or South district and established the Eighth district. This district included all the families of the Fourth dis- trict who lived west of a line extending westerly by land of James Blodgett and Benjamin Dearborn and the thirteenth lot in the third range of the first division of lots, to the line of Hebron.
In answer to a petition of James Little, the town in 1810 in- structed the selectmen to create the Ninth school district in the northeast corner of the town. It contained the Governor's Farm, and nearly all the land of this district was owned by the petitioner, who lived in Campton. The district was bounded on the north by Campton, on the east by the Pemigewasset, on the south by Baker's River, and on the west by land of Col. David Webster and Jacob Merrill. The Tenth district, including the territory around Pike Hill, was established at first by general consent. Subsequently the town ratified the proceedings and officially recognized the district.
The town voted, May 25, 1819, to divide the First district and to establishı District No. 11. The selectmen promptly reported that they had divided the district by a line extending north from the line of Bridgewater, and that the citizens of the new district living west of the line of division were Jonathan Cummings, Leonard Cummings, Noah Cummings, Phineas L. Emerson, Joseph Fletcher, Michael Mitchell, Joseph Morse, Benjamin Nutting, Widow Sibel Nutting, Daniel Prescott, Matthew Ram- say, Aaron Stearns, Aaron Stearns, Jr., and Jonas Willoughby.
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SCHOOLS.
In response to numerous petitions for the amendment of the boundaries of the several school districts, the town in 1830 referred the subject to a committee of one from each of the eleven districts. The members of the committee, named in the order of the districts, were: Asa Robbins, Humphrey Webster, Moses George, John Webster, William Goold, Isaac Ward, David Fowler, John Ride- out, David Webster, Jonathan Cummings, and Perley Pike. The report of the committeee, which was adopted, follows: -
The committee appointed by the town of Plymouth at a legal meeting in April 1830 to divide and describe the town into school districts have attended to the duties of their appointment and report as follows -
District No. 1 described and bounded as follows : -
Beginning at a pine tree standing on the bank of Pemigewassett River at the South-East corner of Plymouth - Thence following up said River to the northerly line of the homestead farm of Daniel Currier - thence westerly on the line between the said Currier's and Col. Benjamin Ed- mands' land to the road leading over the Thurlow hill, so called, to land owned by William Webster, Thence Southerly on said road and on the line of said Webster's land and lands of the aforesaid Daniel Currier and Henry M. Currier to the South East Corner of said Webster's land to land owned by Noah Cummings - Thence Easterly on the line between the land of said Noah Cummings and the said Henry M. Currier to the aforesaid road - Thence Southerly by said road to land owned or occu- pied by Nathan Lovejoy - Thence Easterly by said Lovejoy's land to the road leading from Cumings Hill, so called, to the river road - Thence Easterly on said road so far as that a line drawn thence South shall strike the north-east corner of the farm owned by Leonard Cum- ings - Thence South on the line between the said Leonard's land and land owned by Joseph Reed, Capt. Marston and Hezekiah Blake to land owned by Benjamin Cass - Thence Westerly and Southerly by said Cass' land to Bridgewater line - Thence on said Bridgewater line to the bound began at.
District No. 2: Beginning at a stake and stones by Pemigewassett River at the northeast corner of District No. 1 -Thence up said River to the mouth of Baker's River, Thence up Baker's River to the lower Bridge - Thence across said Bridge and extending northerly and west- erly on the line between land owned by David Webster on the one side and Horace Bugbee and Humphrey Webster on the other side to land owned by Samuel Stevens land -Thence Southerly by said Stevens land to Baker's River Thence down said River to the bridge - Thence
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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
across said bridge to the south bank of the river - Thence up said river to the bound of Win. Webster Endervale - Thence following the north- erly line of said Webster's land to the corner of the French farm - Thence westerly on the north line of the said French farm to the land owned by the widow Mary Ward - Thence south, to the South East corner of the said Mary Ward's land to land owned by William Webster - thence westerly by said Webster's land to the land owned by Alva McQuesten - Thence Southerly and westerly by land owned by Hum- phrey Webster David Hazleton and Moor Russell, James Miller, D. M. Russell and Stevens Merrill to the north-east corner to a lot of upland owned by the heirs of John Rogers Esq. deceased, Thence westerly and southerly and easterly, by said lot, to a traet of land owned by Humphrey Webster - Thence southerly and easterly by said Webster's land to the south-west corner of Wm. Webster's upland - thence easterly by said WVm. Webster's land to land owned by Henry M. Currier - thence north- erly by said Wm. Webster's land to the north-west corner of the farm owned by Daniel Currier - thence easterly by said Currier's land to the bound first named.
District No. 3 : Begins at the north-east corner of district No. 6 at a stake and stones by Baker's River, being a bound between the farms of King George and Henry Sanborn - Thence Southerly on the line of said George to his south east corner - Thence westerly on the South line of the said George and on the line of Moses George land westerly and southerly to the road leading from Plymouth by Samuel Dearborn's to Hebron - Thenee westerly on said road to a small tract of land owned by Jonathan Robbins, which he had of Sargent Bartlett, and following the north line of said tract to land owned by Noah Cumings - Thence Southerly by said Noah's land and westerly by the same to the land of Ebenezer Blodgett-Thence northerly on said Blodgett's land to Baker's River Range line - Thence westerly on said line to the line of lot No. 1 in the broken range- thenee southerly on said last mentioned line to the south east corner of lot No. 3 - Thenee westerly by said to Hebron line - Thence northerly by Hebron line and Rumney line to Baker's River - Thence across the river - Thence on said Rumney line to the south west corner of Campton - Thence easterly on Campton line to the northwest corner of the farm formerly owned by Samuel Emerson Esq. deceased. Thence on the westerly line of said farm to Baker's River -Thence to a stake and stones on the south bank of said River - thence down said river to the bounds first mentioned.
District No. 4: Beginning at a stake and stones on the south side of the road leading by Samuel Dearborn's to Hebron, on the line between the land of Jonathan Dearborn and the farm formerly owned by Thomas
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HIarriman - Thence Southerly by the said Harriman farm to the land owned by William Draper- Thence Southerly on the line between the said Draper, Ezekiel Keyes and William Gill on the one side and Ben- jamin Dearborn Thomas Jenness, Jesse Jenness, Lewis Dearborn, Edward Dearborn and Aaron Stearns Jr., on the other side, to the southerly line of the fourth range - Thence easterly on said range line to the north-east corner of a tract of land formerly owned by Samuel Emerson, Esq. - Thence Southerly on the easterly line of the sixth range to the south end of lot No. 1, 2 & 3 in said sixth range to the south east corner of lot No. 4 in the fifth range - Thence northerly by lots No. 4, 3 & 2 to the southeast corner of lot No. 1 - Thence westerly on the line between lots No. 1 & 2 to land owned by Willard Rideout - Thence northerly by said Rideout's land to the southerly line of the 4th range - Thence westerly on said range line to the south westerly corner of a tract of land owned by the heirs of Abel Chamberlain - Thence northerly by said last mentioned tract to the southerly line of the 3rd range Thence westerly by said range line to the south west corner of Samuel Morse's land - Thence northerly and easterly by said Morse's land to the land owned by Jonathan G. Cumings. Thence on the westerly line of the said Cumings land to the land of Ebenezer Blodgett - Thence easterly by said Blodgett's land and by land of Noah Cumings and northerly by the said Noah's land and easterly by the same to the road above named. Thence easterly by said road to the bound first mentioned.
District No. 5: Begins at the northwesterly corner of the farm for- merly owned by Samuel Emerson, Esq., deceased, on Campton line Thence southerly by the westerly line of said farm to Baker's River - Thence following down on the northerly bank of said river to the South-easterly corner of Samuel Stevens' land -Thence northerly on the easterly line of said Stevens' land to the road leading to Rumney - Thence westerly by said road and by land owned by Capt. David Web- ster and by land lately owned by John Dearborn to the road leading from Plymouth to Beech hill in Campton -Thence northerly by said last mentioned road to the northwesterly corner of Moses Hull's land - Thence easterly by said Hull's land to lands owned by Capt. David Webster - Thence northerly by said Webster's land to Campton line - Thence westerly on Campton line to the bound first named.
District No. 6 : Begins at the northwesterly corner of Henry Sanborn's farm at a stake and stone standing by Baker's River Thence running southerly on the westerly line of said Sanborn's land to the farm of Capt. Samuel Dearborn. Thence westerly on the northerly line of said Dearborn's farm to the northeast corner of the farm formerly owned by
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Thomas Harriman, deceased - Thence sontherly following the casterly line of the said Harriman farm to William Draper's land and on the westerly line of the lands owned by Thomas Jenness, Jesse Jenness, Lewis Dearborn and Edward Dearborn to the road leading by John Webster's to the Mayhew Turnpike - Thence easterly by said road to the corner of land owned by Aaron Stearns Jun. - Thence easterly on the line between the said Stearns' land and that of Edward Dearborn to the land of Aaron Stearns Sen. - Thence northerly by the said Stearns Sen.'s land and by a tract of land owned by the heirs of John Rogers Esq., deceased -Thence easterly by said last mentioned tract to a tract of land owned by D. M. Russell and Stevens Merrill-Thence on the westerly line of the said Russell's and Merrill's land and of land owned by James Miller, Moor Russell, David Hazleton, Humphrey Webster and William Webster to land owned by Alva McQuesten. Thence east- erly by said Alva MeQuesten's land and northerly by the same to the southerly line of Baker's River Range - Thence easterly on the line of Baker's river range to the southwesterly corner of Nathan Harris' land - Thence northerly by said Harris' land to the main road - Thenee easterly by said road to the line of lot No. 2 in Baker's river range. Thence northerly on said line to the Endervale lot No. 11. Thence easterly and northerly by said lot No. 11 to Baker's River. Thence westerly by said River to the bound first mentioned.
District No. 7: Begins at the most southerly corner of Plymouth Thence northerly on the line between Plymouth and Hebron to the corner of lot No. 5 in the fourth range - Thence easterly on the southerly line of said lot and on the northerly line of lots No. 7 in the 5th range and No. 6 in the 6th range to the easterly line of the said 6th range -Thence northerly to the corner of lot No. 4 in the 7th range - Thence easterly on the southerly line of lots No. 4 in the 7th range and 3 in the 8th range to the easterly line of the 8th range. Thence South on said last men- tioned line to Bridgewater line. Thence on Bridgewater line to the bound first mentioned.
District No. 8 : Beginning at Hebron line at the Southwesterly corner of lot No. 3 in the broken range - thence easterly by said lot to the south east corner of said lot on the easterly side of said range - Thence northerly on said range line to the southwest corner of lot No. 1 in said range - Thence easterly on the line of Baker's River range to the north- east corner of Ebenezer Blodgett's land - Thence southerly by said Blodgett's land to the southeast corner of the same - Thence westerly by the same to the northwest corner of the farm owned by Jonathan G. Cumings - Thence southerly on the westerly line of the said Cumings' land to land owned by Stephen Morse - Thence easterly and southerly
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by same to land owned by Samuel Morse Thence on the northerly and westerly line of the said Samuel Morse's land to land owned by Samuel Wells. Thence easterly by said Wells' land to a tract of land owned by the heirs of Abel Chaimberlin - Thence southerly on the line between the land of the said Chaimberlin's heirs and the said Wells to the south- erly line of the 4th range - Thence westerly on said range line to the corner of a tract of land owned by Henry Wells. Thence southerly by said Henry's land and by land owned by the widow Blodgett to the northerly line of lot No. 3 in the third range Thence following the north line of said lot No. 3 to Hebron line - Thence on Hebron line to the corner of Plymouth - thence northerly on Plymouth line to the bound first mentioned.
District No. 9 : Beginning at the north end of the Bridge near the mouth of Baker's River by Capt. David Webster's land Thence north- erly on the westerly line of said Webster's land to the road leading from said Webster's on the north side of Baker's River to Rumney - thence westerly by said road to the road leading over beach Hill in Campton -- Thence northerly by said last mentioned road to Campton line - Thence easterly on Campton line to Pemigewassett River - Thence down said River to the mouth of Baker's River. Thence up the last mentioned river to the bound first mentioned.
District No. 10: Beginning at Bridgewater line at the Southeasterly corner of Benjamin Cass' land - thence following the westerly and northerly lines of said Cass' land to the Southeast corner of Leonard Cumings' land thence following the easterly line of the said Leonard's land to the northeast corner thereof -thence north to the road leading from the main road to Cumings Hill thence westerly on said road to a traet of land owned or occupied by Nathan Lovejoy - Thence on the easterly line of said tract to the road leading over the Thurlow Hill - Thence northerly by said last mentioned road to the northwest corner of a tract of land owned by Noah Cumings - Thence following the north line of said Noah's land and the northerly line of a lot of land owned by Israel Marston to land of Aaron Stearns. Thence on the northerly line of said Stearns' land to Edward Dearborn's land - Thence on the west- erly line of said Stearns land and on the northerly line of the land of Aaron Stearns Jun. to the road leading by John Webster's to the Mayhew Turnpike. Thence westerly by said road to the westerly line of the said Aaron Jun. land -Thence on the westerly and southerly lines of the said Aaron's land to the easterly line of the 6th range - Thence southerly on the easterly line of the 6th range to lot No. 5 in said range - Thence on the north, west and sonth lines of said lot No. 5 to the last mentioned range line -Thence northerly to the lot No. 4 in
.
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the 7th range - Thence on the southerly line of lots No. 4 in the 7th range and 3 in the 8th range to the easterly line of the said 8th range - Thence south on said last mentioned line to Bridgewater line - Thence easterly on Bridgewater line to the bound began at.
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