USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Sutton > The history of Sutton, New Hampshire : consisting of the historical collections of Erastus Wadleigh, Esq., and A. H. Worthen, part 1 > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
ROSTER OF ROBERT CAMPBELL POST, NO. 58, DEPARTMENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, G. A. R., SUTTON, N. H., 1888.
OFFICERS.
Jonathan Merrill, Post Commander.
J. M. Rix, S. V. Commander.
Abram Bickford, J. V. Commander.
J. G. Whidden, Adjutant.
T. B. Lewis, Quartermaster.
P. B. Richards, Surgeon.
J. H. Gannett, Chaplain.
C. C. Marshall, Officer of the Day.
1 Extract from History of Henniker.
519
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
Charles Hart, Officer of the Guard.
J. P. Nelson, Sergeant Major. G. T. Dunfield, Q. M. Sergeant. J. C. Graham, Color Bearer.
AUDITORS.
C. C. Marshall, E. B. Lear, H. E. Russell. VISITING COMMITTEE.
Charles Hart, J. M. Rix, C. M. Newman, M. W. Cheney.
PAST COMMANDERS.
E. P. Davis, O. M. Kimball, A. W. Cheney, T. B. Lewis, C. C. Marshall, J. G. Whidden, E. W. Newman.
MEMBERS.
Names marked thus * are deceased.
E. P. Davis, I, 1st N. H. C.
A. W. Cheney, B, 30th Ill. *
George Robertson, H, 6th Mass.
J. G. Whidden, F, 11th N. H.
E. B. Lear, H, 14th N. H.
D. McDole, B, 18th N. H. George Roby, D, 11th N. H.
O. M. Kimball, H, 16th N. H.
C. H. Peaslee, H, 10th N. H.
T. B. Lewis, F, 11th N. H.
C. F. Peaslee, 29th Unassigned Me. In. *
W. K. Philbrick, H, 2d N. H. Charles Hart, F, 11th N. H.
J. P. Nelson, F, 11th N. H.
C. C. Marshall, H, 1st N. H. C.
George Chadwick, F, 11th N. H.
J. M. Palmer, H, 16th N. H. Oi Hall, H, 1st N. H.
E. H. Hadley, I, 14th N. H.
J. M. Pressey, I, 1st N. H. C.
H. D. Robertson, E. U. S. S. S.
F. P. Ager, D, 11th N. H.
520
HISTORY OF SUTTON.
H. H. Bell, F, 7th Vt.
Jonathan Merrill, 2d N. H. Wilson Dorr, F, 1st N. H. H. Art. *
M. W. Cheney, H, 16th N. H. J. A. Perkins, I, 14th N. H. S. E. Bailey, G, 18th N. H. John Lewis, F, 11th N. H. .
Horace Clark, F, 8th N. H.
F. R. Wright, G, 20th Me.
G. S. Ward, H, 16th N. H.
P. E. Ward, H, 16th N. H. *
D. K. Hawks, A, 7th N. H.
Y. S. Woods, D, 11th N. H.
C. M. Newman, C, 3d N. Y. Art.
G. S. Sargent, H, 16th N. H.
R. B. Gilbreath, 2d U. S. S. S.
W. C. Dudley, I, 14th N. H.
P. B. Richards, A, 1st N. H.
W. F. Colbourn, I, 14th N. H .* Henry Osgood, D, 11th N. H. Alonzo Chase, H, 2d N. H.
G. F. Edmunds, D, 11th N. H. C. C. Jones, D, 11th N. H. Samuel Davis, Major, 16th N. H.
J. B. Rand, C, 1st U. S. S. S.
W. H. Sawyer, H, 1st N. H. H. A.
W. D. Chase, E. U. S. S. S.
M. C. Harriman, H, 16th N. H.
C. H. Melvin, H, 16th N. H.
G. S. Roby, H, 14th N. H. A. P. Colby, A, 10th N. H.
C. E. Hardy, D, 11th N. H.
H. S. Willis, E, 1st R. B. Shooters. D. J. Burbank, D, 11th N. H. Silvanus Harriman, G, 1st N. H. Cav. Arthur Thompson, D, 11th N. H. D. C. Harriman, D, 11th N. H. James Bean, H, 16th N. H .* J. S. Rogers, D, 11th, N. H. J. M. Rix, L, 3d Mass.
521
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
W. M. Flanders, E, 18th N .. H. G. M. Barnard, H, 14th N. H. J. C. Graham, E, 15th N. H. J. R. C. Hoyt, E, 3d N. H. M. W. Tappan, Colonel, 1st N. H. * H. C. Brockway, H, 16th N. H. J. M. Hoyt, H, 16th N. H. G. T. Dunfield, B, 16th N. H. L. W. Barnes, H, 16th N. H. W. P. Howe, E, 169, N. Y. A. M. Colby, F, 1st N. H. H. Art. Abram Bickford, 1st N. H. C. J. H. Gannett, H, 12th Mass. H. E. Russell, F, 11th N. H. Israel Adams, H, 16th N. H.
G. M. Burbank, H, 14th N. H. A. W. Brown, G, 5th N. H. W. F. Wallace, I, 18th N. H.
J. H. Hardy, B, 1st N. H. H. Art. Leonidas Harriman, E, 18th N. H. William Libby, C, 20th Me.
SCHOOLS.
-
The schools, which had grown up in New Hampshire under the influence of the early laws passed by the Province for their encouragement, were almost wholly prostrated by the turmoils of the Revolutionary period. But in a very few years after the close of the war a revival of inter- est in the cause of education is manifest. Acad- emies sprung up, endowed and supported by gen- erous bequests of individuals and associations. Phillips academy, the first institution of its kind in the state, was established in 1781, New Ipswich academy in 1789, and one at Atkinson and one at Amherst in 1791, and about the same time the leg- islature of the state passed some laws which were the beginning of a series of decided measures for the advancement of common schools.
In 1789 an act of the legislature made it the duty of selectmen yearly to assess upon the inhabitants of each town £45 upon each 20 shillings of the town's proportion of public taxes, for teaching the children and youth of each town reading, writing, and arithmetic.
This act is supposed to have continued in force till 1805. That year the general court passed a law authorizing towns, at legal meetings called for that purpose, to organize school-districts. In 1808 a law was passed, or, rather, this act was so
523
SCHOOLS.
amended as to make it imperative to subdivide every town into school-districts. Some divisions into districts prior to this time had been made, but they were wholly voluntary on the part of the peo- ple to be benefited by them.
In 1808 the law relating to the amount of taxes to be raised for the public schools was so amended as to require each town to raise for its schools a sum equal to seventy dollars for every one dollar of the town's proportion of the public tax. In 1827 this percentage was increased to ninety dollars for each one dollar of the town's share of the public tax. As early as 1805 each town was required to appoint three or more suitable persons to visit and examine schools. In 1809 the selectmen in some towns " inspected " the schools.
In 1827 the general court passed a law requiring towns at their annual meeting to choose a superin- tending committee to examine schools. This law was very popular in the legislature, passing the house by a vote of 152 to 37, and met with little or no opposition in the senate. Gov. Pierce readily signed it. The next year the law was so amended as to make it necessary for teachers to be exam- ined and obtain certificates before commencing their schools. Long before this time, however, teachers, or those aspiring to be such, were required to have a certificate of successful exam- ination by " some minister of the gospel, or some well learned person." Through the force of cus- tom, at least, if not really required, it became a part of the clergyman's duty to visit the schools from time to time; and when he had notified the teacher
524
HISTORY OF SUTTON.
of his intention to make such a visit, the same was communicated to the school by the teacher, coupled with the injunction to "all rise at his entrance, and remain standing till he is seated." The amia- ble bow with which he recognized this piece of civility, as well as his dignified and grave demeanor as he proceeded to the place of honor in the desk seat of the teacher, made a profound impression upon the scholars. Teachers were expected to instruct the children in "polite behavior," which, among other things, required them to bow or curtsey to every person they met in going to and from school. Even down to a period within the memory of the present writer this was the teach- er's last injunction on dismissing the school at night.
Memory recalls one occasion in which an older sister, going home from school with her head full of this admonition, had the good fortune to see a man approaching from the opposite direction, and, conceiving this to be her golden opportunity to obey it, made herself all ready, and, as he drew near, stopped short and dropped a low curtsey, in full expectation that he would at least show his appreciation of her politeness by the customary word of commendation, "That's a good girl." Crestfallen indeed she felt and looked when she received only this malignant and surly response,- " There, don't ever make any more of them silly curcheys."
Some twenty years ago those were living in Sutton who could remember that when the minister visited the school, besides inspecting their progress,
525
SCHOOLS.
he used to make a prayer and talk to the scholars on religion, and question those who had studied the "Assembly's Catechism" on that work.
An aged lady, Mrs. Col. John Harvey, used to relate her experience of her first examination, which was in the early years of this century. Her father accompanied her to the house of the Rev. Lemuel Bliss in Bradford, who received them courteously, and, having called into the room his entire family, made a long prayer, and then pro- ceeded to business. He asked her a few puzzling questions, required her to repeat one of the longest rules in the " Young Lady's Accidence," the gram- mar then in use, which, fortunately for her, the solemnities of the occasion had not driven from her mind, and after spelling some hard words the nerve-trying operation was successfully over. And here we will say that scholars in those carly days, though they had but few books, learned them thoroughly, for this same aged lady, a few days previous to her death at the age of 88 years, pos- sibly under the influence of that strange revival and requickening of the mental faculties which sometimes precede death in the very aged, could repeat without hesitation or error long rules in parsing, from that book.
The author of the "Young Lady's Accidence " was the Rev. Caleb Bingham, who was teacher of a young ladies' school in Boston in 1785. Feeling the need of such a book to use in his school, he set himself to work to prepare one, and used it suc- cessfully in his school, and offered it to the public. So popular did it become that 100,000 copies were
526
HISTORY OF SUTTON.
issued. The same author also prepared some other school-books, which were equally well received, viz., " Child's Companion," " American Preceptor," " Columbian Orator," "Youthful Catechism," and " Juvenile Letters."
Dilworth's Spelling-Book, the first of its kind ever used in this country, was also used in Eng- land, being the work of an English author. This spelling-book was introduced into this country in 1770. A good authority says of it, that, though very humble in its merits as compared with those of the present day, it was then considered a perfect epitome of all that is essential to a common educa- tion. The Bible and Psalter and New England Primer were the very earliest reading-books. Paper to write upon was scarce, and most of the early scholars learned to write upon strips of birch bark.
Pike's Arithmetic made its appearance in 1788, and, finding its way into the public schools of New England, kept its place for many years. This book on arithmetic had an appendix of Algebra and Conic Sections. The author was Nicholas Pike, a gram- mar-school master in Newburyport, and a graduate of Harvard college. This was the first original arithmetic published in the United States, as ap- pears by a letter from President Washington, to whom the author had presented a copy. In this letter the President speaks of "the handsome manner in which it is printed, and the elegant man- ner in which it is bound, as pleasing proofs of the progress which the arts are making in this coun- try ;" then adds,-" Its merits being established by
5:27
SCHOOLS.
the approbation of competent judges, I flatter my- self that the idea of its being an American produc- tion, and the first of the kind which has appeared, will induce every patriotic citizen to give it all the countenance and patronage in his power."
Adams' Arithmetic appeared about 1830, and was in use for a long term of years till supplanted by Greenleaf's series. But no one school-book of any kind ever held its sway in the schools of New England so long as Colburn's Mental Arithmetic. What dates to assign as the limit of its usefulness the writer knows not, as the end has not come yet. It was in use in 1830, and is still used in many schools.
Rev. J. L. Blake, a native of Northwood, N. H., was author of The Historical Reader, a book which to many persons furnished abont all the historical knowledge they ever attained. Mr. Blake was also author of a work on astronomy, and many other books. Webster's Spelling-Book was first pub- lished in 1783, and by the early part of the present century was much in use. Marshall's, and a mod- ernized edition of Webster's, followed. Parish's Geography was used some as a reading-book; but we will venture the assertion that more persons learned to read from the New Testament than from any other reading-book. The "Psalter" used was the whole or a portion of the Psalms.
The same aged lady already referred to used to relate an anecdote of her early days, illustrative of the misconceptions regarding-school advantages of the Sutton people held by a school teacher in Ames- bury, Mass., which town may be considered the
528
HISTORY OF SUTTON.
parent town of Sutton and several others in New Hampshire.
When she was fourteen years of age she went to Amesbury to spend the winter with her grand- parents, and they thought best to send her to the winter school, then in operation. Her youngest. aunt, two years older than herself, was then a pupil in the school, and introduced her to the teacher,. telling him she was from New Hampshire. The teacher was polite and kind, and after the morning reading classes were through, proceeded to instruct. his alphabet scholars, calling her with the others up to his seat, and began pointing out the letters of the alphabet with his penknife and desiring her to re- peat them after him. In her shame and dismay she remained speechless, but looked around for her aunt, who quickly came to her rescue, informing the teacher in a whisper that she could read as well as herself. It would be difficult to say which suffered most with shame on this occasion,-the teacher, or the young girl whose absolute illiteracy he had so unquestioningly assumed. Her grandfather, how- ever, to whom the affair, when related to him, afforded infinite amusement, cordially accepted the apology which the school-master hastened the same evening to make, adding,-" Your supposition that she must be entirely untaught, and without any book-knowledge, is simply in accordance with the convictions that most people in these older towns entertain regarding the educational advantages of the young people in the new up-country settle- ments. I might myself have still held the same ideas, if my frequent visits to Sutton had not shown
529
SCHOOLS.
me their falsity." He had three daughters married and settled in Sutton, viz., Mrs. Hezekiah Blaisdell, Mrs. Jacob Harvey, and Mrs. Joseph Greeley.
Perhaps the misapprehension of the teacher arose in part from the circumstance that the pupil was a girl and not a boy, so great was then the difference between the school privileges allowed to girls and those common to boys in the older towns in Mas- sachusetts, the advantage being altogether in favor of the boys. The grammar schools were for boys exclusively. The girls were sent, if sent at all, to " Dame's School" only. Here they learned to sew, and to read some, and that was the utmost they were required to learn, except, in favored cases, some learned to write a little.
Fortunately for the girls in the newly settled towns in New Hampshire, no such distinctions ex- isted. The people were too poor to be able to afford more than one school, and such privilege of education as existed was open equally to girls and boys. But it seems that the Amesbury school- master must have reasoned that since the amount of book-knowledge acquired by the girls in the towns long settled was so small,-was to be ex- pressed by so low a figure, that anything less than that must be nothing at all,-that the attainments of the girls " up in the bush" in New Hampshire could only be expressed by zero.
With regard to the higher education of girls, the initiative step seems to have been taken in New Hampshire at the opening of the academy at New Ipswich in 1789, and the credit of the same is due to a Mr. Peabody, then a man of influence and dis- 34
530
HISTORY OF SUTTON.
tinction, who had done much towards the establish- ment of the academy.
Philips academy, opened some eight years before at Exeter, did not, and does not now, admit female students. In the question as to the admission of girls, the New Ipswich people, especially those who had daughters growing up, felt much interest, but nobody knew about it, and nobody ventured to urge it, as there were some who thought it almost indel- icate to send young ladies into school with young men. The matter was not decided till the morning of the commencement of the school, when Mr. Pea- body directed his daughter to "pick up her books and go to school at the academy." The next day many other girls followed the example of Mr. Pea- body's daughter, and all hesitation as to acceptance of this great privilege for them was over.
In the many ancient papers examined in the preparation of this history of Sutton, the percentage of those signatures affixed to documents by what is termed " making their mark," has been found to be very small. The spelling of the common words is frequently faulty, but it must be remembered that but few persons had within their reach any standard for spelling except the sound of the words them- selves. Spelling-books were scarce, and dictiona- ries more so. But the people managed to transact their business correctly, and leave the records of their transactions in such a way that we at this late day are very glad of the light they give us regard- ing the past.
In granting the township of Perrystown, as they did in every town they granted, the Masonians cer-
531
SCHOOLS.
tainly did something towards establishing the char- acter of its future inhabitants as an enlightened and Christian community, by stipulating that one right should be set apart for support of schools and one for the support of the ministry, as well as the free gift of another right to the first settled minis- ter in town. This was done at the drawing of the rights, but no stipulation was made regarding the establishing of schools, and so the Sutton proprie- tors, having managed to evade the burden of sup- porting schools till they had sold most of their lands, left it to the settlers themselves to educate their own children. It is probable that most of them learned to read and write from their parents. In a very few years private subscription and indi- vidual and associated effort accomplished some- thing towards schools, which were " kept" in apart- ments in private houses before any school-house was built. Not till 1786, two years after incorporation, did the town, in its corporate capacity, vote an appro- priation for school purposes. The amount was $12.
In the schools kept in apartments of private houses, the seats were simply boards or plank rest- resting upon blocks of wood, without backs or desks. The early school-houses were built very much alike through our part of the country. They had a square roof, the four corners meeting in a point at the top of the roof. The whole inside of the building was one room, except a small entry. Bench seats with desks occupied about two thirds of the floor space facing the immense fireplace, the master's desk and seat elevated a little so that he could easily survey his kingdom.
532
HISTORY OF SUTTON.
No school-books worthy of being called such were in use before the issue of Caleb Bingham's works, and consequently, meeting so well the gen- eral wants as they did, there was an immense call for them. In all 1,250,000 copies were issued. " The Young Lady's Accidence " passed through twenty editions, making, as before stated, 100,000 copies. Rev. Caleb Bingham was a native of Con- necticut, born in 1757, graduated at Dartmouth college 1782.
In 1799 a geography by Rev. Jedediah Morse was much used as a reading-book. The writer remembers to have seen a copy of a very old-look- ing book which was anciently in use, entitled "The Art of Reading," which was, however, adapted to the use of only the highest classes in school, if indeed to any, being certainly above the compre- hension of all below them.
The English Reader and the Historical Reader were in use during a more modern era till supple- mented by "Porter's Analysis" and "Porter's Rhetorical Reader," about 1840.
Cummings's "School Geography, Ancient and Modern," began to be used about 1820. The author was Jacob A. Cummings, a native of Hollis, and a graduate of Harvard in 1801. Olney's Geog- raphy was introduced about 1830; also, about the same time, Peter Parley's Geography for children.
Mrs. Jonathan Harvey, who was a daughter of Thomas Wadleigh, Esq., many years ago related to the writer the following facts:
The first school in their district (south part of the town) was kept in her father's chamber. It was taught by Master Garvin, perhaps
533
SCHOOLS.
from Lempster or Dunbarton. The school took in all grades and ages, from little children to young men fitting for college. Mat- thew Harvey, afterwards Gov. Harvey, attended that winter. he being then sixteen years of age. The next winter the South school-house was in existence, and Master Garvin taught there.
Mrs. John Harvey, a daughter of Deacon Joseph Greeley, gave the following items :
I first attended school in a school-house when I was nine years old, which was in 1797. Before that time the schools were kept in private houses. We used Dilworth's Spelling-Book, and the best readers read in Morse's Geography once a day, and the teacher questioned them after reading.
Another authority, Theresa Harvey, who some years before her death, in 1873, prepared a paper for this work on the early schools of Sutton, says,-
I know something about what books were used in school at a period a little later than that early day, having often seen them in the old homes where I have visited. Webster's Spelling-Book had been introduced, Alexander's Grammar, Pike's Arithmetic, and Perry's Dictionary. For reading-books. prior to the days of the English Reader, there was "The American Preceptor" and " Morse's Geography," also "The Third Part," though of what or whom it bore that proportion I do not know.
The paper goes on to state
some facts related by Ezekiel Davis and Isaac Mastin concern- ing Master Hogg, one of the earliest school-masters, if not the very earliest, in Sutton and several of the neighboring towns. He was a Scotchman by birth and education, and was very severe upon offenders against his rules in school. A favorite form of discipline with him was what he termed "horseing" the offenders, the pro- cess being as follows : As fast as transgressions occurred during school hours he would call out the transgressors, and keep them standing in the floor till he had the good fortune to secure three, the requisite number, and then the circus began. The first offender
534
HISTORY OF SUTTON.
was made to get down on all fours, the second must mount his back, and the third must whip them around the room; then they changed positions till each boy had his turn at whipping once and being whipped twice.
Master Hogg kept his school in a barn on the "old Gile place," and subsequently in the house of Jacob Davis, nearly on the west shore of Gile's pond. His stock of books consisted of a Dilworth's Spelling-book, a Bible, and an old Catechism. Arithmetic he taught verbally, and demonstrated it by the use of the fingers, ker- nels of corn, and a piece of chalk.
But if the teachers had few books, the scholars had fewer-none, in fact, unless, as a special indulgence, they were permitted to use the family Bible or rude Psalm-book of that day in the exercises of the school. A stray leaf from an old volume, or even a piece of a torn newspaper, often did duty in lieu of school-books.
The following receipt indicates the wages Master Hogg received for his services, as well as the date at which he operated here. Moses Hazen, Esq., furnished the copy of this curiosity :
March 21, 1792.
Then my son Robert Hogg, received seventeen bushels of Rie from Simon Kezar of Sutton which was due to me for teaching schooling two months in Sutton.
Per me, Robert Hogg.
A SCHOOL-MA'AM'S RECEIPT.
Methuen Feb. 1, 1791.
Received of Jacob Mastin and Hezekiah Parker, six bushels of Rye, it being in full for my keeping school for them and others last fall six weeks.
Lydia Parker.
These two receipts indicate the difference then made in the pay of male and female teachers .. Mistress Parker must content herself with one. bushel of rye per week, while Master Hogg re- ceives two bushels and four quarts for the same
535
SCHOOLS.
time, and, to judge from the receipt above quoted, as compared with that of Master Hogg, her ac- quirements were fully equal to his. The difference was due in great measure to the fact that women at that day received but a trifle compared to the pay of men for any kind of labor. Besides, it is not probable that Mistress Parker could equal Master Hogg as an ingenious disciplinarian, not to say a severe one.
Sometimes female teachers managed to earn something above their school wages by spinning, between schools, for the family with whom they boarded, increasing their income by perhaps fifty cents a week.
Master Hogg was an early inhabitant of Dunbar- ton, was much esteemed there as a teacher and a citizen, and was chosen chairman of the board of selectmen at the first meeting held under the char- ter in 1765. His descendants were numerous and influential. Most of them by leave of the legisla- ture took another name: some chose the name of Raymond, some Tennant. He lived to be over 70 years of age.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.