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The first act relating to public instruction, according to Lewis' History of Lynn, was an act passed by the Court, October, 1647, as follows: "That every town containing fifty families should have a school for reading and writing; and that all towns containing one hundred families should maintain a grammar school." The first mention made in the town records of any matter pertaining to schools in Lynn was in January of the year 1695 - the present records going back only to 1690. The earlier records were lost or destroyed. The following extracts from these records are believed to contain every significant vote passed by the town upon the subject of public instruction, from the first settlement of the place - so far as known - down to near a period when published reports make known the condition of our schools in all their details: J anuary, 1696. - "The Selectmen agreed with Mr. Normenton to be the schoolmaster for the town for said year ensuing, and the Town is to give him five pounds for his labors, and the Town is to pay twenty-five shillings towards the hire of Nathan Newhall's house for a year to keep school in, and that said Mr. Normenton hire said house."November 5, 1701 : - Voted, "To have a grammar schoolmaster to keep school;" and at the same meeting, it was voted, "That thirty pounds money for the maintenance of a grammar schoolmaster for one year beginning when such schoolmaster shall be settled in the town, to teach such as shall be sent to him, Latin, or to write, cipher and read;" and it was also voted, "That Theophilus Burrill shall take care to procure a schoolmaster forthwith, or as soon as may be." At a December meeting of the same year it was voted, "That the school for the year ensuing shall be a free school for the town, and so be kept by the schoolmaster, as other free schools are." It was also voted, that the rate granted to maintain the school shall be paid at or before the first day of June next ensuing. March 1, 1702: - Voted, "That all such that shall be sent to the schoolmaster for the present year to learn to read shall pay him three-pence a week, and all such as shall be sent to him to learn to write and cipher shall pay four-pence a week." December 14, 1702: - The vote passed, "That ten pounds of money for part of the maintenance of a grammar schoolmaster, qualified according to law, for the year beginning when such schoolmaster shall be settled in the school to teach such as shall be sent to him to read, write and cipher, and to learn Latin; and such master to have over and above the said ten pounds, two-pence week for such as are sent to read, three-pence per week for them that are sent to write and cipher, and six-pence per week for them that are sent to learn Latin; to be paid by the parents and masters that send their children or servants to learn as aforesaid. January, 1703 : - Voted, "That ten pounds money in addition to the ten pounds granted in December 14,1702, for part of the maintenance of a grammar schoolmaster, as expressed in said vote; and declared the Selectmen should obtain a schoolmaster for this present year as cheap as they can." April 19, 1703: - Voted, "That the Selectmen shall take care to build a convenient house for the town to keep school in, and to get it done as cheap as they can, and the town to pay for the same; and to stand in some convenient place betwixt the meeting house and the burying place as shall be set out by Sergeant John Dinon, Henry Collins and John Breed - or any two of them agreeing thereto" This house was not built this year. February 13, 1704: - Voted, "That Mr. Jerry Cormin should keep a grammar school in the town and teach such as are sent to him to read, write and cipher, and Latin for two months next after his year is up; and the Selectmen to agree with him for the same." November 15, 1706 : - Voted, "To hire a grammar schoolmaster to keep school in the town for three months, viz: January, February, March next following." At the same meeting it was voted, "Thirty pounds money to pay the schoolmaster, and other town debts," March 5, 1710: - Voted, "To have a grammar schoolmaster to keep school in said town for the year ensuing, and to be paid by the town, the Selectmen to obtain and settle said school in such state and places in the town as they shall judge best to promote learning." March 3, 1711 :- Voted, "That Capt. Johnson, Capt. Bancroft, Henry Collins, Jr., and William Merriam be chosen to obtain a schoolmaster, and agree with him, and to settle the schools as shall be judged best." March 17, 1712: - Voted, "That twenty pounds be assessed on the town to pay for the schoolmaster, and to defray the necessary charges arising in the town, and to be paid in bills of credit." Bills of credit to the amount of fifty thousand pounds were issued by the General Court, to be distributed to the towns, in proportion to the taxes, to be repaid at a specified time. The following description of one of these bills is given in Drake's History of Boston; "No. (916.) 20S. This indented Bill of Twenty shillings, due from the Massachusetts Colony to the possessor, shall be in value equal to money, and shall be accordingly accepted by the Treasurer and receiver subordinate to him, in all Public payments, and for any Stock at any time in the Treasury. Boston, New England, February the third, 1690. By order of the General Court: - Elisha Hutchinson, John Walley, Tim. Thornton, Comitee." March 7, 1714 : - Voted, "That the Selectmen obtain a schoolmaster, and agree with him, and settle said schools as shall be judged best by them." March 5, 1715 : - Voted, " That ninety pounds be paid to the town, and no more, for the providing a schoolmaster, according to law, and the remainder to be made [up] by said schollars, as the committee shall order; and Left. John Hawkes and John Ivory were chosen by the town to provide a schoolmaster in manner as above described for the year ensuing." " That the committee that was chosen at our last annual March meeting should provide a schoolmaster for the town for the provision that the town had made last March meeting as long as they can." October 17, 1715 : - Voted, "That ninety pounds be raised to pay the schoolmaster; and the necessary charges arising in the town are to be assessed as the law directs." October 5, 1716, Voted, "At the request of the present schoolmaster, Mr. Bishop, that he be dismissed when the quarter is up; also, that Lieutenant Breed, Ensign Mansfield and Mr. John Hawkes be a committee to obtain a schoolmaster, qualified according to law, to keep school till next March meeting." March 3, 1717 : -Voted, "That Daniel Hitchings, Ebenezer Burrill, Lieutenant James Pearson, Lieutenant Potter and William Ballard be a committee to obtain a schoolmaster, agree with him, and settle the school as shall be judged best by them, and in their agreeing with him to have relation to some help for Mr. Shepard in preaching." March 2, 1718 : - Voted, "That the Selectmen obtain a schoolmaster, and agree with him, the school to be kept in four parts of the town, viz: The body of the town; over the bridge; the Woodend, and the new portion, as near as may be in proportion to each part's bigness, as shall be ordered by the Selectmen; having regard for some help for the Rev. Mr. Shepard in preaching." October 10, 1720: - Voted, " To raise seventy pounds to pay for the school, and all proper town debts, and to be assessed by the Selectmen." At the same meeting, " That the Selectmen have charge of the schools." May 16, 1722: - The following petition was offered: "In that Ebenezer Barker [or Baker] was to be schoolmaster, provided he answer the law in that case - we, the subscribers, desire that our dissent may be enforced against the vote that is past for Mr. Ebenezer Barker for schoolmaster, for we think he is not qualified according to law. Signed, Capt. John Breed, Capt. Benjamin Potter, Daniel Mansfield, J un., and eighteen others." At the same meeting it was voted, " That John Hawkes, Thomas Cheever, Left. Farrington, Left. James Pearson, Samuel Collins, William Curtis and Thomas Norwood should be a committee to order the school in the several parts of the town, as they shall see best." It seems that this petition did n't amount to much, as we find the following vote, passed March 1, 1723, "That Ebenezer Barker shall have forty pounds for his keeping school this year, which will be up the fourteenth of May next ensuing." In May of the same year it was voted, "That Ebenezer Barker be schoolmaster for the year ensuing, provided the committee could agree with him upon reasonable terms, and that the same committee regulate the school this year that was last year." May 15, 1724 : - The record says: "There was granted forty shillings to William Ballard, according to his request, for keeping school fifteen days;" and at the same meeting it was voted, "That Left. James Pearson, Mr. Ebenezer Burrill, Ensign Richard Mower, Daniel Mansfield, Jun., Mr. William Curtis be a committee to obtain a schoolmaster for the year ensuing." In May, 1726, it was voted, "That Ebenezer Baker be chosen schoolmaster for the year ensuing, and to have forty-four pounds for his service for the year; the school to be kept in the several parts of the town as the last year, and the same committee that ordered it the last year; and the same committee to order the school into what part, first, second, third and fourth, as they may deem most convenient." May 15, 1727: - Voted, "That Mr. Ebenezer Baker be chosen a schoolmaster for the year ensuing, and to have forty pounds for his service for keeping the school the year, and Mr. Ebenezer Burrill, Capt: Potter, Daniel Mansfield, Mr. Ebenezer Merriam and George Messard be chosen a committee to order the school, and proportion it in several parts of the town, as in times past has been." March 28, 1728: - Voted, "That the Selectmen shall take care to procure a grammar schoolmaster, and consider what allowance may be made to the North precinct for their part of the school." Voted, "That the school shall not be moved this year, and the Selectmen to look [up] a convenient place for to set up a school house on." This part of Reading was formerly a part of Lynn. In the History of Reading it is stated that - "In 1713 it was enacted that so much of the territory of the town as lies north of Ipswich river, together with Saddler's Neck - so called - be set off as a distinct Parish, by the name of the North Precinct." May 15, 1727 : - Voted, "That a committee to consider what may be proper to be done about building a school house or houses, and to make report to the Selectmen what they think convenient to be done about it, so that Selectmen may call a town meeting, if they think it proper." "Said committee was chosen, who are as follows, to wit: Lieut. Ebenezer Burrill, Capt. Benjamin Potter, Ebenezer Merriam, William Collins, Robert Edmonds, John Burrige and Richard Johnson." October 21, 1728 : - Voted, "That the North precinct shall not be rated to building a school house or houses in the town." At the same meeting it was voted, "That there shall be two school houses builded in the town: the one betwixt Richard Johnson's house and Godfree Tarbox's house, the other on the westerly side of Mower's Hill - so called - near [where] the house stood [where] Samuel Mower formerly lived." At the same meeting it was voted, "That the town will sell that piece of land upon the eastward of the County Road above William Proctor's house, near Henry Collins' house; and the same committee that was appointed to consider about building the school houses shall view said land, and any other piece or corner of land that may be sold, and consider the value of the same, and who will purchase the same; and consider what bigness the said school house should be, and make their report to the Selectmen, that they may call a meeting that so the said committee may make their report to the town." November 8, 1728: - Voted, "That the several pieces or strips of land that the committee have viewed and made report upon shall be disposed of by the committee according to the prices the said committee hath agreed upon." Voted, "That the same committee that was appointed to make the sale of the land for building the school house shall take care and order the building of the school houses." March 3, 1729 : - Voted, "That the committee appointed to sell land to build the school houses hath full power to sell any other piece or pieces of land as they shalt think convenient to finish said houses." According to the record, these were the first school houses built in the town. Mr. Lewis, in his History, makes mention of but one - that which was located in "Laighton's lane," now Franklin street. The other - as is shown by the record - was built "westerly of Mower's hill." October 16, 1729 : - Voted, "That the North precinct shall have seven pounds paid to them to fence in their burying place; and that said precinct shall have their proportion of money that belongs to them for the school paid to them to pay for the keeping a school or schools amongst them for the year past." April 5, 1730 : -Voted, "That the North precinct shall have their proportion of the schools kept among themselves." At a meeting of the Selectmen, held May 3, 1831 : " It was agreed by all the Selectmen that the North precinct shall have the school kept there three months, beginning the eighth day of this month; and the schools hath been kept from the eighth day of January last until the eighth day of this May in the west end of the town, and therefore, when the North precinct hath had theirs three months, the school is to be kept in the easterly end of the town four months: and then to be kept in the North precinct until they have their proportion of the school." June 30, 1731: - Voted, "That one of the school houses shall be removed to "Mill Hill" (Water Hill.) It was also voted, "That the Selectmen shall take care and get the said school house removed and convenient for to keep school in." May 18, 1732: -Voted, "That the North precinct shall have their part of the schools in schooling for the time past what is due to them, and the Selectmen to proportion and order the same." September 16, 1734: - Voted, "That Ebenezer Burrill, Esq., and Captain William Collins shall have full power for and in behalf of the town to petition the General Court for a tract of Province land to help support the schools in said town." Also," That Richard Johnson, for and in behalf of the committee appointed by the town to sell several pieces of common land to build school houses, made an account of the money they received and the cost of the school houses, and that there remained in his hands over and above what they had expended upon said houses one pound one shilling and eleven pence; upon which said Johnson was discharged and ordered to keep such money in his hands until the further order of the town." September 15, 1735: - "The town ordered Richard Johnson to put the above-mentioned one pound one shilling and eleven pence into the town's money to pay the town's debts, the which the said Johnson hath done." "Lynn, Sept. 14, 1740. - Whereas the
town gave liberty to the Selectmen to sell the town's house that was built
for a school house beyond the hill beyond Jacob Newhall's, in observance
of that order I have sold the house to Nathaniel Townsend for eighteen
pounds, and I have received eighteen pounds Province bills of said
Townsend for the use of the town.
May 4, 1752: - "A meeting was called to see if the town will remove the school house at Mill Hill to the place where it formerly stood, and choose a committee to regulate the school. Likewise, to see if the town will sell or let all their common lands excepting that which lies between the old meeting house and the burying place, and appropriate the proceeds to maintain the school in the town - [or] otherwise, as they shall see cause; and to choose a committee to manage said affairs - further, to see if the town will give unto Jacob Tarbox the school house which he now lives in, or to let [it] stand for the use of the poor." In I752 it was voted, "That the Third Parish have their proportionate part of the school kept in said Parish." Voted, "To move the school house to the place where it formerly stood; also, it was put to vote to choose a committee to regulate the school. It was passed in the negative." November 13, 1752: - A meeting was called, "To see if the town will remove the school house from where it now stands to either of the places mentioned in a request of thirteen of the inhabitants, or to build a new school house, and grant money to defray the charge that may thereby arise." It was voted, "That the school house be removed from the place where it now stands, that is in Laton's [Laighton's] lane, so called, to a knoll in the middle of the Common, between, Pappoon land and Capt. Benjamin Newhall's land, and the charge to be borne out of the town's money granted this year." March 4, 1754: - "It was put to vote to see if the town would order the grammar school to be kept in the body of the town for the future; and it was passed in the negative." May 11, 1759: - A meeting was held to consider, among other things, "Whether the town will settle a school in the body of the town to be statedly kept through the year, and allow the North and West Parishes to draw their proportion of money they shall pay towards the support of said schools upon their providing schools among themselves at such seasons of the year as will best suit them, to the amount of said sum. Likewise, to see whether the town will choose a committee to provide a schoolmaster, and visit the schools, in order to see what progress the children and youth have or shall make in their learning from time to time, and in all regards to regulate the school as may best serve the public interest, which we apprehend has been very much neglected in years past, agreeably to a petition preferred to the Selectmen." Signed by sixteen freeholders. On these two propositions the town voted in the negative. A careful examination of the town records fails to show that the town took any action relating to schools during the preceding six years. This probably, was what gave rise to the above petition . The principal legislation seems to have been directed, during these years, to ordering off people who had lately come into town. March 5, 1764: - A meeting was called, "To see if the town will order the schools to be kept in the First Parish in said town, and pay the Second and Third Parishes proportionable parts of what money said schools shall cost, agreeable to a petition of fifteen of the inhabitants of said town, it was voted the schools shall be statedly kept in the old Parish, and that the other two Parishes should draw their proportionable part of the money the schools shall cost, provided the said two Parishes improve the money they draw for schooling." In May, 1772, it was voted, "That fifteen pounds be given to the North Parish to enable them to build a school house in said Parish." Also," Fifteen pounds to said West Parish toward the charge of building a school house in said Parish." September, 1778: - Voted, "To sell Samuel Collins, and others, of the Quaker Society, a piece of land to set a school house on, they paying four pounds." March 1, 1784: - Voted, " To choose a committee of three men to settle the clause in the notification respecting the schools." This committee reported on the fifteenth of the same month, as follows: "We, your
committee chosen by the town to regulate the school, and likewise
[whether] the Friends draw their proportionable part of the school money,
are of the opinion that it is best for this town to keep two schools, one
in the body of the town all the year, and the other in West end of the
town and amongst the Friends in proportion as they pay taxes. And we
further recommend to the said town to choose a committee or committees to
visit them
quarterly. On this report it was voted, at an adjourned meeting, March 15, "To choose a committee of nine persons to have the whole care and direction of the schools in said town, viz: Three for each Parish, and three among Friends; for the East Parish, John Flagg, Esq., Col. John Mansfield and Daniel Newhall, Jun. ; for the West Parish, Abner Cheever, Thomas Stocker and William Sweetser; for the Friends' Society, Sylvanus Hussey, Samuel Collins and Daniel Newhall; and said committee to visit the schools quarterly." February 23, 1792: - A meeting was called at which it was voted, "To see if the town will grant to the Methodist Society their proportion of the moneys that the town may grant for the Support of schools, to be made use of as the Society may think proper" It was voted, "That the Methodists do not draw their part of the school money back." The absence of all legislation pertaining to schools between 1784 and 1792 is probably to be accounted for, in part, by the impoverished condition of the town, in common with all sections of the country, in the years immediately following the revolutionary war. Schools were probably kept during this interval - as well as at other times when no hint of the fact is given in the record - but, evidently, little was done to meet the wants of an increasing population. At a March meeting held in 1794 it was voted, "To choose a committee of two from each of the four Wards to take into consideration the matter of making some new regulations for the schools; and Benjamin Johnson, Micajah Newhall; Col. Frederic Breed, James Robertson, Samuel Collins, Henry Oliver, Col. Ebenezer Stocker and Col. Abner Cheever were chosen that committee. They reported at an adjourned meeting in April as follows: "That there be four school Wards in the town, divided and determined as follows: First Ward - The First Ward shall begin at the west corner of the Methodist meeting house, and run to the entrance of Trevet's lane, (now Laighton street, then extending through Maple street, to Chestnut street, whose west end was then called Mansfield's lane,) including the west side of the road, thence shall include Mansfield's lane, thence including the Great Road, (Boston street, which then run round what is now called North Bend,) to the brook, between John Willis' and Robert Mansfield's, and shall include all the inhabitants to the south and westward of said line to the line that divides the west Parish from old Parish; that the said west Parish (now Saugus) shall be the Second Ward. Third Ward - The Society of the Friends in the several parts of the town shall be the Third Ward; agreeably to a resolution of the town; any thing herein contained including [said] inhabitants notwithstanding. Fourth Ward - That the Fourth Ward shall include all the inhabitants on the road from the Black Marsh to the Methodist meeting house, thence to the east side of road to the entrance of Trevet's lane, also beginning at the lane between Willis' and Mansfield's, above-mentioned, and including all the inhabitants in the town that lyeth north and east of said line, to Lynnfield, Danvers and Salem line. That the old school house be sold to the highest bidder, and the proceeds thereof appropriated to the building a new school house. That the grammar school be kept in the First Ward, and that the town [build] provide a suitable house for the purpose. That the town grant forty pounds ($133.33) toward building a school house for the South [Fourth?] Ward, and that the First Ward, and the South Wards, make up the sum that may be wanted to complete the same. That the town
grant the sum of two hundred pounds, annually, ($666.66) for the support
of its schools, and that the grammar school draw annually out of the above
grant fourteen pounds, (46.66,) and that the remainder of the grant be
divided to the four Wards in proportion as they severally pay taxes.
At the same meeting it was voted : - " That two hundred pounds be assessed on the inhabitants to support their schools the current year." Voted: -" To choose a committee to see what the cost of building a new school house, and report in May what they can have it for." Voted: - "That Col. John Mansfield, William Newhall, Jr., and Benjamin Alley be a committee for that purpose." Voted: - "To sell the old school house at this time at vendue." "Sold the old house for sixteen pounds to Samuel Johnson." This was the old school house built on Franklin street, 1728, (then called Laighton street,) and afterward moved to the Common, where it stood until the date above given. This seems to have been the first mention of a division of the town into Wards. Prior to this time the different sections were designated by the term parish, district or precinct. The language of the record, showing that "a committee of two from each of the four Wards" be chosen, would seem to imply that these Ward boundaries were already in existence; but there is nothing in the records to sustain this view. The use of the words "four Wards" instead of sections - or an equivalent word - seems to have been an inadvertence, and simply foreshadowed what was to be. By this new arrangement of Ward boundaries the entire eastern and north-eastern section of the town, from Market street - and including that street - thence following the shore - and including Nahant- to the Salem line; thence following the line dividing Salem and Danvers (now Peabody) from Lynn, back to the old Boston road - and including all the inhabitants on the east side of said road - through Maple and Franklin streets to the old Methodist meeting house, constituted Ward Four. The Friends, wherever located, made up Ward Three. The inhabitants of Saugus and Lynnfield constituted Ward Two; and all others located between these boundaries, (Friends excepted,) beginning with Market street on the east, and including a large part of what is now Ward Five, all of Wards Six and Seven, and a part of Ward Two, constituted Ward One. It was in this Ward that the principal, or grammar, school - as it was called by way of distinction - was located, and which received the largest appropriation made for the support of schools; and it was here where the first two school houses were built. At the next meeting the committee reported as follows: "That they have consulted several carpenters who estimate the cost from four hundred to four hundred and fifty dollars in cash; but did not care to undertake themselves to do the job. Your committee have examined the cost of the Proprietors' school house, which was one hundred and eighty pounds, ($600,) exclusive of shovel, tongs, desk, chair, ink-stand and little house. They have also met the proprietors of the above school house to know the least they will take for said house, which they find to be four hundred dollars, to be paid in town orders. Gentlemen : Your
committee, considering the abatement of one hundred and fifty dollars,
[and] on account of its elegance, the difference of advancing cash and
paying of orders, and being obliged to pay rent for seven or eight months,
till a new one can be built, are unanimously of opinion that it is better
to purchase than to build; which we hereby submit to the wisdom of the
town.
Voted; - "That the Selectmen be a committee to purchase the above-mentioned school house of the owners, and take a deed of the same, and pay the owners in town orders, agreeable to the committee's report." It will be seen by the preceding records that the first school established by the order of the town was in January, 1696. Whether there was any school kept prior to this time, and subsequent to the order of the Court - October, 1647 - before quoted, cannot be definitely known, as there are no town records covering this period. As this act of the Court did not make the establishment of a school compulsory upon any town until the population should reach "one hundred families," it is probable that no public school was kept until the time mentioned in the record - 1696. During the nearly seventy years between the settlement of the town in 1629, and this date, private instruction was, doubtless, provided for those children whose parents could afford it; but it is not likely that the proportion of such was large in the section comprised within the limits of Lynn. It has been remarked that the immediate descendants of the Pilgrims - most of whom were persons of education, and possessed wealth - were better instructed than the few succeeding generations. This is unquestionably true. Other things being equal, the pecuniary resources of a people determine the educational standard that prevails. The early settlers of Lynn did as well as they were able, doubtless, in this respect. The few unfertile acres, half tilled by the unskillful husbandry of those early times, yielded barely the common necessaries of life; and they probably made greater sacrifices to give their children the luxury of the little learning afforded by the common schools, than were made to gain any other end. As shown by the record, no school house was erected by the town until 1728, when two were built; one in Laighton's lane - now Franklin street - the other on a lot of land some distance west of "Mower's Hill." This was a hill lying between Tower Hill and East Saugus, on the old Boston road. This school house was used but a short time, as the record shows it was sold in 1740 to Nathaniel Townsend for fourteen pounds. From this date the only school house in town for thirty-two years was that built on Laighton's lane. Upon what part of Franklin street this first-named school house was built the writer has not been able to ascertain. As seen by the record, the town voted in 1772 to give fifteen pounds to build a school house in the North Parish, (Lynnfield,) and the same sum to the West Parish, (Saugus,) for a like purpose. These were probably the first school houses built in these districts. In 1777 the Friends considered the question at their "preparative meeting" of setting up a school of their own. After some months' deliberation the plan was settled, and in 1778 the town voted: "To sell to Samuel Collins, and others of the Quaker Society, a piece of land to set a school house on; they paying four pounds." According to the "statement" prepared by the late Samuel Boyce, for Parsons Cooke's "Centuries," this school house stood on Broad street, on the Union Store lot. It was afterward removed to the lot now making the southwest corner of Market and Summer streets, near the site of the present post office. This house was sold, and another obtained and placed upon the original lot on Broad street. This building was sold about the year 1810 to Moses A. Tucker, who removed it to a lot on the turnpike in Gravesend - now Glenmere - and changed it into a dwelling house. This Friends' school, referred to in the record, though supported in part by the town's money, was a sectarian school, to which none but the children of Friends were admitted, except in few instances, and in those cases by an act of grace. As "schools" are frequently mentioned in the records of this period, the question has arisen whether there were more schools than one kept at the same time - except in those years above-named - within the limits of the town prior to the year 1794, when the school house was built at the corner of Collins and Fayette streets, and when the school house, which stood at the west end of the Common, was purchased from certain parties by the town. It seems quite clear, from the language of these records, that, with the exception of the short period of twelve years subsequent to the building of the two school houses erected in 1728, there was but one school kept in the town - not including Saugus and Lynnfield within the territory - until 1778, when the Friends built their school house, as above stated. The "school" of these days, it seems, was a movable institution, kept at different times, in different parts of the town, for the accommodation of the sparsely settled and widely-spread population; and that prior to 1764, when the town voted to exempt the Second and Third Parishes, (Saugus and Lynnfield,) from the payment of their part of the school tax - "provided the said two parishes improve the money they draw for schooling" - the children from these districts came down to the old school house built in 1728, located, first on Franklin street, then on Water Hill, (1731,) then again on Franklin street, (1752,) then - in the same year - moved to the Common, where it stood until 1794, when it was sold at auction to Samuel Johnson for sixteen pounds. Stephen N. Breed informed the writer that when his father went to the school on the Common - between 1775 and 1780 - the scholars came from both sections, east and west. The boys from the easterly section were called "gulls," and those from the westerly section "alewives." Persons now living remember to have heard old people relate, as among their boy experiences, the story of coming all the way from Woodend with a stout stick of wood on their shoulder as their contribution to the winter's fire, built in the capacious fire-place, long before stoves were thought of in this section. The building designated as the "Proprietors'" school house, stood till 1826, at the west end of the Common, just outside of the enclosure, as now bounded, and as shown by the records, was bought by the town in 1794. It was then, probably, nearly new, as its "elegance" was mentioned by the committee who bought it. From the best information obtainable it was built by the following individuals - and perhaps others - and used for a short time as a private school; Frederic Breed, Col. James Robinson, John Carver, Amos Rhodes, Aaron Breed, Joel Newhall, Daniel A. B. Newhall, Col. John Mansfield and William Farrington. There seems to be a strange lack of explicitness and discrimination in the record respecting the school house built at the same time on Chestnut street, near where - afterward - Collins street entered it. The report of the school committee for the year 1800 - quoted hereafter - seems to clear up the obscurity. This report alludes to this school house as having been built by an appropriation from the town, and by money contributed by the First and Fourth Wards. As the sums rnentioned correspond to those voted by the town, as shown by the record, for the year 1794, there is hardly a doubt that this school house was built in Ward Three at that time; but the singular fact about it is, that no notice is taken of the building of this school house, and no allusion to it whatever appears in the records, while details of the purchase of the other are given, down to a specification of shovel, tongs, ink-stand, etc. May 6, 1795: - Voted, "That three hundred pounds be appropriated to the support of schools." May 10, 1796: - Voted, "Three hundred pounds for the support of schools the ensuing year. At the same meeting it was voted, "That thirty pounds more be granted for the support of schools." Also," To choose a committee to join with the Selectmen to view the West End school house, and report to the town their opinion." May 29, 1796: - "That the vote that thirty ponnds rnore be added to the support of schools be reconsidered." Voted, " To recommit the West End school house petition, with the addition of one man." In March, 1797, the committee on the West End school house report, "That they have attended to the business assigned them, and find the said house in its present situation will not accommodate the youth - the committee, willing to place the inhabitants of said Ward upon a footing of equality with the rest of the town respecting the education of the youth, present the following report to the town for their acceptance - that the town direct the agents of said Ward to draw from the Treasurer the sum of one hundred dollars to be appropriated to the purpose of enlarging, repairing or erecting a school house for the accommodation of said Ward;" when this report was accepted it was with this addition, that the money should be drawn out of the tax for 1797. This was probably the school house built for the West Parish, in 1764. April 3, 1797 : - Voted, " That $1,000 be assessed for the support of schools." In March, 1799, it was voted, "To choose a school committee of one from each school Ward. Voted, "That Jacob Ingalls, Henry Oliver, Aaron Breed and Thomas Mansfield, Jun., be the school committee. The committee chosen at this meeting reported as follows; "The committee, to whom was referred the article in the Notification for town meeting respecting schools, having considered the subject, and offer the following report for the town's acceptance; That it will be expedient for the town to choose a superintending committee, to consist of one member at large from each school Ward; the duty of this committee to institute general regulation for all the schools in town; to view, with the district committee and others, each school every quarter of a year,and to make such, and any, observation and inquiries of the instructor and pupils as they shall think best. They shall report to the town at an annual meeting the amount of money expended in each school, for each year. They shall have authority to remove from office any instructor who shall want the necessary qualification. That there be chosen annually by the town, district school committees consisting of three members in each district, to present a list of nomination for said committee. It shall be the duty of each of these committees to select and contract with a suitable instructor for their several districts. They shall, with the voice of the superintending members of their districts, allot a suitable part of the instructor's time for the education of females in their several districts. They shall furnish their instructors with such particular regulation for their school as shall be deemed necessary for the good government of the same, and direct the instructor to comply on their part, and enforce a compliance on the part of each pupil, and in case of aggrievance in either part it shall be decided by the superintending committee. They shall visit their respective schools once every month in the year. They shall furnish wood for, and make all necessary repairs in their respective school houses, and present their account annually for the Selectmen for allowance. With respect to
the petition of Timothy Johnson, and others, it is the opinion of the
committee that at present it would be very inconvenient to make any
alterations in the districts of
schools. In April, of the same year, a meeting was called, "To act on the petition of twenty-one of the inhabitants of the town requesting the town to adopt any method for the better accommodation of the petitioners in regard to schools now in the town, they being sensible of many inconveniences, wish that they might share a part with the rest of their neighbors in the privilege of the schools now kept in the town." In May, 1800, a committee appointed to take into consideration the condition of the schools, reported as follows: "Ward One. - Though they have a comfortable school house, yet the accommodations are not more than sufficient for the male children that usually attend. Males and females are admitted at certain times. Ward Two. - Have a small school house, built partly at the expense of the town, and partly at their own expense. They have also had a grant of the town of $100, which now lies unappropriated. Male and female youth are indiscriminately admitted into said house. Ward Three. - Are comfortably accommodated at their own expense. Is open for both sexes. Ward Four. - Their school is open for children of both sexes at different stated periods. The house comfortable, and sufficiently commodious. The expenses of said house was $333.33, of which the town paid $133.33, and the remainder was made up by the Wards Number One and Number Four. Respecting the
petition from the inhabitants of the Second Ward, for a further grant of
money to enable them to build a new school house, after duly considering
the foregoing statement, we beg leave to offer, as our opinion, that it
cannot be reasonably expected that the town, under all circumstances,
should make any further grant to them at present for this purpose; yet, if
they, after using the money in their own power, should find themselves
unable to accommodate themselves with a comfortable school house without
being too great a burden, on due representation thereof it will be the
duty of the town to relieve them - all of which we submit to the town.
At a meeting held in March, 1802, it was voted, "That the petition for more money to be granted to the Second and Fourth Wards, and also the petition for another school in the north part of the old Parish, be referred to the same committee to report at the April meeting. This committee reported as follows: "It is the
opinion of the committee that at the present it is not expedient for the
town to establish any other Ward of schools, but they beg leave to suggest
the propriety of increasing the school grant from one thousand to thirteen
hundred, to be distributed in the same proportion as heretofore divided
among the several
Wards.
This report was accepted, and thirteen hundred dollars were appropriated for schools for 1803. For the next six years there seems to have been a dearth of school legislation. In May, 1804, it was voted, "Not to make a new school Ward, nor purchase a new school house." In March, 1805, the report of the committee was accepted to recommend the town to establish a new school Ward out of the First, Second and Third Wards already established, including all the inhabitants between the farm of John Batts and the Chelsea line. In August, 1809, the town voted, "To choose a committee for a new arrangement of schools." This committee reported in March, 1810, as follows: "Firstly. - They have taken the whole number of families in town, which they think is accurate, and find them to amount to about seven hundred families: of which there are in the west Parish, (Saugus,) including a few families eastward of the great bridge, (at Saugus river,) one hundred and twenty-five; families belonging to the Friends' school, one hundred and twenty-five; and the remaining four hundred and fifty are very nearly divided by this arrangement between the First and Fourth Wards. Therefore, in the opinion of your committee, there is an obvious necessity of establishing a new Ward, to be taken off the First and Fourth Wards. They therefore recommend to the town to establish a Sixth Ward, as follows: Beginning at the cross road between Abner Alley's and James Breed's, and running northward to include Nathaniel Alley's house, (this house was on a hill - since leveled - between the Eastern railroad bed and Union street, about half way between Exchange and Silsbee streets,) thence to run on a line to the brook between John Willis' and Robert Mansfield's, thence on the Boston road to include the Jeremiah Bulfinch estate, (this northwestern boundary was a little north of the entrance to the cemetery,) thence running a direct line to the north corner of Micajah Newhall's land at the entrance of Witt's lane, (Shepard street.) Also, to include said Witt's lane, and the families, excepting Friends on Nahant. They do also recommend to annex the families from the top of the hill by John Hawkes' to said great bridge to the South Ward in the West Parish, denominated the Fifth Ward. The First Ward to extend westward to said line on Hawkes' Hill, and eastward to the line designated for the western [limit] of said Sixth Ward; and their report was accepted." From the boundaries described in this report the new Sixth Ward embraced the western part of what is now Ward Four, nearly all of Ward Five, and a part of Ward Two. It was doubtless owing to the necessities which called for this new arrangement that also made it necessary to build the school house - already mentioned - which stood at the east end of the Common, near the junction of Franklin and North Common streets. This was for the school afterward kept by Master Oliver, as mentioned in the report for 1812. The writer was not able to find any order in the town records authorizing the building of this school house; but the committee appointed to examine the accounts of the town officers for that year include the expense of this building among the items given. The following seems to be the first school report made to the town: April 14, 1812: - "Your school committee, who were chosen to superintend the several schools in the town of Lynn, beg leave to report that they have visited all the schools in said town, except Ward Number Two, which was omitted on account of Master Swain's indisposition at the time of visiting it. Your committee found in Ward One sixty-eight present; whole number said to be one hundred and three. Ward Two not visited, for reasons before offered. Ward Three, Friends' school, number present were sixty-five; whole number ninety living in the above Ward. There is a division of males and females, and two schools kept. Ward Four, Woodend, scholars present, seventy-one; whole number of subjects one hundred; besides an extra school for misses. Ward Five - Mrs. Derby's school- found sixty scholars present; whole number, seventy. Ward Six - Master Oliver - scholars present, eighty-seven; whole number, one hundred and sixty. Your committee also visited Nahant; found nine present. Also the school at Nathan Hawkes' ; present twelve. Also, John Phillips; number fifteen subjects. All the schools visited were in good order. Your committee beg
leave to report that Ward One draws from the town $390 and $50 for the
grammar, total $440, which is $50 dollars more than any other school in
town; and as we find said school to be smaller than some others in town,
we recommend that the above allowance for Ward One be the same as that for
Wards Three, Four and Six, which is $340. We further recommend that Nathan
Hawkes, and others, draw $10, and the citizens of Nahant $10, in addition
to their present allowance. All which is respectfully submitted.
"April 9, 1813: - "Your committee, appointed
to examine into the state of all the schools in town, in order to
ascertain the number of subjects of male and female from the age of four
years to fourteen years, have attended [to] that service, and ask leave to
make the following report:
May 6, 1815: - Voted, "To see if the town will establish another school Ward, agreeable to a petition of Robert Mansfield, and others. May 15, 1815: - Voted, "That the petition of Robert Mansfield, and others, be accepted, and that John Pratt, James Gardner and Aaron Breed be a committee to act on the business to set off said Ward, and report at next meeting." This committee reported in July as follows, and their report was accepted: "The committee
appointed by the town to set off a school Ward at Gravesend, and agreeable
to a petition of Robert Mansfield, and others, report they have set off
the same, viz: Beginning at the mile stone near William Whitney's old
house,formerly John Collins', continuing on both sides of the way, or
road, to what is called the Point of Rocks, near, and north, of John
Batts' house, thence northeasterly till it comes to Danvers line, thence
on said line to Salem old road, thence by Salem old road to Bolt-hill
pasture, thence westerly, so as to include the house of Jabez Wait, and
the house of William Clarriage, to the mile stone aforesaid. Your
committee further recommend that the town grant said Ward $133.33 to
assist said Ward in erecting a suitable house for their accommodation, and
when they shall have provided themselves with said house they shall be
entitled to the above sum and their proportion of the annual grant of the
town for the support of schools. All of which we submit.
At the same meeting it was voted, "To choose a committee of seven persons to make a new arrangement of schools, and report at the next March meeting. The following were the committee : James Gardner, Aaron Breed, John Pratt, Nathan Mudge, Jr., Thompson Burrill, Eleazer C. Richardson and Joseph Fuller." They reported as follows: " The committee find, by a careful and accurate enumeration of all subjects of schools in the town, that there are between the ages of five and fourteen years a total of eight hundred and seventy-two children, exclusive of the children on Nahant, and at John Lindsay's. That of this number the -
The committee further recommend to the town to grant the sum of $1,900 for the support of schools, and six per cent. on the same for wood, and that the same be apportioned among the Wards and Districts in the following proportions, and expended for the object of the grant, to wit:
School committee report for 1816: - "The
superintending committee of schools of the town of Lynn, for 1816, having
attended to the duty assigned them through the year for which they were
chosen, ask leave to report that in visiting the several schools the
committee are happy to say that the money so liberally granted by the town
for schools has been faithfully applied to the instruction of the rising
generation ; that the schools generally appear in a state of progressive
improvement. Your committee recommend to the town to be very liberal in
their next school grant, especially as knowledge is the mainspring of all
republican government, and ignorance the greatest in despotic states.
In November, 1818, it was voted, "To accept the report of the committee recommending the appropriation of $60 for a school house on Nahant." In the same year it was voted, "To have seven members to serve on the committee at large, besides one from each Ward and District - fifteen in all." In May, 1820, it was voted, "To choose a committee to take an account of the number of subjects in each school Ward, from five to fourteen years of age, and return the same to the Selectmen within sixty days, and they to make such a distribution of the money granted for schools as they may judge most equitable and proper. James Gardner, for Ward 1; Stephen Smith, Jr., for Ward 2; John Ireson, for Ward 3; Josiah Newhall, for Ward 4; Eleazer C. Richardson, for Ward 5; William Mansfield, for Ward 6; Thompson Burrill, for Ward 7 ; Jesse Rice, for Ward 8. April, 1820: - Voted, "To accept the following report, excepting that part relating to the grammar school: " "The committee
have repeatedly visited and examined the several schools supported by the
town; they can remark, generally, that the money so liberally granted by
the town for this object has been faithfully applied in the several Wards;
but the committee, though with regret, must observe that there appears
more or less defect in almost every school in town. In some, a want of
energy in the teacher seems to retard the progress of improvement. In
some, certain contingencies not within the control of the instructors,
have operated to the prejudice of the school. In others, a great
deficiency in books, ink, quills and paper is apparent, and very
detrimental to the general progress of the scholars; a great proportion of
the children in some of the schools are wholly destitute of books, and
those which they have are so various and different the instructors are
unable to form them into proper classes. These evils' the committee
attribute to indifference in the parents, want of attention in the
immediate committees, and want of energy in the teachers. In several of
the schools the number of children is so great that the instructors have
only one minute and a fraction of a minute to devote to each scholar in
half a day. To obviate this great hindrance to improvement the committee
are decidedly of the opinion that a perpetual grammar school in town is
necessary. This, under proper instruction and good regulations, would draw
off a number of subjects from each Ward, and relieve them from the great
burden. In this school lads and young men might acquire knowledge
competent to fit them for business without the expense of sending them
abroad to academies. Such an establishment is dictated by motives of
interest, convenience and sound policy. The committee recommend to their
successors in office to call a meeting of the several Ward committees, and
agree on a uniform system of education, and a new selection of books; and
if need be, alter the territorial limits of some of the Wards, so as to
equalize the
numbers.
January, 1821 : -Voted, " That the town be districted anew, as it respects the several schools, without any regard to any particular religious society." Since 1794, as has been seen, the Friends, where ever located, constituted one Ward. This arrangement ended from this date. It was voted, "That a committee be appointed, of one person to each Ward, in addition to the Selectmen, to district the several Wards in town, and report at the next town meeting. For Ward One, John Lummus; Ward Two, Abel Houghton; Ward Three, Nathan Mudge, Jr.; Ward Four, John L. Moulton; Ward Five, James F. Lewis; Ward Six, Ebenezer Weeks; Ward Seven, John Burrill." March, 1821 : - Voted, "To dispense with the superintending school committee." The committe chosen in January reported as follows: "That the Wards be numbered in future in the following order : Ward Six to be called Ward One ; Ward Three to be called Ward Two ; Ward Five to be called Ward Three; Ward Two to be called Ward Four; Ward Four to be called Ward Five; Ward One to be called Ward Six; Ward Seven to be called Ward Seven; Nahant to be called Ward Eight. They have determined the boundaries of the Wards in the following manner, each Ward to comprise all the inhabitants living within the described limits, and beginning at the easterly part of the town and proceeding westerly in numerical order, viz: Ward One to begin at King's brook, near the beach, and running westerly as far as the southern corner of Ebenezer Burrill's field, thence northeasterly to the Salem line, thence following this line to the sea. Ward Two to begin at King's beach, as aforesaid, and running westerly to the town pump, near Charles Chase's, thence northwesterly to the gate of Friend's pasture, in Estes' lane, thence northerly to a bridge in Fresh Marsh lane, near William Canages's [Clarriage] house, thence northeasterly to the Salem line, and following this line till it meets the limits of Ward One. Ward Three to begin at the aforesaid bridge, near William Canage's house, thence running to Samuel Larrabee's, on the Salem turnpike, thence to the house of Edmond Nourse, (on the Whitmore place,) thence northerly to the Lynnfield line, and to include all the inhabitants north of the limits of Ward Two. Ward Four to begin at the town pump, near Charles Chase's, and running south as far as the easterly end of Long Beach, thence northwesterly to the bridge near Moulton and Alley's store, (at the southwest end of Broad street, near the site of the brick block facing Market street,) thence northerly to the magazine in the Rocks' pasture, (just in the rear of the present residence of Theodore Attwill, on Essex street,) thence easterly till it meets the boundaries of Ward Two. Ward Five to begin at the bridge, near Moulton and Alley's store, and including all the houses on the west of the road leading to the old wharf, and from said wharf running westerly to Kimball Ramsdell's house, thence to, and including, the house of Micajah Newhall, thence northerly to the house of Capt. [Christopher] Bubier, thence easterlv to the limits of Ward Three, and to comprise all the inhabitants living between the aforesaid described bounds and those of Wards Two, Three and Four. Ward Six to begin at the old meeting house, (on the Common,) and running south to John Mudge's wharf, thence running westerly to Chase's mills, thence following the stream northerly to the bridge at the foot of General's Hill, thence to the Downing road, thence easterly to the limits of Ward Five. Ward Seven to include all the inhabitants living- west of the bridge, at the foot of General's Hill, between the limits of Ward Six and the town of Saugus. Ward Eight. The
inhabitants of Nahant to constitute a Ward to be designated the Eighth
Ward.
These boundaries remained the same until the territory now comprising Ward One was set off from Ward Two, March 19, 1836, making another school District, known as Ward Nine. This arrangement continued until Swampscott was incorporated as a town in 1852, when Ward Nine became Ward One in place of Swampscott. The next year Nahant became a separate town, and Ward Eight was no longer known. At this time Wards Two and Three exchanged numbers, and the circle was complete as it now stands. The first printed school report published by the town appeared some fifteen years after the latest date here given; and, as appears under another head, was probably written about 1838 by the Rev. Samuel D. Robbins, pastor of the Unitarian church. For several years prior to this time the school report was published in the newspapers of the town. From this time onward these reports make known all the essential facts respecting our schools and school houses. In copying the above records the writer has
not faithfully followed the orthography that confronted him in these
time-worn documents. It was too miscellaneous. It was far more unique than
antique, and conformed to no standard known among men. It has been allowed
to stand when, by so doing, the sense was made clear; and, though an
occasional deviation from grammar has been permitted to go unchallenged,
no pains has been taken to copy obvious errors.
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