; ! "i ' M'',., -■!! i:i-' ii;i. wm'^ i III I' Cbc UnivcrsUv of Cbicaijo libraries GIFT OF CAa nc B Cmri'jJ^nj ^'t^^rm. The University of Chicago^ "••" '•"' ■ • • • • I i The Evolution of the District School System in the States of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Literature in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of Education By Grace Emily Storm Chicago June , 1917 •• • • . ••" : ! : • •••• "'III ■ ..• :,• -. • • • * * • • •• •, •••?•••• - • • • • ••• • > : •...• • • •• •• ••: ::': :. :"■ -'.W • :''. '''' :\ '':': :• .• • • I w 22 52 -5mwm- An Historical Study Concerning The ETolution of the Diatrict School .System in the states of: Massachusetts Mew Hampshire Connecticut Chapter I, Chapter II. Chapter III, Chapter IV. The Evolution of the District in Massachusetts. The Evolution of the District in Kew Hainpshire The Evolution of the District in Connecticut. Comparison and Suimnary of the Evolution of the Diatrict in the three P>t8tea. '-l'^3 Chapt. I. An Historical Study of the Evolution of the District School System in Maasachuse t ts . Brief. I. History of the Educational Legislation of Massachusetts, to 1827. 1. ?roin 1642 - 1789 a - Law of 1642 h - Law of 1647 c - Law of 1760 2, From 1789 - 1827 a - Law of 1789 b - Law of 1800 c - Law of 1817 d - l&VT of 1827 II. Srolution of the )i:3trict Systea in Ma3»ie BSOTlng oehool, aa a result of the exisanaion of popu- lation • the single school vma KOYed to the outskirts from place to place, one achoolaaster teaching all schools, as in: &. Pljnaouth "b, i/elrose c. Hanover d, Wo burn. 3, The divided school, wherehy each part of the tovm had ita own teacher, as in: a., Medford b. Jnujenburp c. t)8uaver8 d. Manchenter e. Marlboroufth . 4, "^enaa by which the early form; tiono of the district were designated. a. Angles Groton "b. ]^i visions Princeton c. Parts Haverhill 7..iinG&8ter Dudley Karlbo rough Z*eoaiinater Chelfjea d. Pari eh e. Precinct Mil ford Laaoa3t«r Tisbiiry f. {Quarters Dan vers Paine r Easton Pelhaa Ashburnlian g. Hi oka Haeton liorth Tridgevrnter h. Squadrons or squadrants fJreenfield Karlborou^Th i. Streets lately J , ?arda liaaton J, Wards (continued) Milton Dudley Leominster. 5. Districting of towns. a. Table giving names of tovms and date when they were formed into districts; while not using the term district yet were divided into parts having certain powers that belonged to the district: (1) Could draw proportion of money from town.b (2) Could superintend building or chcPse site of schoolhouse. (3) Could select teacher. (4) Could appoint committee from their own part to manage school affairs, b. Table giving list of towns and date of districting (us- ing term district), before 1768, 1789 and 1827. 6. Support of districts. a. Land b. Taxes c. Tuition fees d. Emission bills e. Fines f. Mass. 3chool H'und g. Sale of herrings. 7. Methods of Apportionment of school funds, to 1827. a. According to number of children in district. .^ "b, Aooording tu what they pay; o» Equally Ji According to Ko. of families in li strict. t \i» Accordincr to wefilth of scholurr., 7^, According to Mo, of weeks set to each town. ^t. Miacellaneoua methods, 8, Gori:ltteeB and duties of: a. f^elcctnen 1), CJeneral school conrdtteea o. Central school cocsnittees d. Inspection e. Diatrlcting f. Prudential g. "ruateeo b. Agents n History of the Educational Legislation of Llassachusetts to 1827. The first law of Massachusetts in regard to education was passed in 1642, and enjoined universal education but said 1. nothing ahout schools. The state had the right to enforce education although no money was imposed upon those who refused to 2. obey the law. The law which was the origin of the Com'Tion school system in ''Massachusetts was the famous enactiaent of 1647. This law re- quired of a certain population as corporate organizations to provide schools. In 1768 a law was passed which contained the germ of the district. The preamble stated that whereas towns and dis- tricts consisting of several precincts disposed to spend more for the instruction of youths than they were allowed by law to do and since no provision had been made for them to raise money, therefor e when the major part of the inhabitants of any precinct agreed on the building or repairing of any school house or any other charge for schools, and should agree on the sum, the assessors of the precinct were empowered to assess the same on the polls and 4. estates within the precinct. In 1789 a law was passed which sanctioned the district formation, Hy this law towns having fifty families had to have six months schooling by a school master, and towns of two hundred families had to support a grammar school master. The school 1, Records of the— errtrrniy in i.'lassachusetts J^y -tft New England 11,6-7 2, Ibid 3, r'assachusetts Charters and General Laws 1628-1779. ch, 58, 186-187. 4, Acts and Resolves of Mass, Bay IV, 1757-1768, 988. navters had to be grudualbea of soae college or university, and w«re required to produce a certificate of qualification froxo « lecumed miniater of the town or noig>>borhood, and also a oertifiCAte of moral character from a mlMiater or fron a select ■an of their own town. The laoet iraportunt pwrt was, thiit towns were authorized to divide t>»oir territory and fix the 1. lifflita of B'jhool 'lintrlotn. The taain points to he noted in the law of 1709 are: 1, CurriculuxB enlarged frow readinp; and writing to include ■''nitrllah Innjruape, arithraetlc, orthorcrnDhy, and decent behaTlor. 2, PeooRnition of the aohool diatrict. 3, Inspection of the schools for the first time. 4« 'Uonoy for the support of the schools was to be raised by taxation upon t)te poles, and ruteable est' teu of the in>)abitants. In 1800 the power to tax was Kiv*n to t>io people of the school diotrlcto, TViey were authorised to hold noetir./-;i, to ohoone a clerk, to decide upon a place for a school houne, and to raise aaaney by taxation for buyinr: lnn^ahitanto of the district to be applied l)y the cotaraittee of the district to the building or rejjairin/:; of the richoolhouse or tlie purchase of a house or build- ing or land for a achool house. This is essentially the ease as given, in the law of 1789, 2, Power of tVie inhabltsints of the district to decide on the place for a achool house, S, Power to raise nonoy for erection and repair of school houae. 4. "transfer of the power of the town to the district as to cora-'lttees - the Prudential coECjitteeaan, now having charge of the f!l strict, 3o that the diatrict could hire ita own teachera. The history o f tv.e i volution o£ the "iiatrict . The first law passed In ?.'a3oachuoett3 in regard to edu- cation required that every child in the atute ahould te educated. In 1647 a nore atrini:ent ordinance laraa paaaed in The reg'jrd to the eotablinhnent of achoola. Intereyted as they were Single School in education, the inhabitrmto of ra^iny of the towns hastened at L. Laws of the Coaaon'^ealth of ''aaa. 18 •5-1828 Vol.X . .-.557 to 561. once to coEiply with the law. Indeed, even before t'ia ;ict of the General Court of the Colony aoveral towns felt ao otroiigly the need of schools that they eotabliahed them before 1. 1647. In 1635 Boston had a school. In 1636 iijr, -^illiaia .'itherell a^jreed tn iceKp achool in 'jharlestov/n for twdve monthn at a Oiilary of 40. Hewberry hired Anthony >oraerby 3. in 1639 to keep school. These early towns -^ere without doubt, f « - xn i^un era during the first years of their aettleaenta, 7or safety fron the attacks of the Indiana they fjrouped thetaoelve.; '.xn closely together ;^.3 poaaible, lo that becr.use of the uu .iuity of numbera •n^ie and the condensed fom of the aettlenonta at first they had r>irprle School only a single school, TJiis single school we nay consider aa the first utep in the derelopnent of the iiatrict ayaten in Massa- chusetts. Kewberry had a ainijle school up to 1716. :)orche3ter had 5. 6 7 a school in 1639, and -^edhaja froia 164"i to 1717 when the in- habitants beg !,n to conoicier the difficulty of one school for all parts of the expanding town, and to debate on aoae other plan. 1, ^'/inioor . "^he "emorial '^iatory of 1 oaton. Vol. IV p. 237. 2, "'^rothintThac! - ?U story of CVarleiitown. p, 65 3, Turrier - ''istory of ITs-wberry, p. 395. 4, Currier - Victory of rewberry pp. 3 6-403. 5, Ornutt - ^'istory of ^orcTieuter p. 29 6, "^edham '•iistoric'^l Petristsr. Vol. I. B6-89. 7, Thld - Yol. Ill 91-92, 8, Ibid - ol. Ill 91-92. eptions o the chool 1. Roxbury hud a sintjle echool in 1646. I found altogether twenty- one towns whose hictorieis showed that ooon after scttleiaont they estubliched slnt^e ochoola. However, there were several inetrmcen vfher« there were exceptions to the jicneral rule of the town starting with the ainj^le school, iilton was incori orated in 1640,*and the first refer once to schools was in 1669 when iS. Tucker was chosen eohoolsaaster for the west end of town, and Thorns Voae 3. for the east end. Jiither the history is at fault, not having obtained the record of the first 8in^h part. In PlyKouth before 1699 it wr^s voted that the upper society should have the master one quarter, Kl river another, and that in the next he should be settled no farther south than 3. Jolin Oray's. Melrose shows the record of a raovin?: school from 4. 5. 1702-1744. Hanover had the Eiovin{: school from 1704 to 1750. Wobum shows a clear developraent of the sin^^le school to the novin<^ school, to the divided and hence the district. The tjraiairiar school in Wobum was orifjinally kept in one flace 1, iiawteile - History of Townoend p. 224 2, Kaoon - History of Dunstable r.l82 3. Davis - History of Myriouth Colony p. 110 4. GX-oso - History of UcItooq P. 105-188 only - the center of the town. Put at a t?eneral neeting in 1706-1707 it was agreed: "Per 13 2iuc>» as our ^'own of vo- l>urn is situT-ted very scattering and remote so that the town cannot be benefited aliVe by the schooliaanter's keepin»r the chool in the center of the town at all timeri that therefore the ochool- naster for the tirae being shall keep the school one quarter of the year in the center of the town, and t>)e ot^-er three qujirtero in three of t^^e rtnote quarters of the ''"own, accoraing to the 1. direction and appointment of the selectmen for the tine being. T>ii8 vote laid the foundation of the nioving school aysten. by it the graociar school and its instructor were taoved around into the different sections of the town. At first only three of the reraote quarters were named for the school, and it was to be kept for the sane len/^th of time in these as in the center. Put as the town extended its scttleiaents the achool seesjs to have increased In the places lceT)t in the outskirts. In 1713 a school house was built in the center, rnd evidently stopped the moving systea for six years, but in 1718-19 it t s voted that the grannaar school Blaster for the tine to cone should "Oo into the quarters of the town, A similar vote is recorded in 4 5 6 1729-9, 1737-8, and 1741-2. In 1741-2 the town appointed the 'Selectmen a cotar-iittee to provide a grararaar school master 7. and voted that he should siove into the iifferent quarters. "^e town then chose a comittee of seven "to agree a.nd determine on the several plnces the JJchoalaaster shall keep the ichool at, 1. iewall - "ist. of oburn - 228-239. 2. 3ewell - rist. of oburn - 229. 3. IVid 4. Ibid 5. Ibid 230 6. I"Hd 7. Ibid 230 in said Tom, and the tice at each place the year ensuing. ■^ia Conrlttep should report to the 'Jelectnen yho hnd the power 2. of directing the siaster to keep the terzaa of time a,greod upon. The report vrhich the comaittee frare to the electraen is very interesting and is as follows: i^at t^e school should nore: 1. To Tieut. >:^tiauel Kendall's on the 32nd day of !:iarch inot. and there "kept till Kay 9th. 2. 'Hicnce in the achool '-^n ,e in the center till July nth. 3. "^en to Kew Tridge "house of Martha Lidd'a or else- where" till Auf^st 8th. 4. *nh;ence ^n fT^e house of lieut, To^eph ^ichardoon, :^r, tin >ept amber 19th, 5. "^hence to the Precinct, at sorae place that they shall affree tpon till ^ceaber 31at. 6. •'fierce to the barter's Quarter till flrat V.onday in March next. 3. Up:ned by the Con-:ittee ^*arch 10, 1741. In the noTing school 3:/:5*;cr; of voburn fron 1707 till 1742 the plsee5 in the outnkirts had increaned frosj three to five. r>o inconvenient vnn this method of movlnp- the '5c*^ooi that one teicher, ^\^i'^5ter •'o.vler, petitioned the to-»n oitu y«;ur, I'^GC, with no success, however, to make hiis soae additional allowince besides his salriry, "In consideration of the fatigues he hath 4. had by roaaon of there beifHr so xau-ny removals of 'is achoola," 1. e^ell - f^ist. of oburn p. 23C 2. Ibid 5. Thld 4. Ibid o. 'IT^l, Hot only were there disagrreeutle features connected with the HOTing school on the part of the achoolonster, but also on the part of the inhabitanta of the quarters where the Bovinsr achool caae. There were often many renoviila during one year which resulted in the gVortneisa of the time achool was kept in eoae of t>»e quarters, and there is one instance where a section failed to have the «3chool ap:->ortioned to it for t'iirty yearo. This inaticce was in Button ;nd, a part of '^oburn where twenty-eight of whose inhabitinta petitioned the ''velectnen aV>out the year 1742, saying they had r: t had the school amox^r then for n«arly thirty year a, and asking that 1. it night be kept aaong thea that year. In 1760 "nhurn t eg;.in a new plan of rlvinr- nchooling to its citizens, '^.^t year it was voted that "tt-.ey aould al- low to each of the extreiae parts (the east, south, and west parts) - - the sua of 33 pounds, 6 shillings, and 8 pence - - to be draughted out of their ""reaaury b^ each provided they appropriate said aoney in hiring soae suitable person to keep a school for the instructior of their children before the first day of JTarch next. Votes siailar to t^-in en- ..jsjl- i in 3 4 5 6 1761, 1773, 1774, and 1775, /roa these vote:. ;e aee that the fflOTin ' nnhool >iad fiver way to the divided ochool v/h.ere the different parts oul i draw out of the Tre.ioary their proportion of aoney and hire their own teacher, instead of suUiittinK to 1. ^^ewell • rist. of oburn p. 233 2. Ibid 3. Ibid 234 4. Ibid 5. Ibid p. 234 6. Ibid. p. 254 the will of the Selectmen or ^one other connilttee as to the time and length of their school in "the moving school.* low e-ich •-irt >-''>d ita own teacher. Tbic evolution ia just an illustration of the ri0veraent3 takin^^ place in the majority of the towns of Jilassachuaetta during this period, a movement which Wiis sanctioned hy the laws of 1768 and 1789. T^ c consuiafflation of the ilistrict forrs.ition was re'ched in 1792 when a conmittee of seven was apoointed to 1. divide the town into districts. In 1794 there were nine dis- 2. trict!5. I found fifty-one towns whose early history showed the moving school gystera, I.'one, however, gcive such a distinct and well narlced evolution as "oburn, "^"he "Hie inconveniences of the -nvirii' c,f.v,ool h • v-e teen i vided -chool. mentioned - the frequent retnovals of the school m.i.nt<:r in -nany instances, resulting in the shortness of the school terra in each of t'^'f^-- "sections, the inconvf?r;lence t t.iio scJioal-n-^-ater as seen by ;.3ter .'owler's petition - all t>:cse v?ore factors that resulted in the eatablis^^ment of the divided school, where each part hud ita o?m teucher, and was but another step toward the district. Medford in 1720 org^iniaed two schools one for the we^t en 1 of the to^m, and the other for the east end, each with 3. a separate te icher. Lunenburg in 173; .a payiri?; four achool- nasters for keeping school showing that there was a divided 4. school Pit th t tine. )anvern evidently passed from the single 1. 3ew^ll - » int of '/obum p. 414 2. Ibid 3. TTn> er - "iatory of e iford 287,. 4. Records of Lunenburg 1719-1764 - p. 79. school to the divided school. In 1711 there was a vote for 1. 2. a "Scolle y.aster" In 1736 it was voted to erect four schools. 3. In 1765 a three months school wag kept in each parish, and 4. there were ten parishes or sections of Danvers. Prom about the year 1746-1770 three different schools supported in three different sections of the town, and having separate teachers 5. were employed in Wenhara. Then, the one exception to the general 6. rule the moving school w^a resorted to again. Just whether it wis due to scarcity of funds or scarcity/ of population or for what reason the history does not sts,te. Finally in 1782 7. the former system of having the three schools was resumed. Ahout 1699 the tov/n of Plymouth was having the moving school 8. operated in three parts of the town. In 1747 it was voted 9. that the town should have three permanent schools. In 1721 Lewton voted to have only one school among them hut Samuel Miller, at the westerly part of town offered a room in his house 10. for a school so the town accepted it for a moving school. In 1723 it was voted that the school be kept in three places half the time at the west quarter, a. quarter at the north, and 11. a quarter at the south, the moving school. Then in 1754 it was voted to have three schools in tovm, each three months, to 12. be standing schools. Then In 1763 the district itself 1. Fanover - History of Danvers p. 145 2. Ibid 146 3. Ibid 4. Ibid 5. Alien Ilistorv of Wenham 113 6. Ibid 114 7. Ibid 8. Davis - I^i story of Plymouth 110. 9. Ibid 113. 10. Jackson - Fist, of Keuton p. 66 11. Ibid. 12. Ibid p. 67 ■:■' .<3 1- appeared - "voted to h.ave four ilfjtricta and four schools." 2. In 1738 MHnchester wis having a novlng school. In 1759 the town was aanessed twelve pounds, to be diatriVuted to the three 3. gchool-r.i stresses in the three partn of the town. rlt,orough in 1745 had the movin/^ school system in the six squadrons, or parts of town. Fowever, in 1762 there was a vote to erect 4. 3ix new rjchool-houoeg. Ve cannot he aure th, t the places for the six school-houses corre>i- vote t^e outskirts were to bf -nrovided with their own school-master 3, for both the winter and t^^e sunMcr seasons as ^ell as V-'Q center of town. 1. .Tac'cson - 'Uat. of rewton p. 67. 2. 3amson - ^lat. of "'ancVester 207. 3. Tbid - 208. 4. Hudson - ^'iat. of ».'arlborough pp. 212-213. 5. "Ustory of Froolcline p. 70. w We have followed the development of the unit of schooling fro i the one school situated in the center of the ■ettlement^ to the moving school which was a result of the spreading out of the single school to the outskirts. Because of the inconvenience of the moving school many of the portions that had had the moving schools, increasing in population de- sired a school of their own so vre find the divided school or the sections where the districts originated . Kow these units, hefore they were Xnown as districts ,/ere desi^-^nated by various names. In many instances the names Early Forms we:>"e used merely for convenience in location, that is, the of the District . divisi 'ns were nerely geographical and did not have nny of the powers of the later districts. However, in many of these early parts can he found sone of the powers of t>ie district itself. Sometimes a part of the tovm was allowed to build its own school-houses or he subject to a committee from its niunbers instead of being subject to the Town Oommittee or the Selectmen, or it could draw its '.proportion of school money. Groton in 1758 granted twenty oounds for reading and 1. writing schools in the "several angles of the town". That the angles had con.iiittees appointed from their own sectio/is similar to the later prudential committees is shown by the following vote covering the districts in 1769" to see what allowance the to^jim will mal<:e such persons as have, or may direct the school- It house in the several angles of the town". 1. Putler - Hist, of Groton 220. l*.Ibid p. 221. ^< In 1785 TeTenty pounds was /rrsnted for the several angles and 1. It wr 8 voted to have two niore ,inf:ler?. About 1790 the term 2. district cane into use instead of an,i:le. Another n^me of the early diotriot ■f-ift "division". Princeton ir 1769, giving a list of f'.niltes in town, and as- aip-ninf them to their owv ii-itricts gpealca of then f-8 the "Middle Hvision", "Southerly ")i vision", "•Vesterlv nviaion" and "Northerly "Jivision". '^he name "parta" wan naturally nged rather cor.nonly. Ill 1723 three new Bchool-houses were ordered to be built by Haverhill, on« in the north p^rt of town, one in the north-west 4. and the other in the went part. The buildinr of school-houaea in certain parts naturally tended toward the district. Lancaster voted in 1724 th;i t fifty pounds bf! divided "each part of the town according to tho pay belonning to each part. In Dudley in 1740 the town was divided into three parts and -> 5. each p;-.rt wag to dr w itei oroDortion of thirty poun Js and use 6. it for 3c>^ooling its division. Urailarly the voters in the north-west psrt of ''p.rlborough were allowed to dr vw tv>eir pro- 7. portion of acViool money in 1748. In 1767 Leominster was divided into three parts for schooling and voted nixty-six pounds 1. Butler - ^Untory of Groton p. 2:U ?,. Ibid 3. ^^anaford - lU st . of irinceton 185-186. 4. Chaee - History of 'TaverbiiT ?.65. 5. Marvin - TTist. of f.ancaster p. 189 6. ^^jdley T. Pec. 91 7. Hudson - 'Uat. of "arlborowrh 212-213. for scTioollrif^, and three raen v^ere c>^oRen in each third part 1. of the town +" ^ijprriTitend t^-^e work. ''"13 committee appears to be similar to the early prudential comnittees. Chijsea in 1708 >iad comnittees appointed for each of tlie three uarta of 2. town. In Woburn t.hp -.r->i,,al H t^ict orifrinated in the jarish. About 1778-1787 auch queationa as the appointment of money, selection of teachers, when, where, and how long the nchools should be kept seenf ti v, ve been left to a raajori'y of the 3. inhabitants of each pari si of 'oburn. In 1792 the town waa 4. divided into districts. Precinct «■■ r- or,,, ^>pr terra used to deBif'-- + ^ f <^ o riy district. In 1756 a school-hourse w s authorised to le built in 5. the e- sterly precinct of I'ilford. Lancaster in 1757 voted 60 for free schools, and voted fn f t'-pre ^.hould >'p p p,r-imnar achool 6. in each -^recinct. In 1790 tVie free holders of '^issbury v.eld a meeting to hear the re^i^ueat of that part of "^isbury c?>lled "TToneeohole" to see whether the Towt, o^* '" sbury would pass a vote 7. that "^^omseshole" be :5et off as a precinct. It was passed that ToniBGshole" ahould become a precinct, provided it wouldy 8. support itrj oATi school-master. 1. /ilder - ^^istory of Leominster. 7."^ 2. f'hrijnberlain - Trigtory of Hhtloea II 335 3. ->ew|'ll - ^'istorv of 'oburn p. 41C 4. Ibid 5, T'caiou - Vistor- of ^ilford 2C0 6, 'larvin - "i story of Lancaster 257 7, Ti sbury Town Records 276-277 8, Ibid. / Early forms >f the iBtrict, DwiTers in 1736 voted to erect four schools la the paris>) or town and a'pointed five men fron one quarter to have charge of t>-f- erection ir tVi'»- nuarter, four in another 1. quarter, four In another and four in vnother. In 1752 i'alraer 3. and f'agton in 1754 were divided into four quartern, and in each quarter the inhahitants met together, and letennined where tyieir .school should he kept. In 1760 it ws voted th.t each quarter of 4. the town of l^aston should draw its proportion of arihool money, 5. This was done hy a person c>-MTsen ir, eacV> of thn quarters, ' ow we see the heginninf? of the irudential ;;ora .ittee Plan th-it distinguished the district formation. Pelham in 1761 allowed 6. its quarter.^ to l^uild their own school-houses. AshVuirn^?.ci 7, districts al no evolve i fron the quarters. .aston set '.aide 8. in 1768 heside t^e four quarters a center district or "rick". Forth Bridgew-nter voted to divide the precinct into four ricks for the grarwnar schools in 1784, and as stated by tbe autror 9. these riclcs were actually districts, tTt t many of these e-rly diviaions were identical with the district as to pover hao heen seen. 'Peliuxm in 1709, at a town aeetinr, anlred if there was not soxne raethod by which each "school ric'r" could huild and inaintain itn o'tn ichool-houses. ''ere we see fhe transfer of aith^rity from t t'c "ric]c"r)r ii strict 1. "ansnn - "intor/ of >.nver3 145. 2. '"enple - T^i story of t&lrner 2;. 9. 3. "haffin - T'Ustory of ^aaton 382-383. 4. Ibid 5. Ibid 6. Prlner - history of Telhain 225. 7. >terns '''istory of Ishburnham 332, 8. tJhaffin - Kiatory of Haaton p. 383. 9. "incman - "istory of Iridgewater. 10. Patenter '^istory of Pel^an 227. Several tuwna cilled tv eir early districts "squadrons" or B^ualranta, In 1774 Greenfield voted to divide the di»* triet or tuarn into/ ' ., rja i^ons* for the test aflv~nt'irc of the 1. pnVlio schools. At t>ic iu^^-^e iaeetiU(r it was v t: ■ rnat the aquadron that convened at t)ic school house in the street should "'^ draw ita proportion of money accordlnfr ♦o its achol-itrs. •**^i3 sounds very auch .:. ■ t .vc-re diatricta ::ii ce they had the power to withdraw their 3oney. In 1793 the tera district -»a:i used for the first tine, ^ros 1749 to 1790 ..,rl borough 4. called '^er early iistricto squadrons. In 179G there »ere seven a^UHdrona or iiatricts in 'fiarll^rough, and e^:!.ch aqua iron 5. had its school -hosjse. \n odd character i 2atj '>n of the early district occurs Sarly '''orsis in the history of "hately, where the term used io atreot. "^he of the Jj. Istrict^tateaent in thi3: In 17H4 the to«n raised 18 to be divided into three e'lual partFs, 6 'J^T-^ *» c street. ''he " -i' ?>i'it three aen irere chosen to ap^^ortioy. the mojitiy tells ua tl.ci.t these »treet3 stood for three scctiouB of towi, and were really di'^trt rtss , t.ckin' t.h- nirio of s^rc^rf. r.ra'^ ;tlv Tr^r. V^b rlaces ■tf-ere the school houstsa vare Ij&ited, iiiistow, rtlio]; had been using "school ricks" to leainnate its school districts, ia 1779 1, "^^-^orapaon - ''iatory of ireenfield '-ol 1.584 2. I'tid 3. I"bid 586 4, ^udBon - "iatory of .larltorough Iil3-217, 5. Ibid n7. 6, "^em^le - *'i story of Vb tely \.130 I changed the name to vrards. In 1785 I.lilton was divided into 9 four districts or v/ards and i)udley in 1788 voted to see if the town would divide the school wards and ra;ake three wards 3. or districts. Leoninnter never used any other terra tut "wards". In 1791 a cornriittee reoorted that the town should 4. be divided into seven districts to be c;.illed wards. Down 5. to 1820 the word district was never used. These v^ards v/ere not formed specifically as was necessary in legally . constituted school district but merely bv designating the persons v/ho should 6. send their children here or there. In 1822 a vote was 7. passed that the town shoulri not be divided according to law. 8. '^hrourh the year 1824 the terr.i wards was used. ■^he la,w of 1768 gave its sanction to the district formation. Fowever formation into districts had begun as earily 9. as 1714. As has been di^^-cussed the separation into units that had certain powers of the districts, although they were given other ripjrr.es , occurred in many of the towns. Following is a list of V'e towns tha.t divided for school purposes, the nrjnes of, the units, and the dete of t-eir division. In every case they were marked by some distinguishing feature of the district as : 1. Privilege of building school-houses. 2. Privilege of dra.wing their proportion of --loney, 3. Comnittee from one part either to select school- master, determine place of school-house or to draw that part's proportioi:. of money. 4. In s-ime cases the division so named v/as called a I 1. Chaff in '"ist. of Easton 584. 2. "'eele ^^ist. of ^-iTton 221. 5. Dudley Tovm Records 298. •jrj T ,j -. -.-, TT-; ,-.+ 17/1 t ( t district - i. e. "divided into three precincts or districts". Twelve of t>ieae formations were raade Lefore the law of 1768; twenty before the la-, of 1789 ani the whole twenty- four before the law of 1827. Town Date JTo, Districts. Reference Abbot H. of Andover 519 Hist, of }*rookline 65 Chase H, of Haverhill 265 ^Tanson n.of ^> nvers 145 Diidley T, Rec. 91 Dux. Teacher Pec. 210 Allen-F. of \'erihan 113 ^ Parker-The Town of Arling.21 Hudson-Hist of Liarlborou^h 212 Ballou-iTist. of Milford 2o0 Ten}-,jle-HiBt. of i'alnier 2G9 Chtaf fin-Wist, of Ifiaston 383 Parnenter-niat. of Pelhain 225 T'ud^^on-'^'ist. of ?'arlborou{!;h 212 Kraerson-'r'iat.of :)ouglaB 89 'Tilder-Mist. of Leominster 73 I«utler-f'i3t.of Groton 220 Hanaford-Hist.of Princeton 184 Thompson-^ist.of Greenfield I 589 Dwell'y and :li:n::ono.t4>ff^H-^—.^v\,'^*^.M Sew^l-TTist.of 'Voburn 410 T.fa;pWin-Hist.of Lancaster 349 Sawtelle-'Tist.of '"ownsend 220 Teraple-Tfist. of Vhateley 130 ^''inf^.an-'^iat.of !, Bridge water •^elle-^Hist.of Vilton 321 Ht^an-Fist.of -'eatford 311 Fitchburg Te^^^^Siexs Pec. 19 Vudaon-Wist^of "arlborough 217 Tisbury TeSaY. Rec. 276-277. Following is a table a'^owing a list of t>i irty-ei.^ht towns, and the date of their formation into districts using the word* district." Out of t>.e t^; irty-eight , seven districted before Andover 1714 "Precincts" Brookline 1716 3 'recincts "averhill 1723 3 parts "ir^nvers 1736 4 quarters udley 1740 5 parts Hixbury 1741 4 parts or quarters ..•enham 1746 3 :?ecti ons Arlin?^ton 1746 Precincts Karlborourh 1749 Squadrons Kllford 1750 Precincts Palmer 1752 4 quarters .3 ton 1754 4 quarters rftlham 1761 quarters Marlborough 1762 6 squadrons oup:las 1764 5 squadrons eoninoter 1767 3 parts roton 1769 Ari;?les T-inceton 1769 6 squadrons reenfield 1770 4 parts [an over 1772 4 qu-nrters Ifoburn 1778 Parishes ■•xncaster 1782 3quadrpns iwnsend 1783 7 squadrons >iateley 1784 .streets .Pridpewnter 1784 4 ricks i Iton 1785 4 wards ='3trord 1788 6 squadrons itch burg 1789 .Quarters 'arlboroufTh 1790 7 squadrons 'isbury 1790 Precincts 6. i/ilder 'fist, of Leominster 74. 7. Ibid 8. Ibid 9. Abbot - Fistory of Andover 519. tVie law of 1768, fov.rteen "before the law of 1789, and thirty. seven "before the law of 1827. We must remerater , however, that many had had the a.ctual district before the dates given although not named as districts. Town Worcester Duxl'ury A"birgton Palhain I'ewton Lanca.ster Dsrver Doug la. a Dunstable Ashburnharn Lee Grafton Ashburnharn PTairfield Lancaster I-alden Palmer Fitchburg Groton Faverhill "larshf ield Kewton Tisbury Ivewbury Dorchester \7oburn Greenfield Andover SprinF;f ield Easthar.pton Easton 'ATiately Ashburnhsm Hadley Korthampton Hanover Danvers De dharn be :;'ore Date L'o.of Districts, 1731 5 1735 4 1755 5 1756 5 1763 4 1764 1766 4 1774 6 1774 7 1780 10 1784 4 1785 1786 9 1788 3 1789 3 1789 1789 9 1790 7 1790 13 1791 4 1791 a 1791 6 1791 4 1792 1792 4 1792 9 1793 5 1795 12 1795 9 1797 1800 11 ISOO 1801 9 1803 3 1807 4 1808 7 1809 10 1838 11 Reference. Wall-TTist.of Worcester 170 Winsor-Fi St. of Duxbury 73 Hobart-Hist.of Abington 25 Parrnenter-Hist.of Pelhan 225 Sr.uth-Hist.of Hewton 247 :.'.arvin-Hist .of Lancaster 268 Smith-Hist.of Dover 208 Emerson-Hist. of Douglas 88 i:ason-Hist.of Dunstable 116 Stearns-Hist .of Ashburnharn 333 Records of 'the town of Lee 253 Pierce-'^ist.of Grafton 33 Stearns '^-'^ist.of Ashburnharn 333 Dyer-Hi St. of Plainfield 42 r'.arvin-"^"'ist.ofLancaster 350 Corey-"^fist.of :':alden 631 Temple-Hist.of Palmer 290 Fitchburg Town Rec.II ,42 Butler Hist, of Groton 222 Chase "ist. of Haverhill 457 RicV;ards-"f"'"ist . of riarshfield lo4 Jackson-Hist . of Kewton 246 Tisburv Town Pec. 285 Currie|^-"!!ist.of llewbury 406 Orcutt-"ist.of Dorchester 309 Gewall-Hist.of \7oburn 413 Thonpson-Hist.of Greenfield"! 58 Abbot-Hist. of Andover 113 Green-Hist. of Springfield 349 Lytian-Hist .of Easthannton 73 Chaf Tin-Hi St of Ea&ton 384 of Whately 132 of Ashburnha.m 333 Hadley 413 of rorthampton 180 Jimraon'tl^tr^'^-"^" Teraple-Hist. Stdjns Hist. Judd-?Iist. of Hist Dwelly and Danvers Hanson-Fist. of Ilann-Anr'als of De dharn 146 61 I found from ny examination of the llassachusetts Town Histories, and Records, seven sources of support by which the district schools were maintained. The two most general methods of support were l8.nds and taxes. ;iv.o': upport, A proviso usually included in fhe incorporation 1 Act of many tovms was th-"^^' t a lot of so many acres in some suit- al.ile place, be laid out for '-.'be school. The aitji ohviously was the encouragement of education. "^he school lot w.s sometiTiies leased to a citizen wh < would cultivcte it and pay the annual rent. O'^er times the land was sold an-l the interetrt of the proceeds used for nchools, i"he interest from the school lands in v/hatever way obtained was one avenue by which the school got money to sup ort itself. Sometiraes the school lot was included wit}t the ministry lot. Arlington had a grant of •'a quarter of an acre of land" in 1637 which was a part of the ministry lot. Dorchester in 1639 ordered th-t there should be a rent of 20 lb. yearly forever imposed upon Thompson's Island to be used toward the maintenance of a school. In nineteen other tonns I found school lands one source of support. In the majority of the cases, no definite statement was made that the proceeds of these lands 77ent to the iistrict, but the assumption is th ■ t this was generally true. lUlford at its incorporation, was entitled to its proportion of Mendon School money, whicVi was derived from the sale of coa-.ori lat)d^5 and was divided among the districts 2. according to t>^a valuation of taxable estates. Following is a list of towns whose schools lerived part of their surrport from taxes. 1. ParV:er. The "^own of \rlington p. 250 2. Fallou Hist, of Iiilford, 209. Town Reference H Ashburnhara Beverly Brookline Cambri dge Clinton Cohasaet Concord Chelsea Charlestown Ded}iara Eaton <^unenburg Marlboroup:h Manc>i ester Katick Newbury Northfield Plymouth Princeton Rehoboth Tisbury Water town Worcester Donations 3te5"ns-Hist . of Ashburnham 344. Stone-Tfist. of Beverly 113 Hist, of Prookline-Pub. by Prookline Press Co 65 Paige-Hi St. of Ccirabridge 367 Ford-Hist. of Clinton 87 Eiplow-Hist. of Cohasset 198 Shattuck-Hist. of C ncord 220 Ghaniberlain-Hist . of Chelsea II, 337 "Prothingharn-Hist. of Charle 3town-115-116 Dedham Town Kec II 103, 135, IV 18, 32, 72,140 Reading-Hist. of Katon 244 Sunenburg Tovm Pec. (1719-1764) 86,113,135-6 Hudson-Hist. of iV:arlborou(h 212 Jfiamson-Hist. of Ivanchester 207 Bacon-History of iJatick 128 Currier-Fist, of I'ewbury 397 Temple and 3heldon - Hist, of Korthfield 353 Plynouth Town Pec. 11,1, 13, 33, 38, 50 Hanaford - Hist, of Princeton 187 ■Hliss - Hist, of Rehoboth 160 Tisbiiry Town Pec. 300, 318 V/atertown Town Pec. IV 98 Worcester Society of Antiquity 43, 49, 62, 79, 86. Newton in 1702 received half an acre of land from Lir. Hyde for the benefit of a school in the southern part of 1. town, and in 1726 four rods of lands for a schO'-l-house. At a meeting in Newbury in 1779 the unanimous thanks of the town were given to Samuel Lloody Usq. for his generous donation of 100 lb. 2. at this time and 20 lb. some time past for the grammar school. 3. 4. Instances of donations in otTier towns were Medford, Dedham, 5. 6. Townsend and Marlborough. Two towns paid their school-me.sters in enission bills. 3. 4. These were Lunenburg in 1749 and Cambridge in 1781. Korthfield 5. got part of its sup ort from "Province bills of credif'in 1737. 1. Smith-Hi St. of IJewton 240'i242. 2.CurrieV-"ist. of I'ewbury 406 3. Tosher, f'ist. of ' edford 285 4.'^ann, Annals of Dedham 94-96 5.!lay»telle, ^ist. of '''ownsend 229 A part of these Province billa of credit loaned to individuals 1. in 1728, was called in, and applied to pay for the ""chool-house. Plymouth made use of fines to help defray the expenses of her schools. In 1705 it was voted that "any swine that should run on the connons or at liberty irstead of being kept in inclusures belonging to their owners" should be sold and the proceeds should go, one-half toward the naintainence of the schools kept in town, and the other half to the person or persons who 2. should find the same.. In 1802 the proceeds of the sale of herrings in the "Town Brook" were applied to the support of the schools. In 1834 the !Aassachusetts School Fund was established, created partly from the sale of public lands in 'faine, and Mass. partly frorn the paynent of military claims on the U. 3. for School ^ ^ . "Fund Massachusetts services. A great portion of the income of this fund has been annually distributed among the cities and towns of Massach\jsetts in the ratio of the number of their children from five to fifteen years of age. The author of iUlford says that she drew her proportion of the income from year to 4. year since it was established. I found sixteen methods of ap.iortioning all forms of income up to the period of 1827 which marks the culmination of the district. Of these the two mo*^con;::on were : according to the number of c'^ ildren.and according: to the tax paid. 1. Hudson, Hist, of L'arlborough 214. 2. Plymouth '^own Rec. 333-4. 3. Davis - Hist, of Plymouth 115. 4. Ballou - Hist, of "ilford 210. Town Brookline Greenfield Lee Marshfield Tisbury Northfield Dedhain Groton Weston Rehoboth Whately Cambridge Gloucenter alden Medford Douglas lover I Kewton Lancaster Plymouth jiBraintree e dway 'Pelham Soncord Concorc Wpturn I. Date 1747 1774 1791 1791 1792 1794 1799 1805 1807 1812 1827 1829 1845 1845 According to the number of children in districts Reference. 1720 1724 1735 1740 1769 1770 1774 1776 Lee Fitchburg Anesbur» 1784 1791 1796 ilford iSOO everly 1825 V.O. of children I* I* It 40 lb. among children 4-14 According to Ages 4-16 5-16 Hist. of Brookline 67 Thompson Hist. of Greenfield. Rec.of Lee 253 Richards Hist, of Liar. I. 154 Tisbury Town Rec.286 Temple &. Sheldon^ Korth- field 342 :;ann Annals of £)edham39 According to Eo.of children Putler T^ist.of Groton223 " " " " " Weston Town Rec.48,56 Children under 21 yrs. Eliss Hist. of Rehoboth]67 According to ITo.of children Temple '^st. of Whately 131 " to no. of children 3-17jri:Paige -Cambridge 377. " " " " persons betweenRep. of I/iass.Ld.of Ed. 81 4-21 According to Wo. of scholars Ibid 82 Sometimes according to no. Usher Hist, of Lied. 283 of children. According to lo . of children Emerson Hist. of Douglas 297. Sometimes according to no; Smith Hist. of Dover 209 of children. 1 1 , Acc ordi n p; to what they pay . \fha.t they pay of ochool Tax Ace. to vrhat they pay Ace. to v/hat they pay of school tax Ace. to what they pay of school tax Ace. to valuation of tax Ace. as school rate is divided Ace. to vrhat they pay .\cc. to what they pay Ace. to rateable estate Ace. to v/hat they pay Ace. to whRt they pay of School Ace. to what they pay of School Tax Ace. to no. of ratea.ble polls Smith-'S'ist.of Kewton 242 Ivlarvin H.of Lancaster 189 Plymouth Rec.II 311 Braintree Town P.ec,235 Jameson H<^ Lie dway 150 Prescott<-Felham 226 Shattuclc ■■ist.of Concord 221 Sewoil 3. -''ist.of I/O burn 413. Rec. of Lee 254 li'itchburg T.Rec. II 66 Ballou T'-ist.of Llilford 209 Beverly 113. Leekonk ■.bington Ashburnham edford .ledford Dover Ace. to lo. of rateable polls Eliss-Rehoboth 194 and estates Sometimes ace. to v/hat they pay Sometimes aco. to what they pay Ace. to ITo. of taxable polls Ace. to tpxes paid Fobart-Hist.of Abington 26. Sterns Hist, of Ashb.346 Usher-IIedford 283 Smith -Hi St. of Dedliani 209 III. Lvoney divided equally among districts. Ibington 1775 Equally ilford 1800 II eston 1805 It jancaster after 1837 ti fenham II forces ter It jincoln 1845 II lately some years later It robart-"ist. of Abington 26 Ballou-Hist. of Llilford 209 l7eston "^ eao^r -s Rec. 23 Marvin - Fist, of Lancaster 440 Allen - Hist, of v/enham 114 Worcester, Soc. of Antiq. II 14 Eighth Ann. Rep. of v.ass. Id. of Ed. 82 Temple - Hist, of 'ATiately 131. 'ittsfield indover !ambri dge uShburnham ■)over lymoutii IV. According to IJumber of Families in Districts. 1800 1802 Smith Hist, of Pittsfield 136. Abbot Hist, of Andover 113. Paige-Hi St. of Cambridge. V. According to wealth of Scholars. Sometimes It Stearns Hist, of Ashburnham 346 Smith Hist, of Dover 209 Plymouth Rec. II 310. elsea VI . According to lio . of wee;:3 set to each tova i . 1780 Chamberlain Hist, of Chelsea II 334, over VII. After deducting th e_ monkey p ai d for the chi.l'-Iren who attended other schools the center district was to have 3/7 and the east and west districts 4/7 of the money remaining. 1818 Smith - Hist, of Dover 209. bington Greenfield VIII. One half equally and the other half according to the no. o7" scholars, Hobart i'ist. of Abington p. 226. IX, TwQ.thirda on the ncholarr,, other third on districts accordinej to what they pay; 1794 Thoapson f'ist. of Greenfield I. 586. X, Qne«half on e a tale:,, one-half on acholara . reenfield 1800 "^Vonpson - ''^ist. of ''re^infield I 586. D«#i«in Greenfield lilford • f^atick XI, Kach district to receive 1/2 of \That t>Miy pay for use of school, and the otVier half upon number of scholaro. ''ann. Annals of :3edhain 42. ^•f I* Qne-half equally to districts other 1/2 pro rata to fscholars, 1814 (*r.350 to be divided) Thompson ^^ist. Greenfield II 588 1835 Ballou ^iat. of Mil ford 209. XI II . S40 to each district and the reaainder divided among districts a-ccordinc to no. of scholars, 1 aeon - Hist, of -atick 129. XIV, $1000 voted for nchool purpooes 1/2 on the gcholar 1/2 on the valuation, and "300 to be divided on scholar, and 1:200 to be left with the general cora-.ittee as they saw fit, reenfield 1851 Thompson - Hint, of Greenfield II 590. XV. $2000 to be divided on ^scliolar as 'retween villa, e and the outdistricta, and that the por- tion roinf to the out dit^tricts be divided equally anions them, 'reenfield 1857 Thompson - Mist, of Greenfield II 590, nrceater XVI. VroTTi the whole tax in deducted the anount desi.ipied for the gran ar nchool; as an eiui valent for the Hchool beinp kept within the center, the other districts to receive *250 equally divided the residue of the whole aun is then proportioned according to the tninors. 1836 Lincoln - lUst. of /orcenter 300. '^e aelectinen were the e-irlier-.t school cora littee. School During the earlier years of the town they performed various •■"omnittee duties that afterward were deleg ted to special committees. ■ Some of tVte powers of t>ie selectmen were as follows: 1 1. To regulate schools. 2 2. To divide town into quarters. 3 3. To provide schools. 4 4. To assess districts for expense of school. 5 5. To apportion school money. 6 6. '"o regulate the squadrons. 7. "ave charge of donation of money and see th. t 7 interest was annually expended. 8 8. To choose teachers. 9. "^0 certificate school teachers. 10. 9. 10, To provide place to 'ceep schools in. 10. 11, To appoint a place for erectioi of school-house. 11. 12, To examine into state of school-house, 13, To answer town's presentment for not having a 12, school, 13, 14, To repair school-house. 14. 15, To visit schools with com ittee chosen in each ward, 15. 16, '''o superintend schools. l.Praintree Town T?ec. 202. 2.Dwelly and Simmons Hist, of T^anover 120. 3. Chase" - "^^ist. of Haverhill 457. 4. Ibid 5.Putler Hist, of ('roton 221. e.Ihld. 7.^Tudson - 'list, of i'arl borough 214, hoate - Wist, of Essex 174, 9. Lunenburg '^own Hec. (1719-1764) 112. lO.Choate - Hist, of Sssex 111. 11. Weston Town ?ec. 119. 12, Corey - ''Ust. of ^'alden. 13, Vatertown Records I 127. ^A^ §5^^" In the histories of these Massachusetts towns we (General read of ^^eneral school Comittees appointed for various duties, School omr.ittees .and consisting of anywhere from one to eleven or twelve members. li'oll owing is a list of the duties of ther.e school Committees. 1 1. To provide school -masters. 2. To superintend t}ie "building and finishing of 2 school-houses. 3 3. To define the limits of school duties. 4 4. To determine t>ie places of a school. 5. To draw plans and estimate the coat of a school 5 building. 6 6. To provide v/ood. 7 7. To settle a school-house in each quarter. 8 8. To plot a place in each district to build school. 9. To cal to account the several school districts as 9 to the spending of money. 10 10. '^0 visit schools. 11 11. To manage schools, 12. 12, '''o apportion money. 13. 13, To affix tVie lines of squadrons. 1, Paige - Hist, of Oambridf;e 375. 2. 'ord - Hist, of Clinton 184. S.merson - Hist, of JoUfjlas 298, 4.0^03 s - Hist, of ''elrose 186. 5. Ibid 189. 6. Jameson - lUst. of . edway 149. 7,'f'emple - TTist. of Palmer. >« 8,IVid 9."arvin - Hist, of Lancaster 374. 10. Ibid 373. ll.P.-rmenter - Wist, of Pelhara 226. 12.''arvin - Hist, of Lancaster 353. 13,^^cfenan - Tlist. of V'estf ord .311. The law of 18J27 obligated eac>i town to choose a fiehool committee whose dutie3 are discuaned in page of tve first part of tbis thesis. In 1829 Cambridge ap- pointed such a coca, ittee to report the amount of valiation, the ni.ir.iber of c' ildren let^^een the ares of 3-17 y ars, and 1. the dxiration of the nchooln ii. each of tbe five districts. Sometiinea this coia-nittee vris called the "neneral School 2 3 Com it tee" and as ^uch was appointed in T'isTury ^.reenfield 4 and ^anover . Tip to 1827 there had been no com 1 ttees re- nuired by la^^ to be chosen by the towns, to take charf^e or o ye rr3i ??■'■->■• '•><' +^"' schools. *i-ierc '■'^t to-wris were districted the inhabitants of the district elected a com-dttee, who in many cases felt their duty performed w>ien they had employed a teacher and furnished fuel for ^'^'^ '"-hool. "^he examination of the teacher and of the schoolo whs usually assigned to the minister and selectmen, "^he act of 1827 created an in- spection com ittet 'in 1 ;' ve thon thp r rtovf^') nnrervi sj on of 5 the schools. :';one of thr. towns however, 'ad inopection com- nitteer. before the law of 1827. Cambridge had an inspection 6 com»r,ittee of five in 1744 in 1770 a committee of nine to in- 7 spect the school-master and regulate schools. Haverhill in 17fi9 voted to choose a com ;ittee to inspect the school-master 1. Paige - Tfist. of Cambridge 376-:>77. 2. Tisbury '^ovm T>ec. 454. 3. ''^ompson ^"^ist. of Greenfield I. 5' 9, 4. r>weny and 3irinon Hist, of Hanover 121, 5. Currier "ist. of Kewbury 414. 6. Pr.ire ''ist. of Cn.-nl ri U-e :W5. 7. nid. that was to consist of the "settled clergymen", the selectmen 1 and five others. The Com .ittee was to visit the schools 2 quarterly and make a report to the town. This was the first "school com ittee" and seemed to he so successful that the next year it was desired hy the inhabitants "to recommend such rules and regulations in the schools a-? they shall thir,k prober? Lancaster had an inspection committee in 1793 consisting of four 4 men. In 1791 Araeshury chose a com ittee of ei,'^>it to inspect 5 and regulate the schools. In 1799 an article was placed in the town warrant of '"edway to see if the town would choose a 6 com: 'ittee to inspect the schools, but it v?as dismissed. 7 However in 1804 a committee was C'iosen for this purpose. 8 9 Marlhorough had such a corar.ittee in 1803. Ahington in 1807, In 1814 'T'ownsend choose ten men, a com:nittee of Inspection to inspect the several schools in to^m. TViig committee was com- posed of one lawyer, three justices of peace, and the town's 10. minister. The districtinp- committee held quite an important pT ace in the ^istory of the district. As the towns began to Istrict- ig Com- feel the advisibility of dividing into districts, they appointed Ittee. com^iittees to take this in charge. In 1784 a districting 1. Chase - Hist, of Hnverhill 441. 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. 4. "arvin - Hist, of Lancaster 354. 5. "lerrill - Hist, of Arfieahnry 306. 6. Janeson - Hist, of yedway IbO. 7. Ibid. 8. Hudson - Hist, of ularlborouf^h 217-218. 9. T^obart - ^'ist. of Abinrton p. 27. lO.Sawtelle - Hist, of Milford 189-190. 3 Ib Eaaton in 1768 ench quarter of the taurn raa to draw ita proportion of school Money to "be done by a peraor chosen in 1 each of the four quarters of town. This was the beginning of the prudential con 11: tee yl n. In 1811 after tne town had been di/ided into diatricta one nan was choaen from each 2 district. irinceton showa pretty clearly the beginning of the prudential corariittee. In 1771 the town Wi^a divided into 3quadroK3, and it waa yoted th :t each a uiadroii hare dent inl liberty to build their ornm school-hounea. Again th it same OOT ittee yerr i' s- voted that a conLsittee of t.To be ch jsen for each, aquadron to superintend the building of the school houae in 4 thT-t aquadron. Here just as in the evolution of the district, the prudential cor'irrd tt.ee c^tne into existence before the law wr;8 passed rejuirinf- it., »o that the la>:» of 1827 wv.« merely a requirement of n practice that had been os>erf;i.ng for thirty to fifty ye?;r9. "^^ <= prudenti;il affa-ira of the district, in- cluding the employment of the teac'^^'er^ were conducted by the 5 selectmen in Ashburnham in 1778, At thia tioe the town 6 ch r.e a '>riidentij'-l n,-;-! ittee f-'»' each -li^tr-iot. vitchburg liad a prudential comdttee in 1791 o.f ievon. aexi ao there rauat have 7 been seven districts. tn 1792 it had six men aa a prudential 8 com'.;! t tee. ard in lo94 never; .-..a-.-in to see "their nroTjortion of 1. Chaff in - Hist, of Maaton 3B3, 2. Ibid 3R4. 3. "anaford '-iHtorv jf irinceton 180. 4. Ibid 5. " 'S- ^Tiatory of ' 347, f>, as- *U3t. of ' 47. 7. vitchburg '"own T^ec, II 59 8, Ibid BB-89. 1 money schooled out" The first prudential comrdttee in ¥/o"burn W3,s in 1794 when a comraittee of niae one for each district v/as appointed to view the school-houses and estimate 2 the expense of repairing them. Each member of the committee was to superintend the erection or repair of the school houses in his own district to see thatthe work was completed and that a deed to the town of the l8,nd on which each school house 3 stood should he obtained. Clinton chose a orudential com- 4 mittee from 1800 on. From 1823 Greenfield chose a prudential 5 6 7 8 committee - Arlington - Tisbury and Hanover did not have prudential committees until 1827. Trustees were chosen in Lrookline and Pelham. In Brookline they were elected in 1723, and a^jparently were an 9. early form of the prudential com:.iittee. Pelham in 1797 voted 10.. to choose a trustee in each quarter of the town. The duty of each trustee was to receive all or any part of the tax and pay 11. out what was necessary for labor and material for school-house. Duxbury appointed three agents in 1737 to choose a school-ma.ster 12 13 for the town and again in 17 4''' for the same purpose. That the agents were svnonomous with the districting comr;uttee is shown 14. by Lee choosing five men as agents to district the town in 1784. 1. ?itchburg Town Rec. II 59. 2. Sewell -'Hist, of V/oburn 415. 3. Ibid. 4. Ford - Fist, of Clinton 187, 5. T^'ompson - Greenfield 589. 6. Parlcer - Arlington 254. 7. Tisbury Town Rec. 454. 8. Dwelly and Simmons, Hist, of Hanover p. 121. 9. Dedham Hist. Register 1-2 87. 10. Parmenter Hist, of Pelham 228. 11. Ibid. 12. Duxbury Town Pec. 253. 13. Ibid 277 14. Hist, of Lee 252. Bibliography of Works Congulted, I Primary Sources 1, Acta and T^esolvea 2, Town T^ecords, II. Secondary Sources 1, Town ^^istoriea III. Miscellaneous. Bibliography. Primary 5ource». I* Acts and Resolves. 1. Act 3 ;md T^esolves of the I'rovince of /aasftchusetts I^ay. Vol XI, 1726-173:5. 2. Pecords of the Colony of Uasa. i^y in Kew En<7land. Vol. II, 164'>-1P.49. r.dited by li. iv^rtleff. Poaton 1853. 3. The Charters and General Laws of the Colony and Province of l^ass. Bay. Carefully Collected from the Public Hecords an.-i ^noiftnt. >i. r.t.r>^l ^ooVn, l.r, '^,-177?). Boston 1814. 4. Acts and .{eaolTen of ' ;-i.33. 1738-1799. Published by the ."Secretary of the Corronwealth, under authority of Ch. 104. T^esolveg 1889. Vor%tov 1897. 5. Laws of trie i^ooiuonweulth of ass, .ay 1815 to "'eb, 1816. Vol. /.(I ?o3ton 1815. 6. Law3 of the Connor. wealth of ?.'aaH. .Jay 1835 - -'ar. 182b. ol. X. r.03toK 1828. 7. Acts and Laws of the Comonwe tilth of Fass. 1788-1789. }-;o8ton 1894. II. Town 7-;e cords, 1, tecorda of the Town of "nr-lntree. 1640 to 1793. '.iiridolr-h, ass. 1886. 2, Town Records of '"hidley, !iass. 17:!:?-1754. PaTytucVret, ^. I. 1893. 3, Copy of ti:e uld Heoor Jn of the Town cjf Juxbury, ass. 164?-1770. flyrcouth, 1893. L. 4. The Old Records of the Town of ^itchburf% Vol. II, 1789-1796. fitchhuTR, 1899. Vol. IV, 1796-1809. ntchburfT, 1901. 5. •■ecords of the Town of Lee, from its Incorporation to A. D. 1801. T,ee, 1900, 6. The larly Records of the Town of Lunenturg. 1719-1764. Pitchhurg, 1896. The Proprietor/3 Kecorda of the To^ of Lunenburg, 1729-1833. ^^ItchburK, 18 J7. 7. 'Records of t>ie f'o'jyin of Hlynouth. Vol. T, 1636-1705. Plyaouth, 1889. Vol. II. 17< 5-1743. Plyraouth, 1892. 8. Harly Pecorda of the ^ovn of Hovrley. 1639-1672. Powley, 1094. 9. ^ecor'la of f.he Town of Tigbury. 166^-1864. "Poston, 1903, 10. ''atertown ^^ecordn. CorrjTjrisinf- the f?ir~t and lecond BoolcB of the "otvr: yrocjpeUn^a. 1634-1742. /atertown 1894. 11. Kecorda of the Town of /enton. 1604-18:;^6. Poaton, 1894. Secondary Sources. I. Tovm Histories. 1. Hol)art, Hist, of Abington, I^rom its First Settlement. Boston 1866. 1/ 2. .. erril, Hist, of AmesToury and r.erriraac. 1637-1880. Haverhill, 1860. •^3. Atbot, Hist, of Andover, From its Settlement to 1829. Andover, 1829. ♦'4. Eailey, ^^ist. of Andover. Boston, 1880. 5. Parker, the Town of Arlington, Past and Present. 1637-1907. Arlington, 1907. •^6. Stearns, ^"ist. of Ashhurnham. 17 34-1886. Ashburnhara, 1887. 7. Stone, Hist, of Beverly. 1630-1842. Boston, 1843. 8. Earner, i^m Historical Vemoir of Billerica. Prom its Pirst Settlement to 1816. .toherst, 1..H. 1816. 9. Hazen, Hist, of Billerica. Boston, 1883. 10. Windsor - The llemorial T^i story of Boston. 1630-1880. Vol. II. Boston 1881. ll.Ewell, '"he Story of Byefield. Boston, 1904. 12. A ■^istor;- of Brookline, I^ass. 1630-1906. Published by the Brookline Press Company. Brookline 1906. Jl3.Pai^;e, '''ist. of Cambridge. 1630-1877, Boston, Hew York, Cambridge, 1877. 14. Chamberlain, A 'Docunentary i^ist. of Chelsea. Vol. II. 1624-1824. Boston, 1908. I 15. Frothingham, Hist, of Charlestown. Boston, 1845. 16. 7ord, Hist, of the Origin of the Tovm of Clinton. 1653-1865. Clinton, 1896. ^ 17. Bigelow, A llarrative History of the town of Gohasset. Boston, 1898. 18. Hudson, The Hist, of Concord Vol. I. Colonial Period. Concord, 1904. v/ig, Shattuck, The Hist, of Concord. ?rom its Earliest Settlement to 1832. Boston and Concord, 1835. 20. Hanson, The Hist, of the Tovm of Danvers, Fron Its Earliest Settlenient to 1848. Danver^ 1848. 21. Mann, Historical Annals of DedJiam. From its Settlenent in 1655 to 1847. Dedham, 1847. ^22. Orcutt, Good Old Dorchester, A iTarrative History of the Town. 1630-1893. Cambridge 1893. ^ 23. Smith, A History of Dover. Dover, 1897. 24. Smerson, ''r^istory of the Town of Douglas. From Its Earliest Period to the close of 1878. Boston, 1879. 25. Fox, The History of the Old Township of Dunstahle. Nashua, 1846. \l 26. ITason, Hist, of Dunstahle, From the Settlement to 1873. Boston, 1877. \^7. Winsor, Hist, of Duxhury. Boston, 1849. 28. Lyras^n, ^list. of Easthampton. I^forthampton, 1866. J 29. Chaff in, '^^ist. of Easton. 1634-1868. Essex, 1868. 30. Tenner, Hist, of i^all River. ?all River 1911. 31. Pringle, The Hist, of Gloucester, 1623-1892. Gloucester, 1892. 32. Pierce, Fif^t. of Grafton. From its Early Settlement fcy the Indians in 1647 to the Present Time, 1879. V/orcester, 1879. *'33. Thompson, Fist, of Greenfield, Vol. I. 1682-1900. Greenfield, Hass. 1904. ''34. Putler, The Fist, of Groton, Pepoerel and Shirley. Eoston, 1848. 35. Judi, Fist, of ^^adley. Springfield, 1905. ^36. iXvellejr and Simmons, Hist, of Hanover. 1727-1903. Fanover 1910. ^37. Chase, Fist, of Haver^ull, 1640-1S80. Haverhill, 1861. ^'SS. Ivlarvin, Hist, of Lancaster. 1643-1579. Lancaster, 1879. 39. Washburn, "istorica,l Sketch of the Tovrn of Leicester, during the l^'irst Century from its Settlement. Poston, 1860. 40. ?/ilder. Hist, of Leominster. 1701-1650. Fitchburg, 1853. 41. Fudson, Hist, of Lexington, Hrom its Settlement to 1868. . Eoston, 1868. 42. Corey, Hist, of Ilalden. 1633-1785. Halden, 1399. N^43. Larson, ^"ist. of the '^own of 'Manchester, 1645-1895. Manchester, 1895. 44. Hudson, Fist, of the "^own of Marlborough, 45. Richards, ^'ist . of Marshf ield. Vol. I. Plymouth 1901. '^e. Tameson, ^Ust of Iledwfiy. 1713-18S5. r.edway 1886. '^47. Eallou, Hist, of Llilford, Pron Its Pirst Settlement to 1581. ?;oston 1382. ^^ 48. Goss, The Hist, of Melrose. Ilelrose 1902. «/48. Teele, The Hist, of Hilton. 1640-1887. Loston 1884. 49. Copeland, A Hist, of the "^own of Llurrayfield. 1760-1783. Springfield 1892. 50. ^acon, ""he Hist, of Natick. 1651-1856. Boston 1856. Vol. (""urrier, The Hist, of ITewhury. 1635-1902. Boston 1902. 52. Smith, ^'ist. of I-jewhuryport . l^ewljuryport 1854. 1/53. Smith, Hist, of Kewton. 1630-1880. Boston 18C0. 54. Jackson, ''ist. of the Early settlement of i^ewton. 1639-1800. Boston 1854. *^ 55. Kingman Hist, of i'orth Bridgewater. From its First Settlement to the Present '^ir^e. Boston 1866. 56. Temple and Sheldon, History of Korthfield. Alloany 1875. 57. Temple, Hist, of t'e Town of Palmer. 1716-1889. Palmer, 1889. •^58. Parmenter. History of Pelham. 1738-1898. Amh.erst 1898. 59. Dyer, A '»i8t. of the -^own of Plairificld, -iYom its netllenenl to 1891, Korthaiapton 1891. 6C. :TavlB, '^e Fiat, of Plymouth. ^61, Hanaford, Vist, of ITinceton. 17 39-18 f>2. "orcester 1652. 52, Plies, ""he "iat. of "ehol;ot>>, 'onpri-^Jlnf th« ^iatory of tbe Present fowns, Pehoboth, >eekonk an'i ^'^^tuckPt, lonton 1C56, 63. ")r lice, "^he Town of Roxhiiry, Poxbury 1878. «/64. Heed, A "ist. of Jutland, l^rom its arliest 3ettl«. ment, "orioeater 1836, 65, uean. Hist, of ii^uate, i^'ron itts >'irat octtleEient to 1831. lioston 1831. 66. Oreen, pringfield, ^Ust. of -nvvn and City. 1576-ir'';r). ::prinKfield 1888. */67, jawtelle, TTiat, of the ^orni of "^ownaend, 1676-1878. 'itcbluTfT 1878. 68. A.llen, ■''he "isto-^y of "enhara. 1633-1360. 'oaton, 1860. 69. '^odfrnan, ^Unt. of the '^o^ti nf -fi^tford. l659-lP-r3. Lowell, If.'J^S. v'70. -^enple, Viat. of the "-own of '.Imtely. 1660-1871. Po3ton 1872. V71. Lincoln, "i^t. of '/orcester. ->on its r!arlie3t Jettlement to 1836. Worcester 1837. 72. Tall, ■^fir-iiniacencea of or center, ''roc its earliest I'tiriod. .vorc«3ter 187 7. ^73. 3ewall. The TUat. of oburn. 1640-1860. Boston 1868. Siseellaneous ''toircea. 1. -n-io Uary of h:benezer Parkraan of "'*^^?boroueVi » '''sa. 1737 » 1778. 1779, 1780. '^eaUorouffh, 1899. 2. The ^ihiua 'historical Register. Vol. I ani TT. 'e(1>^n'1, 1890. Vol, III JiJid IV. JSUhOi.-: 1892. 3. Kiglith Annual Report of the ^oard of "iJCHtion of l!a«». hy i^Torace '^Jirm, 4. Weymouth ^-istorical society of t'ae '^owii of Tftyriouth. 1623-1884. •^ejraout^, 1865. 5. omeater 'ociety of Antiquity Collections. vol. XI Book I, 1722-1739 ^ er 1079. TcoV. T7,174C-17':-5 er 1C8G. V^ol.TII -irt 1,1667-1! ;'3 --r IR^l. Part TI. 1713-1700 . er 18R1. Chap. IT. An Historical ^tudy concerning Tha Evolution of the Diatrict ?'chool !^ystera In New HaMipshire conBlating of Two Parts: Part I- The Educational Legislation of New Hampshire Part TI- The Evolution of the District in New Hampshire Chapter II- An Hiatorical Ptudy of the Evolution of the District Pohool System in New Hampshire part I. History of the Educational Legislation of New Harapahire to 1827. 1. From 1623- 1680 a. Law of 1647 2. From 1680-1719 a. Law of 1692 b. Law of 1693 c. Law of 1714 d. Law of 1721 . e. Law of 1719 3. From 17 89-1827 a. Law of 1789 b. Law of 1805 c. Law of 1808 d. Law of 1827 II. Evolution of the district. 1. School held in one place in the town. a. Exeter b. "^wanzey o. Hollig d. New Ipswich e. Candia f. Rindge g. Lyndeborough h. Fitzwilliam 2. The Moving ?!chool A breaking up of the center Bchool and apportioning it to the parts that need it. a. Ne-vfields b. Exeter c. Hye d. Concord e. Rollia f. Arahergt g. Manohegter h. Canterbury ii Londonderry j. Rindge 3. Divided gchool ^here the different parte maintain a school of their own. a. Rye b. Exeter c. Canterbury d. Hollie e. Lynde borough 4. TTarly forms of the district growing out of divided gchool. a. Parts (1) Exeter (3) Hollis b. Quarters (1) New Ipswich (^) "^ianborton c. Diocese (1) Peterborough d. Fort (1) Canterbury e. Classes (1) Canterbury f. ''luadrons (1) Amherst (3) Fitzwilliam g. 'Society (1) Hoi lis 5. 'method of raising money for schools. a. Taxes b. School Lands c. Literary Fund d. Notes and mortgages on Real Estate e. Produce 6. Methods of Apportioning Funds a. According to proportion of the taxes which each district paid in, b. According to number of scholars in district, c. According to wealth of scholars, d. Equally 7. CO'-=rr.i ttee a. {Selectmen b. ''chool Coirraittee c. '^uperlnteniing Com ittee d. Prudential Committee I. HlBtory of the Educational Legislation of New Hampshire from its Settlement to 1327, In tracing the history of educational le si elation In New Hampshire, one mufjt consider certain laws of Massachusetts since New Hampshire was from 1623 to 1600 united with the NJassachufjetts Bay Colony. From 1623 to 1G41, when the union was formed, there is no evidence of any lejislation in regard to schools. However, Massachusetts must have extended her influ- ence to the latter colony since the four towns, t)over, TTxeter, Portsmouth and Hampton, were subject to Massachusetts in thought and spirit during this period. In 1635 the inhabitants of Boston agreed that "Our brother Philemon Porraont shall be entraated to become school-master foi- ■t the teachin'^ and nurturing children with us.""^ The next year they raised a sura toward the maintanance of a free aoh'-ol-master, Mr. Daniel Maud.^ In 1638, Porraont moved to i^xeter, the New Hampshire town, 5 and in 1642 Maud was called from Boston to b== minister of Dover. ^ '^'ince from 1641 to 1680, the two states had the same government, it is reasonable to suipose that these two men, who had b^en sc'ool teachers in their former homes, should not neglect to open schools, or at least lend their Influ- ences, toward the fosterin; of education in their new places of abode. 1. Belkanp, History of New Hampshire, Vol. I, Ch. I & II 2. Ibid. Vol. I, Ch. I A II 3. findsor. The Memorial History of Boston, Vol. TV, 237 4. Ibid. 5. New Hampshire Historical Collections, Vol. IV, 8 6. Ibid. In 1647 ivlaasachusetts enacted her first great law to estab- lish town schools. It ordered towns of fifty house-holders to set up an elementary school and towns of one hundred house- holders to set up a grammar school. This was the first actual law making elementary education compulsory. This law extended, of course, to the four New Hampshire towns mentioned before, which were subject to Massachusetts laws, as far as they had the required number of families. In 1680 the number of houee- holders in Portsmouth was 71, in Dover, 61,^ in Hampton, 57,"^ and in Exeter, 20.^ Therefore a school must have been kept In three of these towns. In 1679 New Hampshire became a sexarate rro^'inoe^ so for the next period of legislation we may consider the time from 1680 until 1719.® The first law found on the subject of schools is in 1693, which was included in "An «ct Concerning the Prudential Affairs of the Towns of Palde Province,"''' Among other things which the towns voted to provide themselves with, as powder, constables, overseers for the poor, etc., was to provide themselves with a "f^ohoole master not vistious in conversation."^ The nekt year, 1693, the law is still more to the point. In an act for maintenance and supply of Ministry and Schools within the province, they voted that the selectmen were to raise money, by an equal rate on the asses -iraent of the inhabitants, for building and repairing of sohoolhouses,^ Every town, except Dover, was to provide a schoolmaster for the supply of the town, on the penalty of ten pounds per year for neglect, 1. New Harar)Shire Hi^^torical CoUections, Vol. IV, 10 T;. Ibid. 3. Ibid, 4. Ibid. 5. Belknap, History of New Hampshire, Vol. I, 88 6. Ibid. 385 7. Batchellor, Laws of New HHrnr^shire, Vol. I, 5P.Q-5P,7 8. Ibid. one half of thig Burn to ?,o to "their raaje.qties" and the other half to the poor of the town.-^ lover wae excepted, probably because it suffered eepecially during the war with the French and Indiana." However, no excei-tion was made for Dover, in a similar law enacted in 1714, ^J'very town in the province was required to provide a schoolraaeter. The next imcortant educati nal legislation wae in 1719, This required every town of fifty householders, or over, to provide itself with a schoolmaster, to teach children and youth to read and .vritej^ and in every town of one hundred house- holders, there should be kept a granwar school "by 30rae diecreit g person, of good conversation, well instructed in the tonffuee. The '^'electmen were to hire the schoolrnaeter to raise raoney by rite from the inhabitants to pay his salary,''' If the towns neglected to do this, there n-as appenalty of frvonty pounds, to be paid toward the su' port of schools in the Province where there was need for It. 8 In 1721, it goes still further and says that not only shall towns of 100 families have Graminar Schools, but also each parish of 100 families shall be provided with a Grammar i'chool. In this law of 1731 there is the first evidence of the district in that another unit than the town le re^iuired to be provided with a Grammar !?chool,' 1. Batchellor, Laws of New H.amp3hire,Vol. I, 560-561 2. Ne"ir Hampshire Historical Collections, Vol. IV, 13 3. Batchellor, Laws of New Hampshire, Vol. II, 144 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 336-337 6. Ibid. 7. Ibid. 8. Ibid. Moreover, if any town or parish was destitute of a Gramriar School for one month, the Selectmen were to forfeit and r^y out of their own estates the sum of twenty pounds, to be applirti toward defraying the expenses of the Province,^ The third period of eduoational legislation is that from 1783 to 1837 which marks the culmination of the evolution of the district. In 1789 an Act was passed for the better regulation of schools within the Pitate of New Hampshire, and repealing the laws in force before that tirne.^ These were the important enactments. a. The '=!elect'Tien of the several towns and parishes were to assess annually the inhabitants of the several towns accord- ing to the poll^ and ratable estate, five pounds for every twenty shillings of their proportion of public taxes. b. The sums were to be collected and used for keeping an ^^lemen- tary Oraramar "chool to teach reading, writing and arithmetic. c. If th-^ town were a shire or half shire town, the school kept was a rjram'tar School for teaching Latin and Greek languages as well as other subjects. d. Th^ school-teacher was not qualified to teach unless he could produce a certificate from some reputable school-master and learned minister or r.reoeptor of gome college. e. If the Selectmen forgot to aspens the inhabitants, they weee to forfeit and pay the sum they failed to raise and this sum was to be used for keeping school. In this law of 1789 we find two new elements entering in, name- ly, the rate of tax to be asseeeed, and the certification of the school-teacher. 1. Batchellor, Laws of New Hampshire, Vol. II, 336-337 2. Ibid. 376 The only suggestion that we have had go far conoerning the divisions of the town, is the term "parish" which is first noticed in the law of 1721. ^ Here thei;breaking up of the town 19 designated as "parish," indicating that the towns are spread- ing and needing schools in different places. This period of ch^ng^a, of enlarging from the one school at the center, and gradually establishing schools in different arts of the town, is more clearly developed in the town lawe than the ntate. The state law of 1805 is simple legal recognition of a practice that h^ad been going on for fifty years. During the latter part of the "Seventeenth Century anf throughout the T=^i gh te =;n th , the towns of New Hampshire had b^en setting up schools in different part^ of the respective towns, designating these parts ty various names, as noted in th*? outline and in the discussion in Part II which follows, '^o in 13C5 the state empowered (Pec. l!^ the towns to divide into school districts, define their linite and alter them any time they thought convenient. 2 Th'i towns were to make a record of such division and alter- ation in the clerk's house within three months aft'?r such division and alrerations have taken place, 3 No person could send to, oi* receive iny benefit from, any ^oh'^cl in th» district where he was not a resident without the consent of such district,* ?ec. Z, The inhabitants of the several school districts were empowered to raise money for erecting, repairing or pur- chasing a schoolhouse in their district and the necessary 1. Bat,b33ellor, Laws of New Hampshire, Vol. II, 336-337 a., Ibid. Laws of New H-r,- f3h-! re, ^ubl. Icl5- 366 ^. Ibid. 4. Ibid. utenaila for the ?3ame; they could determine the place of the achoolhouae, chooae a committee to au^erintend the building and rej airing of the achoolhouae, and choose a clerk who must make a record of all the votes passed at the meeting of the district, ^ ec. 3, Every person wae taxed in the district in which hellived for all the estate and real estate which he held in the town of the district where he lived. The Selectmen were empowered to direct one of the Selectmen of the town where such district belonged to levy emd collect the ^ax, ^ ^ec. 4. The Treasurer and Selectmen of any town should have authority to enforce the collection amd payment so assessed and fortified.^ '^ec. 5. The Releotmen were empowered to warn the district meetings, Sec. 5 The '^^electioen were to determine the place for the schoolhouge of the inhabitants of any district could agree where to erect it, Thif? law of 1805 marked the culmination of the evolution of the district, and is for ue the moat important act of legislation summed up in Part I of the discussion. Here the towns were empowered to divide into school districts and define their limits. 1. Laws of the ^'tate of New Hsmpshire, Publ. 1815, 366 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid, 367 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 367-368 I Th3 other two laws of the period, thoea of 1803 and 1827, mark still further the growing power of the district. In 1808 an Act wae paaeed, the fir>3t Bection of which gave the Pelect- men power to aer^ega the inhabitants of the towns annually, according to polls and ratable estate, together with the improved and unimproved lands and buildings to the sura of t70.00 for every one dollar of their proportion of the public taxes, and these sums, when collected, were to be used for the support of an ICnglish school or schools, for the teaching of reading, writing, Kngliah grammar, geography and such other branches of education ae might be necessary in an 'Rnglish school,^ *^ec. 3 of thla law stated that no person was qualified to teach unless he or she could procure a certificate from some able and reputable T?!nglish grammar schoolmaster and learned minister of the Gospel, or preceptor of an academy, or president, preceptor or tutor of soHie college, that he or she was well qualified to teach these subjects,^ There was also to be a certificate from the Selectmen or minister of the town or parish to which he or she belonged that he or she sustained a good moral character."^ In Section 3, we find the first mention of a visiting or inspection committee: Each town was to appoint three or more suitable persona whose duty it should be to visit and inspect the schools annually, and if the town failed to appoint such persons, the Selectmen were to do the visitin?, and inspecting.* 1. Laws of the "tate of New Hampshire, 368 3. Ibli. 3, Ibid. 4. Ibid. 369 ^80. 4, If the "^electTien neglected to raise the money men- tioned in '^ec. 1, they were to forfeit and pay the full sum which they had been found delinquent in aa??e 'sing, collecting and appropriating.^ The niun when recovered was to be used for keeping sohoole where the delinquency occurred,' The moat important enactment in regard to the diatrict ayatems was "The diatricta are empowered to purchase and hold in fee aimple, landa and buildings. "3 Further they were empowered to raise money for purchasing land.'^ Thus we see that from the natural diviaiona made for convenience in schools, the diatrict had become a, legal unit, empowered not only to define its limit and keep its own school, but to purchase land and bullUngs and even to raiae money. The first section of the law of 1037 differed only slightly from that of the law of 1808, in that the sum to be computed on the polls and ratable estates of the inhabitants was ?90.00 for every i^l.OO of their proportion for public taxes, "^ instead of $70.00 in the earlier law,^ ^ec. 3. Thii sum was to be apportioned by the ^'electmen to the various school districts accoriing to the valuation 7 of that year. ^er3 by the law of 18Cd there was appointed a visiting and inspection committee, these two duties were now combined in the form of a Superintending Committee, to be appointed by the 'Selectmen, annually, to comprise not le^,s thnn three, nor more than five persons whose duties were to be: 1. La'Wa of New Hampshire, Publ. 1815, 369 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. 369-370 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. Vol. Ill, publ. 1827, 213 6. Lavs of Ne-v Ha-npshire, publ. 1815, 368 7. Ibid. 1. To examine sohoolraaetera and gchoolralstresBes. ^ 3. To visit and inspect all schools in respective towns at least twice a year: to inquire into the regulations and discipline thereof, the proficiency of the schools, and to use their influence and best endeavors that the youths in the several districts shall attend schools, ^ 3. The committee shall have power to dismisf? the schoolmaster or mistress who shall be found Incapable, notwithstanding he or she may have procured the necessary certificates, ^ 4. The coiiiraittee is required and empowered on application made by any schoolmaster or schoolmistress in the respective towns, or the inhabitants, to order the expulsion of any scholar from any school who will not submit to reasonable rules, ^ 5. To direct and determine the claqg books, ^ The coramltte^Q at first only one echool kept in a town. As early as 166D IJ^i there was a school in TTxeter.S in 1740 <5wanzey hired a "school dame to instruct the children in reading."'!' The first refer- ence to hiring a schoolmaster in Hollls is in 1750: "to teach the children to r^ad and write, "^ since that year there were 89 narae^ on the tax list.® Tli^ firnt nchool we hear of in New Ipswich is in 1762, and thi3 year a school was kept for three 1. The Colonial Laws of Massachusetts, 136-137 2. Ibid. 3. Batchellor, Laws of New Hampshire, Vol. I, 560-561 4. Ibid. Vol.11, 336-337 5. Memorial History of Boston, Vol. IV, 237 6. Bell, History of 'rxeter, 385 7. Re-id, Hi^itory of "wanzey, 134 8. Worcester, History of Hollis, 103 9. Ibid. lool The ioving -chcol monthg. Among the firat entries? in the ^electtnen'a accounts of Candia in 1764, is an item for paying De. Mooere forty pounds for k^^epincr gchool.^ Plndge, in 1771, paid to Nathaniel Ruseel 5 lb. 5 eh. for ke^^ping school.'^ Lyndeborou^h voted to have a school in 1773,^ and we find the vote repeated each year until 1778. "^ In 1773, the town of Fitzwilliam had a population of 314,6 and in 1774 m appropriation of 7 pounds waB made "for the use of a echool."''' Thi^ same exprension ia ueed aucce-^Uvely for the years 1775, 1776 and 1777,^ telling us that without doubt the echool wae maintained on only one place in the town, or that there was only one school. *9 the tovna spread out and the inhabitants increased, some had to 50 too gr^at a di. '='tearn. History of '^75 4. Donovan ci ''oodward, History of Lyndeborough, 354 5. Ibid. 6. Norton, History of Fitaeilliam, 316 7. Ibid, 8. Ibid. \\ )vln' ihool of his inBtruotion and bo on until tha whole town had recelvsd their part of the teaching. Thi"? was called the "moving or perambulatory" school. Th^ to^wn of Ngvfieldg beara thp; 9arlie«t r-^cord of those town higtories examined which had definite reference to the moving fichool. In this town, in 1703, the schoolmaster w^s to ksep school three fnonthe in th^ meeting house and the rest of the time at the home of four of the citizens. ^ At? early as 1728, Exeter divided the ^^chool year so that the children of each -section of the town might enjoy their proportion of instruction.^ r^ye, in 1729, voted that the '^'eleotmen be 'Empow- ered to hire a schoolmaetBr and "move him several tiraes, as they see cause for the convenience of the children f.oing to school. Ten years later it w-^f? voted that there should be " a movinj gchool, and that every party that was to have the benefit of the raovini'; school should provide a house to hold it in.'* By the term "party" must have been meant "part" in reference to the town. At the very first school meeting of Concord, in 1731, instead of a vote being taken to provide the town with a school, as one -'Vouli expect, we find the unusual provision for school 5 to be keot in "two of the most convenient parto of the town. It is rao^t probable, as stated by Wr. Lyford, in his History of Concori, thi^ vas the moving school, the sam- teacher, one school following the other in part o;" the time. 1. Fi^.ts, History of Newfields, 328 2. Bell, History of Exeter, 2 :;8 3. Parsons, History of Rye, 96 4. Ibid. 37 ^^ ^ 5. Lyford, History of Concord, Vol. TI, 1204 Lvided ihool This speedy provision for a moving, gohool aoon after the grant of Concord, which was in. 1735,1 must be aocounted for by rapid increase in population, f^irailar to Concord is the case of Hollia, the first settle- ment of which was in 1730.'^ "me first reference to public schools was in 1749. "^ In 175^ it was voted that "the school should be moved for the benefit of the town.^ Moreover, it was to be moved four places, or quarters, each quarter to keep school where it pleased,-^ \mherst was incorporated as a town in 1736,® but there are no record!? of any schools until 1762, where a vote .vas taken "to keep a school in the five divisions, the 'Selectmen to divide."''' Again in 1771, the town directed that " the school should be kept some [jart of the ti«ie in several parts of the town.^^ 'Similarly there are records of the moving or perawbulatory schocl in M^.ncheiBter,^ Canterbury, ^^ Londonderry ^^ and Rindge, There were many inconveniences in the moving school. The people in each section had to accept whatever time of year for their period of ichooling that the Selectmen choose to give them, Ocoasionally they had to be satisfied with the amount of time the "Selectmen decided upon. But the gr-^atest inconvenience, perhaps, was the fact that they were unable to exercise their choice in providing their own sohoolraaster. The town of Rye, in 1756, made a complaint of this sort. Rye, for ^jq^^^ years, I. Lyford, History of Concord 3. foroe'iter, History of HoUis, 33 3. Ibid. 103 4. Tbli. 104 5. Ibid. 3. ^ecomb. History of i\jnherat, 10-11 7. Ibid. 313-319 8. ^tearna. History of Rindge, 275, 27G, r?78 9. Potter, Hi-tory of Manchester, 740-741 10. Lyford, Hietory of Canterbury, Vol. I, 378 II. Manchester Historic Ass'n Collection, Vol. V, ^71,^03, ol6 TO O + ao-B^^ tl-t .^ +/^7»1r nf ^1 n(i 7fl . 276 i was a parish of Newcastle, formerly known aa the Handy Beach Dif^trlot, and >va3 f^ubjeot to Newcastle in school affairs, 3 So we may judge that Newcastle had not chosen a schoolraagter for Rye to her liking, for there was an article in the warramt of 1756 which reads "to see If Pariah will vote the school money shall be divided and let each party hire a schoolmaster accordins to their likin,5."3 The records do not tell how this Parish responded, but in 1757 there -vas a vote "to see if the rided ^ iool Parish would settle the school in two places, or at the center."* In 1763 it was voted that "two schools should be kept in the Parish the present year,"^ ^o the keeping of two schools, each with a teacher of its own, was but another step toward the organization of the district, Thi ^ step we call the "divided school." The "^electiTien of ICxeter, in 1743, were instructed, out of the 140 pounds appropriation for schools, to hire a standing school in the town for the ensuing year, and the seve-r-al branches of the town should have their share of the money allow- g ed to tham in proportion to what they paid. This, without doubt, is an illustration of the divided school, Canterbury, also, offers a good example of this step in the evolution of the district school. In 1767 the inhabitants wor'^ still having the moving school.''' In 1774 ve hear of this vote being taken- "that the people living above ?obonduggady Pond . y have the benefit of their school money laid out among themselves at the discretion of the *^electraen, "^ And in 1786 it was voted ' that the schools should be kejt in the several parts of the town in classes, evjry clags was to provide their own teachers and / have the benefit of their own money, 9 1. Parsonf^, History of Rye, 96 6. Bell,Hip.tory of Exeter, 389 2. Ibid, 7.Lyford,Hls?tory of Canterbury 3. Ibid. Vol.1, 379 4. Ibid. 8. Ibid. 380 9. Thid. (strict Up to 1757 the inhabitants of Hollis had had the moving school,^ That year the town voted 400 pounds, 0. T. for "a BChool," and "that it be granted to every gui table number of persona that shall agrea tog-^ther in any part of the town their proportion for keeping a school among themselves, and those that dont join, their money is to be paid into the Treasury for a school in the middle of the town."*^ Lyndeborough shows the same evolution, first the moving sohool, then the divided,*^ This last illustration brings u* to the name by which these local divisions of the divided school were designated before they were legally known as districts. Perhaps at first the inhabitants of the town could distinguish these divisions as to certain directions in town, or by a certain well known citizen's house, or at the south or north fork of the or^ek, etc. At any rate, these divisions came to have different names in the different towns. In many cases they were used merely as geographical locations, and as such were not the early befi;in- nlngs of the district. Then they beoran to af?sume certain powers that set them off as units apart from the town organization, then they were in reality the district. j "Parts" was a natural designation for the early district. ?:xet^r sho-vs the use of "i^art" In the early district. In 1739 this vote was taken in Exeter- that 1?!0 pounds be raised by the F5electmen for schools to be apportioned: that one end of town by certain roads should belong to the town school, but that the remaining part of town have proportion of money to be improved in schooling.^ By this vote one part of town was to draw their 1. Worcester, Hletory of Hollis, 104 2. Ibid. 3. Donovan I "Woodward, Lyndeborough, 354-355 4. Bell, History of Exeter, 388 proportion of money for a school amon ■ themBelves and not to be a part of the town achool. The divided school in Hollis, as discussed on p. m 1757 ^ave liberty to any number of persons who ahould agree in any part of town to have their proportion of the money for keeping a school among themeelves.l That "quarters" was an early form of the district is shown in the case of New Ipswich in 1764, where there were four quarters, and e^ch quarter was to provide a place for the school. Four years later the town was divided into four districts.*^ !?anbcrton voted in 1774 to let each "quarter" have its part of thirty dollars raised to hire a school. * That the dioceses "in ^Peterborough were early forms of the district is probable from the fact that in 1790 there was a vote to divide the town into five dioceses, "5 and in 1791 there was a schoolhouse built upon each of the dioceses and were designated as the southwest, southeast, middle east, north east and north west districts,^ An unusual appelation in C-interbury for the early district, ?arly ^orms ^^9 *o "tbe conditions of the times, was that of "fort." A vote :' the strict ^* ^^^ annual meeting in 1758 was as follows: "Voted 200 pounds O.T. for the benefit of scho-ling the children and that at each of the forts people shall enjoy the b'^nefit of their own money in their own Fort.''' This is explained by the fact that Canter- 1. Worcester, History of Hollis, 17 2. Kiclier ' Tould, Hiitory of Nev los'-vich, 194 3. Ibid. 4. funnels, History of '^anbvrton, lr;0 5. fvmith, Hi:^tory of Peterborough, 104 6. Ibid. 105 7. Lyford, History of Canterbury, Vol. I, 377 bury waa a frontier town and the people had to be prepared at all times for the Indians, The English and French were fighting for the poaaes^ion of Canada, so the safe places for children were in the forts, which were divisions of the town just as the dioceses, quarters and parts were divisions. The term "classes" was but another form for districts for in 1786 in Canterbury, it was voted that the schools shall be kept this year in the several parts of the town in classes and for every class to provide their own teachers and have the benefit of their own money. Here, besides having their own money, they were empowered to hire their own teachers, another power of the district, 'Squadrons, as emfowered ly the inhabitants of Amherst, were the early listricts. In 1'779, it was voted that the town be divided into squadrons for "schooling, and that each squadron 2 have their part of the money that shall be raised for schooling. In 1779, in Fitzwilliam, five men were chosen a committee to provide the school in each "squadron to provide houses and to see the money laid out in its prorer season. ""^ Mr. Norton, author of the history, says that the men were chosen from the different parts of the town^ and so the inference is that there were five squadrons or districts in Fitzwilliam in 1779 and these men corresponded to the prudent commission of later years. li.T, Worcester, author of the ""istory of Hollis, says that voluntary ^s-jociations in different parts of the town for sohocl- Ing were called by various names as cla-^ses, school societies and 1. Lyford, T^i^tory of Canterbury, Vol. T, 3o2 3. *=!ecorab. History of Amherst, 300 3. Norton, History of Fitzwilliam, 317 4. Ibid. and squadrons^ and were the early districts although he does not aoecify the powers that were given them similar to those of the district.^ To summarize, we may say that the first school was the on*? held In the center, many times in the home of one of the citizens; then, as the population increased and spread outwards, it made the distance too great for some of the pupils living in the outskirts to attend the school at the center, so there had to be provision made for these and there came into existence the "moving school." The portions of the town that received the moving school gradually developed so that they wished to hire their own schoolmaster and maintain a school of their own, bo next we sse the "divided school" whereby several portions of the town could keep school and not be subject to the time of year or the choice of schoolmaster that the «^electmen saw fit to give them. That these divisions early assumed some of the powers of the district as drawin^^ their own proportion of school money, hiring their own teachers, etc., has been discussed. Since these portions now had their own sohoole, they were designated by different terms, as squadrons, classes, societies, parts, etc. Obviously, the next step is the district itself, the inevitable result of these local divisions. The law which empowered towns to divide into districts was passed in 1805, and has been discussed in "Part I, page 10 of the thesis. Pome towns did not divide until after this law was passed, but the majority made their divisions before. 1. Worcester, Hif^tory of Hollis, 104 2. Ibid. I upport Concord diatriot in 1744,-^ New Inawich in 1764,'^ =^wanzey in 1773,2 Lyndeborough in 1777,'^ Ja^frey in 1778,^ Fltzwilliara^ and Araherat in 1779,''' Claremont in 1781, ^ Manchester in 1783,9 Lebanon in 1784, ^^ Haverhill in 1786, ^•'- Rindge in 1789, -"-^ Peterborou,sh in 1790, ^•'^ Rye in 1796, •'"'^ ''arner in 1804,15 T;:xeter in 1739,1® Canterbury in 1758,1''' Candia in 1835,18 Hollis in 1757 and '=?anborton in 1774. It ig clear that the majority districted before the law of 1805. Of twenty-one towns, eighteen districted before the la-v of 1805. Fran my investigation of town histories and records, I found five ways ly vhich the inhabitants of the districts of New Hampshire raised funds to support their schools. These were: 1. Taxes ethods S. School land of chool 3. Literary fund 4. Notes and mortgages on real estate 5, Produce 1. Lyford, Rietory of Concord, Vol. II, 76 2. Kidder & Gould, History of New Ipswich, 194 3. Read, Hlitory of "^wanzey, 185 4. Donovan & Tforcester, Hintory of Lyndeborough, 355 5. Cutter, Hifiitrry of Jaffrey, 81 6. Norton, History of Fitzirilliam, 317 7. -ecomb. Hi -story of Amherst, 321 8. ?aite. History of Claremont, 133 9. Rotter, Hi^^tory of Manchester, 741 10. Downs, History of Lebanon, 153 11. Bittlnger, History of Haverhill, 206 13. ''teams, Higtory of Rlndge, 37" 13. Wraith, History of Peterborough, 104 14, Parsons, ^^ye, 99 15. 16. Bell, History of Fxeter, 389 17. Lyford, HlRtory of Canterbury, Vol. II, 388 18. Moore, History of ^andia, 132 Taxea were, of course, a raoat coffimon way of raising money for the schools. Amherst, in 1781,^ "Peterborough, in 1792,^ Jirindhara, in 1769, "^ and '^anborton,^ give this as one way by which they secured their money. Gilsum and Hampton Falls^ had to resort to the dog tax to aid in payigg for her schools. One large source of income Was from leasin'; the sch' ol lands; which could not always be sold out but couli be leased. In Fitzwil liain, both the ministerial and school lands were leased out for the term of SS9 years at the nominal rent of '5 cents a year on e^ch lot, the lessees advancing and paying the rent in full exceot this nominal rent of three cents, in 17 oo. The lessees and amounts paid for on^' year were aa follows:" Lot 16, Range 1 'U15.00 "13, "5 66.78 "11, "5 86.00 f^ometimes the school lands were sold outright, and the interest on the proceeds was used for the support of the school. Jaffrey sold one of its school lots and used the interest on the proceeds,^ as did Tilaum, "^ and Candia.^^ The ^oh'ol lands of New Ipswich were sorae times rented, but we're finally sold and the proceeds funded and distributed tc^' the districts. ^"^ Concord^* and Perobroke^^ raised money on "poles and lands," 1. '^ecomb. History of Amherst, 3ol 3, ?5mith. History of Peterborough, 105 3y' Morrison, History of Tindham, 140 'A,', Runnels, Hintory of '^anborton, 112 /S'. Hayward, History of rfilsum, 126 /fe. Brown, History of Hampton Falls, 528 /7y Norton, History of Fitzwilliam, 315-318 ■a. Ibid. 11. Moore, Candia, 137 ' 9. Cutter, Jaffrey, 81 1;3. Kidder & aould,New Ipswich, 196 10. Hayward, niilsura, 126 13. Ibid. 14. Concord Town Pecords,12 15. Carter, ^ri^tory of "Pembroke, 302 /■ •me literary fund was another Bouroe of Income. This was a tax laid by th.^ Btate upon the capital stock of all banking inatitutionB, and distributed to the towns according to their levy and by-law devoted to the maintenance of schools. ^ We find ^anborton,2 Amherst,^ Gilsum,* (until 1845) Candia,^ Peterborough 6 and Hampton Falls? all deriving part of their school money from this fund. In lr^37, part of ^anborton's school funds consisted of "noted and mortgagee on real estate" and partly "by notes alone considered safe and good. "^^ One method of raising funds seemed very much out of the ordinary, and that was by produce. In 1780 Claremont voted .. to raise 30 lb. to be raised ao wheat at five shillings per bushel, for the support of the school.'^ Now as to the methods by whihh these funds were anpor- tioned to the district, I found, upon investigation, that there wh.s on=? general method, and three methods which were not used to any great ext-^nt. The^e methods are: (1) accord- ing to the proportion of the taxes which the district paid in; (2) acoording to the number of scholars in the district; (3) equally; and (4) according to the wealth of the scholars. I found eleven towns that ai portioned the funds according to the proportion of taxe^. Theee are as follows: 1. Hayward, ailsum, 126 3. TRunriels, '^anborton, 112 3. '?ecc»nb, A^mherst, 327 4. Hayward, Til53um, 126 5. Moore, Hiqtory of Candia,137 6. Wraith, Peterborough, 109 7. JBrown, Hampton Fills, 528 8. Hunaelg, History of '^anborton, 112 9. "^aite. History of Claremont, 133 Town Londonderry, (1733) Exeter (1743) New Ipswich (1769) Rwanzey (1773) Lyndeborough (1777) Canterbury (1734) Ainhergt (1303) Warner (1303) Concord (indefinite) Candla(lndeflnite) Reference Manchester Historical Collection, Vol. V, 139 Bell, TCxeter, 289 Kidder & Could, New Irawich, 194-195 Head, '^wan^ey 185-186 Donovan & Woodward, Lyndeborough, 355 Lyford, Canterbury, 383 ^ecoinb, Arab e ret, 334 Harriman, Warner, 390 Lyford, Concord, Vol. II, 1324 Moore, Candia, 137 Rindje- Near close of century beq;an apportionlnf^ money aocordin3 to rate, "anborton apportioned the school funds to the diatricta in proportion to the number of scholars in each district from the age of four to tventy-one years, in 1827, as did Clare- ffiont in lo73. The money was distributed equally amonj the districts in 1737, in Concord ty the fielectmen,'^ also equ-lly in Lyndeborough 1731-1787, but in Rindge, until the close of the nineteenth century it is surprising to find that the division of the school money was based upon the wealth of the scholars, 1. Stearns, History of Rindge, 378 2. Runnels, '^anborton, 112 3. Sfaite, Claremont, 135 4. Lyfori, History of Concord, 1330 The hlgtorical study of the evolution of the diatrict school syatsm in New Hainpshire includes a discussion of the various comrnitteea connected with the schools. The earliest and moat important in relation to the district w=is the Coinmlttf?e compos- ed of the '^'electmen. From the discusf^ion of the educational legislation in Part I, and through quotation of town histories in Part IT, many duties of the i^electmen have been mentioned. These powers will now be enumerated, givin^; the various towns that mentioned in their histories a particular duty of the ?eleo1w ^n: To hire school teachers, Peferenoe a. Rye (17^19) Parsons, History of Canterbury, Vol. 1, 06 b. Canterbury (17 62) Lvford, " " " 378 c. Candla (1764) Moore, " " " 131 Order in what parts of town sch.ol shall be kept. a. Canterbury (1763) Lyford, History of Canterbury, Vol, I, 37 8 'Assess Tax a. Rindcre (1794) Ptearns, History of Rlnd.t^,e, 279 b. Jatfrey (1795) Cutter, " " " 8f iO 4. Certificate sohcol-teachers as to character. a. Canterbury (1808) Lyford, History of Canter bury, Vol. I, 3 87 5. Decide on place for erection of nohoolhcuses. a. ^eterborou^^h (1790) 'Wraith, History of Canterbury,Vol,1, 104-10 5 b. Canterbury (1794) Lyford, « « " 383 6. To decide when school should be kept. a. Concord (1740) Concord '''own Pecords,53, 59, 65,67 b. Rye (1311) Parsons, History of Rye, 96 7. Apportion money to each schoolhouse. a. Candia (1763) Moore, Higtooy of Canterbury, 130 b, Canterbury (1794) Lyford, " " " Vol. I, 383 8. Call ola?3 meeting in respective districts, (With town clerk, minister and a committee of six). a. Canterbury (1799) Lyford, Hi.=!tC(i>y of Canterbury, Vol. 1, 3tr4 9. To district town. a. Amherst (1784) ''goomb, History of Amherst, 331 b. Concord (1800) Lvford, History of Concord, Vol. IT, 1^30 (■Jfith coTimlttae of six) o. Manohegter (1808) hotter. History of Manchester, 7 43-7'? 4 d. Concord (1807) Lyford. History of Concord, Vol.11, 1232 (With committee of thirteen) e. Lyndeborough (1808) Donovan .t Woodward, History of Lyndebo rough, 356 f. "Peterborough (1790) Pmith, History of Peterborough, 104 10. To move sohoolraaater, a. Rye (1739) Parsons, History of Rye, 96 11. To pay sohoolmastsra. a. Gandia (1757-1764) Moore, History of Candia, 130-131 13. To inspect schools. a. Rye (1790) Parsons, History of Rye, 100 b. Gilaum (1843) Hayward, History of Cilsura, 138 13. To a. point ^'uperintending Committee. a. ■Per.ibroke (1840) Carter, History of Pembroke, Vol. 1, 303 14. To pay 'Superintending Committee. a. Claremont (1834) Waite, Hi'^tory of Claremont, 134 The '^electrnen were important factors in the schools from early times to 1837, aft^^r the f?uperintending Conimittee had come into existence. In some instances we find certain duties of the "Selectmen be- ing taken over by a "School Committee" that usually consisted of five men. In 1781 in Rollis a committee of five was chosen to fix places for the school houses. 1 In ^wanzey, in 1771, a vote ■'fas taken that a school be kept in four different places of the town and a conanittee of five was appointed to settle ani a] point where the school should be kept.'^ Five wer'? chosen a com- mittee in Lyndeborough in 1773 to provide and take care of a schod Fitzwilliam, in 1779, chose five of its citizens a committee "to provide schools in each s^uarn and also to provide houses for 1. Worcester, History of Wolli8,lC5 a. Read, History of ''wanzey, 385 3. Donovan i Woodward, History of Lyndeborouf^h, 354 to keep the sohoola in and also to see the money laid out in its proper aeaaon. However, the number on the committee var- ies, as Peterborough in 1774 appointed on ita oommlttee to order places for the school^ and Rye, in 1812, appointed a school com- mittee of two.'^ '^'Ometimes the school ooraralttee waa appointed to dietrlct the town or divide the town into a certain number of parts. They were ordered to or;^anize the school districtg, define theirr boundaries and erect a new achoolhouse or purchase and repair the one already built, "^uch a coinrai ttea as described was chosen in Concord in 1307 to include the '^Selectmen and one man chosen from each section of the town where orders had b=!en dra^^m annually for school money, makinir sixteen on the committee, and they final- ly divided the town into sixteen districts.'* ^wanzey, in 1788, appointed a committee of nine men who divided the town into six- teen districts,^ Rindge, in 1789, voted to ch ose as many for g school coKimittee as there were districts. ^t this time there were eight, and two years later, ten. In 17S0 in O-ilsum ther^* were four men chosen a school committee indicating, as Mr.Fayward, author of "The History of rJilsum," says, that there were four districts, not definitely bounded but vaguely divided. ''ometimes the '=?chool committee, besides districting the town or dividing it into a certain nunber of 'arts, was ordered to organize the school districts, define their boundaries and erect a new school hou=!e or purchase and repair the one already built, ^uch a 1. Norton, Hi.itcry of Fltzwilliam, 317 2. !=!mith, History of Peterborou h, 1C4 3. Parson-^, History of Hye, 101 4. Read, History of ^.vanzey, 189-190 5. ^tearna, History of Pindge, 1^^8 6. Ibid. 7. Hayward, History of dilsum, 138 committee ag described was chosen in Concord in 1807 to include the Selsotfoen and one man chosen from each section of the town where orders had be ?n drawn annually for school money, making sixteen on the Commit+ee, and they finally divided the town into sixteen districts.^ In 1808 the town of Manchester chose five men to divide the town into "five districts for the purpose of schooling."'^ A committee of five in Canterbury, in I8l4, dis- tricted the town into nine districts."^ Committees for inspecting the nchoola were not legally empowered until the law of llPj?^ when the f^uperintending Committee was formed and the inspection of the schools was made one duty of that committee. 5 Before the opening of the ninet^^enth century, however, we read of two towns that looked after this phase of education. In 1789 Canterbury appointed a committee of six to inspect the school cla-sges - - - - -;'^ ^jeven years later, 1796, one man ooinprised the inspection committee, in 1797 and 1798 successively, six members made up the committee,^ and in 1799 the Selectmen, the town clerk and the minister were the inspection oorami^tee.^ T{y*i had an inspection committee of three in 1799.^0 A ^Superintending Corrimittee w.i'? one of the important features of the law of 1827. ^ As mentioned above, Canterbury and Rye made provision for thi=? committee be j"ore 1800. 1. Lyford, History of Concord, Vol. I, l.'^33 2. Potter, Hietory of Manchester, 743 3. Lyford, History of Canterbury, Vol. I, 389 4. La.7g of New Hai'irshire, Pulb, 1815 5. Ibid. 6. Lyford, History of Canterbury, Vol. I, 383 7. Ibid. 384 8. Ibid. 9. Ibid, 10. Parsons, History of Rye, 100 11. Charter I of Thesis, page 9 Mr. Lyford, the author of the History of Canterbury, gtatea that thii? inspeotlon corrnittee must have had a general oversight of the 3choola, engaging the teicher for the different cla.iaes, or diatrlots, and after the schoolhoueeg were built, probably looked after the building. In Oilauin, the first indication of any committee similar to that of the Superintending f=ichool Comrnittee, was in 1816, when the 'Selectmen were appointed to inareot the schoclg." In \o?-2 three men were appointed a committee to inspect the 30hoola.-^ The first J?Ui)erintending Committee, as such, wae appointed in 1843.^ The first i^uperintending "School Cofnmittee in Clarenont waf3 in 1824''^ and the firat visiting cottiniittee mentioned was ohoaen the sarne year,° The sefviceB of the f?uperinten1ing '^'chool Committee seem not to have r^oeiv^.i a v = rv high remuneration, as the town records of ^anborton included in the town history show the salary of the committee for the year 1846 9. Law of 1795 10. L^=JW of 1798 Part II. Hiatory of the TCvolutlon cf the niatrlot f'yatere in Connecticut, I, The town an the unit of education, 1. TTxo single nchool held in the center, of the town as in: a. Hartford b. lindgor o. Stamford d, fJuilford 3, The moving school where one teacher made tfie rounds of the different rarta of the town and held flchocl a certain len^jth of time in each, aa in: a. Windsor b. New London c, Norwich d, Colchester 3. The divided school where each part of the town had itB own teacher, as in: n, iTlndsor b, ^itaniford c, "Valllniyford d, Norwalk 4. ?arly forms of the district tha* had certain powers of the later district: a. Parts p:n field b, ^reclnct 'i:nfleld 5. Formation of districts. II, Th 1 society as the unit of education, 1. ^oole*iiastioal sej aratlons, 2. l^cclefJiastloal sef aratlons with school privileges, 3. Develoi ment of the district in the First and i^econd Society of Windsor, the Rooiety and the Hsw Britain Society of New Britain as to: a, J?lnf,le 'School b. Moving ^'chool 0. Divided ''ohcol d. Formation into 'ilR*riot8 e. ^^ohcol 9u port and a^ portlonni«nt of ^unda, f. Coirralttees III, Oeneral dlflous'^lon of: 1. f?ohool 8Uf port a. TaxgB b. Lands (1) Land allotted to towns it time of settlement, tern Reaerve ;ern Lmd^ ( fund=i from) |4) TUffhvaye in Ne? Britain ,3) Vent' 0. Donations d. Tiiition 9, Interest t on '^'chool Bonds f. Revenue from prieon in Newgate i^. «pportion.f.ent of funds. a, 4ccordin2 to the li3t. b, fqu«illy 0. Accordln'f. to the niuiiber of aoholars. d. Unequally 3, Cwnmlttees and duti?»i of a, ''electinen b, OifltrLctlng o, Diatrlot d. Inspection or Visiting Coi'mitteo e, *='oh' ol Co inlttee Th*j firet aducational law of Oonn'^oticut wViioh had to do with the oommon achooln was include 1 In what la a;enorally known as the Code of 1650. Th-^ noteworthy thin? In this law was the mention of the townnhip which waf» th« unit of eduocitlon,^ In th** revised edition of thin code of 1650, oomplated in 1700 and published in 1703, the town was still the unit. In 1712 tho town was divided for eooleslastloal pur- poses, and the division was known as the parish or soolety,* It was provided that all parishes whioh were already made by the Asseinbly should have for the bringing up of their child- ren and malntenanoe of a aohool f^.e 40 shillings In every 100 lb, in the lists of estates within the parish ^. By this law the money whioh lieretofore had been arplled to ths town was now applied to the parish, which was really made a ach ol district and was subcrilnate to the town. In 1717 the rl<;ht of taxation for the suprort of the ministry wa?» extended to schools,^ By thl'i law parishes or societies that had 70 f ami lies were obl'.»ed to keep Rohool for 1/3 a year} the majority of householders In sny parish were authorized to lay taxes for the support of the sohool, to ajpolnt a oolleotor and make re/;ulation for raanagercent of the same,''' The r,erlcan Journal of ^dud, 4, 7^0, 3, Cle^-s, ^4. Le«^ialation of the Colonial Covernment, 10?5-103 4, Ibid. 103 laddB ehould brj ^^iven to th-s '^elsotmen, or Boclety co>raittafla or aohool oomfrittees in the different towna.^ Thus the parishes or aocletiea were rabidly gainin-^ aground favlng committftflfj of their own to rejeivfl the funds. In the *ot for "Ir portioning, "ncourar'ln,'? and Supporting '^chool8''ln 1750, provided that- 1. ^very tovn, where there was but one ©coleBlastical • oclety, having seventy families an'i eve^-y ecrjleelaatlcal society having that number should maintain at least one fjood sohool for -eleven rocnths in ^' ■" y»H'*. 2, Ev-^ry town and society with leBfj than seventy f ami Ilea should maintain a school for one half of each year. 3. Town or pari eh shculi have the forty nhlllinga U7)0n every ICGO lb. In the lists of each town. 4, School funds created out of the sale of the westi^rn lands should be distributed amon.q; the towns and socletiea. 5. In case of dofioienoy in euppo t of a school^ sum should be made up, one half by a tax on the projerty of the town, and the other half by a tuition or rate-bill to be paid by the parents or guardians, 6. The majority of the legal voters in every town or aooiety were empowered to lay taxes and make agreements for support and raanagsment of achoola, 7. The oivll authority and ^electrsen were constituted insj-ectora or vlsitOT's and directed to visit and inspect all schools at least once a month. 8. The "electmen of each town, where t^ere was but one ecclesiastical society, and a cofnmitt.«" -^or each society 1. Clewa, ?A, Legislation of the Colonial f^ovornnent, 1C3 when there were more than one, ware empowered to manage all lands and funds belonging, to the committer or society for the benefit of lohoole. Here ii develop'^d the oominlttee for each society, show- ing the power of the Booiety to becop.e a distinct rmit from the town. In 17GC school dlflt riots wer*? authorized to be formed} power WIS given to every town or society to divide themselves into prop'^r and nec-^saary districts for keeping their schools"^ It «iq alio provided that s(jch districts were to drtw upon the school money appropriated to the town In proportion to their llet of taxables.'^ The evolution of th"? dls'^rict was jerfscted f^tlll more by the act^j of 1795 and 179 . In 1795 a conimltte= of el'^ht persons wa*^ ohoien by the Assembly to sell the lands belong- ing to Connecticut A^nt. of Pennfiylvania which had besn reserved by the state In It?? de«;d of oenslon to the United states In 17.i2; and appropriate! the avall"i of the sale «i a r erpetual fur.d, th? inter st of which was to be divided annually among th« several "^^ocleties" constiturbd, or which might be oonftltuted by law within certain limits* as 'school societies, according to the list of polls and r-^table estate in eaoh.^ By this act all the inhabitants llvlnp^ within th"? limits of the located societies were authclTied to o^aan- l?!e theriselves into societies. They could transact nny other bu^lnens on the subject of ^^cho/ling In o;eneTal.° 1. Barnard, Smerlcan Journal of ''due. <» 701-703 2. 'lews, T.d, Lef^lslatlon of the Colonies, 199 3. Connectict Pub. Record, 1^, 497-49B 4. Barnard, iieTlc^m Journal of ""due, 4 704 5. Ibid 6. Ibid, 705 Single bhool In 1798 an act was pasi^ed by whloh tho town dlsa p^HTed «« a unit in the school system and In its placs was oatabli sh- ad the Bchcol society, • corporate body, provided for in the act of 1795, with territorial limits, soretimea coextensive with the town, sometimefl takin."!; In only part of a town ani in other oases taking in parts of two or more towns. A suitable number of persons, not exoe^^dins nine, wore to be Appointed in each society to be overseers or visitors of schools wl th power to examine and ?*Ti-rove -'chool-p-T^+ern and to displace the many found defiolent,'^ The Plstory of the Evolution of the nistrlot '"ystem in Oor.nectlcut In the early colonial laws of Connecticut, the town was the unit of education up to 1712. In that year the reco-jnitlon of the pariah led to division into parishes or ecclenlastioal societies. At an early date after their setMements the townf set up schools in the canter. Hartford in 16i2 settled 30 lb, on the school.'^ The first schoolmaster spoken of was in 1637 or 163 .^ The first i.ention of a school in Windsor w-ts In 1656-57^ and a single school was kept until 1674 when Mr, Cornish kept the school "five months south and seven months north of the Rivulet."^ In 1670 Mr. Rider was chosen to keep school in Ptar-'ford.^ ^ sinf^le school was kept until the one nchool-house in the center was thought to be too sirall 1. Barnard, American Journal of T^'duo. 4, 706 :\ I bid. 3. Love, Hlfitory of Hartford, ^51 4. Ibid. 5. i«tr ^alf nt the "Far^-s" in the several luartera. Coicheot'jr h.ni a moving Bchool in 1716, to b*3 koi t at thre*? several plaoea, 4fter the moving f»ohnnl, oame the divided f»chrol, whera •aoh part had its own teacher. In Stamford, in 170n, beiide the f^ohool in the center, the town gave lib'=5rty to the peor le of the east aide of Norwcaton rWer and thoae on the west aide of the river to hire a worrian and have 'johool on both aidea of the river, and the money collected in the country rata ahould be distributed to each school, that is, the three schools, aooor ling to porulation,*' The fact that each part waa privil9g'=>d to draw its porportion of Bohrol money shows that one power of th*? die trie t was aaoiBried, and that in some inotancefj those divided aohcola were early districts. In 1715 a petition frorr the faniers residing on the w-^Ht side of th^-? river in ^alTin-Tord was to the ef ect that oince so many of thera live i remote from the town and were at such great disadvantage as to the eiuoaticn of their children, they earnestly desired to havg a school of their o^m,^ This request wtis granted and the town waa divided into two school districts that year.^ 1. Caulkim, History of Norwich, 93-94 2. Town 'Record of Colchester, 17 3. Huntington, TTiet ry of ^taniford, 345 4. Davis, History of »allin-ford, 314 5. Ibid. Nor^alk, in 1730, had t*^ fiob ola, cnfl at thfl nm-th snd of town and on'j at thq ooutr. end. 'imllarly tfisre were divid- ed ;ohoolfi in five ether towns. ^ In flomfl instanc?^ tTr^f^e part** w^ro given certain nanan, Knflald oallel hir divlalonq of the dlvide-l nchool "tarts", foraa I" ^'^^'^ ^^'^ ^^^"^ "'*'' (iivided into five par to and not only was Diatriot 8*°^ part allowed tc driw 1 ta prorortion of money, but a Coraraittee.'Tian was li-polnted in eioh ] art to r'^oeivg the pro- portion of monej: due that r art and to see that it was applied ■T for ^ichoollnp- when it belontred. *^o here we have the early dl fJtrtct 00fi;mittee, or the prudential cor.nittee, showing that these "parte" in ^nfleld were in reality dintricts though not 80 called. TnfleM in 1727 oalled the divl*?lone "precincts". That year the town voted that eich precinct have the proror- tion of money belonsin/s *o them for their own improvement of 1 Bohool that year,^ Two other t-^sma applied to the early dif^trlot were "eiuaddoms" and "eocletlee" and wl M be di 'OU'^eed in relation to the evolution of the dletrlot in th^ society. It ie evident that wany of the townfi were divided Into districts before they were designated as dlRtr'cts, and ''orraa- ;ion betore the law of 176S which authorized then, to be formed. Into Jlatricta -tatnford hai three districts in 1702,^ '^aUin'rford had two in 1715,6 Norwalk two in 17;C,'7 T^edding two in 174^,8 1. TTill, History of NorwaU, 110 2. Theee towne wore M-^riden, infield, faterbury, Re "ling and Pldgefl«ld. 3. Allen, History of i^nfleld T, 414 4. Ibid. 5. M'.ntlnrton, Hl?itcry of "^taiiiford, 346 6. Davifj, History of "a lingford, 7. Hall, History of Norwalk, 110 8. Tod , History of Heiding, 138 aitical u Fnfield thr«e in 1750,1 T?ldgQfi9ld five in 1761^^ and six in 1763.1-^ Other dlvisionn were formed before 17f^r,, but were formed from the sooletiee whloh will be discuaned next* The weparationfl for school purposes were to olo^iely linked with the reparation for eooleei'^atloal rurp^ see that to have a clear underet^andln.? of there, one fnu??t oon^^lder the •ooleeiaetioal affalro of the eirly aettlern of Oornect- iout. The ohuroh in thoie day^i v t^? the mcuI and cent'=jr of the town. At first there was one ohuroh for the entire settlement, but aa the ^e^^letient c^rew thrne dwelllnr on the outekirte would grndualTy cj^.i'? a*^^' endanrje at +ihifl central I)laoe and finally would a«»V for services to tas held in their own neighborhood. '^Ith a Ti^'nint^r among; them, a r.eetlng house would be built anl an on*^; «.'oul) naturf^lTy oonolude, the next step was the eohool. T*:<^ nembern o^ these chu>*ch 0r'anl7,at1 ens callei th«>ae Hvielrnfl "societies," so that nai.i? Qa'^meJ to roeon a cori..oany oC people whons cost chnracter- iatic object wag the welfare and preservation of the church. Thi!? diviiion into separate --aT-lBh orfranir.ations is very well illustrated in the h:<>qtory of ^^tarsfcrd. As the town inore 'sed In population, the inhabitants living to the north, about eleven riile!i fron ''tan.ford, anV*?d to att<»nd 4 meetinr at Pound ^id?e. Until 'ibout 1^7?; th**! peer le of Greenwich, in th? sou ♦^h west pi rn coj'ner of ''^tap-ford, were regard >'1 ^« belcnGin/; to tha^ rRi»-!nh ^r,i they ha.i no r^^nilar 1. Allen, History of ^nfield I 2. Telle', History of Rldfrefleld, 15fi 3. Ibid. 4. TTuntin.^^ton, Hintcry of ^tamford 14.''— 144 ;l9- iiaat ioal jpara- :iona iit ioal >0l8 llOp- Of iriot lin firat Lety iaor or permanent aooiety. In 172C the Inhabitants of the northern portion of "^ta ford ware rflleaned from paying to the rainiBter at ?;tamford if they attended worehlp at Bedford and helped maintain the mlnieter there. ^ N««» Canaan, which was made up of carta of Norwalk and ^tamford, waH a diatijict pariah of ??ta";ford In 1731,*^ In 1682 the Inhabl tanta of fimabury were granted perraiafilon to gather a churoh."* Aa to the aettin,'^, up of -"jh ola in^ the new aooletiee, "^iinabury, In 1734, waa allowed 1 ta school money from ^^ tan ford. "^ An inatance where a aooiety waa formed with achool prlvilegee la well 'la church wan that of the Fast farmers in Ouilford who were jlven perml^aion in 1702 to be a aooiety by themaelves, to procure a mlnlater and build a rieetlnt^ house. ^ The f^^eneral Court gave them {lerraiaaion to embody thenaelv'^a in churoh estate and to hav^ the privilege of the achool money within the bounds of the "cclety. The develofment of the district within the f^'ociety la ahown in the history of Windsor and New Britain. Up to 1703 the aohool affalra in Windsor were in charge of the town.' «fter 1702 the control of achool matters was gradually taken over by the ecolaalaatlcal aocietiea or {iarlshes.^ In 1G98 there waa the movin-^ achool in Windsor, thre*? months on the e^at aide of the Oreat ^iver and nine montha on the weat aide. in 1712-1713 that portion on the 1. Hijntlri -ton. History of '^ta'^i ford, 144 2. Ibid. 145 3. TbVi. 4. T^ubllc Peoor 1 of Connecticut V, 217 5. TTiintlfi'^ton, Hlatory of "^tar,fori, 346 6. ^ubllo ^acorlSof Connecticut V, 31-35 7. Ibid. 8. ^^tlleT, Hlatory of Ancient irindaor, 400 9. Ibid. 401 w«at aide of the Connectlout river became the first "oclgty of 5?in(i3or and that portion east becai-e the Second Society of Windsor.^ From 1713-1713 to 1720 the First '^'oolety had a single aohool. That year it was voted that the Society would have two Bchools, ona on the north aide and one on the south qide of the Little river, to be ker t by two naflters,* Thia, however, wig refused by the General Aseernbly.S in 17r?2 30 Iba, was raised on the ^'oolety liet for eohooling and It was votei to divide the money accordinp; to the llete of estatee on e-ich aide of the Rivulet, and to a r ly to the Aseembly for a division Into two school sooleties.^ Their petition wa3 opposed by twenty thre«? persona wh'^ said that . 1. One school at two hons'iT, as )ieretofore, is preferred. 2. One fnaater cm teach all the scholars, 3, Multlrlloatlon of schools vlll increase expense. 4. New -lohool houses will have to be built. 5. It «rill open a door for school Booiotlea.* < petition, however, si-^ned by sixty-one parsons in 1713 r^^fiulted that year in the First ?='ociety being divided into two school districts, one on the north side, and the other on the south side of the Rivulet.*^ In 1773 the f^oc Lety was divided into three dlstrlots. 9 «bout 1700 the educational interests of the town east of the river seem to have passed Int the hands of the ''ooiety 1. ''tile^^. History of 'Ancient Tindaor, 400 2. Ibid. 407 3. Ibid. 403 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid. 7. Ibid. Q, Ibid. 4f^4 9. Ibid. under th*? oharge of Rev. v.r. Kdvrirda, 1 In 1698 there was one aohool. 2 In 1703 it -vaq voted that "there ehall be a eohool lop- of 'tri ot t e kt ip lety lew ia'n and dlvid-id ae it waa la^t year"^ from whloh we know that it wa« the moving «?ohool. In 1713 it w^q voted that the school money be divided Into three parts, one above ^oantio riv=?r, another from there to '^•^t. Newberry's Brook, and the third 4 from there to Hartford ''ine. Tn 1718 it -wan voted to keep the !=ioh''Ol« In two plaoeg. "Thy two, Instead of three, as in 171;^, Is not understood, unle'=?^ they washed to combine certain rarts, Tn 1719 a similar vote v?as taken, one school to be located below and the other above the meetino; house, ^ In 17^11 three school^? wer-? voted for. Tn 17.'^4 schools were kept in six places. *^ How many districts the "^eoond "Society was finally divld-^d Into is not r-^orrded, 'Jhen the oblig^itlon to maintain a school wao extended to societies in 1717, the Oreat ?^warcp ?^oclety of flreat Britain •I olnted a Corcmltteo to see about a school.'^ This Committee reported that because their "oclety was so scattered and it was so dl "Clcult for the children to attend a general sohrol In. the ?!oclety a great part of the year, they recommended that the 'Society be divided into five s-juaddanis for the more crn- venlent school of the children. ^° The brands of ennh s^uaddair were given ani the money allowed was to be divided to each 1, ''tiles. History of snclent 'Windsor, 404 P,, Ibid. 400 3. Ibid. 407 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid. 7. Ibid. a. Ibid. 408 9. Csjtip, HlTtor-y of New Britain, ^15 IC. Ibid. "16 8 luaddam aocor ling to th*? H??t of the Inhabitants wlttvln the lif'iita, and the r^nt of thfl oharj;e« wan to b« left with th9 parents or iiJiatera of the ohildrfln.^ i^rom the dlvlalon of raonsy on*? reust oonoluda that thin w^a th*? divided school and W-1-? the bef^innino; of the district eystera. The New Britain Society of New Britain was incorporated in 1754,2 At once a Lop- ^^ meeting was held and a vote taken to keep a soh ol^. Three le I**^'^^ men were chosen a oopimittee to order a school,^ A school n t...3 If Britain ^;^3 g^t up and sunported, aside from the county and land oolety money, by one half rate on the scholars and one half by the 'of I^aw rltain "oolety.'^ Tl-iis Ne-'ir Britain ^oclety, it is intere:^ting to learn, was the North siuaddan, o^ district of the fJreat '^•*a«ip "'oolety.i^ In 1V75 a ootr;raltte=» was irpointed to view the -oclety and form lines for four sohoo' dintrlots in the Society,"'' Tn 1706, New Britain, in aocordan.e with the law, organized the Nev; Britain School "^ociety, ayj olntinj, a Moder- ator and flch-^ol ooii.mi ^teo of four,^* To axxi'jn^r' za the forniatlon of dlotriots in th^ 'Societies is in thfl to-s-iifi: tha rsr^^at '^wamp Society of New Britain had [ricts five siuadda.tis or dl'it riots in 171o,^ the '^ooiety of Stamford ^•tie& ha^ twenty-el-iht in 1734,^^ the First Society of Waterbury had four In 1738, ^''' the Stratford «^ooiety of Bridgeport had three in 1706, l*' the iP'arminjsbury winter ^arif^h of ''olco* t in 1770 had nine,^"^ the Farmington "nciety of New Britain was 1. C.,; , TM^itory of New Britain, i^ „ tf* * * •» * v, n-^- ' ' ' 10, Bronson, History of T!i%terbury,n3r 11. Orout*,"! story of Brid-report,,!] in, OrCutt,TM itr.T^v nf "nl cot + ,198 >rn:i- of • Ibii. •n? 3. Ibid. 313 4-. I bid. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid, 7. Ibid. c3. Ibid. «?19-roo ^, Ibid. •U6 Taxes) •neral iscuss- ons of »thods i )port land pport dlfltrlcted in 1772,^ although the numbty of Kaw Milford had tventy-one in 17b2 ^ and th^ Flrat ^oclety of Dan^iry hid thr-e in 1791. -^ Viriou? m«thod« of supfOT-t w»»re used lay th^na dlfltrlota and fioolsti'^fl. Tax<9fl wa>i a /fio«jt common rosanw. It la roost probabla tJiat thl^ m(9thod waa employad In all the towns and societi'sa, tHit only tJifellP'^ stive a dflflnlt^ ^statement, ''"hftra in quit4» a dlff^renoe In th« amount of rat,«»q levied for smpfort of th'j fjohoolq In th*? towns and aooietl'^s. For aaveral yaara from 1770 th^ Flrwt "oclety of Oullford grantad a ra*a which waa generally a farthing or i h.ilf panny on the pound, ^ "^ha i^ooiety of Torrinj;ton in 17'jl laid a tax of ona panny and ona half on th« llata for aohoola,® in 1770 four ihillinsa on tha pound fof aohools,^ and aft^r 17^5, aoma yaara voted a tax of fro aix to aiijht rdillR, aoKiatlirK^a on-? oant on tha dollar but jr, ore frajuantly aavan and alght mi 11a, '^ Land vfJiq another raathod of support, "r. a♦•^'^ -i ^hia land waa aat apart for th^ b'snefit of th" achoola at the time of tha aattlawant of tha town and waa aithar sold and tha interaot on the prooeade davoted to the aohoola, <"'- ^hey ware rentad and tha rant uaai for tha aarca purpoaa. Tullford,ln in71,flat aaida lani for fiohool purpoaaa.*^ "tnfiald, in 1679, aat aalda a forty aora allotii!«nt for aohoola-*-^^ -^^^ ' in 160^ -'- ^ b,ini"i*'«»d 1, Cam , HlHtory of New Britain, .'!13 '\ Croutt, History of Waw Mllford -i ^h ?-... ^ tar, 17:^-17 t 3, Haily, History of "^anbury, 343 4, Theaa ara '^Inoha^tar , Ouilford,Norff io'., nolohsTtisr, Fni'lald, "tairtford, Maridan, Padaini!, T?idga.riald, '^^^rhury, loahan and ^allin^'ford 5, 'tairHar, History of ^utLford •*. MHdlaon,400 6, Croutt, History of -^^ r^^-t 'ton, 145 7, Ibid. 6. Ibid, 146 9. ;^»^8lnar, History of Guilford. 10, Allan, History of ^Cnflald, I 64-65 »rn srve tds kways lationa bury. In 1698, q«t aside land for «ohool purf.o3«?8. The "^eqtern T.and^* w^is anothflr aid to thfl rjohool« of Connecticut. Th % origin of thl'? land ha-? b«^^n ilTOu^^iod on pag9 4 of Part I. Th-"^ sociati'Sfi nnd districts of atarUiry*^ Nsw Milford/ Ns V nritaln,^ Ridgeflftld,^ and Norwich''' derend'^i on thf> ^astern Landn for a part of th«ir surport. By thi la* of 1795 all th3 district?? in tli« state w*»r« benefittsd by th'? Interest of tho fund arising from the ^stsrn "Remt-ry/^ Lands, th«» origin of ^fhioh has bs-^n dlscuss- •d on Page 9^ ^f Part I of this chaptsr, '^hi.^ fund was distrlbutQ'i among the diatriots in proportion to the number of children in each,'-' Portions of the hli?hways in Nex Pritain had been sold or granted to individuals before 1784,^ ^t a town meeting that year it was voted to sell th» hl-'hways not nscessary for public una and to a rly th-^ prooe-^do tc defray the • xpen^^e of Mohools in each society. 10 Tho parish of New Britain a ;,olntsd ". oomn-ilt^e-* of four to make the sale and tti^y '^old frojfi th ^ highways land unneoessa'-y for travel to the amount of 963 lb. 1-3 s. d. Tarnations also formed a part o^ tho school au'port. The Fir^st '^oclety of Hgur Milford d^iriviJ. i art of Ita school money from alegaoy of Benoni '^tebblns, who left It land In 175:, uid vrhloh was sold ^or rtCO lh,^2 liy. ^ Ls'.Tin, of New 1. -Ulan, History of rnfteld, uh S, Bronson, Wlitorv o^ "^-^rbury, ''.^S 3. Ibid. 4. Oroutt, TTistcry of Ka-v -ilford, 173 5. Camr , History of New Britain, 2iex 6. ^kil^, T'lfltory of ^idge'"ield, 150 7. Caulktns, Hfcatory of Norwich, 547 '.. Ibid. ir. Ibid. Ltlon Int -? r ; ; t on «V riuS ft VI' son Hav«n, a native of foloott , left "^8500. CO to tha '^ohool ^colety of ^olcott to b^ htld as \ p«nr.'in• '♦ every part of the to*n that had f^ohools wh? to hav« Ita fjroportion of wood,^ Th.) difltriot<« in ^'^'Mtn^ ^ar^ ben«jfitt'?d by %he interest ariaing on achool bon.l?i, to b*^ a ; roprlated by th*» committee of the di*»t riots annually. "^n unuflual distribution o^ money to th*? dintrictn waa th«j r^vttnue from the prison in Newgate whioh paid ?7000.00 to the school di«trlote in the '^tate for flohool apparatus.^ Enfield in 17'13 vot - ' <'>=)+ 1 --' lb. old tenor be pni' ^o the aohoole xai that th« sura g-ranted nhruldl be paid in fi;ocd board*, iron, pork and grain at ou^^ent pricefi,^ schcclo in ioOO t^n follows: (1) ^ roiluo'? of RnleH of landa in Litchfiold County, (z) j^roduce of excis'; duty laid on rum and 1, Orcutt, Hiitory of ^oloctt, rol 3, Ibid. 3. Croats History of N-^w ?aifc"d, 17;i 4. Daviti, Hi-tory of ▼ailin- ford, 315 5. "tiles, Hifjtcry of nnd5?or,I,39?3 6. Croutt, RiN^tory of "«roloott, '"01 7. All«n, History of ^Infield I, 3'JO a. Toil, History of Reillns, 139 D. 10. iU-»n, Tfi^tory of Engield T, 400 lOW Ippor- lonsd •ft;; en and tea J (3) 40 8hllll.ni'.8 on th« tJiou^and; (4) produoe of aalefl of vftntftrn lanio; (5) in ca??9 of d*»floirjnoy ^ tax on Boholars. There wero four r-iethodR of apportioning money. 'According to th«) list waq the method used by: the Orent f^warip ''ociety of N^jw Britain in 171'^ In aj)rortlonin'T, money to Itn five squad- rons,'^ Ncrwalk in 17.']0,3 ^j^^ First "^ociety of »irdsor in 17^2/ Pediing In 1764,^ th<9 First 'Society of Winohes+er In 1773,*' and the <^oc!^ty in Stanford in 1775,"^ R«d'?lng In 174.n,8 ''nfisld in 1749,^ and the Firat -ocjety of Pid*?-? field in l-^Bi^ divided the 'school money equally, ^'^ Th*^ town of <^taraford in 17G2 divii-ij the »ohool woney acoordin' to* the number of scholars, and the First ^'oolsty of Ns^ Mllford distributed the «^tebbln Legacy in 175e by the same method^^as did the '^ohool ♦Society of foloott wlt}i the Lewis legaoy.-^'^ Enfield In 1730 gave 200 lb. to the niidile part, 40 lb. to the rart north of Fr-^shwa'-.er, 30 lb. to fall%p, to ^'rltioo 38 lb, and to «mlth End 9 Ib.-^** 's in ■^uasaoh-^etts and New HamriShire the <='eleot en wsre an important committee, both in the early history and the later, as evidenced by the law of 1750, ^^ '''hey provided school- I. Teller, Hl.-^tory of ^Id.crefield, 156 ?,^ Catcp, Tfi„t.ory of Ne* Britain, PIG ^- \hJJl, HL^tory of Nor^'alk, 110 4, '"tlls.4, TTl=^tory of 'nclent Windsor, 403 5, Tod 5, wi-tcry of ^eMin'-, 13.-; ^» K^i^in-iJ^ TTi:,tf}ry of ''lnoh'^Tt«?r, 217 7« Hunt in^jtofi, ' Htstcry of ^'taiVLford, 348 8. Told, Hi-itory of Red Jin'i, 138 9, All^n, Hi^Jtcry of 5:nfield I, 414 ic. Teller, m^tory of Pldgsfl-ld, \^H II, Hunt in,^ on, Hi'Uory of ^tai;:ford, 343 13. Orcutt, History of New Milford. 173 13. Orcutt, History of 'oloott, 201 14. Mien, TTlatory of ^nfleld I, 4lC 15. Oarnard, amerioan Journal of •'^d. 4, 701-703 ilt*« "s maatsrs, Insjootfld th« qohoole,^ ordered th« tliri« and tl^en, plao9 and plao«s, and divld'^d th^ f?oh ol money. "chool 00mmitta<9fl w«!r« n point »1 to y arform many of *h" duties that th« '^electuen per;orit.e:. They determined the bound.^ of the plaoe where the «^ohool was to be kept,' proportioned the money to the nchoola,° agreed with the nohrcl-maeter, rented the school lands'' and saw to the re- airing oi Bchool-houses, fence?, eto.^ '1th th-i forraatlon Into dls^trlote there wib the committee to district the towns and eocietiee, ^nfield in 1754 ajpointei ^ot- a co/croittee of nine to district, ^ T^addin?' In 1764 a co .'vltte* joro- >•• of three, ^^ r^d rinn'oury In 1789 a oonunlttee of three. ^2 \9 tho '^i/ipiiona or aocietiT^a of the town became able to Balntain thei f own =johool9, instead of being «ubject to a general oo/iunlttee, they wer*^ eubject to a conirilttee a pointed from their own parta. In 1750 in infield the '^ohooln were rlct- FOm- divided into three parts and a certain eum was granted to each part. The dietrict oormittee here in evidenced toy the fact that one i.an from e-ich part was appointed to take care o" the money for hie part,^* Tn 1790, in ^incheeter, there were six districts !\r\'i one fuan a coniraittee for each of the five district* I. DavlB, History of ?allln^for1, 110 ?., Camp, Hifitoryof New Britain, ni7 3. Ulen, TTiRtory of Knfield T, 418 4, Cclche^ster Town Peoor", 16 5. r?.-lain, Pembroke, iSto," I "Ria Inspection or the Viflitin5i Coifiialttee In the New Britain fnsFection Coolety of New Britain in 1772 oonaistod of seven men.'' In 17f)8 :ommittee ♦ ju there were nine overaeere for tlie Inspection Coi'.mittee. From ■ & ■ 1753 to 1736 the care of the public sohoole in New Mil ford waa jverse'sra wholly with ths Flrnt Voolei=«i^??tioal "ociety.^ In I Ofi in town meg tin,:, it waa voted that a visiting oo.amittee of fichools in the several eohool dletriote be entitled to reoeiv« out of the fo'fln Treasury tho sum of '^,75 er day, and that eacV Bohool L b3 viaitel twice the en^iuin . year.^ The '^aoond ' oclety of l^indsor in 1717 had a vlaitln'^ committee of three and the New I 7 Britain r'ooiety in 17fi0 hai nine Overqeera. The law of 1717 reiuiro:^ the a^ pointment of a eohool 3 ooismittee of thr-^e from each ec^leeiietioal ^oolety, ' In exam- ining the town histories and reoorde, I found very little deviation from this nuniber. In Urj oa«e of -^tamford in 1736, =lchool Commit teee from tlie coiuraitt ^9 for the Middle portion or '"oolety of tHe town Scclsaiagt- ical conaiat'sd of tvo.''^ In 1744, in the same town, th« oo.cmittee 'ocietiss a ; -'tiis to have corielHted of eleven soen. In th*? New Britain Society of New Britain, the oo-nmltt'^e in 1756 oonnleted of three's men, in 1757-5G of three, 1758-59 of three but in 1761 of two toen, ^^ l.r2wn^,TTli3tory of nnc^e=Jter, ni8 :\ Billy, HlHtory of ""anbury, 341 3. Camp, History of Ne^ Britain, "17 4. Ibid. 5. Orcutt, ntgtory of New Mil ford, 478 6. Ibid, 7. Camp, HlHitory of N 3W Britain, -0 8. Clewe, ?d, Legl>^lTHon of the Col.Oov, 90 9. Huntlnf,ton, Hi.4tory of ^ta'f.ford, 347 in. TMH. n. Oamn. Hiaf.rtrv of TJftw Britain. TtO Blblio^.rar hy of '^orY:^ -on«ultf?d T'rlmary '^ourofla 1. Town ^^oordfl ColoheTt^r Town n«oord« TTartford 1^364 2, Public Peoords Vol. V, By Vol. XIT, IT. Peoondary "ourcea 1. Trvn Hi '.tori eg J. Hoadley, 17CG-171G TT^rtford ipfo J. Wc-iiley, 17C8-1716 TTartfcrd 1570 Orcutt, * Hi'jtory of the '^ity of Bri lAnri-Iw^G New Haven, -t. Bally, Mien, f'h'jnok, A History of r'^rby, lG4?-lo..;0, "I'jtcry of '>Hnbury, 16/M-lft96, History of ^nfleld I, to l-SO, Lano^Bter History of Fairfl-^ld T, 1639-1.1 ^rrlngfidi4 1800 New Yrrk 1395 1900 » New YcrVla89 ?'t'jiner,A HiTtory of Guilford A Mudlflon,Ealtim'ore Lovi, A Rletory of Hartford Hartford Oroutt, History of N-^jt Mll^ord 4 Brllajw^ter, 17r;;-.ii;on Hartford Camr, A History of New Rrltaln, IG4C- l'f-3 New Britai O'lulkin^i, n ^i«itory of New London, lGl?!-lfiGn No* Londrn H'lll, History of Ncrwallc C^ulklnn, Hlintory of Norwich, from its poeoens^lcn by tha Indl^^na to 1866 Hartford Todd, A History of nediing, from nettle- from the 1641 ment to 'resent tlrae. Teller, Hletory of '^Ifl'^'^fleld, flr^t qet*-1errent until pr'^n«nt tine. Huntln>',ton, History of '^ tar. ford, to ^ r' sent tli*te Orcutt, History of Torrlngton 1737- Davia, History of "yalllngford, 1G70 yr-^-ent tlfie BronflOn,Hl3tory of Taterbury ?3tlle9, Hiotory of 'nclent Windsor I Rcyd, iinn-ilps of -Tlfich'jater Orcutt;, HlHtory of ^olcott, I731-li374 Ne-r York Its to III, ;4iflio3llaneous Cle^n, iTducatlonal Le^^^lalation of the Colonl;^l Oovern .entd. ?" tain ford A 1 bany J'erlden ^aterbury Hartford '"terbury YTL^xaT Lyv^u^- 1H97 1914 1383 1889 1B95 1^66 lfi«0 1680 18B8 1878 1870 1858 1873 1874 Barnard, "merloan Journal of ''ducation TV, Hartford 1370 Ch*pt«'' IV. Comparlnon and ^^umrnary a«i to; I. L«>51 illation IT. Evolution of Oistrlot I, As to forw a, 'Single ''ohool b. Moving School o. Divid'*'! "ohool . , "or i.at ion of Di nt r i o t 3. "tur-port 4, m«»thod-^ of apportioning Funds 5, CoHtJuitt^^a Legislation of the Three States In considering the legislation of the three states, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, one must bear in mind that New Hampshire was for thirty -nine years united with the Massachusetts colony, and that the law of 1647 in Ma8 8a(5husett8 extended to the former colony. The first law in Massachusetts which had reference to the district was passed in 1768 and allowed the major part of the inhabitants of any precinct tb raise money for schools, thus "setting off" a part of a settlement. In 17S1 the recog- nition of the parish in New Hampshire showed the first recog- nition of another unit than the town. In 1789, Massachusetts sanctioned the district formation, while in New Hampshire the power of the parishes to tax was the next step. This power was given to the Massachusetts districts in 1800, and in 1817 they were made corporate bodies. In 1827 Massachusetts trans- ferred all the power of the town to the districts, in that the districts had the prudential committees to take charge Of all school affairs in the district. In New Hampshire the power to district was given in 1805, and as in Massachusetts was only the confirmation of a practice that had been steadily gaining ground for over half a century. In 1808 the district in New Hampshire was made a corporate body and in 1827, as in Massachusetts, there was legalized the Prudential committee to assiime control of the schools in their districts. The legislation in Connecticut took place vinder different conditions from those in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In 1701 an act was passed to the effect that the inhabitants of each town should pay annually the 40 shillings in every 1000 lb. in their respective lists toward the support of a school master. Some of the towns contained parishes, and in 1717 it was ordered that the ecclesiastical societies should receive the money collected. In this way the church or parish assumed charge (?f funds that belonged to the town as a unit. Where before the parish had been co-extensive with the town it now began to a-^sunie control of civil matters; it was becoming a district. In 1741 the Society Committees in the different towns received their proportion of the interest from the 'ITestern lands. In 1750 the Committees from each society, when there was more than one society, were legally appointed. The law which authorized towns and societies to divide into dis- tricts was enacted in 1766. The laws of 1795 and 1798 marked the consummation of the district in Connecticut. By the former was created the "school society," separate from the old eccles- iastical society and to which was given the management of the schools. In 1798 each society was given power to appoint a number of persons, not exceeding nine, to be overseers or visitors of the school " to examine, approve and dismiss school- teachers. " So that while the district emerged in the states of Massachusetts and Mew Hampshire in the same general way, the district in Connecticut came into existence through the church, since it was because of the ecclesiastical separations and ecclesiastical separations with school privileges that the district formation evolved. The Evolution of the District The steps by which the district emerged were essentially the same in the three states. First there was the single school in the center of the town or settlement. As the popu- lation increased and spread outward, those living on the out skirt-s* found the distance too great to attend the school in the center, so the next step was the moving school whereby one master made the rounds, holding school a certain length of time in each section of the town. The inconveniences of this plan were so great in that each section naturally could not have so long a period of schooling when other sections had to have their turns. Moreover the length of their school term depended upon the Selectmen or a Pchool committee, so thalf.the number of inhabitants increased in these outskirts they would ask for schools of their own; hence the next step was the divided school where each section of the town had its own teacher. From the discussion of the evolution of the district in the three states, it is seem that many of these early sections of the divided school were granted such powers by the town that marked them as districts in their early formations. After they were granted the privilege of having their own teacher, they asked for their proportion of school money J or they began to select their own teacher, a duty which hitherto had belonged to the Selectmen or a General School Comraitteej they selected a place for the school-house and selected committees from their own sections to attend to the building of them, or to raanafje the school affairs in their sectiona. Thus they became districts although they were not so called. They were given other names as ajigles, divisions, parts, parishes, precincts, quarters, ricks, squadrons, streets, wards, dioceses, forts, claasea and societies. While in some cases these terms were used merely as geograj»hical locations in many instances, as has been shown in the preceding chapters of this thesis, these early sections of the divided school were forms of the district in that they had one or more powers of the district. In all these states, the laws authorizing the formation of districts only sanctioned a practice that had been steadily growing for years. In Massachusetts twelve forms of the early district, although not so called, were formed before 1768, twenty before the law of 1789 and twenty four before the law of 1827. Of thirty-eight towns that district- ed, using the word district, seven districted before 1768, fourtsen before 1789 and thirty-seven before 1827. In New Hampshire, before the law of 1805, out of t-.venty-one towns eighteen districted before 1805, beginning in 1739. In Connecticut ten towns had districted before the law of 1766. The principal methods of sch-ol support common to the three states were taxes, lands, donations, tuition and school funds. Taxes was employed more generally in Massachusetts than in either of the other two states. Donations was not found to be a source of support in New Hampshire, but was in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Neither were tuition fees depended upon in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as in Connecticut. Tuition fees were com.:ion in Jiassachusetts at an early date, but not late enough to affect the district. New Hampshire's school fund was the Literary Fund; Connecticut's came from the sale of the J^estern Lands and the Western Reserve. Massachusett 's school fund was establish- ed in 1834. Massachusetts differed from New Hampshire and Connecticut in the apportionment of the school funds in that: (1) she used a greater variety of methods in apportioning them, and (2) she used as her most prevalent method "according to the number of the children in the district" while the towns of New Hampshire and Connecticut distributed their funds mostly ty the proportion of taxes that each district paid in. Connect- ict had only four methods of apportionment: (1) according to the list, (3) according to the number of scholars, (3) equally and (4) unequally. Massachusetts had sixteen methods in all (that is, up to 1S37) many of which were combinations of the principal methods as "one half equally and the other half according to the niimber of scholars." In Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, the Selectmen were the earliest school committee. Upon them developed various duties connected with the schools, as hiring the teachers, determining the length of the school term, divid- ing the town into parts, apportioning school money, moving the school-masters, etc. In the three states the next stage of evolution was the general school committee that took over many of the duties of the Selectmen; in Massachusetts, this committee consisted of from anywhere from one to eleven members, in New Hampshire of about five members and in Connecticut of from two to seven. As the towns began to feel the need of dividing themselves Into parts or districts, there emerged the districting committee to divide the town, f-oraetimes the duty feel to the Selectmen or the General School Committee. This districting committee was found in all the three states. The District, or Prudential Committee, was the highwater mark of the district, and as such had developed in Massachusetts seventy-four years before the law of 1827 authorized it to be formed as the "Precinct Committee" of Bridgewater. In 1798 each society of Connecticut was to appoint overseers, to examine approve amd dismiss teachers, but before this date it was usual to appoint one man from each district to take care of that district. The District Prudential Committee in New Hampshire was authorized in 18S7, and as did the Prudential Committee of Massachusetts and Connecticut, emphasized the transfer of control from the town to the district. Other committees which were not so important in the evolution of the district, were the Central Inspection Com- mittees of Massachusetts and the Superintending Committee of New Hampshire, From my investigation I should conclude that the formation of towns into districts was not beneficial for these reasons: 1. It lead to unequal distribution of wealth, as we have seen from the discussion of apportionment of funds in the three states considered, 8, This unequal distribution of funds naturally resulted in unequal provision of advantages of education among the different communities. 3. It lead to division of authority and control. Where before the town was the unit, the district becajne the education- al unit, thus decreasing and destroying central organization, 4. In Connecticut, besides the disadvantages heretofore mentioned, the district combined ecclesiastical control with civil control Resulting in the apportionment of school revenues to religious bodies. BEWARE OB' L05S REPLACEMENT PRICE OVER FIFTEEN CENTS PER PAGE Receipt for return given if requested