· THE FIRST TOWN SCHOOL AND SCHOOLMASTERS.

The school policy of the early settlers of New Haven was substantially the same as in the River towns, and has been briefly described in the chapter on the School Polity of Connecticut. The citations from the early records which follow,* are more full and throw additional light on the difficulties of establishing schools in a new community-schools which shall meet the educational wants of parents who had enjoyed good opportunities themselves, and at the same time not be too burdensome to the poor who do not appreciate.

The first emigrants to New Haven could nearly all of them read the Bible; about three-quarters of the men could write at least their names. Among fortyeight freemen who signed the Fundamental Agreement, previous to 1640, thirty-five signed their own names, and thirteen made their marks.

As early as 1641, it was ordered that a free school shall be sett up in this towne, and our pastor, Mr. Davenport, together with the magistrates shall consider whatt yearly allowance is meete to be given to itt out of the common stock of the towne, and also what rules and orders are meet to be observed in and about the same.

The same order is repeated in a more extended form four years later, in a revision of such orders as were regarded of a more permanent nature, as follows:

For the better trayning upp of youth in this towne, that through God's blessinge thay may be fitted for publique service hereafter, either in church or commonwealth, is ordered that a free schoole be sett upp, & the magistrates with the teaching elders are entreated to consider what rules and orders are meete to be observed, and what allowance may be convenient for the school master's care and paines which shal be paid out of the townes stocke. According to which order, £20 a year was paid to Mr. Ezekiel Cheevers, the present schoole-master, for two or three years at first, but that not proving a competent maintenance, in August, 1644, it was enlarged to £30 a year and so continueth.

Mr. Cheevers' connection with the School continued eleven years. In 1649 he was put on trial before the First Church in New Haven on charges which in no way affected the general correctness of his life and character, and which in our day would be esteemed both frivolous and impertinent, but on which he was convicted. The next years Cheevers removed to Ipswich, and subsequently to Boston, where he died in 1708.

The immediate successor of Cheevers was William Jeanes or Janes, under the following vote of the town:

Oct. 3, 1650.-It was propounded that a schoolmaster might be provided for the town. The court approved the motion and chose the Magistrates, Elders, Deacons and Deputies for the particular court to consider when to have one and what salary to allow and whether the town should not bear a part and the parents of the children taught a part, and whether parents should not be compelled to put their children to learning, at least to learn English and to wright. May 19, 1651-For the encouragement of Mr. Janes in teaching school, the court ordered that he should have £10 for this year, to be paid out of the

Historical Sketch of Public School Instruction, in New Haven, by Horace Day, Secretary of the Board of Education, in City Year Book for 1872.

† Mr. Cheever's answer to the charges of offensive carriage, both in private meetings of the Church and in the Public Assembly, and the necessity of casting him out until his stiff and proud spirit is brought into more member-like frame,' will be found in Connecticut Historical Society's Collections, Vol. I.

Town Treasury; the year to begin when he begins teaching, which was the The rest he is to take of the parents of the children that he teacheth.

by the quarter, to make him up a full recompense for his paines.

Oct. 29, 1651.-Mr. Janes desired to know of the town if they would not give him liberty to go to Wethersfield to accept the proffer made him to teach school, for he heareth there is another coming hither and there will not be employment for both. Upon this motion he had (by vote) liberty given him to go, yet so as they desyred he would stay if he see good.

14 Nov. 1651.-The Governour acquainted the court that now the schoole master is come, and some course must be taken to provide for his lodging and dyet, and to repair the schoole-house, and consider what the town will allow him a yeare and what his worke shall be. Therefore it is necessary a committee should be chosen to treate with him. The court chose the ruling Elder, the four deputies and the treasurer as a committee to treat with him and provide for him and declare that they are willing to allow him £30 a yeare out of the treasury or any greater summe as they can agree not exceeding £40, and that his worke should be to perfect male children in ye English after they can reade in their Testament or bible, and to learne them to wrighte and so bring them on to latin as they are capable and desire to proceede therein.

17 Nov. 1661. The Committee appointed the last court to treate and agree with the schoole master, acquainted the court with what they had done, viz: that he proposed to have £20 a yeare and the towne to pay for his chamber and dyet (which they have agreed with Mr. Atwater for, for 5s. a weeke): That he have libbertie once a yeare to goe see his friends which was propounded to be in harvest time: That his paye bee goods, and some of it such as wherewith he may buy bookes, and defraye charges in his travel. That if he be called away (not to the same worke) but some other imployment which may be for the honour of Christ, he may have libbertie; and for this he will teach the children of this towne (having the benefit of strangers to himself) after they are entered and can reade in ye Testament, to perfect them in English and teache them their latin tongue, as they are capable, and to wright. After consideration the Towne voted to accept ye termes propounded.

11 March, 1652.-The Governour acquainted the court that he heard the schoole master is somewhat discouraged because he hath so many English scholars which he must learn to spell, which was never the townes mind, and it was now ordered that the schoole master shall send back such scholars as he sees doth not answer the first agreement with him, and the parents of such children were desired not to send them.

The teacher to whom these notices refer was Thomas Hanford, or Handford, who came to this country in 1637, and settled at Scituate. He was a teacher in Roxbury, Mass., before his removal to New Haven. His connection with the school in New Haven lasted less than a year. He removed to Norwalk in 1662, and was the first pastor of the church. His death occurred in 1693.

8 Nov. 1652.-The Governor informed the court that the cause of calling this meeting is about a schoole master, to let them know what he hath done in it; he hath written a letter to one Mr. Bower, who is schoole master at Plymouth and desireth to come into these parts to live; and another letter about one Mr. Rowlandson a schooler which he heareth will take that imployment upon him; how they will succeede he knows not; but now Mr. Janes is come to the towne and is willing to come hither again if he may have encouragement. What course hath been taken to get one, he [Mr. Janes] was acquainted, and if either of them come, he must be entertained, but he said, if another came, he should be willing to teach boyes and girles to read and wright, if the Towne thought fitt and Mr. Janes being now present confirmeth it. The Towne generally was willing to incourage Mr. Janes his coming, and would allow him at least ten pounds a year out of the treasury; and the rest he might take of the parents of the children, he teaching by the quarter as he did before, to make it of a comfortable maintaynance, and many of the town thought there would be neede of two school-masters, for if a lattin schoole master come, It is feared he will be discouraged if many English schollers come to him: Mr. Janes seeing the

Towns' willingness for his coming again, acknowledged their love and desired them to proceede no further in it at this time, for he was not sure he shall get free where he is; and if he doe, he doubt it will not be before winter. Therefore no more was done in it at present.

May 1, 1654.-A complainte was made that the scoole-master is so employed in teaching children sent to him to learne their letters, that others for whom the scoole was chiefly intended (as Lattin scollars) are neglected, wherefore two of the townsmen were now sent to send all such children home, and desired the scoolemaster not to receive any more such.

Colony School.

In 1659, the project was conceived of a Colony School, which should be common to all the inhabitants of the several towns.

The Court looked upon it as their great duty to establish some course (that through the blessing of God) learning may be promoted in the jurisdiction, as a means for ye fitting of instruments for publique service in church and commonwealth, did order that £40 a year shall be paid by the treasurer for the furtherance of a grammar schoole, for the use of ye inhabitants of the jurisdiction, aud that £8 more shall be disbursed by him for the procuring of bookes of Mr. Blinman, such as shall be approved by Mr. Davenport & Mr. Pierson as suitable for this worke. The appointing of the place where this schoole shall be settled, the person or persons to be imployed, the time of beginning, &c. is referred to the gouvernor, deputy gouvernor, ye magistrates & ministers settled in the jurisdiction, or so many of them as upon due notice shall meet to consider of this matter.

The magistrates of Guilford made an immediate offer of the Whitefield House (the stone house still standing-1873,) 'for the furtherance of this worke.' Nothing however was done in the matter till the next year (1660), when The Court being deeply sensible of the small progress or proficiency in learning that hath yet been accomplished, in the way of some particular town schooles of later years in this colony' and 'yet notwithstanding what this court did order last yeare or formerly, nothing hath yet bene done to attain the ends desired, upon which considerations and others like,' they ordered, in addition to the £40 per annum already pro-/ vided, that £100 more should be paid from the Jurisdiction treasury to encourage the undertaking, 'granting that speciale respect to our brethren at New Haven to be first in imbracing or refusing the courts' encouragement or provision for a schoole, whether to be settled at New Haven towne or not; but if they shale refuse, Milford is to have the next choice, then Guilford and so in order, every other towne on the maine, within the jurisdiction, have their liberty to accept or refuse the court's tender, yet it is most desired of all that New Haven would accept the business, as being a place most probable to advantage the well carrying on of the schoole, for the ends sought after and endeavored after thereby.'

At the same court which established the Colony School, an addition was made to the law concerning education, providing that 'The sonnes of all the inhabitants within this jurisdiction shall (under the same penalty) be learned to write a ledgible hand, so soone as

they are capable of it.' A month later, 'it was agreed that Mr. Peck, now at Guilford, should be schoolmaster, and that it should begin in October next, when his half year expired there; he is to keep ye schoole, to teach the schollers Lattine, Greek & Hebrew, and fitt them for the Colledge; and for the salary, he knows the allowance from the colony is £40 a year.'

April 3, 1660.-Great disorders amongst children in the Meeting House in the time of divine worship was complained of, and that it might for the time to come be prevented, 'it was ordered that the scholers' seat shall be filled with boys under 16 years of age, and Edward Parker was desired to take the oversight of them; Brother Hull and Brother Beaman of those yt sett about the staires of the pulpitt, who, if they observed any disorder, the first time they are to complaine to their parents. But if they offend a second time they are to complaine to authority, that such disorders may be punished, yt God be not provoked.'

In 1661, at the Feb. March, and August meetings, the chronic trouble of all new settlements came into debate, the enlarging the old or the building of a new house, which ended in a plan of enlargment with an additional room by partition for the master, or for such as he sees meet.

We know little of the habits of the scholars at this early day. An incidental allusion to them in the trial of Goodwife Spinage and others, for allowing card playing in their houses, show that they were not wholly exempt from human frailties. 6th of August, 1661. Goodwife Spinage was told that it is also informed that her house is a place where young persons also play at cards, and that she herself is principally active in it, and that against the minde of her husband. To which she answered by confessing that the schollars had there played at cards on ye last dayes of weeks in the afternoon, and on play dayes, but in ye evening never. She said that she did not then judge it to be a sinne, but she was now sorry that she gave away to any such disorder.'

Jan. 7, 1661.-The indentures of Samuel Hitchcock were canceled because he had not been taught to write and read as he ought.'

Aug. 11, 1662.-Mr. Davenport further propounded to 'ye Towne something about ye Colony Schoole, and informed them. that the Committee for ye schoole made it a great objection against the keeping of it up that this towne did now send scholars only five or six; now, therefore, if ye would not have ye benefit taken away, you should send your children to it constantly and not take

them off soe often, and further said that he was in ye schoole and it grieved him to see how few schoolars was there.'

Town School Revived.

After the failure of the Colony School, the endeavor was made to revive the old Town School for the instruction of the youth of the town in classical studies under Mr. Osborn, who left before the close of the year, and in June, 1663, there is the following entry respecting Mr. Pardee.

June 15, 1663.-The Deputy Governor informed the Towne concerning ye necessity of having a schoole master for the teaching of children, and sayd he had spoken with Mr. Davenport and they new none so fit for it at present as George Pardee, who desired to know ye townes mind. Mr. Pardee did not feel himself strong in his classics-' he had lost much of what learning he formerly had attained, but if he had a competent maintenance allowed him for his family, he should give himself and time wholly to ye worke for ye regaining what he had lost, but if that could not be, he must take all opportunities, evenings and mornings, in other ways for the supply of his family.'

[To Mr. Pardee's propounding as to his work and his pay-it was answered]. His work was to teach English and carry on his scholars in Latin as far as he could; to learne them to write, and something was said about arithmetic as very necessary in these parts. 'As it was scarce known in any place to have a free school for teaching of English and writing, it was proposed to allow twenty pounds out of the towne treasury, and ye rest to be payed by those who sent schollars to ye schoole as he and they could agree.' Mr. Pardee 'was advised to be careful to instruct the youth in point of manners, there being a great fault in that respect, as some expressed.'

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Before the year (1663) had expired, Mr. Davenport 'hath a letter from the Bay that there is a desirable man to be obtained for the Grammar Schoole.' He was therefore disposed to make sure of him, lest he should provide for himself otherwise.' Mr. Pardee was not disposed to leave till the end of his year, and many thought there was not matter here for a grammar schoole, and as the thing was a great discouragement formerly,' it was decided to let Mr. Pardee continue his year out.

Almost cotemporaneously with the abandonment of the Colony Grammar School, the colony itself, as an independent jurisdiction, ceased to exist. For a quarter of a century the New Haven settlements, united at first by community of sentiment and afterwards by formal association, had enacted laws, established tribunals, administered justice and inflicted capital punishments, with no other warrant than was to be found in the obvious necessities of their case and in those general rules of civil policy which Moses had recorded for the government of the Hebrew race. With the extinction of the New Haven Colony authority and the incorporation of its several towns within the limits and under the charter of the Connecticut Colony, the general legislation in respect to education in these towns, became thereafter the legislation of Connecticut.