We, the committee appointed in the care of schools, report that most of us attended to the appointment and have several times met and conferred together and have given our assistance toward the settling of a school between Goshen, Bradford, and Birmingham Preparative Meeting in a new schoolhouse built by Friends; one at East Bradford in the old schoolhouse near the meeting house; one at East Caln kept at the meeting house at present, agreed to be under the direction of Friends nearly agreeable to the Advices of the Yearly Meeting; and we think it expedient to appoint Friends to take the necessary care of said schools; but there appear to be many Friends that are not yet accommodated with suitable schools, and we think a committee of a few Friends to be continued to assist therein will be necessary, all of which we submit to the meeting. (Signed by the committee)....
Which being read and considered, the meeting appoints William England, William Cooper, Humphrey Marshall, and Thomas Baldwin to have the care of the school near Bradford Meeting House, and Thomas Fisher, Griffith Mendenhall, Isaac Coates and Isaac Pim to have the care of the school now kept in the meeting house at East Caln, who are desired to take the necessary care therein and the former committee is still continued.[604]
A subsequent report of 1781 points out that an additional school has been established, presumably through the coöperation of the meetings of Bradford, Kennett, and New Garden.[605] The records of Kennett and New Garden do not seem to recognize this coöperative school, however. To the writer, it seems that the probable state of affairs was that the one school was so located that it was patronized by the three communities though its direction lay in the hands of Bradford Meeting. The contiguous situation of the townships makes this a plausible and a probable solution. The school was soon to be discontinued for a time.[606] The report of 1781 is herewith submitted.
The Friends in the care of schools report that they attended the school set between this meeting, New Garden, and Kennett Monthly Meetings, and purpose taking further care therein; and those to have the care of the school at Bradford report that a school is held there in pretty regular order, considering the situation of the master in regard to his sight, and they that had the care of the school at East Caln informed that they had divers opportunities with the master and scholars, and are of the mind that further care in that respect is necessary; which being considered, this meeting continues the said Friends and desires that they may attend to the service for which they are appointed.[607]
The conditions presented in the report of the second month remained the same, save that the school between Kennett, New Garden, and Bradford was reported “discontinued” in the sixth month, 1781.[608] Later in that year, the old committee was released and a new list of men, Thomas Baldwin, Joel Harlan, Thomas Sugar, Nathan Cooper, Benjamin Hanley, John Hoopes, Thomas Fisher, Griffith Mendenhall, Samuel Fisher, and George Harrison constituted a “standing committee.”[609] In 1782 four schools were reported;[610] in 1783, several schools not entirely agreeable to the desires expressed in the Yearly Meeting’s Advices;[611] in 1784, three are reported in the verge of Bradford Particular Meeting, mostly under the direction of Friends, but “none at either of the Calns” (East or West).[612] Subsequent reports show that the cessation of the schools at Caln was only temporary. The presentation of this very brief span of their history may be closed with an abbreviated statement of a committee report made in 1792.[613]
1. We visited four schools in our verge, one more left, making five.
2. The fifth is likely to be discontinued soon.
3. Number
4. The committee was released on request.
In the same year that Uwchlan became a monthly meeting, the Friends entered a protest, saying that the making of wills was too much neglected, but that such as were made were not misapplied.[614] It is quite probable that the first statement is an indication of a philanthropic spirit in the meeting, between which and educational activity there has been noted a high correlation. Moreover, their explicit statement in 1765 concerning the education of the negroes would indicate the education of their own children was already taken care of.[615] The usual transformation in the kind of reports, noted in other meetings about 1778 and following, is likewise apparent in the meeting at present under discussion.
Though a school committee was appointed much earlier (1779) there was a very definite report made before 1782. Two reports made then in successive months are worthy of our attention.
The committee respecting schools report that they have attended to the service, having visited one school, the master whereof is a member of this meeting, to a good degree of satisfaction, some of the employers and scholars being present. They are continued to proceed in that service as way may open and report to next meeting[616]....
And a month later
The Friends appointed report that they have visited two other schools, the masters whereof and many of the employers are members of this meeting, and ... being enabled to communicate some advice, which appeared to be well received, they are continued.[617]
In 1783 a new committee was commissioned to procure a particular statement of the schools wherein Friends were concerned either as masters or as employers, viz.: Thomas Richards, Jesse Jones, Joshua Baldwin, Reuben John, William Millhouse, Griffith John, Simon Meredith, William Cooper, Elihu Evans, Aaron Duncan, and Joseph Starr.[618] This committee is not to be confused with the trustees of the school funds, who were entirely distinct, and whose sole function was to receive and apply the funds for the education of the indigent children. The trustees’ report stated in 1784 that the amount of the legacies and donations up to that date amounted to £120/10/00.[619]
Near this time, very probably in 1784, a new school was established by Friends at Nantmeal, for which Uwchlan Meeting appointed a special committee which was to make a report; the report made in 1785 stated that they had visited the school and found it well conducted.[620] In 1787, the school committee produced a report on all schools, which was to be sent to the quarterly meeting. It embodied some statement of the results achieved, difficulties to be faced, and further gave an insight into the coöperation of Friends in the “mixed schools” of their communities. As sent to the quarterly meeting, the report was as follows:
We of the committee appointed to essay a report to the quarterly meeting of the situation of our members in regard to schools and the progress of our monthly meeting in that important concern, having had several conferences and opportunities of enquiring into that subject, report as follows: that some have been appointed and continued from time to time by our monthly meeting for several years past, who have used many endeavors to promote the establishment of schools agreeable to the advices of the Yearly Meeting; but our number generally living so remote from each other, has prevented much progress being made therein, save one house being built by Friends at Nantmeal nearly on the plan proposed, in which a school has been kept some time, but now dropped for want of a salary for the master, there not being a sufficient number of Friends settled contiguous thereto nor to each other, in any other part of our meeting to support a school; and the boarding out of our children appears an expense too heavy for many of us, so that we are generally in the practice of schooling our children in a mixed manner, though mostly under the tutorage of Friends, or persons friendly disposed, to whom some care has been extended and their schools frequently visited by our committee some time back. Signed by order of the school committee by William Millhouse, clerk.[621]
In 1794, the London Grove Monthly Meeting, just created, began its educational work by appointing a committee to take subscriptions for a fund to support a “regular school.”[622] In 1795, the preparative meeting proposing that a standing committee be appointed to inspect the necessities of the poor and the school education of their children, the following were named to unite with a committee of women on that concern, viz.: Samuel Swayne, Josiah Hoopes, John Man, and Jonathan Buslow.[623] Four months later the committee appointed to raise the funds by subscription (see above) reported that a sum of “more than fifty pounds” was already subscribed.[624] No statement of the number of schools established in the limits of the London Grove Meeting is given between the time of its establishment and the end of the century; nor are any other details vouchsafed. It will suffice for a voucher of their intentions and the work actually begun in that period, to insert the following statement of their plan for founding their schools.
Pursuant to the advice and recommendations of the Yearly Meeting of Friends for many years, and excited by consideration in our own minds for an improvement of the school education of the youth, especially those in low circumstances, we, the subscribers hereto, have agreed to promote the raising of a fund or stock, the increase whereof to be for the benefit of the several schools which are or may be under the care of London Grove Monthly Meeting, and to be distributed amongst them at the direction of a committee of the said meeting, appointed from time to time in the care of schools. The sum annexed to each of our names we hereby engage each for himself or heirs, executors and administrators respectively, to pay or to cause to be paid to such Friend or Friends as the abovesaid monthly meeting shall appoint as treasurer for the same, and that at any time, when demanded, after the whole subscription amounts to the sum of fifty pounds. The treasurer, so appointed, we enjoin to be subject to the inspection and control of the said monthly meeting and to render a fair and true account thereto of his proceedings therein once a year, and if the said meeting shall at any time see cause to release the treasurer, then he shall give up his accounts and pay the money or transfer such other property as may be under his care, appertaining to the said fund unto such other Friends as the monthly meeting may appoint to succeed him in the said trust. Our subscriptions, until they amount to fifty pounds or upwards, we direct to be kept in stock and be deposited in some safe way so as to produce increase either by a loan upon land at the discretion and direction of the said monthly meeting or committee thereof. The interest, rent, or increase whereof we direct to be applied for the benefit of the aforesaid schools in such a manner and at such times as the school committee of the said monthly meeting for the time being, or a majority of them shall direct. And although our present endeavor may appear feeble and small, yet we trust and hope it may gradually increase so as to become more useful in time.[625]
There remains to be presented in this chapter the activities of Sadsbury Meeting, which, though outside the limits of Chester County, was made up very largely of members residing in Chester County.[626] The most distinctly educational work of any sort was the youths’ meeting, which was very frequently mentioned as early as 1739, only two years after they became a monthly meeting.[627] Numerous statements of these meetings occur throughout the first thirty years and more. Attention was also directed to a care for the children of the poor.
One of the Friends appointed in the case of John Marsh’s child report they attended the service and met with some encouragement concerning the education of the child, the person with whom it resides being its grandmother; the meeting concludes to leave it under the care and notice of Henry Marsh, the child’s uncle.[628]
In 1779 the first committee to carry out the instruction of 1777 and 1778 was appointed, consisting of the following members: James Miller, Andrew Moore, and Samuel Simons.[629] They were to afford assistance to each of the preparative meetings (Sadsbury and Leacock). This they reported in the second month they had done; James Moore, Isaac Taylor, John Moore, James Smith, Abraham Gibbons, and James Webb were then appointed to do the work.[630] In 1782 a visit was made to Sadsbury Meeting by the committee appointed by the quarterly meeting.[631] They reported further at that time:
The Monthly Meeting committee has it under care and there is a school set up at Sadsbury, and it is closely recommended to Friends for a further progress and to the committee of this meeting in particular, to which George Cooper, Andrew Moore, and Joseph Dickinson are added.[632]
The conditions remain substantially the same for the five subsequent years, with frequently interspersed reports, made to the monthly meetings and to be sent to the quarterly meeting. In that year, as the following report shows, the school at Sadsbury was discontinued, and the old committee removed to make place for a new one.
Several Friends of the committee respecting schools report they have conferred together since the last meeting, and it doth not appear that there is any school at this time within the verge of this meeting under the care and direction of Friends, and the said committee expressing their desire to be released, the meeting consents thereto, yet in order to keep alive the concern and promote a matter so interesting, concludes to appoint a fresh committee, and James Miller, John Moore, son of James, Isaac Taylor, and Joseph Williams, Joseph Brinton, Moses Brinton, William Downing, and Gaius Dickinson are appointed for the service.[633]
It is not ascertainable from the minutes just how long this school remained closed, but a minute of 1789, directing that Barclay’s Catechism be distributed for the use of the schools, indicates that it was not discontinued for a long time.[634] Isaac Taylor, R. Moore, William Gibbons, and William Webb were appointed to distribute the said books.[635]
In 1792, Lampeter Preparative Meeting (called Leacock in 1732, but changed to Lampeter in 1749)[636] laid before the monthly meeting a request to be permitted to build a school house on or near their meeting house land for the purpose of a boarding school to be under the care of the monthly meeting.[637] Their request was not acted upon until the next meeting when it was referred to a committee of eleven men, who were to consider the proposals and report their judgment to the monthly meeting when convenient.[638] It appears from the following extract of the monthly meeting that they were somewhat critical.
The committee appointed to consider the proposals of Lampeter Preparative Meeting for building a school house made a report in writing, which not meeting the approbation of this meeting, is returned and Joseph Brinton, Abraham Gibbons, William Brinton, James Smith, John Ferris, James Cooper, and Levi Powell are added to the former committee and William Webb is requested to consider the matter and report to the next meeting.[639]
At the session of the monthly meeting held two months later, the newly appointed committee was successful in getting a satisfactory hearing for their decision in regard to the Lampeter Boarding School.
The proposal of Lampeter Preparative Meeting comes again under consideration and the following report being produced and divers times read, is concurred with.
To Sadsbury Monthly Meeting—
We, the committee appointed to consider Lampeter’s proposals for building a school house and having again met and had a solid conference together unite in judgment that the proposals are nearly agreeable to the advices of the Yearly Meeting and under the present circumstances are of the mind the monthly meeting may be safe in leaving that meeting at liberty to erect a building proportioned in size to their Friends and the probabilities of what may be obtained by subscription (which is submitted to the meeting by James Miller and signed by fourteen others). 6-25-1792.[640]
In 1793, the school committee recommended in the following report that more definite steps be taken to meet the demand of the yearly meeting in regard to (1) the accommodations for a master and (2) the establishment of a permanent school fund.
The committee in the care of schools made the following report in writing which, after being solidly considered, is adopted and the clerk is directed to furnish each preparative meeting with a copy of this minute together with the report of the committee (which follows). Most of the committee appointed in the care of establishing well regulated schools for the instruction of our youth report they met twice on the subject and solidly considering the same, believe it would be right for the monthly meeting to recommend to Sadsbury Preparative Meeting the making of such suitable provisions for the accommodation of a school master as is recommended by the Yearly Meeting Minute of 1778—That Sadsbury and Lampeter Preparative Meetings be stirred up to use their endeavors to raise such funds for their respective meetings by subscription as is recommended—as well as in a minute of our last quarterly meeting, by William Webb (and five others).[641]
By a later minute we are informed that an instrument of writing (subscription plan) has been drawn up for the purpose of raising funds,[642] which, however, did not prove wholly satisfactory,[643] and was postponed for further consideration. As presented finally and accepted on twelfth month, 10th, 1793, the plan for raising permanent funds was as follows:
Whereas the Yearly Meeting is impressed with a sense of the advantages that would arise from a religious education of our youth, has frequently recommended the establishment of schools under the care of a standing committee of monthly or particular meetings and especially in 1778, recommended the promoting a subscription towards a fund, the increase whereof might be employed in paying the master’s salary, if necessary, and promoting the education of poor Friends’ children. This provision may be made to take in poor children of Friends or others taught gratis or at such moderate rates as their parents or guardians can afford to pay at the discretion of the trustees, etc.
And we, the subscribers, writing with the above recommendations and willing to part with a portion of the substance, we as stewards are blessed with, in order to carry the same into effect (provided always, nevertheless, that no part of the fund shall ever be applied towards paying the master’s salary so as to reduce the schooling of children who are in affluent circumstances, lower than 40 shillings per annum, and may be raised at the discretion of the trustees), do hereby promise for ourselves, our heirs, and executors, or administrators to pay, or cause to be paid, the several sums to our names annexed, to the trustees for ... school. Otherwise, five per cent. interest from the dates respectively to our names prefixed until paid or till such other persons as may be appointed by the monthly meeting to receive the same. In witness whereof, ...[644]
The situation of schools near the close of the century is shown in a report of 1797 to be as stated below. Though this report states no fund is established, a later report of 1798 states that some progress has been made in that respect.[645]
The report for 1797 is as follows:
The committee in the care of schools report that there is no fund established for this purpose, yet there are three schools within the compass of our monthly meeting taught by masters who are Friends and are under the especial care of a committee of this meeting.[646]
At the very close of the century Sadsbury Friends were interested in raising a fund to help in the establishment of the Yearly Meeting’s boarding school at Westtown, Pennsylvania.[647]
This chapter considers the establishment of schools in Kennett, New Garden, Goshen, Bradford, Uwchlan, London Grove and Sadsbury monthly meetings.
No early definite reference is made to education, though the careful interest in children’s welfare is at all times evident. Not until the “1777 era” do the reports give any considerable information concerning schools. Committees were thereafter always in attendance upon the problems of the schools. In 1781 a “union school” was reported between Kennett, Bradford and New Garden, which was afterwards discontinued. In 1785 they report “several schools,” in partial accord with demands of the yearly meeting. Land for Kennett school “number one” was purchased in 1792, and rules drawn up for its control. Their scheme for raising permanent funds was not completed until 1795. Two schools, taught by members of the society, were under the care of the meeting’s committee in 1798.
Two schools were reported at New Garden in 1779 and another was at that time proposed. Some land was conveyed to the meeting in 1785 for the use of a school, and a house built upon it. Another piece of land was deeded by William Jackson in 1794 for a similar purpose. Certain stipulations were made concerning the school to be established there. It was found more consistent in summer to employ mistresses rather than masters.
Though established at a late date, Goshen was very active educationally. Land was purchased and a house was being built for a union school between Goshen, Bradford and Birmingham, in 1779. Committees were appointed, which gave reports better than those usually returned. A plan for funds was adopted in 1786. No further mention is found in regard to the union schools after the establishment of the schools at Goshen and Willistown.
Bradford’s first educational activity was in connection with the apprenticing of children. A single case in which a boy was put to school by the meeting occurred in 1767; the expense therefore was defrayed by the preparative meetings. Educational activity increased in 1778; three schools were reported in 1780 and a committee appointed to assist in establishing others. They appear to have been successful; five schools were reported in 1792, though one was about to be discontinued. Not all of the masters were Friends.
The statement that Negroes were being educated in 1765, induces one to believe that Friends’ children were provided for. Three schools were mentioned in 1779, in which the masters and many of the employers were Friends. In 1789 a school was established at Nantmeal under a special committee of Uwchlan Meeting; it was reported discontinued in 1787. The meeting at London Grove, established (1792), reported no schools in its compass before the end of the century; although an elaborate plan was drawn up for the establishment of school funds.
Youths’ meetings were established by Sadsbury as early as 1739 and instances in which poor children were educated are cited for 1769. The first committee seems to have been appointed for schools in 1779. A school was reported for Sadsbury in 1782, but was later discontinued for a brief time, which cannot be definitely determined. In 1792 it was agreed that Lampeter Preparative might have permission to establish a boarding school. A plan for funds was drawn up, but no success reported in raising them until 1798. Three schools are reported established, and under the care of Quaker masters in 1797.
The entire number of schools set up by the above named meetings was eighteen or nineteen.