History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

in the war, all but the last two being inscribed on
the soldiers' uionnment.
John Francis; Charles W. Andrews ; Francis G.
Graves; Joseph P. Barnes; Isaac B. Crowell; J.
Josiah Gleason ; Michael Ahem; Alfred W. Plowe
Willia Keating ; Thomas Nolan ; Robert Dailey ;
Lieutenant George N. Bridgewater; Bartholomew
Finerty; Patrick McDermot; Sylvester H. Rice;
Claude Greenache ; Silas A. Coolidge ; Matthew
Drummy ; Cornelius Tobin ; Daniel J. Reagan
Albion Nutting ; Edwin N. Welch ; Bernard Wall
John Frye; Charles E. Goodnow; Charles W.
Moshier; Marshall Keyes; Elijah Howe, 2d;
Aaron A. Brigham; Patrick Boylan; Thomas
Murry ; Patrick Clark ; John B. Jenks ; Rufus
C. Rice ; Captain William F. Brigham ; Theodore
H. Goodnow; Granville H. Smith; Charles E.
Perkins; William L. Knight; John L. Spencer;
Thomas Pettis; John Eaton, Jr.; Henry H. Brown;
John Connors ; Hugli Keegan ; Elisha W. Fay
Otis Chase; Andrew J. Goodnow; George A. Atkinson;
Charles Stone; Captain John Carey; John
M. Russell ; Thomas J. Oddy ; Reuben B. Rice
Josiah H. Vose; Daniel Doyle; Joseph Joel;
George D. Huntington ; William Fife Brigham
Edwin Goodwin; John Buckley; Stephen H.
Phelps ; Edmn W. Exley ; John Crowley ; Frank
J. Wood ; Patrick Quiim ; Lucius AUis ; Edwin
C. Rice; Peter Flynn; WiUiam Murname; John
Charles W. Whitcomb ; Washington L Lathrop
W. Frank Brigham; Benjamin F. Russell; George
H. Mundell; Henry H. Perry; Oseola V. Newton;
George A. Nourse; George H. Stowe; Alfred G.
Howe; Cornelius Long; David Barnes; Edward E.
Bond ; George B. Newcombe ; James M. Sheehan.
Educat'mn. — Before Philip's War some atten-
tion had been given to the education of the chil-
dren, but for several years the town had been unable
to support a public school. About 1698 Mr. Ben-
jamin Franklin, wlio had formerly taught, was re-
engaged. The school met in the unoccupied house
of Isaac Wood. The teacher's salary for fourteen
weeks was £5 12*. In December of this year it
was decided to build a school-house, and Mr. Jona-
than Johnson, Sr., was engaged to teach at a salary
of £14 for the year, the school to meet in his
house until the building was finished. Decem-
ber 14, 1701, the town was fined £5 4*. for hav-
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MARLBORUUGH. 149
the gifts or attainments of Mr. Jolmson may have
been, no one can be surprised at this action, see-
ing he was at once village blacksmith (the town in
those days providing a smith's lot as they did a
minister's), sexton, and school-teaclier. He was
dismissed after the fine was imposed, although he
was employed again. April 19, 170S, this entry
occurs : " To Jonathan Johnson, Sen^ for keeping
school in the year 1707 in full for satisfaction
£9 15«."
The more eminent early teachers \\ere Benjamin
Choate, a graduate of Harvard, who tauglit in 1703
and 1704. William Thomas, a Welshman, taught
in 1716, and about this time Robert Breck, son
of the minister, who was afterward settled over tlie
parish at Springfield. Dr. Samuel Brigham taught
in 1750; he was physician and town-clerk. Until
after 1734 there was but one schoolmaster; this
year it was voted " that the school be kept for 6
mths at the school house ; 5 weeks at the Farm
5 weeks at the westerly part of the town 8 weeks
at the school house of Joseph I3aker and S weeks
at the house of the widow Forbush."
The cause of education progressed slowly for
many years, but was by no means neglected.
School-houses were erected from time to time in
diflPerent parts of the town; in 1762 six were budt,
and in 1779 and 1781 two more were added. Cap-
tain Ephraim Brigham, a prominent citizen, left in
P. Peebles ; James ilcCarty ; Tliomas Roberts the year 1771 a gift of £111 for educational pur-
James Sheehan ; Myron L. Balcom ; John H. Colposes ; the interest of this fund, agreeable to the
lins ; Michael Clark ; Eugene Burns ; Lieutenant provisions of the will, was expended in founding
and sustaining what was called the Brigham School
its principal object being to supplement the work
of the town schools, giving older scholars the
opportunity of perfecting themselves in writmg
and arithmetic. It was held after the closing of
the winter schools, generally through the month
of March. This bequest has since been merged
in the general school fund.
During the Revolution a grammar school was
supported until the pressure of the times led to
its suspension. In 1790 there were seven school
districts and houses, each liaving an average ses-
sion of fifteen weeks in the year.
In 1803 female teachers were employed for the
summer schools, the winter schools being, as before,
in charge of male teachers. After the War
of 1812 private schools sjjrung up in the fall.
Additional accommodation was provided near Fel-
touville ; two other new schools were established,
ing failed to provide a qualified teacher. Wiiatever one in the south part, another near the centre.
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