History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

4G8 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUA'TY.
that do tcacli therein, and are ready to teach all
others that need, if people will come or send them.
And touching persons who live from under family
government, or after a dissolute or disorderly
manner to the dishonour of God and corrupting of
youth, the selectmen do return their answer that
they find none such amongst us."
In 1690 the town was presented for want of a
school. October 2, 1692, John Long was chosen
by the town as " a wrighteing schoolmaster to teach
children to wright and cast acounte." Mr. Long
continued in the service of the town till 1700, when
Mr. Joseph Noyes was chosen grammar school
master.
Up to 1714 no school-house had been built in
town. Schools were kept in private houses ; and
the records intimate that the meeting-house was
sometimes used for school purposes. Near this
date the west-side irdiabitants, having been granted
the privilege of forming a new precinct, built a
school-house at the Gravel Pits at their own charge.
This was used by the people living on both sides
of the river, for about ten years.
November 24', 1725, the town voted "that each
Precinct be empowered to build each of them a
school-house, out of the interest of the Bank money
that is or should be in the Trustees' hands."
Li 1729 the East Precinct voted "to build a
school-house 18 ft. wide by 22 ft. long and 8ft.
between joints, with a good brick chimney and
fire-place at one end, and. a place to hang a bell at
the other end." For several years but one school-
master was employed, teaching six montlis in one
house and six in tiie other.
Ill 1731 tiie town instructed their representative
to move the General Court in behalf of the town,
for a school farm in some of the una])propriated
lands.
In 17.'5.j two .'schoolmasters were employed, one
in each precinct, at an annual salary of £60 each.
In May, 1740, the town granted £72, Old Tenor,
for the sui)port of grammar scliools ; and voted
tiiat the schools should be kept in Ihc four dill'i'ivnt
(piarters of the town. This \\, is ihc nrigiii of tlic
district system, the districts being known as tlie
Northwest, Lanham, tlie Centre, and the Farm
School. Williiu a few years school-houses were
erected in the four ([uarters.
Mr. Edmund Brown, (lie lirsl ininislcr, died
June 22, 167.S. He married, about Itilo, Anne,
widow of John liOveran of Watertown. They left
those who were in the actual exercise of the ministry
when he left England." Johnson speaks of him as
" a godly and able minister of the word." He was
much honored in social life, being on terms of intimacy
with the family of Governor Leverett. He
was a member of the Synod that established the
Cambridge Platform, 1646 - 1648 ; and was on the
council that met, October, 1657, to settle the diffi-
culties in Rev. Mr. Stone's church at Hartford.
Besides large grants as an original proprietor of
Sudbury, he received from the General Court sev-
eral valuable meadows in Framingham. His landed
estates, acquired by gift and purchase, could not
have been less than three hundred acres. His
house, called in his will Brunswick, that is, " mansion
by the stream," was of ample dimensions, two
stories high, and well furnished. His library com-
prised one hundred and eiglity volumes. He left
the sum of £50 for establisiiing a grammar school
in Sudbury, but by vote of the town in 1724 it
was diverted to another purpose.
Rev. James Sherman succeeded Mr. Browne as
pastor. He was settled in the winter of 1678-79 ;
was dismissed May 22, 1705 ;
died March 3, 1718.
He was son of Rev. John Sherman of Watertown
married Mary, daughter of Thomas Walker of
Sudbury, and had two sons, John and Thomas.
After leaving tlie ministry he practised medicine at
Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and Salem, Massachu-
no cliildreu. .\ccording to Mather, "he was of General Court, to be set off into a separate pre-
setts.
T/iird M('('/hiff-//oiise. — ln 1686 the town
" voted, ordered and agreed to erect a meeting-
house, just like the new one in Dedham," at a cost
of £200.
July 1, 1695, Edward Wright and John Goodnow
were appointed a committee, and bought a
bell of Mr. Caleb Hubbard, of Braiutree, for £27
in silver money ; and the selectmen were ordered
to procure iialf a hundred of good Spanish iron for
bolts and keys necessary for iiaiiging the bell, and
a wheel- rope.
The Rev. Israel Loring, born at Tlingham (H. U.
1701), was ordained November 20, 1706. At this
date tiie luunher of church-members was: males
forly-diir, fciiialcs seventy-nine; Iota! one hiiii(hrd
and twenty.
Imiiiciliatcly afler tlie setlh'ment of Mr. Loring
a movement began, to divide the town into two
precincts, for the purpose of supporting two
cliurches. October 21, 1707, the inhabitants on
tiic west side of the river sent a jielilion to the
;