History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

222 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1674.
Joseph Haw ley, Notwithstanding tlie provisions for schools
School-master, made two jears before, there is little evidence
that the school-master had yet become
a permanent fixture. Town action in reference to the employment
of teachers, previous to 1671, has already been
given, and though the records contain no notice of a schoolmaster
till five years after that date, yet the account books
of Mr. Joseph Hawley show that he carried on a school
here in 1674, for which he was paid in part by the town.
Mr. Hawley, just graduated from Harvard College, came to
Northampton in that year for the i3urpose of teaehing
school, and from that time it is believed that continuous
schools have been maintained in this town. For at least
eight years he was thus employed, though there seems to
have been a partial intermission during the Indian war of
1675 and 1676, his school being open only about two months
in each of those years. He had between forty and fifty
scholars, but probably never so large a number at any one
time. Very few attended all the year, and some only for a
few months. His was the first school in town, taught by
a man, at which it is known that girls were present. They
were private pupils, no part of their tuition being paid
from the public fvmds, and presumably they Avere not pres-
ent at the same session as the boys. Of these girls, eleven
in number, two were taught writing at 10s. each, and
among them were Mary and Hester Stoddard, daughters of
Rev. Solomon Stoddard.^ For boys he charged four pence
a week for reading and writing, and Latin scholars six
pence per week ; girls generally paid four pence per week,
though some were charged six pence. What the scholars
paid, which may have averaged forty scholars at 10s. each,
amounted to £20, and the town was taxed for the rest, perhaps
£10 or £15 more. These school rates seem to have
been put into Mr. Hawley's hands for collection, and he received
directly from the parents, not only what was due
on their private account, but their school tax also.
1 The girls taught by Mr. Hawley were Mary and Hester, daughters of Rev. Solomon
Stoddard; Hannah, daughter of Isaac Sheldon; Sarah, daughter of Joseph Root;
Mary, daughter of John Taylor; Sarah and Waite, daughters of Preserved Clapp;
Sarah, daughter of Israel Rust; and Mary, daughter of Samuel Marshall: Thankful
and Johanna, daughters of John Taylor, were taught writing at 10s. each.