ANN THORNTON 1757 Teaching poor children 3/ 2/ 9 [Sidenote: Number of poor and pay scholars stated] [Sidenote: Indication of the system’s growth in the number of schools] Immediately following the above report, another stated there were 38 in the Latin School, 37 free scholars under Alexander Seaton, 17 (free) under Joseph Stiles, 30 under Ann Thornton, and 30 (free) under Rebeckah Burchall.[834] The slight discrepancy in the figures is not explained. A later report of 1784 shows the following schools and the enrollment of each. (1) Proud, (_Latin_), number not given; Todd, (_English_), 88 on the list; Isaac Weaver, 28; William Brown, 29 girls; Sarah Lancaster, 64; Mary Harry, 15 or 16; Joseph Clarke, about 30; Mrs. Clarke, 15 or 16 boys and girls; Ann Marsh, about 50 boys and girls; Mary McDonnell, 15 young children.[835] From this it seems that the only two schools which have increased considerably in number are the Latin and English, both of which employed ushers or assistants.[836] The chief indication of the system’s growth is the increase from five or six schools to at least ten. The approximate number of children recorded as having attended the schools under the overseers from 1712 to 1770 was 720.[837] [Sidenote: Children sent from home to attend school] Children were frequently sent away from home to attend school, due to a lack of adequate facilities near at hand. The following letter, from an anxious mother, is a very interesting commentary on the attitude taken by the less educated toward the propriety of spending time for education. Though impolite to read private letters, it may be pardoned in this case. The 20 of December, 1702. Dear Brother: The few liens comes to salute thee and fore prisila which I hope are in helth as blessed be the God of all our mersies I am at this writing. I long to hear from you both and how prisila likes being at scool and how the like her and whether she thinks that shee will lern anything worth her while to be kept at cool here. I have sent her some thred to knit me too pares of golves and herself on if there be anough for to mak so much if not one for me and one for her. bid her be a good gerl and larn well and then I shall love her. if Abraham Antone have brought ... purchas me twenty pound and send it me if thou can by some opportunity in so doing thou wilt much oblige thy most affectionate sister Abigail ⸺.[838] A fairly good mental picture of the school, and the atmosphere pervading it, is obtained from a perusal of the list of rules which were adopted both for the guidance of the masters and the observance of the pupils. We cannot gain much from a discussion since they are self-explanatory, hence there is submitted a concise digest of those issued for the masters and mistresses in the several schools.