Early Quaker education in PennsylvaniaWoody, Thomas
History
Early Quaker education in Pennsylvania
Woody, Thomas
Education -- Pennsylvania -- History; Society of Friends -- Education -- History; Thesis (Ph. D.)
John Cadwalader came to Philadelphia in 1699[1056] and the year following
was recommended by Griffith Owen as a man “fit for an assistant in the
school.”[1057] He was accordingly employed, it being decided that he
and Thomas Makin, who had entered the school as usher to Keith, should
compete with each other to show the best results. From the records one
cannot determine just when he left the school, though he stated, in
1702,[1058] that he intended to do so. It seems likely, from a minute of
1703, that he must have taught longer than he intended when making the
above statements.[1059] Thomas Makin, with whom he was associated, was
employed at various times until his death in 1733.[1060] He is credited
with being “a good Latinist,”[1061] and was the author of a Latin poem
in which he celebrated Pennsylvania. George Keith, Scotchman, kindly
recommended him for the mastership in 1691, when he (Keith) decided
to leave.[1062] Keith had come to the school as first master when the
school was set up in 1689. He is stated, by writers of history, to
have been of disputatious disposition, and this probably accounted for
the dissatisfaction which arose in the school. Soon after leaving the
school he published in connection with Talbot a critical article, “Means
of Quaker Stability,”[1063] in which is evident the rancor toward the
society, which he had previously concealed.
[Sidenote: Clift Clarke]
[Sidenote: Dickinson]
Concerning Benjamin Clift, schoolmaster at Darby, no additional
information has been found, beyond that given in the minutes of the
monthly meeting. Joseph Clarke was a teacher of a girls’ school in
1784,[1064] which was attended by about thirty girls. William Dickinson
was first employed (1764) to take the place of Moses Patterson,[1065] as
usher to John Todd in the Latin School.[1066] The Board seems to have
taken exception to him, though nothing has been intimated elsewhere as
to his character, for they reserved the right to discharge him on three
months’ notice, if they desired. Such reservations were not general.
[Sidenote: Patterson]
Moses Patterson, had begun his teaching career in 1760 when he undertook
to teach a school at Fairhill Meeting.[1067] He then was made usher
to Alexander Seaton in which position he remained till 1764.[1068] He
desired then to quit as usher, and apparently did; he is next heard of in
1765 as teacher of “poor children.”[1069]
[Sidenote: Masters in Latin School after 1748; Willian]
[Sidenote: Wilson and King]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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