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.)
The rates paid by parents in the earlier years of their colony are seen
in the establishment of Flower’s school in 1683.[224] The next references
made to the amounts paid for instruction, under the rate system, are in
the report of the school committee of the Overseers in 1784.[225] Flower
received four shillings per quarter for teaching reading, six shillings
for reading and writing, and eight for reading, writing and casting
accounts; if by the year, then everything was furnished for ten pounds.
In 1784 Isaac Weaver received thirty shillings per quarter for teaching
the same subjects which Flower had taught for eight.[226] William Brown
also received the same amount for the same subjects which he taught
the whole day.[227] Joseph Clarke was teaching for thirty shillings.
For instruction in the three R’s it appears that the general tendency
for the cost in 1784 was about twenty-two shillings higher than it was
in 1683.[228] Small children were taught generally at about fifteen
shillings per quarter, or half the customary price for older pupils
whatever that might be. The general custom was that in cases where the
school corporation sent poor children to a teacher they were admitted for
a lesser rate than the others; if fifteen shillings were paid by others,
then ten shillings might be paid for the poor children, schooled at the
trustees’ expense. These prices for teaching among the Quaker masters are
quite comparable with those demanded by other private masters in the city
at about the same dates.[229]
[Sidenote: Special bequests and legacies recommended and their probable
effect]
As was cited previously in this work,[230] the practice of making special
donations, bequests and legacies was urged by the yearly meeting as a
proper means of support for the schools or other institutions. These
recommendations of the yearly meeting which were written in the form of
letters, were transmitted to the quarterly meetings and through them
reached all members of the monthly and preparative meetings in the
compass of the general assembly. It cannot be doubted that they were a
very important means to instill a desire to give to a worthy cause, and
the very similar procedure in all monthly meetings seems to indicate that
they constituted the most effectual means for getting anything definite
done towards establishing any permanent foundation.
[Sidenote: Will of John Lineham]
[Sidenote: Legacies of Wade and Richards]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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