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.)
In the foregoing pages we have mentioned some of the facts of the
establishment and development of the school in Philadelphia, with
reference to (1) founding, (2) support, (3) masters, (4) properties,
buildings and grounds. It is deemed advisable to omit from this chapter
any presentation of curriculum, excepting as that has been mentioned at a
few places, reserving such presentation to a chapter comprising all the
schools established in Pennsylvania. As a fitting close to the previous
discussion of the century’s development, we present, almost entire, one
of the reports returned by the committee of the meeting, which in a fair
way will tell the reader more about the growth up to, and the status of
the system in 1784, than will any discussion. Portions of the report are
discussed in other chapters.
[Sidenote: The report to the monthly meeting (1784) indicates status of
schools on that date]
The schools under their direction and care within the limits of
this meeting, are:
(1) One under the tuition of Robert Proud, by whom about 30
boys are instructed in the Latin and Greek languages and some
branches of the mathematics; his salary is fixed at £250 per
annum, having an usher who is allowed £80 per annum, at the
expense of the estate under the care of the overseers. The
present £6 per annum for each scholar for which he accounts
to the said overseers and has for one year past received one
Guinea entrance to his own use and charges 5/ for fuel. We
had some conversation with him on the case necessary to guard
against the use of such books, whose contents have a tendency
to prepossess the youthful minds with sentiments unfavorable to
the Christian faith and the true spirit of the gospel; which
appears had his attention, having observed a care therein
agreeable to what the occasion requires. In this school are
read Barclay’s _Apology_ in Latin and the Testament in Latin
and Greek. The overseers have enjoined the attendance of the
scholars who are chiefly members of our own religious society,
at our meeting on the fifth day of the week, but it had not
been sufficiently observed.
(2) One under the care of John Todd, in which are taught
reading, writing, the English Grammar, Arithmetic and some
other branches of the mathematics. It consists of 88 boys on
this list, for 83 of whom he has 20/ per quarter, 2/6 for pen
and ink, 5/ for fuel; on the entrance of each 15/ except where
the parents or guardians are not of ability to afford it, the
other 5 being put to him by the school corporation, he teaches
for 10/ per quarter. He remarked there are each day about 70
together. The master appears careful to observe good order in
his school and frequently attends our meeting on the 5th day
with his scholars. He also kept a night school in the winter
season consisting of 82 scholars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account