This meeting taking into consideration the several matters recommended in the extracts ... respecting the education of the youth and their school tuition, are of the opinion that a reappointment on those important subjects is necessary; wherefore, Woolston J. Paxson, W. Blakeley, J. Watson and R. Hartshorne are appointed as committee to those services, and they are desired to closely attend thereto in order that the present and former advices may be carried as fully into execution as possible.[395] [Sidenote: Activities of the committee not effective] In 1785 this committee reported that visits had been made to families in the interests of education but that little was effected.[396] The committee was released and the consideration of education left to the next meeting,[397] at which a new committee of three was appointed. This one, so far as their record goes, was neither more active nor more successful than the others. In 1788 they report “nothing much has been done in respect to schools since last year,” which report was sent to the yearly meeting.[398] The record is not complete to the end of the century, but for the period considered does not offer any evidence of more than passing educational interest and activity. Nothing unusual is to be noted in the finance and support of the school at Middletown. Mention was made of Harker’s will, which, it seems, was the first legacy left to its benefit.[399] [Sidenote: Care of poor orphan; apprenticing] The attention of the meeting was early given to the care of the orphans and the poor, and especially to their satisfactory placement among people as apprentices. The following from the records for 1699 will serve for illustration. It is agreed and concluded upon by this meeting that the meeting take care of all Friends children that are left as orphans and unsettled, to inspect and see that all such be taken care of and settled in the best and suitablest manner according to their capacity, that thereby they may discharge their duty and all such be eased by taking such due care.... [Sidenote: Buckingham] [Sidenote: Apprentices; care in their certification] The attention of Buckingham Meeting was also turned toward the education of apprentices, and careful scrutiny given those who removed to apprentice themselves elsewhere, as also those who removed to Buckingham Meeting. In 1764 Mahlon Michener, son of John, removed his certificate to Philadelphia, “having been placed as apprentice” in the vicinity of that meeting.[400] John Parry, minor, an apprentice to Thomas Fell, blacksmith, produced a certificate in Abington Monthly,[401] which was accepted and also that of Isaac Gommere from the same place.[402] The poor were provided for by the legacy left for that purpose by John Holcomb in 1749.[403] Whether this might, a part of it, have been spent for schooling is not known. [Sidenote: Harker legacy for a free school]