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.)
Following the procedure in the preceding chapter, the establishment of
schools in Montgomery County will be treated (1) under the head of the
monthly meetings in whose limits they were located and (2) in the order
of the time of settlement. The monthly meetings in Montgomery County and
their dates of establishment are as follows: (1) Abington, 1683; (2)
Gwynedd, set off from Radnor, located in present Delaware County, 1714,
and (3) Horsham, set off from Abington in 1782.[443] In connection with
the schools established in Montgomery County will also be considered
briefly the same activity of Warrington Monthly Meeting (York County),
which belongs at present to Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Warrington was
established as a monthly meeting in 1747,[444] being set off from that of
Sadsbury. Brief mention is made of Westland Meeting.
[Sidenote: Abington]
[Sidenote: Youths’ meetings]
The first records left by Abington Meeting, which relate particularly to
any phase of education, are those in reference to the establishment of
youths’ meetings. It is implied by these minutes that nothing was done in
this regard till about 1695, when,
It was agreed upon ... that four friends belonging to this
monthly meeting be asked to take care of the Youth belonging to
each meeting as concerning their orderly walking ... according
to the good advice of Friends, in an epistle from the Yearly
Meeting at Burlington 1694, wherefore ... men appointed.[445]
[Sidenote: Established]
This apparently resulted in an agreement that the youths’ meetings
should be established at the home of Richard Worrall.[446] It is to be
inferred that considerable attention was given to this earliest phase of
education. In 1699 the Friends of Abington urged:
Those Friends that are appointed to inspect into the behavior
of the youth and their respective meetings; that they may be
stirred to discharge their places, and to give account to the
monthly meeting.[447]
[Sidenote: Youths’ meetings shifted often]
The youths’ meetings were not of permanent foundation, and their date
for meeting was shifted frequently, which gave them characteristic
irregularity.[448] The purposes to be secured by the youths’ meetings
were chiefly moral.[449]
[Sidenote: Land deeded for meeting and school]
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