empowered to agree with such schoolmaster for salary, and to raise money by way of rate upon the inhabitants to pay the same. The penalty upon towns for neglect was 20 pounds, to be paid 'towards the support of schools within the Province, where there may be the most need.' The fourth law, 1721, evinces a still deeper interest in the subject:-- Whereas the selectmen of sundry towns often neglect to provide Grammar Schools, for their respective towns, whereby their youth lose much of their time, to the great hindrance of their learning for remedy whereof, be it enacted, That not only each town, but each parish of 100 families, be constantly provided with a Grammar School; and if any town or parish is destitute of a Grammar School for the space of one month, the selectmen shall forfeit and pay out of their own estates the sum of twenty pounds, to be applied towards the defraying the charges of the Province.' These laws continued in force till the adoption of the Costitution. How far they were obeyed, and what advance was made, in these respects, in education, are matters of curious and interesting inquiry. It must then be recollected, that during the period under review, the settlements in NewHampshire were greatly multiplied. Instead of 4 towns fringing the eastern border of the State, about 170 were incorporated, and a sparse population spread over the interior. It was also a period of uncommon danger, distress and commotion. Under the tyranny of Cranfield and Andros, the minds of the people were chafed, and insurrections arose. The 'decennium luctuosum' ten years war with the French and Indians, in the reign of William the third, was the most terrible and bloody, ever before experienced; next, the controversy with Allen and his heirs, agitated the Province; wars succeeded wars, at Cape Breton and Canada; the whole extent of our frontiers was a scene of depredation and carnage; controversies run high with Massachusetts respecting boundaries; the heirs of Mason revived and prosecuted their claims; lands westward on Connecticut river, were matter of violent debate; and finally the Revolution came on, which for the time engrossed and swallowed up all other inter ests. Yet in these troublous times, the laws respecting education were as much as possible enforced. Grand Jurors were sworn to present all breaches of law and the want of schools in particular. When frontier towns petitioned for exemption from obligation to maintain a Grammar School, the indulgence was granted only on condition 'that they should keep a school for reading, writing and arithmetic, to which all towns of 50 families were obliged.' But, as there were less than fifty families in a large portion of the towns and the inhabitants exceedingly scattered, schools were greatly neglected. Many children were taught all that they ever knew of reading and writing at home.* Arithmetic was studied without a book-the master setting the sums and giving the rules. On this point the testimony of aged people perfectly agrees. Samuel Welch, who was born in Kingston, 1710, and died in Bow, 1823, aged 112 years, was visited in his old age, and asked, 'When you were young did you attend schools constantly?" 'No. I never went to school but one winter; then I had to go two or three miles and was almost tired to death when I got home.' 'What books were then used in the school?" "The Testament and Psalter.' 'Had you no spelling books?' 'No.' A venerable mat *Jonathan Eastman, Esq. of this town, now 87 years of age, says that his parents taught him to read when they lived in a fort, and that he learned to write on birch bark. ron,* now 100 years old, whose memory is remarkably tenacious and accurate, says she attended a master's school only a few months, when young, and read in the New-England Primer, the Testament and Psalter. The Bible was the reading book for the first or most advanced class. The scholars were spelled from the lessons which they read. They had not any printed Arithmetic. The first spelling book ever generally used in New-Hampshire was that of the famous schoolmaster, THOMAS DILWORTH. It was published in England 1740; and was introduced here about 1770. Dilworth's spelling book was ushered into. the world as being a great improvement upon all former elementary books. In his preface he says, "In the several praxes or lessons of monosyllables hitherto published in our mother tongue, instead of rising step by step, children are taught to jump before they can go; and if they prove uncapable to take such long strides, as reach sometimes from monosyllables of two, to others of seven or eight letters before they are informed of those that come between; they must be thumpp'd and lugg'd forward, without being once instructed in the right knowledge of the most common and useful parts of our tongue. The merits of this spelling book were certified by Doctors of Divinity, learned Professors of Colleges and sundry Schoolmasters in England; and even the Muse sung in praise of its author: "What thanks, my friend, should to thy care be given *Mrs. Elizabeth Haseltine, born in Concord, July 1, 1733, O. S, It is due to Dilworth, to remark that as his spelling book was then in advance of all elementary books that had preceded it; so it is our opinion, that very little improvement upon the plan and arrangement of it has since been made.Even the spelling books of Webster* and Marshall, have few excellencies over Dilworth's, except that they are modern and American. Two things, during the period under review, deserve special notice. First, the grant of lands in most of the incorporated towns for the support of schools. After an extended examination of records, my belief is, that all grants made by the Masonian proprietors, by Massachusetts and by John Wentworth, 2d, reserved one lot or share in each town for a school. But there were exceptions to this in the numerous grants made by our "trusty and well-beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq." During his administration, there was a triple union, of the state, the church and himself; -of which HE however, was the most considerable part. The charters, which were issued in the name of George the second, by the grace of God, King, &c., by and with the advice of our trusty and well-beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq. Governor and Commander-in-Chief of our Province of New-Hampshire,' reserved the pine trees for the use of our royal navy; 500 acres or two shares for his excellency Benning Wentworth, Esq.; one whole share for the incorporated society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts, one whole share for the first settled minister; one whole share for the ministry of the church of England by law established, and sometimes, though not always, 'one share for a school forever.'+ *Note A. †There is no mention of a share for a school in the charters of Holderness, Chesterfield, Westmoreland, Walpole, Keene, Charlestown, Westminster, and most of those granted in Vermont. The second thing worthy of notice, is the interest which was taken in the establishment of a College. The Convention of Congregational Ministers in New-Hampshire at Somersworth, 26 Sept. 1758, 'taking into consideration the great advantages which may arise to church and state from the erecting an Academy or College in this Province, unanimously voted,' to petition his Excellency Benning Wentworth for a charter. The petition was presented: in which they say, "we beg leave to present a request to your Excellency in behalf of literature; which proceeds not from any private or party views in us, but our desire to serve the Government and Religion, by laying a foundation for the best instruction of youth." The petition however was not granted, on account, as it is believed, of his Excellency's interest in the Church of England.* Notwithstanding this defeat, next year the Convention appointed Rev. Messrs. Joseph Adams, James Pike, Ward Cotton, Samuel Parsons, Nathaniel Gookin, Samuel Langdon and Samuel Haven, a Committee 'to do every thing which to them shall seem necessary in the aforesaid affair, and moreover to consult upon other measures for promoting the education of youth and the advancement of good literature in the Province.' Under the administration of Gov. John Wentworth, "who was," says Dr. Dwight, "the greatest benefactor to the Province of NewHampshire, mentioned in its history," Dartmouth College was founded, 1769. Wentworth invited Dr. Wheelock to locate his College within the Province, approved of Hanover as the spot, gave a charter of incorporation, and lands to endow it, to the amount of 44,000 acres. Three hundred and forty pounds sterling were also subscribed in * Unless the College should be put under the Bishop of London.'-Allen's Amer. Biography. |