The History Of Marthas Vineyard Dukes County Massachusetts Family Genealogies 1641 1800 PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ...it was one of the places where the Indian youths were taught by the younger Mayhew as a part of the missionary work. No actual reference to a school in the town appears in the records until nearly seventy years after this date, and we are left in doubt as to the existence of a public school during this time. In 1675 Simon Athearn bewailed the lack of "a scool master to teach our children." There were, perhaps, at that date fifty children of school age in the town, and we cannot suppose that the absence of any records on the subject means that educational matters had no part in the life of the people. In 1724 James Smith "late of Tisbury, schoolmaster," is mentioned in the court records in a suit, and from this casual reference we may conclude that the teaching of the youth was then a private business arrangement among the parents whose children needed instruction. The first action of record taken by the town was in 1737, when a committee was appointed "for Considering & Settling a schoole." This language indicates that no public school system was then in existence. The committee made the following recommendations: --"The aforsd schoole to be held & keept in Tisbury near the house of Whitten Manter seven months & a half in a year from the time of its Commencing. 2: To be kept & held att Checemmoo near the Common Road betwixt the Dweling houses of David Butler & John Cottle eleven weeks next Ensuing the aforsd Terme. 3 The Remaining part to Compleat a year, to be keept at some Convenient place at Homeses hole:1 The town accepted the report and voted "that there should be a schoolehouse built forthwith as Conveniently may be & to stand at the Easterly corner of Whitten Manters...