CHAPTER XI.

Schools and education-First votes about schools-School houseTown indicted-School bill-Petition for grant of land-Schools kept in several angles-Grammar school in four places-Town again indicted-Children numbered-Town again indicted-Districts formed-A better system adopted-By-laws adopted and altered-First library-Second library-United-First parish library-Groton Lyceum-Groton Academy - Association - Subscribers Incorporation-List of trustees-List of preceptorsEmbarassments-Grant of lands-Sale and relief from debtsSmall donations-Mrs. Brazer's bequest-Generous donations of William and Amos Lawrence-Change of corporate name— Further donations-Future prospects.

THE first allusion in the town records to a school, or any measures to instruct youth, is the second article in the instructions given to the selectmen, in the year 1681, which is this:

"2. They are to take care that there be a school, or college, of learning of children the English tongue to read."

Nothing further on the subject appears till April 21, 1703, when, at a town meeting, "The town did choose Eleazer Parker to discourse John Applin, [Appleton ?] of Watertown, to see if he will come up to Groton to keep school, to teach children and youth to read and write; and to know his terms, and bring his terms to the selectmen, who are empowered by the town to agree with said man for one year, 1703."

Whether the overtures to John Applin were such as to induce him to come up and keep a school, does not appear by any records, and nothing more is said of a school for fourteen years after.

January 25, 1716-17. "Also voted, that they will make a school-house of the old meeting-house, to stand where the old meeting-house now stands, or near it," viz., a few rods north of where school-house No. 14, now stands.

September 30, 1718. "Also voted, that Jonathan Boyden, John Ames and Joseph Lakin be a committee, and are fully empowered, to let out the school-house to be built at the town's charge, not exceeding twenty pounds and the old meeting-house."

It appears by a petition to the court of general sessions of the peace, held second Tuesday of March, 1717-18, signed by Simon Stone, John Sheple, Jonathan Boyden, Richard Warner and Joseph Lakin as selectmen, that the town had been indicted for not having had a school kept according to law. The petition sets forth, that there are not one hundred families in the town, that the grand jury never intended a grammar school, that the town had been provided with a school master to teach children to read and write according to law; and, therefore, hope to be discharged from presentment. The original petition is endorsed thus: "ordered and done." So it is supposed, the indictment was not followed by conviction.

April 16, 1728, voted, that Benjamin Parker, William Lawrence and Samuel Tarbell be a committee, to receive of Mr. Nathaniel Sawtell the bell for the school, by him presented to the town, and render thanks to him for the same, in behalf of the town, and to erect and set up the same upon or near our school-house, at the charge of the town."

Nothing further has been learned, either from record or tradition, in relation to a school bell.

"July 23, 1734. The town, taking into consideration the obligation they are under, by law of the Province, to be continually provided with a grammar school, and their poverty and inability to support the same, voted, that Benjamin Prescott, Esq., representative in this town, be desired and fully empowered, in behalf of the town, to prefer a petition to the Great and General Court for a tract of land, the profits and produce of which to be applied and appropriated for or towards the support of a grammar school in this town, and to use his best endeavors that the same be effected."

It is supposed that at the time of this last date, and until some time after, there was but one place in the town for a school to be kept, and but one school teacher at a time. But in 1741, votes were passed to have the school kept in five places, six weeks in each place. And in 1742, seven places for the school were thus designated, viz., first, to begin at the school-house on the west side the meadow, then at Unkety, then at Eleazer Gilson's, then at Hezekiah Sawtell's, then at Nissitissett, then at the middle of the town, and then at John Gilson's. These locations cannot at this time be precisely pointed out. The west side of the meadow, and the middle of the town, are sufficiently understood; Unkety, or Unquetenassett, is the part of Groton set off to Dunstable; Nissitissett to Pepperell, and Hezekiah Sawtell's is known to have been where Capt. John Rockwood now lives. One of the Gilson's was probably in the east part, and the other in the south.

In 1745, a committee were chosen to consider and report, concerning the schools, who, at the town meeting May 17, 1745, made the following report.

"The committee appointed to consider where the school shall be kept, for the year ensuing, have met and taken the affair under consideration, and find it not possible to settle it, so that every one may reap an equal

benefit; but are humbly of opinion, that it may be most for the advantage of the town, that the school may be kept for the year ensuing, in the middle of the town, and that all such as live more than two miles, or thereabout, shall be so far eased as to embody amongst themselves, and upon their employing either a master or school-dame, shall draw the whole of what they pay to the school rate in said town."

This report was accepted, and ordered to be recorded.

May 18, 1748, the town voted, that the grammar school should be kept in four places and no more, and those who live two miles from the school may have the privilege as in 1745. The selectmen to appoint the four places.

In 1748, the town was again indicted for not having a grammar school, and William Lawrence, Esq., was appointed agent to defend in the case.

For several years, about this period, the school was ordered and managed in the same or a similar manner, as above stated.

The sum of money annually expended for the schools, at the above dates, does not appear, as it was voted, raised and assessed among other town charges; but in 1752, it was separately voted, and the sum for the grammar school, no other being mentioned, and probably there was no other, was forty pounds. In 1755, the sum granted for schools was forty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence; twenty-six pounds thirteen shillings thereof, to be expended in the middle of the town; the remainder in the "out skirts."

In 1758, the sum granted for the grammar school to be kept in the middle of the town, was fifty pounds, and twenty pounds for reading and writing schools in the "several angles of the town," and a committee designated the places and apportioned the money.

The terms "angles," and "squadrons," were, for many years, used for what we now call school districts. The last above recited arrangement for the schools, was observed, with some slight variations, for several years. One quarter part of the time, the grammar school was sometimes kept in the north part of the town, and sometimes in the south. Shirley and Pepperell, it will be remembered, had been set off as separate districts in 1753. The sum annually granted for the support of schools rose to seventy-five pounds. In 1760, a schoolhouse in the south part of the town was burnt.

The following article was inserted in the warrant for March meeting, 1769: "To see what allowance the town will make such persons as have or may erect schoolhouses in the several angles of the town, &c." But nothing was allowed.

In 1778, a new arrangement of the schools was made, as appears by the following votes:

"Voted, That the children be numbered through the town; males unmarried from four years old to twentyone; females unmarried from four years old to eighteen; and the whole of the money raised this year for the schools to be equally divided upon the polls. A circle one mile and a half distance from the school-house in the middle of the town, to be reckoned as the middle squadron; and the selectmen to be a committee to proportion the school money, and regulate the several squadrons on the outside.

"Voted, To raise two hundred pounds to be appropriated for the use of schools the ensuing year." At a subsequent meeting one hundred pounds more were added.

In 1779, similar votes were passed, and the town was again indicted for not having a grammar school according to law. In 1780, a grammar school was voted to be kept six months in the middle of the town, three months on