Cases cited of B. Clift, J. Taylor
G. Keith, Makin and others
One would judge from the complaints of the yearly meetings, and their recommendations, that better and more permanent accommodations be afforded, so that teachers might be more easily kept,[975] that the tenure of the early Quaker schoolmaster was short. The yearly meeting recognized the advantage accruing from longer tenure, and did seek to remove some of the causes which worked against it. Just how much they were able to increase the tenure it is impossible to say. We may, however, cite certain cases in which the duration of a master’s service is known. Benjamin Clift was apparently employed to teach in Darby for two years at least.[976] Jacob Taylor, who was concerned with a school at Abington about 1701,[977] and became a land surveyor about 1706[978], may have continued to teach there between those two dates. He seems to have been resident there in that period,[979] and the scarcity of teachers was everywhere evident, as has already been pointed out. This is certainly not a proof of his incumbency; it indicates a probability. Keith was employed from 1689[980] to 1691;[981] Thomas Makin from the latter date, intermittently, until his death, 1733;[982] Pastorius from the latter part of 1697 or the first part of 1698[983] to 1700;[984] Robert Willian probably from 1748[985] to 1753;[986] Seaton from 1751[987] to 1763,[988] and Robert Proud, not continuously however, from 1759[989] to 1770[990] and again master in 1784.[991] These were taken at random. The longest period of service, doubtless, must be credited to Anthony Benezet who first taught in Philadelphia in 1742[992] and continued there with very brief intermissions until his death in 1784.[993]
These are only a few cases and the majority of them in the city where it was possible to employ the best, pay them better, and hence, keep them longer. Hence, too much weight must not be given to the facts above stated as proving a long term of service was common. If a study of a number of cases in country districts were possible, the results would probably be very different.
Tenure of mistresses
Songhurst
Burchall
Thornton
Her success questionable
It is difficult to get information about the length of service of the mistresses. When first mentioned in Philadelphia records[994] they are spoken of as so many nonentities, their names not given. The term of service of Olive Songhurst, the first mistress whose name is mentioned,[995] we cannot determine. The women teachers seem quite frequently to have begun work under the overseers without much notice and to have left off with little more. There are, however, a few cases where we know that the term of service was of considerable length. Rebeckah Burchall seems to have taught continuously at one school from 1755[996] to 1761.[997] Whether she discontinued service on leaving that school is not known. Ann Thornton was probably not continued in service more than two years. She began in 1755 when she filled Anthony Benezet’s[998] place and left in 1757.[999] In the meantime, it had been necessary for the board to draw up a set of special rules for the government of her school,[1000] from the nature of which it is probable that she did not take another school under their direction.