Masters in Latin School after 1748; Willian
Wilson and King
Robert Willian was employed in 1748, having been brought from England, to teach Latin, Greek and other learning.[1070] His first term of employment was for one year, as was the Board’s general custom in hiring teachers, but it seems that his contract was renewed until 1753, at which time his place was taken by John Wilson.[1071] Wilson had entered the school’s employ as usher in 1750, but was, in addition to that, granted permission to teach an evening school.[1072] It is not known how long he remained as master, but in 1754 there was a proposition to allow J. King to go into the Latin School,[1073] and it is likely he took Wilson’s place. King, however, as stated elsewhere, did not remain there more than a year, because of ill health and inclination.[1074] Wilson is later mentioned in connection with the Latin school (1769); how much of the time, between 1754 and 1769 he had spent in the Latin School it is impossible to say.
Latin School tries to obtain services of Jackson
Thompson engaged, however
His training and later interests.
When King (1755) announced his intention to resign at the end of six months, the Board attempted to procure Paul Jackson, who at the time was instructor at the Academy.[1075] Jackson was well qualified for the place and, besides his work at the Academy, had prepared lectures in “experimental philosophy” which he proposed to give for the “entertainment of the curious.”[1076] He did not find himself free at this time to remove from the employ of the trustees of that institution, but Charles Thompson, who had been employed there as usher was engaged for the Friends’ School.[1077] It seems that the logical man for the place would have been William Johnson, who first taught a school at Fairhill[1078] (1753) and attended Latin School, free of charge, to prepare him to be an usher (1754).[1079] The headship was not offered him, however,[1080] but a year later his salary for the assistantship was raised £20 to keep him from going to Burlington.[1081] We find that Charles Thompson (from the Academy) remained in the Friends’ School until 1760, when he decided to leave the business of school keeping for another.[1082] His first training in Latin, Greek, and mathematics was gained in Alison’s Seminary. After leaving the Friends’ School he was interested in political life and became secretary of the Revolutionary Congress in 1775.[1083]
Robert Proud recommended for master
Time of his service
When Thompson indicated his desire to leave the Latin School, the Board took steps to secure a master from England. A letter was sent to J. Fothergill and John Hunt who recommended Robert Proud as a very likely candidate.[1084] This recommendation was favorably considered and Proud accordingly came to Philadelphia. He immediately chose W. W. Fentham as his usher, whom, he stated, the Board might remove if they did not find him satisfactory.[1085] It appears that Proud remained master from this time until 1770, when he announced his resignation.[1086] He was again in the employ of the Latin School in 1784, having an usher to assist him in instructing the thirty boys who are stated to have been in attendance on that date.[1087] How long this period of service continued the writer has not determined. The reader has already been introduced to Proud’s school by means of the rules he constructed for it, which were presented on a previous page. His reverence for learning and his attempt to inculcate that respect for it in the minds of his pupils is perhaps best indicated by these lines: