The other item of very great interest, though not in reality immediately connected with the schools in Philadelphia, concerns the establishment of a boarding school, which was to be founded and planned after one of the oldest and largest schools of the society, the great Ackworth School in England.[286] The project was greatly encouraged by Owen Biddle, who (6th month, 10th, 1790) published a pamphlet of 52 pages in which the plea for such a school was elaborated.[287] A committee was appointed to confer with him, and reported they wished to present their wishes also to the other monthly meetings of the city,[288] and they concurring, to present the wishes of the monthly meetings to the quarterly and so on to the yearly meeting.[289] The report, when presented to the other two monthly meetings, met with favor,[290] and it was accordingly agreed (1792) to bring the matter before the quarterly meeting.[291] The approval of the quarterly and yearly meetings[292] in the time immediately ensuing resulted in the plans being set on foot for a subscription of £5000 and which was made open to all members of the yearly meeting in whatsoever quarter; the amount of these, in 1797, was £247/10.[293] The school established at Westtown on the tract of land purchased by the yearly meeting, was opened in 1800,[294] with Richard Hartshorne as the first superintendent.[295] Rules and regulations for its conduct had been drawn up by a committee appointed by the yearly meeting in 1794.[296]
OTHER SCHOOLS IN PHILADELPHIA COUNTY
First school probably as early as 1710 or 1711
The date of the first school in Byberry has not been definitely determined, though it can surely be placed at a very early period in its history, as early as 1710 or 1711. Richard Brockden, who later taught school in Philadelphia,[297] was a teacher in the school at Byberry, for a minute of Abington monthly meeting states in the 4th month of the later year that “At this meeting Richard Brockden, late schoolmaster at Byberry, had a certificate granted him in order to go to England.”[298]
Greater activity near middle of century
This would indicate that the said Richard had been teaching at Byberry, and it is quite probable that he had, but it is not conclusive evidence that he did so. About the middle of the eighteenth century the Byberry Meeting became very active in schooling the children of poor Friends. This movement, it seems from all records found, was due in large measure to an apportionment received from a legacy left by William Carter to the charge of Abington Meeting, for the schooling of the children of Friends in poverty.[299] In 1755, it was:
... agreed that Horsham, Germantown, Byberry meetings shall have 40 shillings each for the ensuing year, and Oxford twenty shillings, Abington three pounds for the same time, (of the annuity left by William Carter) in order that the same may be employed in paying for the schooling of such children as the said meetings may think proper objects thereof if they find any, and the Friends of the said meeting are desired to see that the same be well applied and that the children who partake of the benefit thereof do go regularly to school.[300]
Donations under care of trustees, used for schooling poor
The money thus devised to the meeting was in the care of the committee appointed by the same, whose duty it was to receive requests and to investigate all cases where help was requested or found to be necessary. The accounts of the said committee were audited at a period when necessary by Friends appointed especially for that purpose.[301] This form of philanthropy became very popular here, as in other meetings, almost every meeting bearing forward a new record of it. In 1758 James Thorntown and Giles Knight reported that they had received of James Paul (treasurer of Abington Monthly Meeting) the sum of £6, part of the donation left for the poor children’s schooling, and had applied £2/5 of the same to that use, leaving a remainder of £3/15 in the hands of Knight.[302] In 1770 the records run in this manner:
It appears that Phillip Wells stands in need of some of the moneys that were given to the use of schooling poor Friends children; Thomas Townsend is therefore ordered to pay forty shillings of the money in his hands.[303]