The committee, appointed at last meeting, report: We, the committee appointed by the monthly meeting at the request of Kennett Preparative Meeting, respecting the establishment of schools within the verge thereof, agree to report, we have attended thereto, and find they have purchased a piece of ground, with the approbation of the committee of this meeting, of Abraham Taylor, about two miles and a half westernly from Kennett Meeting House, adjoining the public road, leading to Nottingham, and obtained his conveyance to Jacob Pierce, Samuel Pennock, Townsend Lambourn, Thomas Pierce, William Parker, and David Pierce, trustees for the same, meted and bounded as mentioned in the said conveyance and recorded ... and as it appears to us necessary in order for a fixed object whereon to lay a foundation for establishing a fund agreeable to the Yearly Meeting, that the monthly meeting should appoint some Friends as trustees to have the care of the said school, and that it should have a name to be distinguished by; we therefore propose it to be called by the name “Number One,” within the verge of Kennett Preparative Meeting. We have likewise agreed on some general rules to be observed by the scholars of the said school. Signed by Caleb Pierce, Wm. Lambourn, Caleb Kirk, and Jonathan Greave. 12-24-1790.
The above report, being read, is agreed to be further considered at our next meeting.[541] Unfortunately for the satisfaction of our curiosity about the internal organization of the schools, the rules which they state were drawn up were not incorporated in the minutes of the monthly meeting. They were probably similar, however, to those adopted by the Horsham School Committee at a slightly earlier date.[542]
In consideration of the recommendations made in the above report, the meeting assembled in the seventh month, appointed nine of their members as trustees, to receive all donations for the purpose of schools.[543] About a year thereafter, a report signed by Joshua Pusey and John Jones was submitted by the monthly meeting to the quarterly meeting, which was in substantial accord with all that had already been done.[544] It may be well to summarize briefly their recommendations.
Summary of committee’s report
1. We have considered the relative situation of the members in our compass.
2. The affairs of education have not yet received the attention they deserve.
3. We find several school houses have been erected, but
4. The demands made by the yearly meeting are not met, therefore,
5. Friends must subscribe funds, either in monthly or preparative meetings.
6. The funds must be available for application for meetings. Friends are so scattered and few that they cannot support a school alone and have been forced to patronize “mixed schools.”