Identifier: kingshandbookofs00king (find matches)
Title: King's handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts : a series of monographs, historical and descriptive
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: King, Moses, 1853-1909 Clogston, William
Subjects: Springfield (Mass.) -- Description and travel Springfield (Mass.) -- Bibliography
Publisher: Springfield, Mass. : J.D. Gill, Publisher
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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cally had its beginning with the first settlers, who gave early attentionto the education of their children. In 1641 ye selectmen were orderedto see that all children be taught to read and learn a chattechisme, andto see schools erected and maintained. Twelve years later a parcelleof land at ye lower end of Chickkuppy plaine was set apart for the sup-port of schools and other town charges. In 1677 William .Maddisonwas employed as schoolmaster, receiving three pence per week for thosewho learned to read, and four pence if writing was added. In the follow- i 26 KINGS HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD. ing year David Denton was engaged as teacher at a salary of ^20 per year.During this year, as the town-records show, there was a school in the towerof the meeting-house; although it is evident that some of the schools were kept in private houses,for in 1679 the townpaid to GoodmanMerricke \os. 6d. forhis house for school-ing, and gs. to Sam-uel Ely for the samepurpose. The youngerchildren were some-
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times taught by married womenat their homes, and such schoolswere called dame schools.The records show that Good-wife Merricke was employed bythe town for such a school. The town authorities hadcharge of the moral training of children at church as well as at school. In1679 the selectmen assigned certain seats for the children, near the deaconsseat; and Deacon Parsons and others were directed to have an eye on KINGS HANDBOOK OF SPRINGFIELD. 127 the boys. It was in this year that the first schoolhouse was built, in thelane going to the upper wharf. This lane is the modern Cypress Street,north of the Boston and Albany Railroad, extending from Main Street west-ward towards Connecticut River. The length of the house was twenty-two foot, breadth seventeen foot, and stud six foot and a halfe, with threelight spaces on one side, and two on one end, and a rung chimney

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