CONTENTS—Education among the Loyalists—Effect of the War—No
opportunity for Education—A few Educated—At Bath—A common belief—
What was requisite for farming—Learning at home—The School
Teachers—Their qualifications—Rev. Mr. Stuart as a Teacher—Academy
at Kingston—First Canadian D.D.—Mr. Clark, Teacher, 1786—Donevan—
Garrison Schools—Cockerell—Myers—Blaney—Michael—Atkins—Kingston,
1795—Lyons—Mrs. Cranahan—In Adolphustown—Morden—Faulkiner—The
School Books—Evening Schools—McDougall—O’Reiley—McCormick—
Flogging—Salisbury—James—Potter—Wright—Watkins—Gibson—Smith—
Whelan—Articles of Agreement—Recollections—Boarding round—American
Teachers—School Books—The Letter Z.
THE FIRST SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS.
The majority of the refugees possessed but limited education. There were
a very small number whose education was even excellent; but the greater
portion of Loyalists from the revolting Colonies, had not enjoyed
opportunities for even a common education. The state of society, for
many years, precluded the teaching of youth. During the civil war, the
chances for learning had been exceedingly slender. Apart from this,
there did not exist, a hundred years ago, the same desire to acquire
learning which now prevails. The disbanded soldiers and refugees, even
some of the half-pay officers, were void of education, which, even in
the back woods, is a source of pure enjoyment. There was, however, an
English seminary at Quebec, and at Montreal, at which a few were
educated during the war; for instance, Clark, who was a naval
store-keeper at Carleton Island, had his children there at school. At
the village of Kingston, there were a certain number of educated
persons; but around the Bay there was not much to boast of. As their
habitations were sparse, it was difficult for a sufficient number to
unite to form good schools. Among the old, sturdy farmers, who
themselves had no learning, and who had got along without much, if any
learning, and had no books to read, there obtained a belief that it was
not only unnecessary, but likely to have a bad effect upon the young,
disqualifying them for the plain duties of husbandry. If one could read,
sign his own name, and cast interest, it was looked upon as quite
sufficient for a farmer. But gradually there sprung up an increased
desire to acquire education, and a willingness to supply the means
therefor. In most places, the children were gladly sent to school. And,
moreover, in some cases, elder persons, without learning, married to one
possessed of it, would spend their long winter evenings in learning from
a willing partner, by the flickering fire light. Says Ex-Sheriff Ruttan,
then living at Adolphustown, “As there were no schools at that period,
what knowledge I acquired was from my mother, who would, of an evening,
relate events of the American rebellion, and the happy lives people once
led under British laws and protection previous to the outbreak.” “In a
few years, as the neighborhood improved, school teaching was introduced
by a few individuals, whose individual infirmities prevented them from
hard manual labor.” We find it stated that the first school teachers
were discharged soldiers, and generally Irish.
The Rev. John Stuart, subsequently. D.D., (See first clergyman) was the
first teacher in Upper Canada. So early as 1785, the year he settled at
Cataraqui, as he called the place, he says, in a letter written to an
old friend in the States, “The greatest inconvenience I feel here, is
there being no school for our boys; but, we are now applying to the
Legislature for assistance to erect an academy and have reason to expect
success; If I succeed in this, I shall die here contented.” “In May,
1786, he opened an academy at Kingston;” writing in 1788, he remarks, “I
have an excellent school for my children,” that is the children of
Kingston.—(Memoirs of Dr. Stuart). The degree of D.D., which was
conferred upon Mr. Stuart, in 1799, by his Alma Mater, at the University
of Pennsylvania, was the first University degree of any kind conferred
upon a Canadian, probably to any one of the present Dominion of Canada.
While the Rev. Mr. Stuart was engaged with the first school in Kingston,
Mr. Clarke was likewise employed in teaching upon the shores of the Bay,
probably in Ernesttown or Fredericksburgh. “We learn from Major Clark,
now residing in Edwardsburgh, that his father taught the first regular
school in Dundas. He arrived with his family in Montreal, in the year
1786, and proceeded to the Bay Quinté. He remained two years at the Bay,
employed in teaching. In 1788, he came to Matilda, at the instance of
Captain Frazer, who, at his own expense, purchased a farm for him, at
the cost of one hundred dollars. A few of the neighbors assisted in the
erection of a school house, in which Mr. Clark taught for several years.
He was a native of Perthshire, Scotland.”—(_History of Dundas_).
One of the first teachers at Kingston, was one Donevan.
As a general thing, all the British garrisons had, what was called, a
garrison school, and many of the children at first derived the rudiments
of education from these; that is, those living convenient to the forts.
The teachers of these army schools, no doubt, were of questionable
fitness, probably possessing but a minimum of knowledge, next to actual
ignorance. However, there may have been exceptions. Possibly, where a
chaplain was attached to a garrison, he taught, or superintended.
Col. Clark, of Dalhousie, says, “The first rudiments of my humble
education I acquired at the garrison school, at Old Fort, Niagara. When
we came to the British side of the river, I went to various schools. The
best among them was a Richard Cockerell, an Englishman, from the United
States, who left the country during the rebellion.” He also speaks of
D’Anovan of Kingston, as a teacher, and likewise Myers, Blaney, Mr.
Michael, Irish, and another, a Scotchman. This was before 1800.
A memorandum by Robert Clark, of Napanee, says, “My boys commenced going
to school to Mr. Daniel Allen Atkins, 18th January, 1791.”
Rochefoucault says, in 1795, speaking of Kingston, “In this district are
some schools, but they are few in number. The children are instructed in
reading and writing, and pay each a dollar a month. One of the masters,
superior to the rest, in point of knowledge, taught Latin; but he has
left the school, without being succeeded by another instructor of the
same learning.”
“In the year 1788, a pious young man, called Lyons, an exhorter in the
Methodist Episcopal Church, came to Canada, and engaged in teaching a
school in Adolphustown,” “upon Hay Bay or fourth concession.”—
(_Playter._) Ex-Sheriff Ruttan tells us, that “At seven years of age,
(1799), he was one of those who patronized Mrs. Cranahan, who opened a
Sylvan Seminary for the young idea, (in Adolphustown); from thence, I
went to Jonathan Clark’s, and then tried Thomas Morden, lastly William
Faulkiner, a relative of the Hagermans. You may suppose that these
graduations to Parnassus, was carried into effect, because a large
amount of knowledge could be obtained. Not so; for Dilworth’s Spelling
Book, and the New Testament, were the only books possessed by these
academies. About five miles distant, was another teacher, whose name I
forget; after his day’s work was done in the bush, but particularly in
the winter, he was ready to receive his pupils. This evening school was
for those in search of knowledge. My two elder brothers availed
themselves of this opportunity, and always went on snow shoes, which
they deposited at the door.” It looks very much as if courting may have
been intimately associated with these nightly researches for knowledge.
Mr. Ruttan adds, “And exciting occasions sometimes happened by
moonlight, when the girls joined the cavalcade.” At this school as well,
the only books were Dilworth, and the Testament; unless it were the
girl’s “looks.” “Those primeval days I remember with great pleasure.”
“At fourteen, (1806), my education was finished.” We learn that at an
early period there was one McDougall, who taught school in a log house
upon the south shore of Hay Bay. Says Mr. Henry VanDusen, one of the
first natives of Upper Canada, “The first who exercised the prerogative
of the school room in Adolphustown were the two sons of Edward O’Reily,
and McCormick, both of whom are well remembered by all who were favored
with their instruction—from the unmerciful floggings received.”
About the year 1803, one Salisbury taught school on the High Shore,
Sophiasburgh. The first teacher upon the Marsh Front, near Grassy Point,
was John James. At the mouth of Myers’ Creek, in 1807 or 8, James Potter
taught school; but, prior to that, a man by the name of Leslie taught.
About this time, there was also a Rev. Mr. Wright, a Presbyterian, who
taught school near Mrs. Simpson’s. He preached occasionally. In 1810, in
a little frame school house, near the present market, (Belleville,)
taught one John Watkins. One of the first school masters up the Moira,
fifth concession of Thurlow, was one Gibson. Mrs. Perry, born in
Ernesttown, remembers her first, and her principal school-teacher. His
name was Smith, and he taught in the second concession of Ernesttown in
1806. He had a large school, the children coming from all the
neighborhood, including the best families.
During the war of 1812, Mr. Whelan taught at Kingston, in the public
school. The school house stood near the block house. It is stated,
January, 1817, that he had been a teacher for ten years.
Before us, is a document, dated at Hollowell, Oct. 28, 1819. It is—
“Articles of agreement between R—— L——, of the one part, and we, the
undersigned, of the other part: that is to say: that R—— L—— doth engage
to keep a regular school, for the term of seven months from the first
day of November next, at the rate of two pounds ten shillings per month;
and he further doth agree to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic; to
keep regular hours, keep good order in school, as far as his abilities
will allow, see that the children go orderly from school to their
respective homes. And we, the undersigned, doth agree to pay R—— L—— the
sum above named of ten dollars per month for the time above mentioned;
and further, doth agree to find a comfortable house for the school, and
supply the same with wood fitted for the fire. And further, to wash,
mend, lodge, and victual him for the time of keeping said school. School
to be under charge and inspection of the following trustees: William
Clark, Peter Leavens, and Daniel Leavens.”
To which is subjoined, quaintly, in Mr. L.’s hand writing:
“It is to be understood that the said R—— L—— has performed his business
rightly till he is discharged,—(Signed) R—— L——.”
Below are the names of the subscribers, and the number of scholars each
will send.
The practice already referred to, of setting apart for school teachers
such members of the family as were physically incapable of doing hard
manual labor, without any regard to their natural or acquired
capabilities, was of Yankee origin, and continued in many places for
many years. The writer had, among his early teachers, one who boarded
round from family to family, whose sole qualification to teach consisted
in his lameness. This prostitution of a noble calling, had the effect of
preventing men of education for a long time, from engaging in the duties
of this profession.
In different places, young men would engage for three or four months, in
winter, to teach school; but, with the return of spring, they would
return to the labor of the field and woods. After a while, young women
could be found who would teach in the concession school house all the
summer, to which the younger children would go.
Some of the first school teachers were from the old country, and some
from the American States. The latter would naturally desire to have used
American school books, and, as they were the most conveniently procured,
they were introduced, and continued to be in use for many years. At
least, by some schools, Dr. Noah Webster’s spelling book was among the
first to be used; and the writer commenced his rudimentary education in
that book. It followed, from the presence of American teachers and
school books, that peculiarities of American spelling and pronunciation
were taught to the children of Canada. For instance, take the letter Z.
This letter of the English alphabet is, according to original authority
pronounced _zed_; but Webster taught that it had not a compound sound,
and should be pronounced _ze_. This matter was brought before the
public, by a letter over the signature of “Harris,” which appeared in
the _Kingston Herald_, in 1846. After adducing abundance of authority,
he concludes that “the instructor of youth, who, when engaged in
teaching the elements of the English language, direct them to call that
letter _ze_, instead of _zed_, are teaching them error.”