Boston Latin School - Liber Actorum Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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father had always been a strong Loyalist. For a time they taught from desks at opposite ends of the schoolroom and voiced opposite political convictions, thus typifying many a Boston family in those trying times. Boys in the winter of 1774-75 brought sleds to school and in the afternoon coasted down Beacon Street across Tremont Street and down School Street. A servant of General Haldi- man, subordinate commander of the British troops in Boston and resident on School Street, cut up the coast and put ashes on it. The lads made a muster and presented their complaint to the General himself. Hearing their case, he ordered his servant to repair the coast, saying that he had enough trouble with Boston men and wanted none with Boston boys. The School closed on the morning of April 19, 1775 as head master john Lovell, hearing of the rout of English soldiers at the battles of Lexington and Concord, angrily cried, Wars begun, and School's done. Depouife libmr . At the evacuation of Boston in March of the following year, both the Lovells sailed with Lord Howe to Halifax, Nova Scotiag the father as Howe's guest, the son below decks as a prisoner of war. For admission to the school in this period, it was necessary for the candidate to read a few verses from the Bible. Each of the six or seven classes of the school sat at different benches as they studied Latin, Greek, and the elementary subjects . Classes started at seven o'clock in summer and eight in the winter, and closed at eleven. The afternoon session lasted from one o'clock until hve. After the regular lessons ' 9- Q . , ,llllllllw ' Lf ., V A ff f ' .si , 'ff' -' 4227 X 4 7fX L7 ' . 'f ' i-,Sr 5 ,4 -V mi? ,MQSI gy! L, xxx .nwli-ofa., , if-Evraall 4 x. Q.. S ,rs 2. I Inf-fi .:'k.,:,: EKU .,-V R - N3 1 1 4. X ' l' : Hi vf ,J wg' - -A fi V M T- Q ' :vg- 'Q:?1a: :a lEali,f -t 1. 1 5. F f if' ,- L -, Z2- I, 12-4f..I:' ' X - .E QE i io . f ax, ll' -, 'QM-X ,N f.. N x . l m. 5-by + - vi' 'if f 1 Q, ,, V Q '11,-cr 3' ,Q 1 - -' 34175 4- .'-13: T '- -y A '44 rfisiir-ll + :i f - - ,' tw jig 4 e or 1 95 , ' 15 , 1 W. f- Y Y ., EE-e4 tilf ef 1 1 fl' ',-1 45 '- TT,-3.27256 .2 iff - -,, : 5 Ellliigfgf fidi - W ' , . . -Y 5 ,A ' 22-3251111 7 -.1 - ' '- ll 5 i J-L P -' - 1. -.' 'W' ? Ef3E2'-141 P 5-' T , il... ifc gei-4: my W . I if 1 V. I 'hgh lar, sfifgf-s:J2fll:9g?f5 -,S J 1 1 f ll - l I .lL -' ' ' .5.,v.fg'jg5i3vf5i-1 .3 -r l I-V , 1, it ll A ,l'IiyL,1g . fge-'ras 5 H 1 fum ' . li 1' ' rifgll YJ' V 117 gil' 'la . ..... --l ' A 1 gr fi at - ., bf-'ef'--Q f .,....-,g- W, , 4 ' - Y-,,,..., H .,,..,, - was g dyes- .1 ug if .4 - -ff ,.. w T South Side School Street 1812-1844 pupils attended a nearby writing school. Thurs- day mornings at ten the School was dismissed in order that the pupils might attend the Thursday Lecture, a custom borrowed from Boston, England. The Latin School opened under Samuel Hunt following the departure of the Lovells. He .. .,..1q.2- - Gardner's Classroom - Bedford Street PJgc' Ffflerdll

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Bruton, ' nl 7635- 7 940 To be able to look back over more than three hundred years of worthy achievement is the heritage that belongs to the students and graduates of the Boston Public Latin School. Founded on April 23, 1635, by the Town of Boston, the School enjoys the distinction of being known everywhere as the most ancient and honorable public school in America. A man who would know the history of Boston during any of its many years would do well to study the records of the School Library. For in the lives of its young men is found the story of a city and of a nation. Early in America's infancy one of the first settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Reverend john Cotton, sought to establish a free school in the new world, to be modelled in curriculum after Free Grammar School in Boston, England. Town archives show his success and record the approval of Philemon Pormort as the first Master, who was to keep the School at his own house. A year later, as enrollment increased, Daniel Maude was chosen to assist him. Head Master Pormort, seeking religious freedom in the New World, became dissatisfied with the doctrines of Boston minis- ters and so joined the followers of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson and founded the town of Exeter, New Hampshire. As a result, Maude became headmaster, and the School moved to his home until the erection, in 1645, of the first school house. To this day, the street on which the first schoolhouse stood is known as School Street. School was opened in these times by the master's reading Altendemnr, the roll call, and rhymed North Side School Street 1645-1748 Page Fourteen psalms from the Bible. It closed with the Latin Depolzife Libmr, Set down the books. The Town allowed fifty pounds and a house to the Master, and thirty pounds to his assistant, ,..,,X-4... 4 ms. a -z ,Z 2 X-:tg .. 1 l -5- - Ei C ESX. f ,f X 1' Il NP .. - st Xl: X'T1 - . .Q 'i:.T -.3 . 3' 4 -- .,,':'-x' 1 3f fal ,L E! KL,-1 x 1 , -- . ,,..,.. -75312 X fi ' V 51,116 9 5-TQEETL 'xv azf'wi:1gf4z: : --A -5 ,Q I- ' -N c'-15- eff. mfg.-. 'i ii is ':. gr, meer' -.-Tr ' , -55 '. ' gjxp-, ' - 5 L . X A ' e' ,i cfsttgf- LEE '-fi, ?lg:,,,., M -:argl - 7- S '. i?l a V' Trim,-fe: H: rf 2, f ie lc' ef? fl f' eff: ff - .-'QA' F-757.93-- T 'iz . - f.fL1Q A. . 515 , M a.---4-'- 1 -2 my L .L S . - e --1 gy A - 1 ' ' --'-r - ' 'a' -- --- 7-X.:-' IQ. .C f ,H-.. 1- - , '4T1.',.,'f'. I 'w f-ts ' - wf-r - ,' '-'-A 4 '- - - . ,, ,.. ,,i- ' South Side School Street 1748-1812 known as an Usher. In addition, the rents of Deer, Long, and Spectacle Islands were assigned to the support of the School. The celebrated Ezekiel Cheever, who was generally regarded as the best teacher in the colonies and who had authored the famous Accidence, the accepted Latin Grammar. became head master some time later and served in that capacity until his death in office in 1708. His successor, Nathaniel Williams, was the first pupil to become head master. During Williams' years the Master's salary was raised to one hundred pounds, and the usher was still supplied at the Town's expense. In 1734 Williams resigned, and john Lovell, his assistant, was appointed to the vacancy-to become the pride of Boston's parents and the terror of its youth. The years of Lovell's office were the beginnings of dis- content and the seed-time of revolution among the colonists. Lovell's son james, an ardent patriot, was appointed usher in 1670. The

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ruled with difficulty until 1805. He was suc- ceeded by Wfilliam Bigelow, who after nine years of still rougher going, also resigned. This period of scholastic rebellion ended abruptly with the advent of Benjamin Apthorp Gould and his introduction of the misde- meanor mark . He also founded the School Library, began the practice of declamation, and caused regular reports of scholarship and con- duct to be sent to the parents. Gou1d's successor in 1828 was another author -this time Frederic Leverett, whose Latin Lexiconi' soon was adopted as a standard volume. He remained in office three years, resigning to become head of a private school. -2 W, i?4f',.:-5:11-. 3 - - -fauna-1.6, H milf' L L Q 1 ,V Wi .. -. -. I ' - - Y. il l T. EI - El fl Q ' 1 wil l il: H -' di : ii 5 i, w ' f ii: 2- -1 --f-if . l l w ill if 3 l f 1 AL? ia lls i l1, lit -,i ly se H - ' -ffl 5 !13lltl.wi .!' H , f 7, . -gf l lyll 'i'1 '?1'.'. 'L gl il id lih lal -1 mill' Y ' lil ill,-it 1 ..... i ,H A , - Y,,L,- it T . -:-fi' fffvg A3 fx' In IS44 the school moved to Bedford Street. One of the most important among the earlier masters assumed his duties in 1836. He was Epes Sargent Dixwell, a former instructor at the English High School. During his term of fifteen years the Library took shape and became an actuality. In passing, it is interesting to note that Dixwell had with him as usher the famous Edward Everett Hale, while the suc- ceeding master, Francis Gardner, had Phillips Brooks. Both of these ushers later distin- guished themselves as great religious leaders in Boston. Gardner, himself, was one of the most renowned men of New England in the middle of the nineteenth century. He edited a series of Latin text-books, vigorously opposed any alteration of the School's time-honored curriculum, made both many friends and many enemies, and was eminent as a just and practi- cal Yankee. He died in 1876, the first master to die in office since Ezekiel Cheever. With increasing enrollment, the School found it necessary to move first to quarters on Bedford Street and a generation later to a double building on Warren Avenue which it shared with the English. High School. The master at this time was Dr. Moses Merrill, who reorganized the method of instruction and the subject-matter on a sane and more modern basis. A man of high character and strong moral influence, his work with but few changes from his original plans lives after him as an active memorial. The noble men who have followed him in our times are more vividly remembered by the present Masters and Alumni. To endeavor to estimate the scholarship, integrity, and love of Latin School Library 1940 Boston Post Page Sixteen