1697

147

1750, 1761, 1753, the Reverend Thomas Bacon, through the
liberality of many of the colonists, aided by the munifi-
cence of Lord and Lady Baltimore, succeeded in establishing
a " Charity Working School." The building now used as
the County alms house was erected through his efforts. The
school went into successful operation, and continued to exist
up to the time of our revolutionary war. The fallowing is
the heading of the subscription paper circulated by Mr.
Bacon:

" Whereas, Profaneness and debauchery, idleness and im-
" morality, are greatly owing to a gross ignorance of the
"Christian religion, and to sloth and idleness, especially
"among the poorer sort in this province; and, Whereas,
" many poor people are very desirous of having their child-
" ren taught, * * * — — we, whose names are under-
' written, do hereby promise and agree to pay yearly, *
' * * for setting up a " Charity Working School" in the
' parish of St. Peter, in Talbot County, for maintaining and
' teaching poor children to read write and account, and in
"instructing them in the knowledge and practice of the
" Christian religion, as taught in the Church of England,"
etc. On the the 29th September, 1750, he had obtained an-
nual subscriptions amounting to $284, and donations of $164
more from the citizens of the County. In a letter from Cecil
Calvert, secretary, to Lord Baltimore, addressed to Parson
Bacon, he says, " As a peculiar mark of his (Lord Balti-
" more's) favor and protection * * he has given in-
" struction to Mr. Edward Lloyd, his agent and receiver
" general to pay * * * the sum of one hundred guineas
" sterling ($466,) as a free gift * * * and the sum of
" twenty pounds ($86.60,) a year, together with five pounds
" ($21.66) a year from Lady Baltimore, * * * to be
" paid by half yearly payments," etc. The same letter
indicates that the boys of this Institution were graciously
allowed to be called "nominal Baltimore boys."* Mr.
Calvert, is a post script subscribes five pounds sterling
a year to the school from his own purse. During our revo-
lutionary troubles, this school languished and finally be-
came extinct. The property of this school, by the concur-
rence of our people, and under sanction of an act of Assem-
bly, was transferred to the authorities of Talbot County,
as a home for the County poor.

The General Assembly of this State, by the act of 1798,
appropriated to an Academy to be located in this County,
the sum of eight hundred dollars, to be paid annually. This
was followed by the act of 1799, establishing the Academy
at Easton, and incorporating the Board of Trustees. Into
this school, provision was made to receive one pupil free of
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* American Quarterly Church Review, October 1866, Art. Rev. Thomas Bacon