SCHOOL RECORDS FOR CHARLES COUNTY
by Pat Melville
Among the Charles County records are two series pertaining to education: Charles County Register of Wills (School Papers) 1824-1855 [MSA C678] and (School Reports) 1839-1853 [MSA C2044]. Many of the reports found in the (School Papers) series are recorded in the (School Reports) series.
Between 1820 and 1846 the structure for the distribution of school funds and for the management of schools in Charles County was periodically reformatted. In 1821 the General Assembly passed a law naming seventeen men as commissioners of the free school fund, four from each election district and one from Port Tobacco. The commissioners were authorized to divide themselves into district committees based on election districts. The county school records show that this provision was adopted. A law passed in 1831 designated the Charles County Orphans Court to receive the free school funds and to distribute them to the school commissioners on the basis of annual reports sent to the register of wills. By provisions of an 1833 law the commissioners were directed to divide each election district into school districts and to estimate the costs of acquiring lots and building school houses. Apparently implementation was less than successful because in 1836 the General Assembly gave the orphans court the responsibility of appointing three commissioners in each election district to carry out the tasks specified three years earlier.
As a result of the 1836 law Charles County was divided into school districts, but insufficient funds were available to actually establish the schools. The situation was remedied in 1839 by a law that authorized the Treasurer of the Western Shore to convert invested school funds of Charles County into cash and gave the county levy court the power to levy taxes for schools. This same law named five trustees for each district school. Each body of trustees was required to secure a centrally located lot and have a school house built. After that they had to hire a teacher and open the school which was designated as free for all white children residing in the district. Money problems persisted, and prompted the passage of a law directing the board of county commissioners to levy an additional tax in 1847 in order to pay past claims from teachers.
The (School Papers) series contains few materials prior to 1832. They consist of accounts, 1824 and 1831, from teachers for tuition reimbursement from the charity school fund for teaching poor children and orphans. The documents show the names of the teachers, names of students, names of fathers or mothers, some ages, number of months taught for each student, amounts due, and dates of the account. The pay for each student was $.04 per day. The same type of accounts continue to be filed, but in greater numbers, between 1832 and 1839. Each account during that time was approved and signed by a district school committee. The files contain some assignments of pay and receipts for pay from teachers. Not all accounts include the names of parents or ages of students. Periodically a teacher would file an attendance chart, showing the number of days per month that each student was present in school. The trustees of the Catholic school at Cobb Neck filed affidavits concerning the indigent children being taught there in order to receive money from the school fund. In 1832 and 1837 commissioners reported on the boundaries of several school districts.
Examples of family relationships and ages found in the accounts include Robert Posey, age 14, son of Hendly Posey; William Posey, age 12, son of Hendly Posey; Elizabeth Posey, age 10, daughter of Hendly Posey; F.E. Parker, orphan; son and stepson of Ignatius Huntington; orphan children of Courtney Robinson; Luke Scroggin, son of Mary Scroggin, widow of George; and three sons of Mrs. Catharine Tenison. Some entries list very precise ages, such as Mrs. Elizabeth Boswell’s sons (William age 11 years and John age 9 years, 6 months) and James Thompson’s niece Elizabeth Chamberlin, age 14 years, 5 months.
Some documents provide other tidbits of interesting information. Teacher J. F. Price made the following comment in his account: “It is much to be regretted that although the poor of our County might have their children educated gratis, yet they will not be at the small trouble of sending them to school, so that justice can neither be done towards the pupil or his instructor. Among those committed to my care in 1832 there are talents above the common order, & such as deserve advantages than can or will be given by their parents.” The 1836 folder contains a printed flyer from the Institution for the Cure of Stammering in New York City.
The (School Papers) series for 1839-1855 contains mostly reports that were recorded in the (School Reports) series. In the latter entries are arranged chronologically by year and then numerically by election district number and school district number. Most of the reports for 1839 and 1840 concern the establishment of primary school districts, acquisition of lots, construction of school houses, and requests for funds to defray expenses. The more detailed documents contain location information on the lots, names of sellers or donors, and building contracts with specifications for construction and furnishings. A few schools opened before buildings were constructed. For example, school district one in election district four held classes in the Methodist church in New Port.
After a school was opened and a teacher hired, the district trustees were required to file annual reports in order to secure funds from the orphans court. Most of the school reports after 1840 fall within this category. Each report shows the election district and district school numbers, number of students, name of the teacher, number of days the school was open, request to pay the teacher, names of the district trustees, and date. Some of the summary reports prepared by the register of wills for the General Assembly appear in the records. In 1846, for example, there were 29 district schools in Charles County, teaching 805 students at a cost of $5583.00. St. Paul's Chapel Free School and McDonough School were instructing another 65 pupils. The same number of schools were operating in the 1850s.
During the first half of the 19th century, most teachers were male, thus making the existence of at least two female teachers noteworthy. In 1841 the General Assembly passed an act authorizing payment to Ann S. Morris who taught in Charles County in 1840. [Efforts to determine why this action was necessary were unsuccessful.] Earlier Miss Thirza Hobert taught from 1833 through 1836.
Sometimes the reports contain observations or supplemental information that highlights the human dimension behind the statistics. In the report for 1841 the trustees of primary school four in election district two commented that "they feel sorry that they cannot ... show more zeal for learning than it is in their power to do, the irregularity with which many children attend the school clearly show that the priviledge of attending school is not as much appreciated as it should be by parents. Your trustees think that the number of children vary from about thirty-two downwards as low as eighteen." Occasionally the teachers, not the students, presented the attendance problems. In 1840 one teacher failed to keep school open regularly, taught fewer pupils than claimed, and was hired by one trustee without the concurrence of the others. In 1846 a teacher was hired from Calvert County, but could not begin until the middle of February. Inclement weather further delayed school opening for another month. In 1848 teacher John A. Dyer submitted a list of days he did not open the school, including two days in February to attend court as a witness, followed by two days for the burial of his son, one day in June to harvest crops, one day in July because of a storm, and after that six more days as a witness in court.
INDEX RULES
[From Prince George's County Genealogical Society Bulletin,
Vol. 30, No. 5, p. 90]
While doing research at the National Archives, a genealogist noticed a copy of "Hansen's Ten Rules for Using Indexes," by James L. Hansen of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Many of the rules will remind archivists and researchers of factors already well know.
1. An index is only an index. It is not a substitute for the record
being indexed.
2. The larger the size of the index, the more easily pertinent listings
are overlooked.
3. In a given record, any vowel may at any point be substituted for
any other vowel or consonant.
4. Virtually every pre WWII record, in whatever form we see it in today,
originated as an attempt by an individual to put on paper what he or she
thought was heard.
5. There is no perfect indexing system.
6. It doesn't matter how you spell the name; it only matters how the
indexer spelled it.
7. Just because an index is described as complete or comprehensive,
doesn't mean it is complete or comprehensive.
8. If you haven't found it in the index, you can only conclude that
you haven't found it in the index. You cannot conclude that it's not in
the record.
9. The index isn't always at the back of the book.
10. Sometimes it is best to ignore the index altogether.
Edward C. Papenfuse, State Archivist
Patricia V. Melville, Editor
Mimi Calver, Assistant Editor
Lynne MacAdam, Production Editor
Rita Molter, Circulation
The Maryland State Archives is an independent agency in the Office of Governor Parris N. Glendening and is advised by the Hall of Records Commission. The Chairman of the Hall of Records Commission is the Honorable Robert Mack Bell, Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals.
The Archivists' Bulldog is issued bi-monthly to publicize records collections, finding aids, and other activities of the Archives and its staff. Subscription cost is $25 per year, and the proceeds go to the State Archives Fund. To subscribe, please send your name, address, and remittance to: the Maryland State Archives, 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1686. Phone: MD toll free: (800) 235 4045; or (410) 260 6400. FAX: (410) 974 3895. E-mail: archives@mdarchives.state.md.us. The Editor welcomes editorial comments and contributions from the public.
The Archives maintains a Website on the Internet at: http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us
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