A history of public education in Rhode Island, from 1636 to 1876 ... Comp. by authority of the Board of education, and ed. by Thomas B. Stockwell ...

348 COVENTRY.
continued steadily to advance. Two years previous, 1828, the General
Assembly had re-established free schools throughout the State. At that
time there were as many school-houses in the town as at this writing,
wanting two or three. All school-houses built before 1846, were held in
shares, and the owners were called proprietors. In regard to the
masters, as they were called, of this period tradition has handed down
but little. Before 1800, masters Crocker and Knox, natives of Ireland,
taught school at Bowen's Hill and vicinity. Some of the oldest citizens
of the town now living, who attended school soon after the present
century began, tell of Master Lemuel Spaulding, from Plainfield, Conn.,
who taught in a number of the different school-houses for a period of
years. His qualifications were superior to most of his fellow teachers.
He not only taught the branches commonly pursued, but carried scholars
through surveying and navigation. He is described as a strict discipli.
narian of dignified deportment and usually silent. Mr. James Mathewson, now living, a citizen born in West Greenwicu, about this time
taught a school in what is known as Whaley Hollow, at $5 per month.
At a date later there came along a teacher known by the nomme de plumeof
Mr. A. B. It is a mystery to this day unexplained what the true name
of this man was. He came like a phantom, proved himself a superior
teacher, received no compensation, furnished his scholars with books,
won the hearts of old and young, and at the close of his school disappeared as mysteriously as he came. Soon after the re-establishment of
free schools, other branches were introduced, —such as English grammar
and geography. Among the foremost teachers to encourage these new
studies were the Rev. James Burlingame, now living, who taught
evening schools, for his older pupils' benefit, two or three nights in the
week, and for which he received no extra pay; Charles Horton and his
brother Benjamin; Asa Stone, son of Asa, who was for a long time
town clerk; all, with the exception of Burlingame, having been pupils of
the Rev. Richard Stone, a native of Coventry, and who for a number of
years taught a select and Normal School at Bridgewater, Mass. Thus
the free schools continued to increase gradually in efficiency and
interest.
The next important date in the history of educational affairs is 1846.
Radical reform was introduced at that time by the enactment of the
new school law. To the credit of the town, it can be said, that but few
of its citizens made any effort to obstruct the execution of this law.
The people were generously enthusiastic in its support. The schoolhouses were mostly purchased by the school districts, thoroughly repaired
and entirely re-seated. In some instances new houses were built, and