Click on the links
in the left column for more information on individual schools.
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Adolphustown
Village |
Open
in the early 1800s. |
North
side of Highway 33 on the east end of the village, just east of St. Alban’s
Church. No
remaining signs of the building. |
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Adolphustown
Village |
First
building erected c1843. Replaced,
probably early 1900s |
Junction
of Highway 33 and County Road 8. Now
a private residence. |
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Dorland |
Unknown
date of building. |
County
Road 8 east of Dorland. Now
a private residence. |
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3rd
Concession Road |
Existing
building erected in 1898 after previous building burned. |
195
3rd Concession Road; still standing. |
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Gosport |
Site
first deeded in 1831. Third
building in section. |
Now
a private residence |
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Possibly
further out on 3rd
Concession Road. |
No
site records available. |
No
remaining signs of the building. Marked
on the 1860 Wallings map only. |
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Bayshore
Road |
Opened
from 1850-1860. |
No
remaining signs of the building. Marked
on the 1860 Wallings map only. |
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|
Highway
33, west of the village |
Built
as a two-room school in 1963. Closed
1969. |
Highway
33, west of Adolphustown Park. Now
a private residence. |
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General Records from Adolphustown Township 1789 The first school mentioned is that
of Mr. Lyons, a young Methodist who came to Canada in 1788 and began teaching
somewhere on the north shore of Hay Bay in Adolphustown township. No further
information on this school has been uncovered. 1799 In 1799, Mrs. Carnahan opened a
"Sylvan Seminary For Children" in Adolphustown. Mrs. Carnahan is
the first recorded female teacher in the province. This is most likely Sarah
O'Neil-Carnahan (1752-1806), wife of U.E. settler Joseph Carnahan
(1750-1810). It is recorded that both Joseph and Sarah were schoolteachers.
The Carnahans lived in the western end of the
second concession in Adolphustown, Carnahan's Bay was named after them 1802 In 1802, a Mr. McDougall taught in
a log school house on the south shore of Hay Bay. The exact location has not
been confirmed. The school may have been in Adolphustown or Fredericksburgh The same year (1802), a letter
from Thomas Dorland states that "there is a schoolhoufe
on Number twenty five in the sixth Tear." “Sixth tear'' refers to the
north side of Third Street in the Village of Adolphustown (today Hwy 33). Lot
25 was on the western edge of the village. This building may have been the
one used by Mrs. Carnahan, or it could have been built as a new village
school. Again, no further records have been discovered. Henry
Ruttan Memories Henry Ruttan (1792-1871), son of
Loyalist William Ruttan and his wife Margaret Steel, started school in 1799
and continued there until he relocated to Kingston in 1806. He states: "At
seven years of age I was one of those who was educated by Mrs. Carnahan, who
opened a Seminary for Children. From there I went to Mr. Jonathan Clark's
School, and then to Mr. Thomas Morden's - lastly to
Mr. William Faulkner, a relative of the Hagermans.
Dilworth's Spelling Book and the New Testament were the only two books used
by these schools. About five miles distant was another teacher, whose name I
do not recollect. After his day's work was over in the woods, but
particularly in the winter, he was ready to receive his pupils. My two elder
brothers always went to school on snowshoes, which they deposited at the
door, ready for their return. By moonlight it was considered a healthful and
exciting excursion, especially when the girls joined the group.” Canniff
Haight Memories Canniff Haight, in his book ‘Country
Life in Upper Canada’ mentions his father's schooldays in the Hay Bay area of
Adolphustown: "The
old school house, where my father (Shadrick Ricketson Haight 1798-1840), I
believe, had got his schooling, was hoisted on runners, and, with the aid of
several yoke of oxen, was taken up the road about a mile and enlarged a
little." 1816 It is recorded that two schools in
Adolphustown were operating by 1816. 1819 It is recorded that a third school
was opened in Adolphustown in 1819. Alex. Cowan commenced teaching in
Adolphustown. (see 1855 below) 1821 It is recorded that a fourth
school was opened in Adolphustown in 1821. 1825 By 1825, there were four schools
in Adolphustown Township, two established before 1816, another in 1819, and the fourth in 1821. Townships were divided into School
Sections (i.e. S.S. #1, S.S. #2, etc.). The sections originally started on the first concession and
were numbered from west to east. The hamlets were not named until
the post offices were opened, and therefore the early schools were known only by their numbers, or by
the name of the surrounding landowner, not by the name of the hamlet 1836
It is recorded that a fifth school
was opened in the Township in 1836. 1843 W.R.
Bigg first taught in Adolphustown in 1843 "From the
trustees I learned that my first step would be to procure a Certificate of
Qualification from one of the "Township School Commissioners" and
was referred to "Squire Casey", the Chairman of the School
Commissioners for Adolphustown, who lived near at hand. Then, supposing I
obtained the desired Certificate, my next step would be to draw up an
Agreement - to the effect that I would teach the School of the Section for
$12 a month, and "board round" free, for the winter term of six
months, 1843-4. It was then
customary to engage men for Teachers for the Winter half of the year, and
"School marms" for the summer half,
although a few School Sections were found to be sufficiently large to enable
the inhabitants "to keep a male Teacher all the year round. Accordingly, I
waited on "Squire Casey" to undergo the dreaded ordeal of
examination. This, however, was very brief and entirely oral, and consisted
in being simply asked to spell "Summons." The "Squire",
you must know was as his title implied, a Magistrate, and in his official
capacity, often issued a summons, and well knew that the general Canadian
orthography was "sumons." Upon my
spelling it in orthodox fashion, he wrote me out a Certificate authorizing me
to teach any School in the Township of Adolphustown. Being thus "armed in the mail of
proof," back again I went to the Trustees of the vacant School Section,
and was requested to draw up an Agreement and canvas the section for
"signers", which I accordingly did, and succeeded in obtaining the
requisite number of twenty-six names, some signing for three scholars, others
for two, but more for one, and few for half a scholar. I may here remark,
that very few actually signed their names - the bulk of those in the Section
"couldn't write very good" but told me to put their names down. The
object in thus getting "signers" was this: The salary for six
months at $12 a month, would be $72, from which the estimated amount of the
Government Grant, twenty dollars ($20), being deducted, left $52 for the
Section to make up, which averaged $2 per Scholar for the twenty-six signed
for, and this was deemed quite a large Bill!" " Equipments, Furniture, Apparatus,
Playground. The majority of the School Houses in Upper Canada in the early
forties were built of Logs, - though Frame ones were coming into fashion, and
in Towns and Cities, Brick and Stone structures made their appearance. The
Rural School Houses were generally small, few exceeding 20 x 24 feet and all
were alike destitute of maps and Blackboards. The Building consisted of one
room only, with an old wood stove in the centre; - the seats and desks were
placed all round two or three sides of the Building and directly facing the
windows, consisting of 12 lights in each, 7 x 9 inches, or 8 x 10. There were
no Playgrounds, nor Closets - the Highway was occupied for the former, and
the adjoining Woods for the latter." 1850 Records show six schools in Adolphustown,
five of which are frame: 1 - 18’ x 24’ 1 - 18’ x 26’ 1 - 20 x 26’ 2
- 22’ x 24’ Five are said to be in good
repair. Only one school has privies, two
schools have blackboards. There are 184 children in the
township ages 5-16, and 159 children on the school roll; 86 boys and 73
girls. There are 10 teachers, five male, five female, with only one of them
having been trained at normal school. Books
used were Walkingames's Arithmetic. Kirkham's
Grammar, Morse's Geography. Bible & Testament. 1853 Council Office Adolphustown Oct 17th,
1853 The council meet this day by
special order of the Reeve Present; the Reeve, J.B. Allison,
Platt, Allen The
Reeve explained the object of the meeting where the Clerk was requested to
read a communication of the Chief Superintendant of Schools to the Reeves of
the various municipalities published in the journal of Education, Vol. 6, No.
7, it being done. It
was moved by Mr. Allison, seconded by Allen and resolved that this council do
grant out of the general funds of the Township the sum of £15 for the purpose
of establishing a Township Public School Library and that the Reeve confer
with Dr. Ryerson in the selection of Books and that he is hereby authorized
to give a check upon the Treasurer for the above. CARRIED Recorded as By-Law #27. 1855 The Report from the Minister of
Education shows five schools in Adolphustown, all five frame buildings. Records show two were opened
before 1816; one in 1819; one in 1821; and a fifth in 1836. There are 170 children between the
ages of five and 16 in the Township, with 153 of those attending school and
an additional 10 students of ‘other ages’; 138 boys and 25 girls. The Report also states that 20% of
the population of the Township is unable to read or write. There were six teachers; one male
and five female. 1855 Teacher: Alex Cowan; Presbyterian;
b. Scotland; res: Hillier; age: 72 in 1856; Cause of discontinuing teaching:
Age & Infirmity; Commenced in Adolphustown, U.C. 1819.
Taught 27 years and ceased 1850 Superannuated Common School Teacher in Upper Canada
for 1855 1856 John
J. Watson, Esq., Adolphustown:
“The report for 1856 varies but slightly from that of the preceding year, the
total amount of expenditure being £114 3s 7d; the number of children of school age 204; the number
upon the register 142, thus leaving I regret to say, more than one fourth
without any instruction at all. The desire of wealth still pervades the
public mind, more than the thirst for knowledge, the school law had done
much, but the people might have done much more. Municipal and local taxation
may be ample in some localities; although not compulsory, but they are sadly
deficient in others. That liberality so much desired is not always to be found
and while relying on the fundamental principles of the system, experience has
taught us the necessity of some further improvement; not only to provide the
place; but compel the parents to send their children, when I see our people
appreciate the education of youth, so as to make the school-house the
ornament of the neighbourhood, an attraction to visitors, with a teacher well
qualified to discharge the duties of his honorable position and parents and
guardians of children taking a lively interest in their intellectual
advancement, I shall then think that we are performing our duty and
progressing towards our proper destination.” Reports of the Local Superintendents in Upper Canada
1856, Legislative Assembly 1857 The Adolphustown Council minutes
for September 26, 1857 mention six schools open in the Township of
Adolphustown; S.S. #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6. We are able to identify sections
one (village), two (Dorland), four (Gosport) and six (Bayshore Road). Sections three and five are most
likely both on the 3rd Concession Road, as indicated on earlier
maps, although lack of information makes it difficult to confirm. 1858 John
J. Watson, Esq., Adolphustown: “In regard to improvement generally I
may say we have had a better class of Teachers during the past year, but I am
far from being satisfied with what has been done.. It may be my desire to
hide the faults of the people of this Township, but it would be far greater
pleasure to record their noble deeds. You might ask, why have you no Library
and why not schools of the highest attainment in that old settled Township so
celebrated in former days? My only reply can be, education is not rightly
appreciated.” Reports of the Local Superintendents in Upper Canada
1859, Legislative Assembly 1860 The Adolphustown Council minutes
mention five schools open in the Township. S.S. #1, #2, #3 west, #3 east, 4. We would assume that numbers three
and five previously mentioned in 1857, are now referred to as “three west”
and “three east”. 1875 The 1875 Report on Lennox and
Addington Schools by Frederick Burrows mentions that two new frame schools
were built in Adolphustown between 1817 and 1874, although it does not
mention which two. |
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After the Adolphustown Public
School was built in 1963, the original one-room
schoolhouses were sold. |
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October 4 1963 |
October 25 1963 |
