Education. 103 



schools or poor one way or the other. The fund and its interest 

 were merged into the other money of the town, and the whole 

 affair resolved itself into a matter of book-keeping. 



By chapter 11 of the Acts of 1880 the previous acts were abol- 

 ished, the fund ordered to be paid into the town treasury, and all 

 money received for land sold after the passage of this act was to 

 be paid into the treasury of the town for town purposes. The 

 town accepted this last act March 1. 1880. 



Rev. Charles Brooks. 



The history of education in Hingham would be incomplete were 

 not some mention made of the services and influence of Rev. 

 Charles Brooks, the minister of the Third Congregational Society 

 from 1821 to 1838 inclusive. His efforts to promote the cause 

 of education, and especially his success in establishing Normal 

 Schools are so much a part of his life that a more extended no- 

 tice of him in this connection will be found in the chapter on 

 Ecclesiastical History. 



SCHOOLIIOUSES. 



The erection of a schoolhouse in Hingham at a given date does 

 not necessarily imply that a school was established at the same 

 time. In many cases schools were kept in rooms or buildings not 

 owned by the town, for which rent was paid. Especially was 

 this the case with the early " female " schools, and the records 

 show that an allowance was often made to the teacher for rent 

 in addition to the regular salary. 



The chronological order in which the various schoolhouses in 

 all parts of the town collectively were built, is not followed, as 

 the subject can be presented more clearly if the districts are 

 treated separately. 



Let it be remembered that in the earliest days there was the 

 town ; later we have the First, Second (Cohasset), and Third 

 (South Hingham) Parishes ; and later still, the North, Middle, 

 and South Wards. These divisions were subdivided from time 

 to time. 



For the sake of clearness the town is divided into the districts, 

 which are most familiar at the present time, viz. : (1) North, 

 (2) West, (3) Middle, (4) Rocky Nook, (5) North district of 

 the South Ward, and (6) South district of the South Ward. 



1. North District. 



From the beginning until 1720-21 the only schoolhouse for the 

 whole town was within the limits of the present North District. 

 It has been previously stated that the site of the earliest build- 

 ings was on the hill formerly in front of the Academy. The 

 evidence for this is as follows : The schoolhouse built in 1806 

 is well remembered by many now living as the one standing 



