Education. 129 



were often puzzled to answer. The distance from the shop to his father's 

 house, at the foot of the hill, was the extent of Mr. Norton's travels, and 

 no man probably ever pursued a more unvaried, noiseless, and peaceful 

 life. He was a man of uncommon natural ability, and had he enjoyed the 

 same advantages, it was thought he would have been as distinguished as 

 his brother, the late Professor Andrews Norton, who, as a Biblical scholar, 

 ranked second to none the country has ever produced. . . . The hill was 

 soon after dug down and levelled to its present condition. The workmen 

 found a large quantity of bones, the remains of the early settlers of the 

 town, who had been buried there. . . . Another building still standing is 

 intimately associated with the history of the Academy, and was one of the 

 institutions of that day. This was Mr. Theodore Cushiug's shop, which 

 supplied more than one generation with pencils, pens, writing-books, nuts, 

 candy, and gingerbread. Another small shop was kept in the end of Mr. 

 Elisha Cushing's house, nearest to the Academy, by Miss Abigail Thaxter, 

 and another by Miss Lydia Loring, in the house now occupied by Mr. 

 Caleb B. Marsh. Such was the Academy and its surroundings, when I 

 first knew it, say from thirty to thirty-live years ago." 



Another person, who, when a boy, attended school in the old 

 building, has given the writer his personal recollections, as 

 follows : — 



" The foundation of the building was about five feet above the level of 

 the street, with a dilapidated fence on a line with it on the upper edge of 

 a grass bank, inside of which was a row of large buttonvvood-trees. The 

 great change in front, since that time, by taking down the hill, makes a 

 vast difference in appearance." 



The first meeting of the Trustees was held, according to the 

 records, Dec. 22, 1784. The first business transacted was the 

 choice of officers. William Gushing was chosen President, Ben- 

 jamin Lincoln, Jr., Secretary, and John Thaxter, Treasurer. 



Meetings were held from time to time at which no business 

 of great importance was transacted further than to keep the 

 organization alive, and for the election of Trustees to fill 

 vacancies, until after the death of Madam Derby in 1790. 



Aug. 26, 1790, a committee of the Trustees was appointed to 

 draw up a petition to be presented to the General Court at its 

 next session, agreeably to a requisition in the codicil of the late 

 Mrs. Derby's will. 



The Trustees, having received their legacies from Madam 

 Derby's executor, took the preliminary steps towards opening the 

 school by passing the following votes : — 



" Dec. 20, 1790, Voted, To come to the choice of a principal preceptor 

 for Derby School, and Mr. Abner Lincoln was unanimously chosen. 



" Voted, That Mr. Lincoln be paid one hundred pounds lawful money as 

 his salary, for the services of the first year, his salary to commence at the 

 time of the opening of the school. 



" Voted, That the school shall be opened on the first Tuesday in April 

 next. 



VOL. i. — 9* 



