Education. 135 



Academy, although debarred from the benefits of Madam Derby's 

 bequests in many respects. 



The above votes mark all the substantial alterations winch 

 have been made in the school-buildings, and indicate many of 

 the changes in the school itself. 



On April 5, 1791, the day of the opening of the school, the 

 Trustees appointed Hon. Richard Couch and Hon. Cotton Tufts 

 a committee for the purpose of providing a seal for the Trustees. 



SEAL OF DF.KBY ACADEMY, HINGHAM. 



The absence of any public halls for public meetings of all 

 kinds, until recent years, called the Academy into use frequently, 

 — both the old building and the new. More than one religious 

 society held meetings there before the erection of their meeting- 

 houses. The building erected in 1818 gave the north part of the 

 town the only hall of any considerable size until the erection of 

 Loring Hall, in 1852, and it was the usual place for lectures, 

 meetings, and social gatherings. 



The Trustees, in 1821, voted to let the hall of the Academy to 

 the town of Hingham for the purpose of holding town-meetings 

 at -$8.00 a meeting, or at $30.00 a year, the town making good 

 all extra damage. Previously the town-meetings had most fre- 

 quently been held in the meeting-house of the First Parish. 

 Several private schools were kept in the lower story of the Acad- 

 emy at different times, and in more recent years a room has been 

 occupied by the Second Social Library. 



The Derby School and Academy have at times occupied a 

 prominent place in the discussions of the town-meetings, and 

 on more than one occasion action has been taken by the town 

 leading to conferences with the trustees, sometimes of a friendly 

 character, and sometimes, more especially in the earlier years, 

 tempered with ill-feeling. 



As early as the March meeting of 1794, a committee was ap- 

 pointed by the town to. " examine the privileges the town and 

 parish are entitled to in the Derby School, and whether they are 

 deprived of any privilege which by Mrs. Derby's will, lease, or 



