138 History of Hingham. 



between the religious societies in the north part of the town, the 

 Trustees voted " that the lecture, the present year, be held in the 

 Academy : " and in 1808 they voted " that the lecture be held in 

 the New North Meeting-House," since which time the services 

 have been held in that house, except in the year 1890 when they 

 were held in the Meeting-House of the First Parish, as the New 

 North Meeting-House was then undergoing repairs. 



Whatever becamt; of the original portrait of Madam Derby, 

 which she desired by her will should be placed in the Derby 

 School, no one can tell. The portrait now in the Academy is 

 a copy. The following extracts from the " Hingham Gazette " 

 show by what means it was obtained. In the paper of May 22, 

 1835, it is stated that " after the Derby lecture on Wednesday the 

 pupils of the Academy held a fair in the hall ; the object of which 

 was to procure funds to enable them to obtain a copy of the por- 

 trait of Madam Derby, the founder of the institution. The re- 

 ceipts were $124.80." * And in the paper of June 12, 1835, " We 

 learn that the young ladies of Derby Academy have determined 

 to apply the proceeds of their late fair to obtain a copy of the 

 portrait of the founder of the institution, and we are pleased also 

 that they have selected so accomplished an artist as Mr. Osgood to 

 execute the work." The artist was Samuel Stillman Osgood. 



The portrait of Dr. Hersey, now in the Academy, is also a copy. 

 The "Hingham Patriot" in its issue of May 14, 1847, contains a 

 notice of a social meeting on the evening of Lecture Day, and 

 says, " The surplus funds are to be devoted to obtain a full por- 

 trait of Dr. Hersey, the real founder of the Academy." On May 

 24, 1848, the Trustees " Voted, That the original painting of Dr. 

 Hersey be presented to Widow Jonathan R. Russell, of Milton, a 

 copy thereof being now in the possession of the Trustees." 



The Preceptors of the Derby School and Academy have gen- 

 erally been gentlemen of scholarly attainments and of classical 

 training. It is difficult to make special mention of individuals, 

 but as Academies were more marked institutions in the early 

 part of the century than in the latter years, so the Preceptors were 

 more marked men. Their terms of service were as a rule longer 

 than now. For the past forty years they have usually been young 

 men spending a few years after their college graduation in acquir- 

 ing means for pursuing professional studies, although in some 

 instances they have been men who have made teaching their 

 profession. 



The first Preceptor, Mr. Abner Lincoln, selected by Madam 

 Derby herself, was a man admirably adapted to the position. It 

 has been said of him, " Many of his pupils recollect with grateful 

 feelings the amiable qualities, the happy faculty of teaching, and 

 the perseverance with which he devoted himself to the promotion 

 of their good. The connection of teacher and pupil is often pro- 

 ductive of agreeable associations in after life, and frequently a tie 



