144 History of Hingham. 



Many others are equally worthy of notice, but the writer is 

 unable to gather anything more than scattered and fragmentary 

 accounts of them, and they must live in the memories and tradi- 

 tions of the town only. 



The influence of these private schools must not be underesti- 

 mated. They have played an important part in the early educa- 

 tion of our children, and it is a matter of regret that no perfect 

 record of them can be handed down. 



LIBRARIES. 



Benjamin Franklin says that the Philadelphia Library Com- 

 pany, which he was largely instrumental in founding in 1730, was 

 the " mother of all the North American subscription libraries. 

 These libraries have improved the general conversation of the 

 Americans, made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelli- 

 gent as most gentlemen from other countries, and perhaps have 

 contributed in some degree to the stand so generally made 

 throughout the colonies in defence of their privileges." 



Aside from the college libraries and those connected with in- 

 stitutions of learning and instruction, the chief means of literary 

 culture open to our people in Massachusetts a hundred or more 

 years ago were a social library at Salem, one at Leominster, two 

 at Hingham, and one at Andover. 



The object of these social or association libraries was to procure 

 for each member the advantage of a number of books such as only 

 the owners of large private libraries could enjoy. 



The establishment of free public libraries has in many towns 

 diminished the need for the social libraries, and Hingham is no 

 exception to the prevailing tendency of recent years, when " many 

 social libraries which had sometimes been flourishing, but more 

 frequently had languished, were merged into the new, more per- 

 manent town libraries, where private benevolence co-operated 

 with town legislation to make a substantial basis for these popular 

 institutions." 



Among the earliest of the social libraries in Massachusetts 

 were two in Hingham. 



The First Social Library was formed in 1771, and was located 

 at Hingham Centre. It continued in operation until the opening 

 of the Hingham Public Library in 1869. The proprietors then 

 gave their collection of books to the Public Library, and most of 

 them, together with the records, were burned in the fire of 

 Jan. 3, 1879. 



The Second Social Library was formed in 1773. According to 

 the first page of its records, which are presumed to be from its 

 foundation, it was established " for the Promotion of Knowledge, 

 Religion, and Virtue, — the three grand Ornaments of human 



