CHAPTER XXII 



ACKWORTH SCHOOL 



Ought not the educating and training of the youth to be, next to 

 our more immediate duty to God, the chief concern of every [Friend] ? 

 What a beautiful and noble prospect do such thoughts open to the 

 view ! Our principles, which, in the present corrupt state of the 

 world, seem to prohibit our meddling with offices, etc., naturally point 

 to us as a people, rather than others, to serve God and our country 

 in the education of the youth. It is a situation not likely to procure 

 riches, ease or worldly honour. But what have we to do with these 

 things ? Is it a time to seek for money or olive yards or oxen ? Any 

 person of tolerable morals who can read and write is esteemed 

 sufficiently qualified for a schoolmaster ; when indeed the best and 

 wisest men are but sufficient for so weighty a charge. If the govern- 

 ments of this world were influenced by true wisdom they would have 

 made the proper education of the youth their first and special care. 

 ANTHONY BENEZET, 1758. 



THE Friends early saw the importance of the education 

 of the young. Some of the leaders, such as Barclay, 

 Penn, Penington and Ellwood, were highly educated men. 

 George Fox himself was devoid of much scholastic training 

 or literary form, yet his own self-culture and his large 

 vision of human needs made him set a high value on 

 school teaching. In the year 1667 he recommended the 

 setting up of boarding-schools for boys and girls near 

 London for their instruction " in all things civil and 

 useful in the Creation." The schools thus established at 

 Waltham and at Shacklewell, with a good many others 

 which followed in different parts of the kingdom, were 

 mainly for those who could pay fees ; but efforts were 

 made to care for the children of poorer Friends at day- 

 schools which were sometimes held in meeting-houses. 

 Fifteen Friends' schools were reported to the Yearly 

 Meeting of 1691 : that at Penketh, Lancashire, survives 



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