Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-24

was DlhckSmlln anu DTHIer snip
builder; Jones was proprietor of the
snuff mill up the Brandywins where
the Augustine Mills now are, and Price
and Lea were millers, altogether a
representative body.
The trustees as elected annually
under the ACT probably conducted the
school until the Free School Law went
into effect in 1920, in which year the
Levy Courts OF the three counties were
directed to have their respective coun
ties divided into school districts. Now
Castle county was divided into - uis-
triGts, as appears from the minutes Of
the court in September, 1880. The
Brandywine Academy was the school
house OF District No. 3, which com
prised the territory from the Delaware
River up tine Christiana and Brandy
wine to jones' snuff mill and several
miles widu, extending TO land Of Henry
Wehster's and 10 Talley'H road. Each
school district had committee of
three. Under an act passed in 1871,
Districts No. . and No. 3 were divided
and District No. 70 was created The
Old Academy continued as the school
houss for District No. 3 until 1863
when Brandywine Village became the
Ninth ward Of the city of Wilmington.
For a short time the school was con-
Quoted by the Board Of Public Edu-
cation, which had the right under its
now charter, pussed in 1871, to draw
dividends made and entered TO the
credit Of the school. That same year
the Stats had surrendered all its right,
title and interest in the Old Academy
to the Mayor and Council of Whining
ton, for the sole use and benefit of the
Ninth ward forever.
Nothing has as yet been said con-
corning the teachers at the old school,
whose munitiGent salaries ran as high
as S75 quarter Among the teachers
we're Quiller Thomas. who had charge
about 1890: Mr.. McNivin, who CON
Quoted it as an English and Classical
Academy and had reputation OF not
sparipg the rod; Jacob B. Vandeyer,
Isaac Register. Lea Pussy, Moses
Walker, Cornelius Phipps, Thomas
Lawson aud Thomas johnson. Mr..
McNivin kept switches in water in the
cellar and when he desired TO chastisc
boy he sent the hoy down to get Q
switch. The post to which the bel
rope was attached was a convenient
place for thrashing boy. In summer
time bad boys were required to stand
on top of large stove in their bare
fest. Ii would be an oversight, indeed,
not to mention the name of Jeannettt
Givin. more generally called "Jinnie'
Givin, who had private school On th,
seuuno honr of the building. "Jiruie'
was Scotch woman. and incidental t.
her schuol work. would do sewing il
school hours When hoy was iu
clined to be restless or bad, she en-
| forced her ideas of order by exclaim
ing whats it?'' "What's it?" ant
striking him on the head with he
thimble. Through long practic
Jimmie" must have developed {
powerful force in her thimble finger
for those who attended the school a
that time are sure to speak of he
method OF punishment. One prominen
citizen of the Ninth ward says he be
lieves she knocked out all t2e brain
he ever had in his head. So great wa
the reputation she obtained in this US
of the thimble that children feared Il
60 to her school, Strangely enough
outside of the school, Jennie Givel
was very aifable, and it was esteemed
pleasure TO have her as a visitor. i
being her custom to board around.
Generally speaking, the masters ro,
and Jennie Given's thimbls are promi
nent characters in the life of the OIL
Academy. As explained by Harla
Pyle, who once attended the school
the teacher was boss and the childre
had to he subject; 10 thoHs days tn
master did not spare the rod and tn
scholar dare not tell at home that b
had bsen punished or he would ge
another whipping. An interesting pic
turs of the 30's is given in the follow
ing extract from manuscript which wa
handed to the writer a day or two ago
''ln our village, the Academy bell I
marvellous bell TO mel was rung not fo
liberty the had been speaking of tn
Fourth Of july but for the oppressiu
Of the boys from 8 TO s and from Mon
day to Saturday ~. Ths teacher an
trustees thought enough mischief @
devilment as it was sometimes calle
could be accomplished on Saturda
afternoon. 'One thing. we had abund
ance of fresh air, although lag pupil
occupied its seats, certainly enough fo
one teacher with salary 300 per year
yes, fresh air, the window lights bein
fixed in the fall and when sume urohi
broke ono. il found out, il was rt
placed, but il not found out, il serve
to ventilate the l40 odd pupils; and th
boy or girl, who unfortunately sat i
the draught OF the broken pane, migt
cause them pain. In those days VIII
ever heard Of pain! then the boy or gi
that had pain was too delicate to mel
tion and to be narvis' was no sma
crime.
From a report made to conventio
J of county schools in lS45. it appeal
that Thomas Lawson was then Ii
teacher at $40 quarter, There were
scholars; tho attendance was tolerabl
, regular and the conduct in gener
, good. The subjects taught were reat
| ing, writing, arithmetic, orthograph,
, grammar and geography. Later repor
{ show l37 scholars in 1850, 176 in 49,
aud ia in 1855. An increased desii
/ for mental improvement is noted in 1856
3 Thomas W. johnson, now of johnson
corner, was the teacher in 1856, an
. DR.. A. II. Grimshaw, the county supe
intendent, reports concerning a visit
1 it at that time.
. In addition to its use for school pu
l poses, the fret tloor was for many yea
the meeting place Of the Cherry lslan
. Marsh Co. 1t is thought that the con
pany secured this privilege throug
0 contributing to the support of the il
: stitution. AT any rate, when the con
j pany WAS to meet, the school was alwa!
0 dismissed
o Not only as a school. but also as
house of worship did the Old Acaden
, fill an important place in the villag
r All religious denominations were a
q corded the privilege of worshippir
d there. with the exception of the Roma
9 Catholics. Harlan Pyle recalls that
attended First-dBy school there abol