The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-11

roads. necessary as these may be to
the permanent prosperity OF a land.
PHILIP ALEXANDER BRUCE.
Great Bookham Surrey. England, June
20, 1910
",rhe institutional History or virginia
in the seventeenth Century"
BY Philip a. Bruce. Two volumes
Putnam 1910.
1t is not too much to say that this
IS the most important work ever writ
ten by virginian about Virginians
and their origin, names and customs
Mr. Bruce, now summering near
London. England. at one time editor
OF The dispatch, has. for many
years, devoted himself to the study
OF the economic history of the Com
monwealth of Virginia. His two pre-
vious works treating the subject have
been published heretofore in the order
named. being Economic History Of
Virginia In the Seventeenth Century"
and SOCIAL Life OF Virginia In
the Seventeenth Century 1t may
be said that they exhaust the
subject. and no one can understand
Virginia and the American e'viiiza'ioh
which gave George Washington to the
Union and the world without closely
examining these monumental volumes,
especially the institutional History
Just published.
In the limited space Of brief re-
view, 1t is impossible to no more than
touch on some of the more important
matters treated. The study of educa-
ton Is admirable. The reason very
few free schools existed In virginia
in Colonial times was because the
pupils were so widely scattered In the
sparsely settled country that, except
| in limited areas, such schools could
not be maintained. But the sentiment
! in favor OF education was overwhelm-
| Ing. Although the records are de-
fective. proof Is abundant that great
numbers at that early period were
| sent TO the very best institutions OF
learning in England to be educated
This information is gathered chiefly
from county records still existing
| From this source 1t appears from the
family names still honored in Virginia
that many were sent TO English
schools and colleges. Vol. L., oh. 80
| Necessarily. however, the people as
whole were educated by private tutors
at what came to be known as the OLD
Field School. But the most interest
ing point brought out and sustained
| by an overwhelming array of authors
ties is the fact that there was, from
the very beginning of the colony,
F..
schools and teachers by the County
Court No man nor woman could
teach without a license from the Coun-
~ Court The county records show
that very frequently the County
Court recommended to the Governor
particular teachers whom they thought
fully entitled to receive the license
required; for instance. in 1899. the
justices of Elizabeth City requested
that officer to confer on stephen Lylly
the right to teach; and the same year
they apparently made similar re-
quest in Charles Gorng's behalf,
The latter was declared to be COM
petent TO instruct youth in reading,
writing and arithmetic; the former, in
: writing and the English tongue.
The justices practically de-
cided whether he should or should
not become a teacher for, If they
found him incapable, they simply de-
clined to recommend him to the Gov
ernor. and, when they refused 70
recommend any one, it is not prob
: able that that official bestowed the
license in opposition to their de-
J, cision Not infre1uently the
County Courts offered greater induce
ments still to draw schoolmasters
within their respective Jurisdictions
the action of the Henrico justices In
1855 was by no means exceptional
!. in the court of that year, they spe-
!, cially exempted Nathaniel Hall
J who had recently removed from Glou.
cester county. from the payment OF
any taxes for twelve months.
= The Justices. in language worthy OF
the enlightened spirit animating them
on this occasion, declared that they
: granted the privilege for ye encour-
agement of learning and instruction
of youth in this county by inviting
able tutors here to reside" (Vol. l.. p
1899
BENJAMIN Symmes made a bequest
!, to found free school in Virginia. IN
. February 1875. his bequest pre-
: ceding by several years the far NOR,
{ famous gift of Rev. John Harvard
= which became the cornerstone O.
Harvard College. symmes's actor
was soon followed by Thomas Eaton
. The two free schools thus foundet
- exised until 1905, when they wer
;, incorporated as Hampton Academy
y In 1852, the fund thus created
: amounted to $4,000, and
/ still preserved as part of the Stat
y public school fund. portion of i
: was used in 1902 to erect the Hamp
!. ton building now known as tn
,. Symmes- Eaton Academy. and is par
&c Of the public school system of Wiz
: ginia. (vol. l.. p 1863 There wer
!. numerous other free schools which
=! besides William and Mary COLLEGE
Is cannot be mentioned here for wan
- of space,
Mr. Bruce also numerates tn
le libraries and even the titles of book
8 that were to be found in the colon.
In order to arrive at the degrees c
y illiteracy in Virginia in the sever
u. teenth century, this careful and wor
derfully industrious author made
comparison of $4,000 names -
=. which Che says I was at pains
~ copy literatim from the county RET
~ ords." BY this means he found thu
~ slightly over so per cent. of the ma
W population could read and write. II
"a. women could not make shown
' Z" quite as favorable, Macaulay says
=. the English women Of the same perif
sh that the library of the Lady of II
cn Manor and Her Daughters "consistt
~ of a prayer book and receipt boo
u' even In the highest ranks, ar
- in those situations which afforded II
~ greatest facilities for mental improve
80 ment. the English women of that gel
~ GRAFTON were decidedly worse educate
-. than they have been at any othf
~ time since the revival of learnln
oiA nuripp "a latter part or ii