Norwich bulletin., 1911-06-17

about 173O. Still later. just before the revolution, the parish was divided into 2S districts, giving an increase to the number of schools. Undoubtedly each district had it's little schoolhouse and school committeeman. The three R's and the Catechism were the subjects taught Those who wanted to study for the professions or prepare for col lege did so with the minister.
 Ministers Taught Private Pupils.
 The first pastor of this church. the Rev. Samuel Estabroo4<, taught private pupils. Later, about 175e-1770, the Rev. James Coggswell had several private pupils, some of which became famous. A school was in the house now occu- pied by Hubert Graves. The most fam ous of his pupils was NapthaH Dagget, who later became professor and acting president of Yale college. Another Benedict Arnold. patriot and traitor, as a lively boy studied here with him for a season. He also tutored one of the most honored educators Canterbury has ever produced. Ebenezer Fitch, son and grandson of Canterbury men, who grew up in this village, though he .chanced to be born at his mothers in Norwich. He was one of the first stu dents of Plainfield academy, was grad uated from Yale 1777 as valedictorian, became tutor and librarian in Yale col lege, and in 1790 went te the wilder ness of northwestern Massachusetts to be principal of a free school founded by the will of Ephraim Williams. In 1T93 this school was incorporated as Williams college, of which he became the first president. He was president for g years and saw the college firmly established. He was made a doctor of divinity by Harvard college As graduate of Williams college I take special satisfaction in recalling that
 my alma mater had its real beginning in this parish. The number of young men going to college was large fo1 those days. I find that Miss Larned named seven graduates from Canter- bury before 17s5, one of whom was graduated from Yale the year after public schools were first opened. No decade passed without a college gradu- ate from Canterbury. Seven men in 45 years is surely a good average ard a noble tribute, both, to the efficient teaching of those pastors and to the ambition and endeavor of the young men themselves. History repeats Il : self, and think that in somewhat re- cent years pastor here. who speaks to us today, prepared his son for Yale and West Point by his own instrIc- ton.
 PIainfieid Academy Opened.
 During the revolutionary war Plain field academy was opened and after the war was over it was incorporated in 1133. and a new era opened in the educational advancement of this town. Naturally the number of young ne, going to college increased. Dr. Ebenez- CT Pemberton, the first principal, was one of the great teachers of boys of his time. He later became principal for many years of Phillips academy at An- dover, now the most historic prepara- tory school in America. After the acad- en1y opened we find that Miss L1arned names 26 college graduates from Can terbury between 1723 and 1907, about a quarter of a century. This was more than one each year. These young men went not only to Yale, Dartmouth and Princeton, all made famous by the rev. ofutionary war. Of the two hundred pupils in attendance at the PIainfield academy, many went directly into bus mess and the professions, but some be-