Trying to add more to the stories of our ancestors’ lives comes from a variety of records, many that you may never have thought to look for. While in New York at Christmas I found an interesting source of information at the Riverhead Historian’s Office. Georgette Case, Riverhead’s Town Historian, was able to help me locate the following when I asked if she knew of any records related to School District #3 in Baiting Hollow, New York:
Transcription:
To the Commissioners of Common Schools in the Town of Riverhead-
We the Trustees of the third school district in the said Town do report that a school has been kept in our district ten months during the year ending with the date hereof by teachers duly qualified according to law. That the amount of money received from the Commissioner of Common Schools is 26, 12/100 dollars all of which has been paid to qualified teachers. That there have been 60 children taught in our district school during the past year and that there were 67 children between the ages of five and fifteen years inclusive residing in our district on the first day of January last with the following personsJohn Corwin Jr – 1 Seth H. Wells - 2Wd [Widow] Permelia Wells – 2 Eleazer Dayton - 1
James Y. Wells – 3 Wd. [Widow] Harriet Youngs - 2
Jeffrey Hutchinson – 3 David Howell - 4
Matthias Hutchinson – 4 Jeremiah Youngs - 2
William Horton – 1 Daniel Warner - 3
Jacob Benjamin – 3 Abel Corwin - 4
Nathan Benjamin – 2 Silvanus Brown - 2
Silas Hulse – 3 Higby Raynor - 1
Richard Skidmore – 2 James Youngs - 4
Daniel Edwards – 2 Calvin Cook - 2
Jeremiah Terry – 2 Israel Wells - 2
Jonah Hulse – 4 Micah Howell - 1
Phineas T. Edwards – 5
Total 67 children
All which we certify to be true.
Dated at the third district in the town of Riverhead March 29 AD 1827
Trustees –Micah Howell and Abel Corwin
- Daniel & Jemima Benjamin Warner, my paternal 2x great grandparents, had 4 children that would have been between the ages of 5 and 15: Lewis (age 14) and Goldsmith (age 11), my great grandfather Daniel Jr (age 9) and Joanna (about age 6) in 1827. Since Daniel is listed as having 3 children in school I wonder if Joanna was perhaps not yet sent to school in 1827 or was Joanna in school and Lewis already working on the family farm and not attending school? My guess is Joanna wasn’t in school yet.
- Amazing that the school received $26.12 to pay 2 teachers for a year of services.
- This record helps me establish who the families were with children that my ancestors would have known and gone to school with. Community connections.
- Through marriages, I recognize other family Surnames that are part of my ancestral line: Benjamin, Howell, etc.
If you have any corrections, additions or stories to share I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby
I have been unable to locate photos of School District #3 in Baiting Hollow, New York. Any suggestions?
Great find! I am amazed that such records were kept all these years.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul! I continually find these unusual records in some very interesting places.
DeleteThanks Paul! Just luck of the draw that this one wound up being saved but I will definitely look for others. Wish there were other years but it shows the importance of education in this area.
ReplyDeleteNice find. I hope one day I can find some school documents. I do love the various yearbook items I’ve located.
ReplyDeleteJust found some other attendance records, I believe, in an ancestor's papers for another school. Never know where you will find information. Thank-you Diane!
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