September 1821 Report from Pelham School Commissioners to the Superintendent of Common Schools of the State of New York

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Recently I have been working hard to piece together a history of the earliest years of the school system in the Town of Pelham.  As part of that effort I have reviewed microfilm of early Pelham records in the collections of the New York State archives and have begun to assemble the research into a brief history of the earliest years of the Town's school system.

One of the more interesting records I have run across in this context is a report to the Superintendent of Common Schools of the State of New York prepared by the Commissioners of Common Schools for the Town of Pelham in September, 1821.  I have included an image of the report below, followed by a transcription of its text.  [The handwriting is difficult to decipher.  I would most appreciate comments from anyone who believes they recognize the few handwritten words that I have designated as "illegible."]

The brief report sheds fascinating light on the Pelham common school system in 1821.  There were 65 school age children in the Town.  Only 35 of those children attended school during the year previous to the report.  The school "year" at that time lasted four months and twenty-one days.  The entire budget for the single school district at the time was $50.  (Later in the 19th century there were two school districts within the Town of Pelham.)  The Town received $15 from the County of Westchester and raised $35 through its own tax assessment system. 

The report is somewhat sparse and vague, but it appears that there was a single school with a single instructor at the time and that the Commissioners of the Common Schools for the Town of Pelham were contemplating closing the school over the winter season.  Perhaps one of the most interesting elements of the report is the statement that the most used school books in Pelham's schools at the time were the Pickets' American School Class Books.

"Pickets' American School Class Books Being a Progressive Series of Elementary Instruction Predicated on the Analysis of Mind" were published in 1819 (second series) by Albert Picket (17710-1850) and John W. Picket.  Albert Picket was the principal author of this series of "American School Class Books" that included works on spelling, reading, grammar, geography, and writing.  The series was first published in the early 19th century and continued, with updated editions, for many years.

September, 1821 Pelham School Commissioners' Report

to the Superintendent of Common Schools of the State of New York.

Click to Enlarge.  Source:  Town Minute Book 1801 – 1851,

Town of Pelham, New York State American Revolution

Bicentennial Commission Historical Records Microfilm Program,

Microfilm (microfilm held in collections of New York State Archives).



 "To the Superintendent of common schools of the state of New York.

We, the commissioners of common schools for the town of Pelham, in the county of Westchester in conforming to the act for the support of common schools, do report,

That our town is our entire district from which the following is a just and true abstract, Report, viz:

Districts
One

Pts. [Parts] of Dsts.
None

Length of Time Sch. has been kept
4 mo. 21 d.

Do - by an [illegible]
4 mo. 21 d.

Amt of money rec'd
50$

No. of ch. taught
35

No. of ch. bet sch. ages
65

And we the said commissioners do further report that the whole amount of the money recd by us, [illegible] of common schools during the year ending on the date of this - & since the date of the last report for our town, is $50 -- which sum, the part recd from the county treasurer is $15 - the part from the town collector is $35 - & That the same sum of money now remains with us to be applied to the payment of the instructors [sic] wages, after the second qr [quarter?] shall have [word struck out] expired -- the school will probably be discontinued, through the winter season that the school books most in use in the above mentioned school are Pickets - american school class books. 

Dated at Pelham this th [sic] day of September Anno Domini 1821

David J. Pell             )
[Illegible] Comstock  }  Commissioners
Joshua Heustice      )"

Source:  Town Minute Book 1801 – 1851, Town of Pelham, New York State American Revolution Bicentennial Commission Historical Records Microfilm Program, Microfilm (microfilm held in collections of New York State Archives).

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