Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/642



RIOR to the division of the town of Swansea, a permanent school system had been established, and, at the date of separation and the incorporation of Barrington, in 1717, Mr. John Devotion was the town schoolmaster, on a twenty years contract. Under the laws of Massachusetts, each town must provide free schools, and Barrington at once set the educational machine in motion by providing a schoolmaster, made provision for a salary, and the arrangement of rooms for the schools to be held in the different parts of the new town. In 1722 the selectmen were authorized to see "that the town be provided with a schoolmaster to teach to "read, to write, and arithmetic, for four months from the first of November." Twenty pounds were voted in 1713, to pay Mr. Andrews for twelve months teaching, "if he see cause to accept." In 1724 twenty-five pounds were voted for the payment of the teacher's wages for nine months. The school committee was Benjamin Viall, James Smith, and Ebenezer Allen. John Webber was schoolmaster during the year 1729, and "was settled near the centre of the town."

With occasional interruptions, one or more schools have been maintained in town, at public or private expense, from