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Home : Quarterly Archives : Volume 4 |
Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society |
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Source: July 1941 Volume 4 Number 3, Pages 62–66 The pious schoolmaster I should like you to go with me to Skippack and Salford in Montgomery County -- not the Skippack and Salford of today, but of 1718. We want to visit there a school conducted by a man who was commonly called "The Pious Schoolmaster of the Skippack". The piety and even temper of this man was so well known that two men in discussing him decided that he should be put to the test. When next they met him, one of the men reviled him fiercely, bitterly, and profanely. The only reply was, "Friend, may the Lord have mercy upon thee." Christopher Dock, known as the Pious Schoolmaster of the Skippack, migrated from Germany about the year 1714. He settled in Germantown, but soon, thereafter moved out along the Skippack where he opened a school about 1718 among his fellow Mennonnites. This school was continued for ten years. It was not a public school in the sense that it was supported by public tax monies, but rather from the tuition which the pupils paid. He must have admitted the poor beggar child, scabby, ragged, and lousy, since in his writings, ho tells of the rewards in teaching then. From this poorly paid work, he turned to farming, buying a farm in Salford Township from the Penns for £ 15, 10s, in 1735. But he was not at peace unless teaching school. While farming, he taught school four summers in Germantown and, in 1738, devoted his entire time to the task to which he felt he was divinely called. He opened two schools, one in Skippack and one in Salford, teaching in each place three days alternately. Dock continued teaching until 1771. Failing to return one evening, friends went in search of him, and found him on his knees in the schoolhouse, dead. He died as simply as he lived. Mark Antony, over the bier of Caesar, said, "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones." With Christopher Dock, the reverse has been true. What evil, if any, was interred with his bones and the good has lived after him. It was in 1750 that Christopher Saur, the Germantown publisher, persuaded Dock to write a description of his method of keeping school, with a view of printing it in order, as he said, that other school teachers whose gift was not so great might be instructed; that those who cared only for the money they received night be shamed; and that parents might know how a well-arranged school was conducted and how themselves to treat children. It required great persuasion to get Dock to write the essay on "School Management", for he felt that it would not be sinless to do anything for his own praise, credit or elevation. Finally, however, through the intervention of Dielman Kolb, a prominent Mennonite minister in Salford and a close friend of Dock's, Saur was able to have a series of questions answered; but only with the stipulation that they were not to be published during the lifetime of the writer. In 1769, some friends of Dock persuaded him to give his permission to the publication of his essay. In the meantime, Christopher Saur the elder had died and the publishing business was operated by his son, Christopher. The copy of the manuscript could not be located, and Dock wrote to Saur not to trouble himself about it, that he was quite pleased with its loss. However, in 1770 the manuscript was found and published. This essay is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, written and published in America, upon the subject of school teaching and gives an, excellent picture of the Colonial Country School. Before answering the questions proposed by Saur, Dock gives us a short exposition on the duties and difficulties of the schoolmaster. Conditions in America were quite different from those in Germany, from whence Dock came, as the following quotation shows. "It was before known to me that school teaching in this country was far different from in Germany, since there the school stands upon such pillars that the common people cannot well overthrow it. I thought of the duties which this call imposed and formed the earnest resolution to truly live up to these duties, but I saw the depraved condition of the young, and the many difficulties of this world by which they are depraved and injured by those older." He describes some of the less fortunate pupils of his school and states the duties of the schoolmaster toward them thus: "The poor beggar child, scabby, ragged, and lousy, if its conduct is good, or it is willing to be instructed, must be as dear to him though he should never receive a penny for it, as that of the rich, from whom he may expect a great reward in this life. The great reward for the poor child follows in the life to come." The new scholar at the school was greeted by the schoolmaster and presented to the pupils. It was expected that one of the older scholars would volunteer to receive the new scholar and instruct him. If the newcomer were "ill-favored" and none would receive him willingly, they were offered a Script or Bird if they would do so. This device seldom failed. This Script or Bird was a much coveted prize and was also offered as a reward for work well done. Many of the scholars lived considerable distances from the school and arrived at different times. As they arrived, they spent their time in reading in the Testament. After the singing of Psalms and prayers, Master Bock would hear their reading of the Scripture. If a scholar could read well the first time, he marked an O on the palm of his hand in chalk. If they failed to read after three times, the Master pointed the scholar out to the other pupils and all shouted, "Lazy" and his name was put on a board where all could see. The next day if the scholar showed that he could read well, he was again pointed out to the other scholars who shouted, "Industrious" and his name was taken from the list of lazy scholars. To maintain interest in the school and to encourage the scholars to write letters, Dock had the scholars in his Skippack school and those in the Salford school write letters to each other. He carried these letters on his journeys between the two schools. The contents of these letters were usually a short rhyme, or selection from the Bible, the motto of the week, an account of their school work, and a question which was to be answered by a quotation from the Holy Scripture. The problems of discipline in 1750 must have been somewhat similar to those of 1941. However, the treatment was quite different except in the case of the Pious Schoolmaster. Contrary to the usual belief that a child learned through the seat of his pants, Dock believed that more could be accomplished through kindness. He believed that the rod did not cure but only checked the child in wrongdoing. He also believed that children and mankind in general are naturally wicked since the fall of Man in the Garden, and we must constantly strive to correct this evil tendency. The particular problems with which he had to deal were swearing, lies, stealing, ambition, reconciliation after quarrels, and keeping the children from talking and making noises. Swearing was not a particular problem with him, as the Province of Pennsylvania had been but lightly touched by the wars and soldiers, whence came much of this iniquity. However, what swearing there was was due to the children hearing their elders and then repeating without understanding. He traces lying to Cain and Abel. The two remedies given are praying for the child and substituting good for evil, thus eliminating the necessity for lying. As for ambition, the scholars were admonished to be humble and if any so far forgot as to strive for the head of the class, he was immediately placed below all the scholars so that he would learn to be meek and humble in the sight of the Lord. He makes the observation that if the elders forgot their quarrels as easily and quickly as did the children, this world would be a much happier place in which to live. However, in order to facilitate the patching up of quarrels, the punishment bench was used for the more stubborn. Here they could sit side by side away from the other scholars until their peace had been made. To keep the children from talking while he was hearing the reading of the Scripture, an older pupil called a "Watcher" was used. This pupil pointed out the talkers and had them sit on the punishment bench. At the end of the lesson, Master Dock gave them the choice of the yoke upon their necks or a blow on the hands. The blow on the hands was usually preferred. The watchers, however, frequently had favorites and this necessitated a frequent change. Keeping children quiet must have been Dock's greatest difficulty, because he says it is the hardest lesson for, children and they do not learn it willingly, but, having once learned it, the Schoolmaster's days are much more pleasant. Throughout the entire essay, there are references to Scriptural quotations as a basis for his remarks. He seems to have been guided entirely by his study of the Bible. He surely deserves to be called the "Pious Schoolmaster". Before the publication of the Essay on School Management, Dock wrote "A Hundred Rules of Conduct for Children". These were published in Saur's Magazine about 1764. Christopher Dock might be called the Emily Post of Colonial Pennsylvania. These rules, while they may sound foolish to us today, give an insight into living conditions of 1764. I have selected those that are illustrative of colonial living conditions. More stress has been laid on the rules at mealtime than the others; not because we do those things against which the colonial child was admonished, but rather for contrast. RULES Offer to those who first meet you, and your parents, brothers and sisters, a good-morning, not from habit simply, but from true love. When you wash your face and hands do not scatter the water about in the room. To wash out the mouth every morning with water and to rub off the teeth with the finger tends to preserve the teeth. When you comb your hair do not go out into the middle of the room, but to one side in a corner. Do not eat your morning bread upon the road or in school, but ask your parents to give it to you at home. Undress yourself in a private place, or if you must do it in the presence of others, be retiring and modest. In summer do not bathe in the water or go too near it. Take no pleasure in mischievous or indecent games. Be never idle, but either go to assist your parents, or repeat your lessons, and learn by heart what was given you. But take care that you do not read in indecent or trifling books, or pervert the time, for which you must give an account to God, with cards or dice. Never listen at the door. Do not run in quickly, but knock modestly, wait until you are called, incline as you walk in, and do not slam the door. At the table sit very straight and still, do not wabble with your stool, and do not lay your arms on the table. Put your knife and fork upon the right and your bread on the left side. Avoid everything which has the appearance of eager and ravenous hunger, such as to look at the victuals anxiously, to be the first in the dish, to tear off the bread all at once in noisy bites, to eat quickly and eagerly, to take another piece of bread before the last is swallowed down, to take too large bites, to take the spoon too full, to stuff the mouth too full, etc. Stay at your place in the dish, be satisfied with what is given to you, and do not seek to have of everything. Do not look upon another's plate to see whether he has received something more than you, but eat what you have with thankfulness. Do not eat more meat and butter than bread, do not bite the bread off with the teeth, cut regular pieces with the knife, but do not cut them off before the mouth. Do not lick off your greasy fingers, wipe them on a cloth, but as much as possible use a fork instead of your fingers. Do not wipe the plate off either with the finger or the tongue, and do not thrust your tongue about out of your mouth. Do not lean your elbows on the table when you carry the spoon to the mouth. The bones, or what remains over, do not throw under the table, do not put them on the table cloth, but let them lie on the edge of the plate. Picking the teeth with the knife or fork does not look well and is injurious to the gums. Do not gnaw the bones off with your teeth or make a noise in breaking out the marrow. Do not stick the remaining bread in your pocket but let it lie on the table. Chew your food with closed lips and make no noise by scraping on the plate. Learn not to be delicate and over-nice or to imagine that you cannot eat this or that thing. Many must learn to eat among strangers what they could not at home. To look or smell at the dish holding the provisions too closely is not well. Should you find a hair or something of the kind in the food, put it quietly and unnoticed to one side so that others be not moved to disgust. It is not well to put back on the dish what you have once had on your plate. When you drink you must have no food in your mouth, and must incline forward courteously. Be at all times obedient to your teacher, and do not let him remind you many times of the same thing. Abstain in school from useless talking, by which you make the work of the schoolmaster harder, vex your fellow pupils, and prevent yourself and others from paying attention. Give more attention to yourself than to others, unless you are placed as a monitor over them. Abstain from all coarse, indecent habits or gestures in school, such as to stretch with the hands or the whole body from laziness; to eat fruit or other things in school; to lay your hand or arm upon your neighbor's shoulder, or under your head, or to lean your head forwards upon the table; to put your feet on the bench, or let them dangle or scrape; or to cross your legs over one another, or stretch them apart, or to spread them too wide in sitting or standing; to scratch your head; to play or pick with the fingers, to twist and turn the head forwards, backwards and sideways; to sit and sleep; to creep under the table or bench; to turn your back to your teacher; to change your clothes in school, and to show yourself restless in school. Dear child, live in peace and unity with every one, and be entirely courteous from humility and true love of your neighbor. Works of Christopher Dock, pp. 99-153, in Historical and Biographical Sketches, by Samuel W. Pennypacker. The Life and Works of Christopher Dock, pp. 1-272, by Martin G. Brumbaugh. The Pious Schoolmaster, pp.61-66, in Stories of Pennsylvania, by Joseph S. Walton and Martin G. Brumbaugh. Skippack School, by Marguerite de Angeli; et al.
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