The Bradford Academy

The Bradford school question was practically solved at a social gathering early in December, 1802, at the home of Daniel Kimball. . . ~ Jean S. Pond

The Bradford Academy was established in the town of Bradford, MA in 1803. Many of our relatives were involved in the endeavor over the years. This post will explore our various family members that had something to do with the academy.

the Haseltines

Our immigrant grandfather Robert Haseltine (10GGF) came to Rowley, MA from Yorkshire, England in 1638. He and his brother John (10U) took care of the livestock which was housed some distance from Rowley. There, the two men founded the offshoot town of Bradford where many generations of Haseltines lived.

Our cousin John Haseltine (2C8X), born in 1756 in Bradford, was a great-great-grandson of Robert. In 1781, John married Rebecca Barton and the couple had six children, two sons and four daughters. After John added a dance hall on the second story of his house, the Haseltine home became a social magnet for the young folk in Bradford.

In her book Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma, about John's daughter Ann, Sharon James wrote about the Haseltine's social life:

If you had visited the quiet New England town of Bradford at the turn of the nineteenth century, you could not have missed the Hasseltine household. On summer evenings lights would blaze and music would sound out until late into the night. The generous and affable John Hasseltine had built a room in his spacious home in which to hold parties for his five youngsters and their friends. John and Rebecca were hospitable and, with four eligible daughters, their home was a social centre of the town.  

In her journal, daughter Ann (3C7X), who was always called Nancy by her family and friends, described the good times there but also how these good times took her further away from her religious beliefs. She would eventually, along with her husband, turn her life over to God and become a missionary in order to spread the word. We'll have that sotry in a future post.

Below is a drawing of the John Haseltine house in Bradford. The drawing was made by a student of the Bradford Academy who was staying in the attic of our cousin Benjamin Greenleaf's (6C5X) house across the way.

In her book, Bradford, A New England Academy, Jean S. Pond describes John and his family:

John Hasseltine, whose house contained the room for "frolicings and dancings" was one of the most active men in Bradford. His integrity and ability in all practical matters can be judged by the frequency with which his name recurs among the seventeen varieties of elected offices in the town. If he were not selectman he was surveyor of highways, or fence viewer, or surveyor of timber. Without much eductation himself he was ambitious for his six children. . .Did he dream that his interest in the Academy was creating the opportunity for his daughter Abigail (3C7X) to do infinitely more for the education of women than he could do himself? Could hi have guessed in 1803 that his laughing daughter Nancy, not yet fourteen years old, would be known on three continents as the heroic missionary to Burma.

By the time of John's death in 1737, both of his sons and one of his daughters had died. John Jr. (3C7X) died at sea in 1806 at age 20. We can find no death date for Joseph (3C7X) but it was sometime before John made out his will in 1737. His daughter Nancy (3C7X) died in 1826 Burma while doing missionary work.

In his will, John left the use of his homestead to his wife Rebecca. To his daughter Rebecca (3C7X), who was married to the Reverend Joseph Emerson and living in Weathersfied, MA, he left "half of my land in Bradford, situated between the highway and Merrimac river, my pastures, called the Hagget pasture and Molly lot; my marsh land in Rowly. . .one third part of all my husehold goods and furniture and one fourth part of the rest of the estate."

Daughters Mary (3C7X) and Abigail (3C7X) never married. He left to them "in equal shares, at the decease of my wife, my house lot in Bradford, containing about seven acres, with the buildings thereon; one half of my land situated between the highway and Merrimac river. . .one share in Haverhill bridge. . .two thirds of all my household goods and furniture. . .and one half of all my estate not herein definitely disposed of." Mary also received his "Merrill lot, so called."

John made bequests to two of our relatives who he also named as executors of the will. The first, Jesse Kimball (3C7X) was the son of Lucretia Haseltine Kimball (2C8X), second cousin to John. We are also related to Jesse on the Kimball side. His great-grandmother 4X was our aunt Mercy Haseltine Kimball (9A), daughter of the immigrant Robert. The second bequest went to his nephew Joseph Hall, no doubt from our Bradford Hall family. I can't trace his lineage but he is probably our 3rd or 4th cousin. John left to them "after the decease of my wife, in trust, my Walker pasture, my wood lot in Methuen; one share in Haverhill bridge; my pew in West Bradford meetinghouse, all my stock. . .all my husbandry utensils; and one fourth part of all my estate remaining. . ."

John's daughters Rebecca and Ann had married and moved away. We'll have both their stories in future posts. Mary and Abigail stayed on the Haseltine property for the rest of their lives, both involved in teaching in Bradford.

Mary is credited as "the formost person" in the organization of the first Sunday school in Bradford. Her Sunday School began in May of 1814 at the "Old Red School-House," which was the only school-house in the central part of Bradford. About thirty children attended this first session which took place at the close of the afternoon service.

the Kimball tavern

The vast majority of Kimballs in Bradford descended from our aunt Mercy Haseltine (9A) and her husband Benjamin Kimball. Ca. 1690, Benjamin built a tavern in town that was the home of seven generations of Kimballs. In 1921 the building was sold to the Marble family, who operated an antique store there. After that, the building went through many hands, including Bradford College. It was up for sale in 2021 for $599,999. Today it is again being used an antique store. Below is one early picture of the house and two as it looks today:

a school is born

Most of the information I have on the Bradford Academy comes from the 1930 book Bradford A New England Academy written by Jean S. Pond.

Pond maintains that, at the turn of the 19th century, "the school conditions in Bradford in the first decade of the century were not exceptionally bad for a town of its size (about 1,400 people)." Efforts had been made a century before to improve the education of the children in Bradford. As in the school that would be created a century later, the Kimballs were in the thick of the effort:

. . .in 1707, March 17, "Lieut. Richard Kimball (1C10X) was made choyes of by the town to go to Ipswich court to answer the townes presentment for not having a scoule master"; and the following May, "Captain David Haseltine (Richard's brother) was made choyse of by the towne to appear at the next Infearure (inferior) Court at Salem to answer said townes presentment concerning the schoule."

Pond speculates that, back then, it might have been the town minister, Thomas Symmes, who "made the motion for the needed schoolmaster." Thomas Symmes was the step-son of our grandmother Mehitable Palmer Dalton (9GGM) who married Zechariah Symmes after the death of our grandfather Samuel Dalton (9GGF) in 1681.

By the beginning of the 19th century, however, the town was fairly unanimous in their opinion that education for their children needed to improve. Pond explains how the town got the ball rolling:

The Bradford school question was practically solved at a social gathering early in December, 1802, at the home of Daniel Kimball (4C8X), a big house on the cross road between the Boxford Road and Salem Street, which was a landmark in Bradford till 1909.

We do not know who were there that winter day, but. . .So vividly has this friendly party been portrayed in the opening scene of our One Hundred Twenty-fifth Anniversary Play, The Beginnings of Bradford that one may well accept Miss Thayer's picture of the enthusiasm, the potential energy, and the resources of that group as being true to history. All felt that a need which forced some of the girls from those families to leave home to find schooling called for immediate action.

A subscription paper was made out inviting members of the town to donate money to the cause. Word spread and it wasn't long before thirty men had stepped up to invest in the new school. In the end, 30 townspeople together invested $1,200. Of the thirty subscibers on the list, eight were our relatives, six of them Kimballs. The other two were our grandfather John Haseltine and our cousin Moses Hall (3C7X).

Pond gives an anecdote about Moses in her book:

Moses Hall and his wife Betsey. . .lived on a farm on the old "Skunk Hill Road" toward Ward Hill. Mr. Hall, a deacon for many years in the West Parish Church, was known for his punctilious honesty, which is illustrated by a story handed down in his family. Having been to see his sister "on the Mash" (the marsh beyond Newbury) he told her he must leave early to get home in time to do the milking. When he got home, however, he found the cows had been milked. His unintentional fib so disturbed the good man that the next time he went eastward he drove three miles out of his way to tell his sister the truth.

About the Kimball family's involvement in the school, Pond had this to say:

To give an account of the Kimballs of this period is almost to relate the history of the town and of the Academy. It was not exactly the period when it was said that every man in Bradford was named Kimball except one, and he was named Kimball Farrar, but it is significant that there were six of them among the original thirty signers, and four of those also made pledges for the sustaining fund. . .

Pond goes into more detail about Cousin Moses Kimball (4C7X) who inherited the Kimball Tavern built by our Aunt Mercy Haseltine's husband Benjamin:

The paper which had been in circulation called for a meeting on Monday, March seventh, at the house of Moses Kimball, "Innholder," so a word about the proprietor is in order. He had more interests than those of the tavern, for he owned lands in Dracut, Newbury, Methuen, and Bradford. Perhaps he was impelled to add schooling to his cares by the future of his two-year-old daughter Sarah (5C6X). His two shares made a good investment, for Sarah was an assistant teacher in the Academy for thirteen years. And the new baby Jacob (5C6X), not yet a week old when the "proprietors" met at the inn -- would he not have to go to school some day?

That day they raised $1,280 for a building and "drew up another paper for a subscription with a sustaining fund." Edward Kimball (2C7X) was chosen "Treasury" and Grandpa John Haseltine "collector." While the school would provide education for both males and females, the girls would only have one session in the summer.

The bell for the school was later donated by three granddaughters of our aunt Mary Stickney Kimball (7A), Eliza (2C7X), Martha (2C7X) and Ruthy Ann Kimball (2C7X). They donated the bell in honor of their father William Kimball (1C8X) who had recently died.

early years

Pond describes the early years of the school:

The Bradford Academy was a coeducational school, though the men and women were not allowed to be in attendance at the same time. The men were taught during the summer and winter terms and the women in fall and spring. In order to allow more students to attend, the trustees favored keeping tuition low and, in the beginning years, the school faced some financial woes. These woes, however, were overcome and the school survived.

One of the trustees of the school was our cousin James Kimball (4C7X), who was also one of the founders. Since there was no boarding house on campus, James often took it on himself to "entertain many of the students" at his home. James married first our cousin Sally Haseltine (4C8X), second, our cousin Lucretia Haseltine (2C8X) and third our cousin Ruth Kimball (4C8X).

James died in 1829 after many years of service to the school. We learn a little more about him from the History of the Kimball Family in America by Leonard Morrison and Stephen Shaples:

He early in life went to Bradford, Mass., and was adopted by his uncle, Obadiah (3C8X), who was childless. . .He took an active part in public affairs. . .He was a man of good character and more than ordinary ability, was active and successful in business, very affectionate, a kind neighbor, public spirited. He had a high spirit and passionate nature. He was a good hater when occasion demanded. He was large, of commanding presence, regular featured, and of sanguine temperament. His death was caused by paralysis. One beautiful morning in June, as the end drew near, many were gathered about him in the large west room of the Deacon Jesse Kimball (2C7X) house. . .while for him the voice of his saintly son, Deacon Jesse, uttered petitions to the All Father. His countenance suddenly changed, and he was gone. There was a great funeral the following Sabbath. The coffin was placed in the great front yard. Trustees, students, neighbors, and numberless relatives were there. The latter returned to the house for supper, and were so numerous that they could not be seated.

Below is the house that Jesse built:

There were two preceptors, or supervisors, of the school one male, the other female. The way they were paid was different but may have been somewhat equitable. The preceptor received just shy of $7.00 per week while the preceptress received $3.00 plus board.

The first preceptress of the school was our cousin Hannah Swan (4C7X) who was born in Charlestown in 1785. From Ponds book:

And what of the eighteen-year-old Hannah Swan, the first of the long line to preside over and to teach Bradford girls? She was a Charlestown girl and had, perhaps, been educated in "the science of belles lettres and fine needlework" in a privte school in Charlestown or Boston. We know that after her two term at Bradford she taught in one of the private schools in Medford and later had a school of her own in Boston. For her services in Bradford she received three dollars a week and her board. Let us hope she lived in one of the generous, friendly families in the village.

The first summer term had "fourteen boys. . .while across the narrow hall were thirty-seven girls looking eagerly up to their young preceptress." Pond remarked that there was "[n]o hesitation in Bradford as to whether girls should attend the Academy!" That first class included Zelenda (5C6X) and Lydia Kimball (5C6X); five of John Haseltine's children, Mary, Rebecca, Abigail, John and Joseph and Richard Kimball (2C7X), who would later become preceptor of the school.

Harriet Webster followed our cousin Hannah Swan as preceptress in 1805. One of her students was our cousin Nancy Hildreth (4C6X). Nancy's brother was Samuel Prescott Hildreth (4C6X) who moved his family out to Marietta, Ohio and became rather famous as the town doctor. We'll have his story in a future post. Of Nancy, Pond wrote:

If one would envisage one of Miss Webster's students of 1805, one may see her in the charming, piquant profile of Nancy Hildreth of Haverhill, the earliest picture of a Bradford girl that has come down to us. We have also a piece of her work, a pastoral scene painted on satin which exhibits more imagination than skill of execution. Perhaps the silhouette was made by John Putnam whose art, under the name of PHYSIOGNOTRACE, was advertised in the Haverhill Museum in July, 1805.

Below are Nancy's silhouette and her needlework:

The year 1805 also began the tradition of appointing neighboring clergymen to deliver a lecture during the term. The school's first choice was our cousin David Tenney Kimball, (4C7X) who was born in Bradford and whose sisters Clarissa (4C7X) and Sofia (4C7X) both attended the academy at the time. David was "fresh from his theological studies and about to be ordained as minister in Ipswich" where he remained for many years. He later became a well known abolitionist. We'll have his story in a future post.

religious ferver

In 1805, the new preceptor, Abraham Burnham, brought "a consecration, both intellectual and religious" to the school:

His fervor soon kindled a revival of religion which spread from the school into the church and the town. The whole atmosphere of Bradford became serious and thoughtful. John Hasseltine's dance hall was no longer the scene of "frolicings and dancings," and the whole family, especially the gay Nancy, grew subdued and introspective. The story of Nancy's experience and its tremendous results shall be told in another chapter. Her father, always the most upright and temperate of men, found a higher motive and new zest in life. He, his wife, Mary, and Nancy were in the group which united with the church in August, 1806, while Abigail and Rebecca came the next month.

Examples of the religious ferver infusing the school came from student Fanny Woodbury's diary and letters:

Nov. 4. Yesterday my sister and I rode to my beloved Bradford. This afternoon returned with the amiable and pious N. H. (Nancy Hasseltine?) By hearing good converstion my feeling are somewhat revived.

Bradford is dear to the hearts of many who were made there to tremble under the thunders of Mt. Sinai, and at length took refuge in the Ark of Safety and commenced their journey Zionward with alacrity and zeal.

The story of the Bradford Academy will continue in our next post.