Teaching in the Friends' Latin School of "Philadelphia in the Eighteenth Century
THE TRAINING of youth in the "principles of true religion and vertue" was one of the primary concerns of Friends and of the overseers who ran their schools in Philadelphia during the eighteenth century. In order to achieve this goal properly, it was considered necessary to obtain teachers who themselves were Friends. Hence, important qualifications of a successful applicant for a teaching post in a Friends school were membership in the Society of Friends and favorable recommendations from dependable Friends. Knowledge of the subjects to be taught and ability to teach them were also important considerations, but these usually were listed after mention of the applicant's religious qualifications. Although there was no great difficulty in obtaining teachers in and around Philadelphia for most of the Friends schools, teachers for the Latin School were hard to come by and often had to be imported from England. Small committees of overseers were given the responsibility of trying to secure candidates through contacts with interested and reliable Friends in England. In 1719, overseers Anthony Morris, Isaac Norris, and James Logan were "appointed & Desired to write to such persons there [England] to procure a proper Person from Brittain or Ireland," to fill the post of master of the School lately held by William Robins. In August, 1734, the overseers corresponded with "a young man named Jonathan Binns," who was "recommended as a Sober and Capable Person to instruct Friends Children at the Publick School," offering him the post. Nine months later, Binns replied, accepting the offer provided "he should recover