Settlement Education Highlights
by Lori Gardner

Buxton Educational Advances

• 1850, the Buxton Mission school was built in April (SS #7)
• 1854, Abraham Shadd builds a school on his property ‘Shadd School’ (Lot 3 Concession A)
• 1856  SS #6 new frame building
• 1856, Superintendent Report also records SS #6 ‘separate school’ in operation with SS #6 public school

BUXTON  SCHOOLS STUDENT REGISTRATION
(During the 1850’s )

1850- 109 scholars          1855- 153 scholars
1851- 149 scholars          1856- 223 scholars
1852- 132 scholars          1857- 225 scholars
1853- 221 scholars          1858- 198 scholars
1854- 157 scholars          1859- 172 scholars

Education is a Buxton Priority

By February 1855, the Buxton residents insisted on contributing toward the educational costs of the settlement.  The Superintendent Reports indicate this in the School Section #7 assessment records:

1855 Ratebill imposed $30,
voluntarily subscribed by parents $145
1856 Ratebill imposed $24,
voluntarily subscribed by parents $175
1857 Ratebill imposed $24,
voluntarily subscribed by parents $86

New Schools Open in Buxton

To accommodate the continual need for facilities to educate the ever increasing number of children in the settlement, in 1861, SS #13 School was built and opened in 1862. The first recorded teacher is James Rapier (former Buxton student and Knox College Graduate) who taught 76 students for eleven months, at the annual salary of $216.00. (Learn more about James Rapier.)

By 1867, SS #4 is included on the Superintendents Report and funds are allocated to it. The report also lists A.W. Shadd as teacher, who taught 71 pupils for the annual salary of $300.00.

BUXTON  SCHOOLS STUDENT REGISTRATION
(During the 1860’s)

1860- 209 scholars         1865- 305 scholars
1861- 131 scholars         1866- 342 scholars
1862- 298 scholars         1867- 342 scholars
1863- 288 scholars         1868- 326 scholars
1864- 303 scholars         1869- 357 scholars

(These facts were taken from the Superintendent Reports of the Ontario Archives, detailed summaries of the reports are contained in the museum research facilities.)

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website created July 2008; updated November 2009; by Lori Gardner