Historic leaves, volume 2, April, 1903 - January, 1904

Benjamin Thompson has been styled by some the first native American poet. His versification was considered smooth and correct. Perhaps his most famous work was ‘New England's Crisis,’ a long poem on King Philip's War.

November 16, 1674. ‘Mr. Thompson, having resigned up his charge in this town as schoolmaster ye 7 instant, this day ye Selectmen, with the advice and consent of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Shepard and Rev. Mr. Joseph Brown, did unanimously agree to give Mr. Samuel Phips, of this Towne, a call to the said work, who was accordingly sent for, & the matter being proposed, viz.: that he should accept of the sd service for half a year upon tryall. For which time he is to instruct Youth in Grammar Learning, & to fit such for ye College who are capable of it as farre as ye time will admit; that he shall also teach to read, write, & cypher. In consideration whereof he shall be allowed £ 30 per annum from ye Towne & 20 shillings per annum from each schollar taught by him, to be paid by their parents or guardians. All which was accepted by him ye next day, being ye 17 November, and upon the 18 he began to keep school. Attested by Laurence Hammond, Recorder.’

A more extended account than has been accorded to his predecessors is due to Samuel Phipps, for without doubt he has the distinction of being the first native of Charlestown to teach in her schools. Then, too, as one of the pioneers in the work, he set the pace for that great army of young men who ever since have trained themselves for the battle of life by first showing the young idea how to shoot.

He was the son of Solomon Phipps, before mentioned, a prominent and useful citizen of that time. His name is the second on the list of those who graduated from Harvard College in 1671. Isaac Foster, also from Charlestown, stood first, and Samuel Sewall (a name distinguished in our Colonial history) came third. The rest of the class, eleven in number, were Samuel Mather, Samuel Danforth, Peter Thacher, William Adams, Thomas Weld, John Bowles, John Norton, and Edward Tylor. In 1680, a year after he entered upon his labors as school teacher, he had fifty-three pupils. His services on Town Hill continued until June, 1684.