Darby Borough.

boarded near by, so that he might be constant in his attendance. This location of that early school designated that the pupil spoken of was taught in the old one-story brick house which stood on part of the site of the Mount Zion burial-ground, and which building was taken down after 1843. In this old school-house on June 6, 1818, a meeting of the inhabitants of Darby and adjoining townships was held, whereat it was

"Resolved, That we will discourage the use of ardent spirits, as an article of drink; we will not procure, use, or give it to others as such in the time of gathering our hay and harvest, at the raising of buildings, or on other public or social occasions;

"And resolved, That we unite to suppress the unlawful sale of spirituous liquors, and to counteract the contamenating effect of those nurseries of vice, commonly called tippling houses, by giving information to the proper officers, and by such other means as are reasonably within our power."

It is stated in an account of the "Guardian Society for Preventing Drunkenness" of Chester County,¹ that it "was certainly the first temperance organization ever formed in Pennsylvania, and probably in the United States," and that shortly after a kindred and co-operative society was formed at Darby, in which Halliday Jackson and Edward Garrigues were conspicuous members. The Guardian Society was organized in 1820. The action at this meeting in 1818, clearly shows that a temperance organization had been held in Delaware County prior to that in Chester County, and that a temperance pledge had been adopted nearly two years before the formation of the Guardian Society.

In this old stone school-house, prior to the adoption of the school law of 1834, David Little taught, as did also Benjamin Oakford. This school house, after the act of 1834 was accepted by Darby township, was transferred to the school directors, who, on Dec. 6, 1843, sold the lot to Michael Lincoln, and he, on the 14th of the same month, conveyed it to the trustees of the Mount Zion Methodist Church. The latter removed the school building, and the lot became a part of the burial-place.

The society of Friends continued to support the school at Darby throughout all the last century. Michael Blunston, who died there in 1736, bequeathed "fifty pounds in trust to school the children of Poor Friends of Darby Monthly Meeting." Mention is also made of Friends' Meeting schools in 1788, and in 1793 the society of Friends in Delaware County had seven schools under their care, one being located in Darby. A dwelling had also been erected in that village for the "accommodation of the master." Schools were kept by Friends regularly from that time, and since 1820 women have been members of the school committee. The adoption of the law providing for free public education, and the improvements made in the system by subsequent enactments, gradually superseded Friends' schools. However, as late as 1854, John H. Bunting, of Darby, gave the sum of ten thousand dollars, the interest of which was to be applied to the support of schools maintained by the society.

In March, 1825, an election was held throughout the county for school trustees under the law of 1804, and three were elected in each township. In the report of this election, Darby, Lower Chichester, Haverford, and Tinicum are not returned.

After the passage of the school law, in 1834, the court appointed Thomas Smith and Thomas Steel inspectors of public schools until directors were elected. In 1835-36 the township, then including the borough, received from the State and county appropriations $270.60.

On the 13th of March, 1841, the directors of the public schools of the township purchased eighty square perches of land of Hugh Lloyd in the village of Darby, and erected thereon a stone school-house, which was used until 1855, when it was abandoned upon the completion of what is known as the yellow school-house. Pearson Serrill conveyed to Robert K. Smith one acre of ground adjoining lands of Darby Monthly Meeting, and on Aug. 30, 1854, Smith transferred the lot to the school directors of Darby borough, who in the same year erected the present stone school-house, two stories in height, the corner-stone being laid with much ceremony Oct. 28, 1854, Hon. Joseph R. Chandler, of Philadelphia, delivering the address on the occasion. A two-story brick addition was subsequently erected, and the building at present accommodates six schools which are kept there. The borough of Darby was incorporated in 1853, since which it has been an independent school district. The directors of Darby borough, on the 2d of April, 1855, sold the old school-house and lot on New Street to the borough for twelve hundred and fifty dollars. The building is now used as a lock-up. In the year 1878 the directors erected a one-story brick school-house, thirty-six by forty feet, at Sharon Hill, in which one school is kept.

The following names are those of the school directors of Darby borough, as obtained from the election records of Media:

1854, Morris W. Lewis, Marmaduke Morehead, Robert K. Smith, Paxon Price, John R. Robb, Paxon Paxon; 1855, C. A. Litzenburg, John Verlenden; 1856, Jacob S. Serrill, William Russell, Jr.; 1857, William Jones, D. S. White; 1858, Daniel S. White, John Verlenden, C. S. Lloyd; 1859, William Russell, Jr., William C. Witter; 1860, John Verlenden, William Jones; 1861, David S. White, George S. Trueman; 1862, Charles A. Litzenberg, Jacob S. Serrill; 1863, John Verlenden, Thomas Palmer; 1864, Daniel S. White, Joseph Bunting; 1865, Isaac T. Jones, Jacob S. Serrill; 1866, John Verlenden, Thomas Palmer; 1867, W. D. H. Serrill, D. S. White; 1868, Stacey Jones, M.D., George S. Patchell; 1869, W. D. H. Serrill, David Maule; 1870, Daniel S. White, Thomas Palmer; 1871, Stacey Jones, M.D., William D. H. Smith; 1872, Oswald Paschall, Henry L. Paschall; 1873, Daniel S. White, Milton Mendenhall; 1874, Stacey Jones, M.D., Mrs. Emily Cochran; 1875, David Maule, W. W. James; 1876, Daniel S. White, Henry McAllister; 1877, Jacob Serrill, A. E. Crozer; 1878, Washington W. James, W. D. H. Serrill; 1879, Parkhurst McLaughlin, Isaac T. Jones; 1880, Stacy Jones, M.D., Daniel S. White; 1881, W. W. James, Theodore Knight; 1882, Daniel S. White, W. D. H. Serrill; 1883, Jacob Elpeth, Robert Green; 1884, James E. Coombs, Gill Hazelett.