COMMON SCHOOLS.

The Rev. John West, the first Episcopal missionary who arrived, in 1820, and his successors, the Rev. David Jones and Archdeacon Cochrane, as far as they could, organized common schools on the parochial system.  A visitor to the Settlement in 1854, John Ryerson, says that there were then eight common schools in the country—­five of them wholly, or in part, supported by the Church Missionary Society, two of them depending on the bishop’s individual bounty, and one only, that attached to the Presbyterian congregation, depending on the fees of the pupils for support.  The Governor and Council of Assiniboia had, a few years before made an appropriation of L130 sterling in aid of public schools.  The Hudson’s Bay Company may be said to have given aid to these schools indirectly by making an annual grant to each missionary of an amount varying according to circumstances from L150 to L50 sterling.  The Catholics had similar schools for the French population along the banks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, and the writer already quoted says that there were seminaries at St. Boniface, one for boys and one for girls, under the Grey Nuns from Montreal.

Bishop Anderson, the first bishop of Rupert’s Land, was not specially an educationalist.  He turned his attention more to the evangelical work of the church.  Bishop Machray, who came to the country in 1865, has, on the contrary, whilst not neglecting the duties of a bishop of the church of Christ, always given great attention to education, and the country is greatly indebted to him for the foundations laid.  It was his endeavor after entering on his bishopric to have a parish school wherever there was a missionary of the Church of England, and in the year 1869 there were 16 schools of this kind in the different parishes of Rupert’s Land.  This is bringing us very near the time of the transfer when our public school system was inaugurated.

Mrs. Jones, the wife of Rev. David Jones, the missionary of Red River, joined her husband in 1829.  She very soon saw the need there was for a boarding and day school for the sons and daughters of Hudson’s Bay Company factors and other settlers in the Northwest.  A school of this kind was opened and in addition to the mission work in which she assisted her husband, Mrs. Jones devoted herself to the training of the young people committed to her charge until her death, which occurred somewhat suddenly in 1836.  Mr. and Mrs. Jones were assisted by a governess and tutor from England and the Church Missionary Society gave financial assistance.

Mr. John Macallum, who was afterwards ordained at Red River, arrived from England in 1836, as assistant to Mr. Jones.  He took charge of the school for young ladies and also the classical school for the sons of Hudson’s Bay factors and traders.  He was assisted by Mrs. Macallum and also had teachers brought out from England.  He had two daughters who were pupils in the school, one of whom still survives in British Columbia.