CHAPTER II PUBLIC BUILDINGS SCHOOL HOUSES The earliest reference found to a school in Bonshaw is in the School Inspector's report dated February 1853 in which it stated that Bonshaw never had a school previously and that the school had been open but a few weeks. It also noted that it had no teacher! In 1855 the school had 68 students and it was reported that "progress since the opening is very creditable". The School Inspector's report for the year 1858 gave a good picture of the Bonshaw school. The register showed 50 students, 28 boys and 22 girls, although only 19 were present on the day of the visit, December 10th! Subjects taught were reading [30 students], writing [24], arithmetic [25], grammar [7], geography [8], dictation [3]. The school house was described as very comfortable and pretty well furnished, but the desks were inconveniently high. The students were noted as of good demeanour and of a very pleasing character. The 1864 report added a bit more information. The books used were Gray's and Thompson's Arithmetic, Irish National Arithmetic, Lennies Grammar, Stewart's Geography, and Carpenter's Spelling. The school did not have the new teaching aid, a blackboard. The school also had a controversy. A disagreement had arisen between the Trustees and the inhabitants as to the continuance of the teacher. Some wished to procure a male teacher. The School Inspector noted he saw no fault with the present teacher. Those wishing a male teacher got their wish as by 1867 Miss McNeill had been replaced by Mr. MacLeod . The School Inspector's reports as noted in the Journal of the P.E.I. House of Assembly has produced the following list of teachers from 1855 to 1942 (those between 1942 and 1983 are based on recollection of former teachers and students and we believe, unfortunately, there may be a few errors (14)). Teachers at Bonshaw School Allan Stewart 1855-1858 NeilMcKenzie 1858 - ? Miss Euphmia McNeil 1860 -1864 Donald MacLeod 1865-1868 Charles Darrach 1869 -1869 EwenAmos 1870-1874 Katie Currie 1878 William D MacKenzie 1878 - 1879 Ewen S. MacLeod 1879 -1880 Isabel McKinnon 1880 James McNeil 1881-1882 Walter J McLean 1882 Victor Coffin 1883 Archibald McKinnon 1883 - 1884 Lucy B. Palmer 1884 - 1885 Colin McPhail 1885-1886 Annie McNevin 1886-1888 Georgina Morrison 1888-1890 John McLean 1890-1891 Robertson McFadyen 1891-1892 James McNeil 1892-1895 Lizzie McRae 1895-1896 Annie Moore 1896-1899 John McNevin 1899 - 1902 M. Caroline Neill 1902 Malcolm McKenzie 1902 -1903 James A. Green 1903-1905 Annie Wright 1905-1906 Winnie E. McKenzie 1906-1909 W. D. McNeill 1910-1910 Katie McNeil 1910-1911 Bertha Trainer 1911-1913 Annie Gardener 1913-1914 Flora M. Cameron 1914-1915 Donald Lamont 1915 Bertha M. Webster 1915-1916 Mary E. Smith 1916-1917 Carrie M. Carson 1917 -1918 -23-