Prior to the year 1843, which we may regard as the close of the Pioneer period and the time of the inauguration of the second period in the history of the schools of the county (the District Council established in that year having assumed the control of school matters), about fifty common schools were in operation. But many of these were kept open for only part of the year, and even then with the greatest difficulty as the settlers were to poor to afford education for their children.

The number of schools in the various townships in 1843 were approximately the following:--

In the western parts of the county, Gilbert Macaulay taught early in the forties at Sunnidale Corners, and George Sneath at Crowe's Corners. At Duntroon Peter Ferguson and Malcolm Livingstone were the first teachers about the same period, the first school in Nottawasaga having been in operation in 1843 or earlier.

The Upper Canada Common School Act of 1843 created the office of Township Superintendent of Schools, an officer of this kind taking the place of the former school commissioners in each township. The District Council of Simcoe at the February session in 1844, appointed as Superintendent for each township, the following being the list, so far as the writer has been able to ascertain them:-

In school affairs, there was great activity in the early forties, owing to the liberal aid to schools given by the Scool Act of 1841. The number increased to 83 schools by the year 1847.

About the year 1823 the "Scotch settlers" of West Gwillimbury united to secure instruction for their children, and built a log cabin school house on lot 8, con. 6, which also served as a place of worship. Shortly after its erection Lieut.-Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland visited West Gwillimbury and this first school house there, and some of the young scholars never forgot the Governor's visit, and his kind words to them.

The fist teacher was Wm. Moffatt, but in the spring of 1826 they obtained the services of John Carruthers, a tall spare man, who had arrived from Scotland the previous summer. His salary as teacher was paid directly by the parents of the pupils, there being then no provision by the Government for the regulation of public schools. Among those who received their first instruction in the school from Carruthers may be mentioned Thomas D. McConkey, afterwards Sheriff of the County. Mr. Carruthers taught for two or three seasons at this place, and afterward became a travelling catechist of the Presbyterian Church.

Susan Cassidy was the first teacher at Bradford, where she began to teach in 1837 at the age of 14. She was born in Paris, France, could use the French language, and now lives at an advanced age near Boston, Mass., where she still teaches French. She taught at Bradford during parts of 1837 and 1838, but as she was young and could not manage the partly grown boys with unruly dispositions, she gave up this position and went to Tecumseth where she also taught. Subsequently she became the wife of another teacher named Thomas O'Flynn, or Flynn, and both taught school. In 1848 they were teaching in Tecumseth, in the school near Jared Irwin's, two miles south of Pennville. Thomas Flynn died in 1888 or about that time. Susan Flynn contributed some reminiscences of her pioneer teaching to the Documentary History of Education in Upper Canada, (Vol. 4, p. 151).

John Dissett taught the Bradford school after Susan Cassidy. It is said that he would often go to sleep, and during such periods the children would hold high carnival in the school room. After Mr. Dissett's term, George Douglas taught the school in Bradford.

About the year 1832, John Garbutt taught the first school on the 8th line of West Gwillimbury (Belfry's schoolhouse), and after him Eli Hough taught it.

James McKay, who contributed some reminiscences to the 4th volume of the Documentary History of Education in Upper Canada, p. 151, began to teach in May, 1837, in the "Scotch Settlement." He also taught in Tecumseth and again in 1840 or 1841 in West Gwillimbury, two miles southeast of Bond Head. In 1848 and 1849 he taught in Bradford, his name being erroneously printed as "Murray" in Vol. 8 of the Documentary History, which contains his reminiscences of the Bradford school.

Patience Varcoe was one of the first female teachers in this county, having come from England with her parents in 1842 and settled in West Gwillimbury in the following year. She afterward became the wife of a Mr. Courtney of Lloydtown. Mrs. Courtney gave some reminiscences of her early school-teaching experiences in West Gwillimbury, Innisfil and Tecumseth, from 1843 onward, in the Doumentary History, Vol. 6, p. 306.

About the year 1834 or 1835, John Macaulay was the first teacher at Fisher's Corner, on the 9th line of West Gwillimbury, (lot 5). Joseph Booth succeeded him at this school.

Up to the year 1843, six schools had been established in West Gwillimbury, so far as can be ascertained, and in August of that year the District Council passed a By-law to raise taxes for building five more school houses in the township, and another in Adjala.

Thomas Doyle was the first teacher at Mount Pleasant in West Gwillimbury on the establishment of a school there in 1844, and remained a year or two longer as teacher at the place.

By the year 1843 ten schools were in operation in the Township of Tecumseth, and the District Council made provision in February, 1844, for the erection of five others.

The first schools in Tecumseth were in the southeast quarter of the township, where the earliest settlements were made. In the further parts of the township, which, about the year 1836, were still on the outskirts of the settlements, one of the first schools was on lot 10, con. 5, and there is a school at the place to this day. In early years it was known as Martin's school.

About the year 1845, Henry King was the first teacher at Hammill's schoolhouse, two miles west of Beeton of the present day. Mr. King's son helped him with the teaching, while here. In the same school, during the early years, other teachers were Pywell, Sigsworth, McMahon and O'Leary.

In Adjala, one of the most prominent of the pioneer teachers was Patrick Downey. He taught in that township in 1842, or earlier, and also in 1843. Later (in 1845) he began teaching in Eramosa, Wellington County, and contributed some of his experiences of the pioneer days to Volume 5 of the Documentary History of Education.

In the same township (Adjala) James Magee taught six months in 1842, in a school on lot 5, con. 3, but the school commissioners did not pay him his share of the Government grant. So he asked the District Council to interfere in his behalf.

The first school in Innisfil, and the one to which the "Dalhousie" settlers sent their children, was erected at Gimby's Corners (Churchill), in 1837 or 1838. One Harrison was the first teacher there, and was employed directly by the people, who clubbed together for the purpose. To this school came children from Croxon's Corners, Gilford, and indeed from every place west and east, north and south, within a radius of ten miles.

This was the first and only school in this part of Innisfil for some years. We have been enabled to obtain the family names of those who attended it; the list is made up of almost all those familes who were resident in the southen part of Innisfil at the time: Kettle, O'Donnell (Gilford), Clement, Willson, Ross, Scott, Rogerson, McLean, Cripps, Lennox, Hindle, Ritchie, Gimby, Patterson, Todd, Fisher, Garbutt (from the hollows of West Gwillimbury), Gartley, Wallace, Moore.

Wm. Booth was the first teacher at Stroud in the thirties, and was followed by Samuel Ross.

The first school in Essa was held in a log house that was erected on lot 1, con. 10, early in the thirties to serve as an Orange Lodge. The first teacher here, or at least the first of which any account has reached the writer, was Andrew Coleman, an old man who taught the children of the pioneers for a time. (He was related to the family of this name on the Innisfil side.) A Mr. Bird also taught them, but only for a few months, as he grew cross, (so the story goes), and they had to put him out of the position in which he had practiced his flogging powers too extensively. In the same building James Johnston also taught for a time, and then went to the Lewis school in the same neighborhood, about the year 1841. Mr. Johnston was a good pensman, and at a later time went to Owen Sound or its vicinity, where his family and descendants prospered. It was about the same time that a union school was erected and called Ross' school. It was on the south side of the broken front in Tecumseth, but did service for the settles along the townline in both townships. Another early teacher here was a Mr. Macaulay.

On the farm of D. Lewis, lot 3, con. 11, a mile north of Cookstown, a school was established at an early date. It is said that a Mr. McMahon was the first teacher here. There was also, at an early date, in the same school, Crawford M. Maxwell (for two or three years) and a Mr. Carter. After these, Mr. Johnston, mentioned above, also taught the school for a time. The school was afterward moved to Cookstown.

On the Penetanguishene Road north of Kempenfeldt there were some of the earliest schools in the County. A log schoolhouse was built at Crownhill (lot No. 10), on the Oro side, before the Rebellion of 1837, and William Crae was the first teacher in it. He was succeeded in 1842 by Edward Luck who taught the school continuously for 22 years.

Further north, at Dalston, Charles Debenham was the first teacher, also at an early time, and still further on, Thomas Williams, afterward a minister and missionary of the Methodist Church, taught school at Craighurst.

Frederick Gatesman taught in the common school at Barrie in 1842 and probably at an earlier time, after which he went to England.

The Government granted land for the erection of school houses, and for school purposes, generally, in the Towns of Barrie, Orillia and Penetanguishene. In fact, in nearly, if not quite, all of the three, at the times of the surveys of the original town plots, sites for schools was reserved.

At Orillia, during this pioneer period, there were a few teachers, mostly sent by the Methodist Church, including Thomas Williams, besides Andrew Moffatt and his wife.

At the same session of the District Council (February, 1844) the Council nominated the Rev. S. B. Ardagh as the County Superintendent of Education, in accordance with the new School Act. Owing to the increased duties place upon the County Superintendent under an ammended Common School Act, requiring a larger share of his time than he could spare, the Rev. S. B. Ardagh tendered his resignation in October, 1846, to take effect at the close of the year. The Council accepted his resignation and appointed Henry A. Clifford of Oro to the office. The increased duties referred to consisted in the change by which the school tax was to be paid to the District Superintendent instead of the Township Superintendents.

Mr. Clifford's salary as District Superintendent was only &3163;70 a year. He traversed the district on horseback and gave interesting reports of the condition of the schools, some of his reports having been printed. In 1847, he found there were, in Simcoe District, 83 common schools, taught by 79 male and only 4 female teachers. In this particular, it is worthy of note that nowadays female teachers preponderate of male teachers. There was also 14 Sunday Schools in operation. As a rule, teachers of good attainments could not be obtained for the mere pittance which trustees had it in their power to offer them. Mr. Clifford observes, in 1848, that the teachers' pay was frequently less than that paid to a common day laborer.

Under the Scool Act of 1849, township superintendents resumed the place they had formerly held, and Henry A. Clifford laid down his office, March 1, 1850. It was a period of frequent changes in school affairs, some of the changes not being always for the best. Before the use of the ballot at elections, in the days when everybody knew how everybody else voted, there were many instances when teachers lost their positions because they did not vote according to the views of their employers.

The Commons School Law of 1850 authorized the grammar school trustees and local superintendents to constitute a county board of Public Instruction, to examine and give certificates of qualification to teachers of the common schools. Hitherto, both district and township superintendents had given certificates of qualification to teachers, and the power of granting these did not desirably rest in the hands of a single individual. Hence the need for the establishment of the county board. The first meeting recorded of the Simcoe County Board of Public Instruction was held May 29, 1851. His Honor Judge Chas. R. Gowan being the chairman.

In January, 1852, the County Council considered the question of forming a second Board of Public Instruction, viz., for South SImcoe, which hitherto had been part of the territory of the first Board. but did not then take any steps to form a new Board. It registerd a protest, however, against having no power of control ovre the outlay of the existing board, whose expenses they were called upon to pay. In November, 1853, Rev. F. L. Osler petitioned the County Council for a Board of Instruction at Bond Head, where a grammar school was established about the same time. The Council deferred action upon the petition until the next session. A new law came into operation in January, 1854, giving the County Council power to appoint the trustees of the county grammar schools. This altered the circumstances, so the Council at their January session established a Board of Public Instruction at Bond Head, composed of the eight townships in the south half of the county as it was then constituted.

One of the changes made by the Common School Act of 1846 (9 Vict., chap. 20) was to abolish the office of Township Superintendent. But the Act of 1849, as it has been already stated, restored these 2 office for more than 21 years' longer. The names of the Township Superintendents appointed by the County Council for the various years in that preiod were:-

ADJALA: James Hart, 1851, June, 1855-57; Patrick Kelly, 1852-5; Rev. F. X. Pourret, 1858; Rev. Michael Shea, 1859-60; Rev. J. J. Synnott, June, 1860-6; Rev. P. Conway, June, 1866; Rev. J. Mitchell, 1867-8; Rev. R. A. O'Connor, 1869-70; Rev. T. J. Sullivan, 1871.

ESSA and TOSORONTIO: Thomas Drury, 1851-4.

ESSA: Rev. Wm. Fraser, 1855-6; J. W. Norris, M.D., 1857; Rob't T. Banting, 1858-71.

FLOS: Geo. McKay, 1855; Rev. S. Brownell, 1856; Henry A. Clifford, 1857; William Harvey, 1858-71.

WEST GWILLIMBURY: Rev. Wm. Fraser, 1851-71.

INNISFIL: Rev. Thomas Lowry, 1851-2; Rev. G. Nugent, 1853-4; Rev. S. B. Ardagh, 1855-6; J. W. Norris, M.D., 1857; Rev. Edward Morgan, 1858; Robert Cox, 1859; John Chantler, 1860; Rev. Thos. D. Pearson, 1861-2; Rev. Jacob Poole, June, 1862-71.

MEDONTE, TINY and TAY: Henry A. Clifford, 1851-2.

MEDONTE: Henry A. Clifford, 1853-9; James Shaw, 1860-4; Geo. Bush, 1865-7; Rev. R. H. Harris, 1868-9 and 1871; Rev. Wm. Johnston, 1870.

MONO: Abraham Martin, 1851-2; Rev. John Fletcher, 1853-6; Rev. Jacob Vanlinge, 1857-8; Moses Harshaw, 1859-62; Rev. John Corbett, 1863; Rev. Alex. Henderson, 1864-5; Rev. Richard Cleary, 1866-9; Rev. W. M. Christie, 1870-1.

MULMUR: John Little, 1851; Rev. John Fletcher, 1852-6; Rev. Jacob Vanlinge, 1857-8; John Cooper, 1859-60; Rev. Archibald Colquhoun, 1861-6, and 1869, 1870-1; Rev. John McCleary, 1867-8.

MORRISON and MUSKOKA: Jas. Bailey, sr., 1865; Jas. Bailey, jr., 1866-8.

MORRISON: Jas. Bailey, 1869; Joseph Wasdell, 1870-1.

MUSKOKA: Wm. H. Taylor, 1869-70; Rev. Walter Wright, 1871.

MONCK: Wm. H. Taylor, 1870-1.

NOTTAWASAGA and OSPREY: John Ferguson, 1851.

NOTTAWASAGA: Andrew Jardine, 1852-6; Rev. John Campbell, 1857; G. I. Bolster, 1858-9; Wm. Reed, 1860; Rev. John Campbell, June, 1860-1; Angus Bell, 1862-3; Rev. Jas. Greenfield, 1864-7; Rev. S. Briggs, 1868; Geo. C. McManus, M.D., 1869-71.

ORILLIA: Rev. Ari Raymond, 1851; Rev. John Gray, June, 1851-8; Rev. T. Bolton Read, 1859-62; Dr. Geo. H. Corbett, October, 1862; Rev. Alex. Stewart, 1863-71.

ORO: Duncan Clark, 1851; Rev. John Gray, 1852-9; Rev. James Stewart, August 1st, 1859-62; Rev. John Gray, June, 1862-4; Rev. Jas. Ferguson, 1865-71.

TAY and TINY: Wm. Simpson, 1853-67; George Mitchell, June, 1867-8; Rev. S. L. Atherton, June, 1868; Rev. John Flood, 1869.

TAY: John Irving, 1870-1.

TINY: Rev. John Flood, 1870-1.

TECUMSETH: Rev. S. L. Osler, 1851-6; Rev. Wm. Fraser, 1861-2; Rev. A. J. Fiddler, 1863-8; Rev. John Davidson, 1869-71.

TOSORONTIO: Rev. John Fletcher, 1855-6; J. W. Norris, M.D., 1857; Rev. J. Vanlinge, 1858-9; John Anderson, 1860; Wm. Wright, 1861-2; Rev. Alex. McClennan, 1863-9; Rev. Jas. Matheson, 1870-1.

VESPRA, FLOS and SUNNIDALE: Patrick A. Smith, 1851; Rev. Thos. Lowry, June, 1851-2; Rev. G. Nugent, 1853-4.

VESPRA and SUNNIDALE: Rev. John Douse, 1855; Rev. S. B. Ardagh, 1856; Henry A. Clifford, 1857; Ephraim Dean, 1858; George Lane, 1859.

SUNNIDALE: Wm. Gladstone, 1860; Ephraim Dean, 1861-3, and 1865; Rev. John Campbell, 1864; Rev. Jas. Greenfield, Nov., 1864, and June 1865-7; Alex. Heaslip, 1868-71.

VESPRA: George Lane, 1860; George Sneath, 1861-71.

BARRIE: John Douse, 1854-6.

WATT and CARDWELL: Christopher Martin, 1871.

ST. VINCENT, EUPHRASIA and COLLINGWOOD Townships: Jason Burchell, 1851.

ARTEMESIA: Charles Draper, 1851.

In more than half of the townships throughout this county, as elsewhere, the local superintendents were clergymen of some Protestant denomination. This gave umbrage to Roman Catholics, and was one of the chief reasons for the Separate School clauses in the Act of 1853. By the year 1859, there were Separate Schools established in Nottawasaga, Orillia, Vespra and Barrie, and the By-law in that year to raise the levy throughout the county for school purposes specifies the schools of this kind for the first time. Thomas R. Ferguson, M.P. for South Simcoe, introduced a Bill into the House of Assembly to repeal the Separate Schools Act or clauses, March 30, 1860. But his Bill was withdrawn, May 18, and he reintroduced it in 1861, but with the same results.

The Ninth Volume of the Documentary History of Education contains an account of the early school buildings and accommodation by the Rev. John Gray, D.D., who was School Inspector for Oro and Orillia for several years. It was part of a paper he prepared for the East Simcoe Teachers' Association in 1892.

The County Council, in June, 1869, offered some opposition to the proposal made by the Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson, the Chief Superintendent of Education, to abolish the office of Local or Township Superintendent and appoint County Superintendents. The system of having clergymen inspect the common schools had already produced separate schools and other unfortunate results, and it was deemed to be time for a change. Dr. Ryerson attended a convention in Barrie in January, 1869, and the County Council then in session also attended the same convention, with a view to arriving at an agreement, but this did not allay their opposition or convince them of the need of a change. The Act passed the Ontario Legislature in due course, abolishing the Township Superintendents and introducing a new order of affairs. In June, 1871, the Council appointed, in compliance with the Act, the Rev. William McKee, inspector of schools for the South Riding of the County, and James C. Morgan, inspector for the North Riding. In the following January the Council protested because the new school law increased the expenses of inspection and the Board of Examiners. Also because there was a higher standard required for the certificates then under the old Board, with the prospective result (in the opinion of the Council) that many schools would be closed. Their fears ultimately proved to be groundless. By the late school changes, a Board of Examiners for the County took the place of the Boards of Public Instruction, North and South.

In January, 1876, the County Council set apart the District of Muskoka and Parry Sound as a distinct school inspectorate, and appointed the Rev. A. Findlay as Inspector, but it would appear that the Education Department did not consent to the change, and no payment to the Rev. Mr. Findlay appears in the County records. Hitherto the schools of the new districts had been in the inspectorate of North Simcoe. In October, 1878, the Council requested the Education Department to set apart Muskoka District for Inspectoral purposes, and followed up the request in the following January by appointing the Rev. Thos. McKee, school inspector for the proposed inspectorate, of the Muskoka District. Early in the ensuing March, the Minister of Education signified his concurrence in the arrangement, and the Rev. Thos. McKee entered upon his duties. Owing to the difficulties the people of Muskoka townships had to contend with, they could keep the schools in some sections open only one-half of the year.

In 1877, Model Schools were established in Barrie and Bradford for training school teachers, one in each of the two ridings of the county. At its October session, the County Council granted $100 to each for yearly maintenance.

Rev. William McKee resigned his position as Public School Inspector for South Simcoe, and the County Council appointed Rev. Thomas McKee as his successor, in June, 1881. Again, in 1887, the Council, finding the schools of North Simcoe required a third inspector, set apart East Simcoe as a distinct inspectorate, and in November appointed Isaac Day to fill the position. In 1906, James C. Morgan having resigned as Public School Inspector for North Simcoe, the Council appointed G. K. Mills to succeed him.

The Public School Act of 1896 having authorized Continuation Classes for pupils who passed the entrance and public school leaving examinations, and certain schools in the county having taken advantage of the provision, the County Council granted, in November of that year, $2.50 per capita to each school for the half year ending December 31, 1896. This resulted in considerable outlay on account of the Continuation Classes which were established in several parts of the county which had hitherto been unprovided with facilities for advanced school training.

The history of the advanced schools of the county is not without an interest of its own. On August 3, 1843, the Governor-General, Sir Charles Metcalfe, issued a commission appointing trustees for a District Grammar School, (Simcoe being then called a District instead of a County). And the District Council, on August 9, set apart the large room in the lower storey of the east wing of the Court House at Barrie for the use of the Grammar School, to be occupied until suitable buildings could be provided. His Honor Judge Ardagh supplied a sketch of the early grammar school for the fifth volume of the Documentary History of Education (p. 283).

The Government granted nine lots in Barrie for a school house and master's residence. Frederick Gore, the headmaster of the Grammar School, received the patents for three lots (Nos. 24, 25, 26 making a total of 3/4 acres) on the north side of Blake Street, August 20, 1845, also No. 12 on the south side of Collingwood Street, and others at later times. But the undertaking of the erection of new buildings proceeded slowly. By March 20 of the same year (1845) the attendance of pupils at the Grammar School, which was the only one in the county at that time receiving government grants, had reached 43, according to the report for that year. In October, 1848, the Grammar School was still carried on in the Court House, although not without a growing dissatisfaction at the slowness of the completion of the new building, on the part of the District Council. The room in the Court House was in use for the Grammar School until 1849, the trustees having appealed to the District Council for a grant of money to enable them to finsih the school house. In the later fifties, Mr. Gore was succeeded as Head Master by the Rev. W. F. Checkley.

In June, 1859, the above institution, which at this time was known as the Senior Grammar School, needed enlargement and improvement. When built, it was calculated for only 30 pupils, but as the attendance had increased to 66 daily, further accommodation was required. The members of the County Council made a personal inspection of the school and granted $700 for the extension of the building. At a later time (about the year 1868) the name was changed to "High School," and in 1880 it became a Collegiate Institute, when the old building was abandoned for the one now in use.

There was a Grammar School in Bond Head at January, 1854, it having been built and opened at an earlier date, viz., 1852; but this is the first time it appears in the county records, the County Council at that time having appointed trustees for the institution. It would appear that it did not flourish. In the Documentaty History of Education, (Volume 14, p. 69), Dr. Egerton Ryerson's letters give some facts in regard to this Grammar School at Bond Head. It was open six weeks in 1856, but vacant the first half of 1857 and the average attendance was only six in the latter half of the last named year; so that Common and Grammar Schools at Bond Head were united into one school. Rev. F. L. Osler, who was the moving spirit of the institution, was removed to Ancaster, Ontario, the same year (1857), and the school languished for a while afterward. In 1859, the school and even the school house, at Bond Head, were moved to Bradford, which had petitioned the Council for a grammar school two years before this time (viz., in June, 1857), but the Council had been prevented from establishing one at Bradford owing to the existence of the one at Bond Head. Even in January, 1857, the Finance Committee of the County Council had disapproved very much of the former management of the Bond Head Grammar School, and more especially of that of the year 1856, it having been notorious that the school had been vacant for the greater part of the year.

Bradford raised $2,000 by debentures for enlarging and improving the High School in January, 1891, but it was soon afterward destroyed by fire. Early in 1892, the citizens raised a further sum of $3,000 for rebuilding the institution, which is now well equipped and furnished.

Collingwood petitioned the County Council in June, 1857, for a Grammar School, and the Council established one in accordance with the request, and passed a By-law for that purpose, on June 20. The first Principal of the School was the Rev. John Langtry, who taught the first classes in his own house. Another teacher in Collingwood was Frederick Gore, who had formerly taught the Grammar School in Barrie, had afterward gone to Collingwood, where, about 1863, he taught for some three years. Rev. Robert Rodgers became the Principal in 1865, or earlier. In Mr. Gore's time, the school was kept in a building on Front Street, and later, in Mr. Rodger's term, in the Council Hall. W. Williams, B.A., became the Principal in 1873, and for twenty-eight years and a half held the position, retiring in August, 1901, when G. K. Mills, B.A., was appointed. During the long period of Mr. William's Principalship, the institution developed rapidly. A brick building was erected in 1874, and an addition was made to it in 1879, making a well-equipped building. With the beginning of 1879 it became a Collegiate Institute, the first to receive the name in this county.

In January, 1876, the County Council passed a By-law to establish a High School in the Town of Orillia, the first trustees of which were:--Rev. A. Stewart, Rev. John Gray, H. S. Scadding, Melville Miller, D. J. Beaton, and George J. Booth.