Page 18 - Alexander Munro, Early Schoolmaster

ISSUE : Issue 20

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1978/8/1

in sending out teachers with "the highest educational attainments and outstanding character." To Boularderie, Mrs, McKay sent Rev, James A. Fraser, a minister. Rev. Fraser was born at Rosshire and held a Theological certificate from Edinburg. He arrived in Cape Breton in 1836, He was not at Boul? arderie long when he petitioned the soci? ety for a teacher and schoor books. He had visited schools in the surrounding areas and in a letter to the society in 1837 stated, "School books are what we want most • English and Gaelic school books." The society responded by sending school books and a teacher. Soon Hugh Munro ar? rived and set up a school at Boularderie. But Hugh Munro's stay at Boularderie was short. Soon after his arrival, he was en? ticed by a lucrative offer to teach in Hal? ifax and accepted, leaving Boularderie without a teacher. Rev, Fraser again petitioned the society for a teacher. This time he outlined to them the qualities a teacher in the area should possess. In his letter to the soci? ety dated Feb, 1839, he stated that the person sent to fill the position should be an "industrious, efficient, steady, zeal? ous person...a man of good address, cor? rect habits and capable of teaching Latin and Navigation." The man sent out by the society had these qualities. He was Alex? ander Munro, born at St. Cyprus, near Mont? rose in the cotmty of Kincardine in l8l4. He was educated at Marischall College, A- berdeen, and the Glasgow Normal College. The Ladies Society sent out Munro when he was but twenty-five years of age. "25 December 1839 "I have already informed you of our arri? val in Halifax. (Here Munro was offered 200 pounds to teach in Halifax, three times the amount he would later receive in Boularderie. His very capable wife, Cather? ine Weir Munro, was offered 80 pounds to stay. The Munros, however, moved on.) Got a free passage to Sydney Mines. We were treated in the kindest manner by Capt. God? frey during our voyage. We received much kindness from M. Archibald at whose house we remained a night. In the morning we put our luggage aboard a small vessel bound for Boularderie, and walked through the woods a distance of 24 miles to the Rev. W, Eraser's, by whom we were received as brothers. I soon found there was neither school house nor dwelling house, for me, so I am obliged to teach in the church and live in a log house far from comfortable, being smoky, and the other end being occu? pied by a large young family. We dread the winter very much. They say they will build a school house in spring, the frame being up for six months past, but I think it will be six years before they build a house for a teacher. They are so very poor. THE THIRD COLLECTORS' EDITION of Cape Breton's Magazine issues 13 thru 18 reprinted and bound in one book • 280 pages • $5.50 where you buy Cape Breton's Magazine or by mail from Wreck Cove, C.B., N.S. To High School students thinking of the future Think of a future in Agriculture The Nova Scotia Agricultural College is dedicated to helping young men and women prepare for a wide range of important occupations associated with food production, including related industries and management of our living environment We offer technical courses: Agricultural Business Technician Agricultural Engineering Technician Animal Science Technician Farm Equipment Technician Plant Science Technician Biology Laboratory Technology Chemistry Laboratory Technology Farming Technology Ornamental Horticulture Technology We offer university courses leading to Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (16 options) Bachelor of Engineering In Agricultural Engineering Doctor of Veterinary Medicine For more information contact The REGISTRAR, N.S. Agricultural College, Truro, N.S. B2N 5E3 Department of Agriculture & Marketing Hon. John Hawkins, Minister We Buy and We Sell and We're as Near as your Telephone Sid's Used Furniture Phone 564-6123 436 Charlotte Street, Sydney CO-OPA ex)-it- ycxjrseu' Home Improvement Centre • Complel* stocks of knnber, buildlna Supplies. Plumbing, HMting and Becttieai m?t*rials. • Component Homes & Cottages CX)-OP Building Supplies Sydney Port Hawkesbury 539-6410 625-2600

Cape Breton's Magazine