New Spalding Club > Records of Elgin > No. 36, 1908

THE SCHOOL : TOWN COUNCIL. 403
1782, May 4th.— Cofi/mc/ betzcixt the Magistrates and Mr. Alexander Wilson. —
Mr. Alexander Wilson, Master of Arts, late of Banff, becomes master of the Grammar
School for three years at an annual salary of £,\i sterling with the school fees. He
binds himself "that he shall not enter into holy orders of any kind so as to be
preacher of the gospel during this contract, that he shall teach all the children of the
burgesses at the rate of two shillings sterling quarterly for Latin and for other
branches of education in such manner as their parents and friends may agree on, that
he shall not only by precept but also by example encourage and cultivate those under
his care in the principles of Christianity, love and fear of God, obedience to superiors,
the beauty of holiness and the turpitude of vice, that he shall correct with moderation
and encourage with zeal, that he shall abstain from drunkenness, gameing, swearing
and every other vice and if convicted of any of them shall be subject to the sentence
of deprivation, that he shall regularly attend school at the stated hours and not give
the students any relaxation from their studies except the usual hours of refreshment
and the Saturday's afternoon and annual fairs in the burgh, that he shall regularly at
every meeting of the school in the morning and dismissing the same in the evening
say audible and publick prayers in the school with the scholars, that he shall every
Lord's day and other holy days set apart for publick divine service conveen the
scholars and cause them read with propriety and decorum certain passages of the
Holy Scriptures and other devout authors in his hearing and cause them repeat ex
tempore the lectures and texts given out by the preachers at divine service with such
inferences as the preachers may draw therefrom so far as their memories and maturity
will admitt of, that he shall proceed from the school with his scholars at the beginning
of publick worship forenoon and afternoon to the High Church and there attend
divine service in such place as the magistrates shall appoint for them, that he shall not
interfere with the other branches of education assigned by the magistrates and Town
Council for the master of the English and Music School or teach any branch therof
except such as are intimately connected with teaching of Latine, Greek and
geography."
1785, October 24th. — Contract betwi.xt the Magistrates and Mr. John Anderson.
— He agrees to become master of the Music or English School, "to teach and
instruct the youth of both se.xes which shall come there in English, Writing,
Arithmetic, vocal and instrumental music and all the other sciences he knows, Latin
and Greek excepted, and that he shall precent in the church both on the Lord's days
and other days appointed for publick worship." His salary to be ^10 sterling payable
quarterly at Hallowday, Candlemas, Rood day and Lammas, with " the emoluments
from the proclamation of banns, marriages, baptism of children, and record of the
dead within the town and parish of Elgin, which records he is hereby authorised to
keep." He shall " set a good e.xample in his own person as to his own deportment
and rebuke and chastise any vice or immorality he shall discover in the behaviour of
those under his charge."