Dutchess County Historical Society Yearbook Vol 020 1935

factor in the education of young people over a long period of time and over a wide territory.

Almost as well known in their day as he, was his wife. Deborah Rogers 17 of Massachusetts, born in 1789, was at Nine Partners School in her girlhood as pupil and as teacher. There she met Jacob WiBetts, —in 1812 was married to him and continued all her life to teach. The subject in which she specialized was English grammar and she drilled her pupils effectively. Goold Brown (born 1791 in Rhode Island ),18 who was at Nine Partners School in his youth (both as a pupil and as a teacher), became famous in later life as a grammarian; he published an enormous volume on grammar and he paid tribute to Deborah Willetts for the aid she had given him. A tradition of Mrs. Willetts that has been told me is that she was strict in her dealings with the children.

When little girls misbehaved she would have them sit on a bench with their faces to the wall, would place her husband in charge and go away to other duties. Jacob, being tender hearted, would then turn his back on the culprits and allow them all the freedom he could.

Jacob and Deborah Willetts both died in the small house down the road and both are buried in the graveyard adjoining this meeting house.

There are pictures19 of them in existence and the likenesses confirm our understanding of the influence they exerted along the lines of simplicity, industry, and frugality, combined with moral integrity and intellectual interests. In short they gave us here in Dutchess an exposition of plain living and high thinking, the memory of which is green now after a century has passed, and for a return of which sort of living and thinking there is much need today!

Two other persons " connected with Nine Partners School should be specially mentioned: James Mott and Lucretia Coffin.

James Mott (born on Long Island in 1788) entered Nine Partners School in 1797 and remained until 1810, first as a pupil and then as a teacher. While he was here, Lucretia Coffin (born at Nantucket in 1793) entered the school (about 1806?) as a pupil, later becoming a teacher. And here we have a second romance to remember in connection with Nine Partners. Just as Jacob Willetts and Deborah Rogers met and married at the school, so also did James Mott and Lucretia Coffin and they, like Jacob and Deborah Willetts, became widely known in their mature careers. Mr. and Mrs. Mott were married in 1811 and made their home in Philadelphia. They both attained national recog33