Newport Academy Minute Book
Discovered by E C Perkins February 1963 and copied by Margaret Hartman Reprinted here with the permission of the Campbell County Historical Society
Now at a meeting of the Trustees aforesaid at the house of Jacob Fowler in the Town of Newport aforesaid on Saturday the 21st day of September 1799.
Whereas an Act passed the last session of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky entitled an act to Establish & endow certain Academies, did appoint William Kennedy, William Berry, Charles Morgan, John Grant, Thomas Kennedy, Thomas Sanford, Thomas Corneal, Richard Southgate, Daniel Mayo, John Crittenden, Robert Stubbs and James Taylor Trustees of an Academy called the Newport Academy reference being had to the said act more fully appear.
Present: the said Washington Berry, Charles Morgan, Thomas Kennedy, Thomas Sanford, Daniel Mayo, Robert Stubbs & James Taylor, Gentlemen, constituting a Board.
The Board proceeded to appoint a Clerk when upon examining the ballots Edmund Taylor was unanimously elected and Ordered that he give his attendance accordingly. The Board proceeded to make choice of a Chair man whereupon Washington Berry Esqr. on examination as aforesaid was unanimously chose and took the chair accordingly.
A seat being vacated by the death of William Kennedy Gent one of the Trustees-The Board proceeded to fill up the vacancy occasioned by the death of the aforesaid, whereupon it was found upon examination of the Tickets that Bernard Stewart was unanimously elected and was invited to take his seat, who accepted of the invitation and took his seat accordingly.
The Board proceeded to appoint Charles Morgan Esqr. Treasurer of the Trustees of the academy aforesaid with full power to appoint a Collector for the purpose of collecting the money Subscribed for the purpose of erecting a seminary in the said Town of Newport and the said collector shall have full power to compell the payment of the several sums of money not against their respective names and the said Treasurer has full power to make such contract with the said Collector as he shall deem most expedient.
The Board proceeded to appoint James Taylor to Superintend the locating and securing Six thousand acres of land granted to the Newport Academy by the act of the last assembly with full power to make such contract as he may deem best for the purpose aforesaid and the said Taylor is authorized to call on the Treasurer for the sum of Seventy five dollars for the purpose aforesaid who is authorized herby to pay said sum out of any money that may come into his hands from the Subscription aforesaid.
The Board of Trustees do agree that in case of Rev Robert Stubbs will come to reside at or near Newport and take charge of the Seminary aforesaid about the first of April next that they will furnish him with a house and Seventeen acres of cleared land and pay him Seventy five Pounds annually for three years and if the number of Scholars should amount to more than the sum aforesaid at the stipolated sum of eight Dollars for an English Scholar, four pounds for each latin Scholar those learning the english grammer, the Said Stubbs shall have the benifit of such surplus scholars. The above stipulations are considered as binding upon the Board of Trustees provided the said Rev R Stubbs decides upon his acceptance in the month of November next.
It is agreed by the Board that the Two stated meetings of
the said Trustees required by law shall be held at the following periods, to
wit, on the 1st Friday in April and the 1st Friday in September annually.
The Board do agree that the signature of the Chairman shall give sanction to
their proceeding as fully as if the whole number present should hav signed it.
Washington Berry Chairman
Edmund Taylor Clerk
The Board of Trustees not having met agreeable to appointment on Friday last made Board on Wednesday the 10th day of September 1800.
Present: Washington Berry, Thomas Kennedy, Thomas Sanford, Daniel Mayo, James Taylor, Charles Morgan, Bernard Stewart. A letter from the Rev R Stubbs signifying his acceptance as president of the Newport Academy agreeable to the terms stated at the first meeting of the Board of Trustees which letter is Ordered to be entered on record. Richard Southgate having signified his resignation to this Board resolved that his seat be filed up by Jacob Fowler who took his seat accordingly.
John Crittenden one of the Trustees of the Newport Academy having failed to remove to this County as was contemplated at the time of his appointment; It is the opinion of this board that his seat is vacated; Resolved that the vacancy be filed up by the appointment of Archibald Brown who took his seat accordingly.
Resolved that a house of stone one story high 32 by 20 feet
in the clear an Inside Chimney at each end to be covered with Jainted shingles
and be fixed on the Academy lott.
Resolved that this Board be adjourned til Saturday next.
Washington Berry Trustee
Edmund Taylor Clerk
At a meeting of the Board of trustees on the 25th of September 1801.
Present: Washington Berry, Thomas Sanford, Thomas Kennedy,
James Taylor, Daniel Mayo & Jacob Fowler. On the application of the Rev Robert
Stubbs to this meeting to be on released from his engagement for the Balance of
his time. It is resolved that he shall have two weeks from the 27 of the
present Instant to leave the said Academy provided he determine in the space of
that time so to do by a letter to the Chairman.
Washington Berry Chairman
Edmund Taylor Clerk
At a meeting of a Board of Trustees of the Newport academy on the 29th day of December 1801 at the house of Jacob Fowler in the said Town of Newport.
Present: Washington Berry, Thomas Sanford, Thomas Kennedy,
Daniel Mayo & James Taylor. The Rev Robert Stubbs President of the said academy
having signified his wish to resign his Presidency of the said academy and to be
released from the contract entered into between him & the Board of Trustees
which on the part of the said Trustees is entered in this Book and dated the
21st of September 1799 which terms were accepted by the said Rev Robert Stubbs
by letter from him addressed to the chairman of the Board and dated the 13th of
November in the same year. Therefore Resolved by mutual consent of the
parties that the said contract be now at an end and his resignation as president
is accepted.
Signed Washington Berry Chairman
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Newport academy on Thursday the 7th day of July 1803 at the Town of Newport.
Present: Washington Berry, Thomas Sanford, Daniel Mayo,
James Taylor, Archibald Brown, Robert Stubbs and Jacob Fowler. Whereas it
appears that James Taylor was authorized to contract for the locating 6,000
acres of land granted to the Newport academy and it appears by a receipt
produced by the said James that he has given an obligation to convey Two hundred
& fifty acres of his own land to Edmund Rogers who located the same. Resolved
that the said James be authorized to give as much of the said academy land as
will be sufficient to compensate the said Rogers and redeem the said Two Hundred
& fifty acres of land, provided however, that no more land shall be given than
the proportion allowed by Law, but the said James Taylor is to redeem his
obligation on the best terms he can & convey the same.
Washington Berry
James Taylor Acting as Clerk
At a meeting of the Trustees of the Semenary Newport, on Saturday the 27th day of May 1804 at the house of Jacob Fowler.
Present: Washing Berry, Thos Sandford, Daniel Mayo, Jacob
Fowler, James Taylor & Archibald Brown, Trustees. It appears this day that
Washington Berry, Thomas Sandford, Daniel Mayo, Thomas Kennedy & James Taylor
are each to account to Robert Stubbs esqr. as President of the Newport seminary
as the ballance due him on account of tuition in the said seminary the sum of
$21.42 cents. The said five trustees having in the above sum agreed to
acct tosaid Stubbs for Chas Morgans proportion to wit $17.85 cents which
ballances when accounted for by each is in full for all claim the said Stubbs
has on the said Trustees on consequence of a contract entered into on the
proceeding of this board on the 21st of September 1799 and accepted by the said
Stubbs by a letter addressed by the said Stubbs to Washington Berry, esqr.
President of this board & described to be entered of record on this 10th day of
Sept 1800. (On back of book) 6 Trustees at $20.86 cents each on settlement there
appears to be due Mr. Stubbs the above sum from each of us to wit. W Berry,
Thomas Sanford, Daniel Mayo, James Taylor & Thos Kennedy-this 7th day July 1803
each one owes J Taylor $8.00 and Mr. Stubbs is due J. Taylor $15.00.
Washington Berry
Edmund Taylor Clerk