Local Schools 1820's

Cyphering workbooks show Josephus Gregory (Zachariah Josephus Gregory 1810-1880)"of Lunenburg County" had as his tutor in 1824, Gabriel G. Osborne; in 1825, Champion C. M. Marable. Josephus's father, John Gregory, had moved from the Mecklenburg side of South Fork of Meherrin to the north side of the river, in Lunenburg.

Where was this school? Josephus was the youngest of a large family, and I suspect it was a local private school. In later years Josephus in a letter recalled "trudging along to school," holding his small niece by the hand.

One possible location is the site of the 1 1/2-acre tract John Gregory conveyed in 1835 to Mount Zion Church. The deed refers to a spring, "usually called the school house spring." Mount Zion is about .7 mile north of the Gregory home.

The tutor may have boarded with the John Gregory family, or another local family. Tutor Champion Carter Meriweather Marable was noted as "of Lunenburg Co." by Josephus in the workbook. I believe that Champion C. M. Marable was reared in Mecklenburg, suggesting further that the tutor boarded in the neighborhood. [See Marable web site for Champion Carter Meriwether Marable 1795-1879.]

Both of the books were handmade, recycling materials at hand. The 1824 coverwas crudely handsewn from the back of an old store journal. Smaller cuts from the workbook, as can be seen, indicate recycling continued.

The 1825 cover was made from a piece of canvas-type material;the side toward the pages has a faded colonial floral design.