Historic leaves, volume 4, April, 1905 - January, 1906

[17] (for the district which he was representing as committeeman). If further proof of this and similar misstatements be necessary, we need but consider that Mr. Mallet was forty years of age at this time, a man of means and influence, and was holding various town offices of importance. The writer believes he is correct in affirming that, as a general thing, male teachers in these outlying districts at this time, as well as long afterwards, were young men, many of them graduates or students of the college near by, who were but ‘feeling their way’ before the real battle of life was to begin.

The above-named Walter Russell, son of Joseph, whom we have mentioned (Vol. III., p. 18) as teaching school in 1724, not only served on the committee, but was, a worthy follower of his father in wielding the ferule. The first date we are sure of is May 2, 1774, when he received an order for his amount for keeping part of the school without the Neck, £ 8, and his associate at the Gardner Row school, Daniel Reed, under same date, received £ 5 6s 8d as his amount ‘for keeping another part of the school.’ January 26, 1776, Edward Gardner is allowed the same sum for keeping this school, and Walter Russell £ 8 6s for keeping the one at Alewife Brook. These dates prove to us that these schools were not closed, at least for any length of time, during the excitement which prevailed after the battle of Bunker Hill, when old Charlestown lay in ashes. Daniel Reed was the representative of a family that for several generations lived at the upper end of Charlestown, near the ponds. He was, perhaps, the son or grandson of Daniel and Mary (Converse) Reed; the son was born February 19, 1732.

In February, 1778, Walter Russell was acting as town clerk, a position which he did not hold long, as, May 20, 1779, we read that Samuel Swan was serving in that capacity. The last time we find Mr. Russell's name associated with school affairs was in 1780 (already referred to as the year of greatly-inflated values), when the district under his management received £ 317 8s 6d of the £ 6,400 appropriated for schools!

Walter Russell, son of Joseph and Mary (Robbins) Russell, was born January 24, 1737, and died at the early age of fortyfive,