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An Act to establish Academies in the several Counties in this State, and for the appointment of Trustees thereof. TNGenWeb Project
Tennessee’s Early School Laws
~ 1806 ~Chapter 2
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That Daniel Perkins, John Sappington, Nicholas T. Perkins, Chapman White, and Abraham Maury, senior, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Harpeth Academy, in the county of Williamson.
That Thomas A. Claiborne, Joel Lewis, Robert Weakley, Joseph Phillips, and Robert C. Foster, shall be, and they are constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Robertson Academy, in the county of Davidson.
That Joseph Dixon, John R. Bedford, John Thompson, senior, William P. Anderson, and Robert Smith, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Bradley Academy, in the county of Rutherford.
That James Winchester, David Shelby, Edward Douglass, Henry Bradford, and William Montgomery, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Trans-Montania Academy, in the county of Sumner.
That Henry Bols, John Allcorn, Matthew Figures, Samuel Hogg, and John K. Wynne, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Campbell Academy, in the county of Wilson.
That William Martin, Grant Allen, Henry Tooly, Richard Banks, and William Cage, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees, of the Geneva Academy, in the county of Smith.
That Thomas Draper, Nathaniel Ridley, John H. Browen, Sampson Williams, and Ferdinand Hamilton, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Montpelier Academy, in the county of Jackson.
That John Baker, senior, Thomas Johnson, Josiah Fort, James Norflet, and John Coleman, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Liberty Academy, in the county of Robertson.
That Duncan Stuart, Asahal Brunson, James Elder, Willie Blount, and Pary W. Humphreys, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of the Rural Academy in the county of Montgomery.
That Michael Dickson, Heremiah Pershal, Richard Napier, David Dixon, and Sterling Brewer, be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Tracy Academy, in the county of Dixon.
That Moses Fisk, John Overton, James Chissum, John B. Cross, and Henry Ragen, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Overton Academy, in the county of Overton.
That Joseph Gray, Thomas Clinton, Robert Cooper, Joseph B. Nevell, and William Allen, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Dover Academy, in the county of Stuart.
That George Duffield, Nathaniel Taylor, George Williams, Alexander Doran, and John Greer, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Duffield Academy, in the county of Carter.
That John Kennedy, Andrew Steele, William Mitchel, John Nelson, and David Deaderick, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Martin Academy, in the county of Washington. That William Snodgrass, John Punch, Elkanah R. Dulaney, Abraham Looney, and William Bond, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Jefferson Academy, in the county of Sullivan.
That Benjamin M'Nutt, Valentine Sevier, James Galbreath, William Rankin, and William Dixon, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Rhea Academy, in the county of Greene.
That George Maxwell, William Armstrong, Richard Mitchell, Andrew Galbreath, and Thomas Jackson, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of M'Minn Academy, in the county of Hawkins.
That John Cocke, Samuel Bunch, Thomas Henderson, Noah Jarnagin, and Major Lea, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Madison Academy, in the county of Grainger.
That William Nowell, John Vanbebber, James Renfro, William Robertson, and James Roddye, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Speedwell Academy, in the county of Claiborne.
That George Doherty, Adam Peck, Thomas Galbreath, Thomas Snoddy, and Parmenas Taylor, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Maury Academy in the county of Jefferson.
That Isaac Leonard, Abraham M'Coy, Peter Fine, Daniel M'Pherson, and William Liffard, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Anderson Academy, in the county of Cocke.
That James Ragen, Hopkins Lacey, Thomas Hill, Allen Bryant, and Isaac Love, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Nancy Academy, in the county of Sevier.
That Nathaniel Cowan, John Crozier, Thomas Humes, John Adair, and George M'Nutt, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Hampden Sidney Academy, in the county of Knox.
That Arthur Crozier, Benjamin C. Parker, Jesse Roysden, Hugh Barton, and Samuel Frost, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Union Academy, in the county of Anderson.
That Thomas I. Vandyke, Samuel Ethridge, Jacob Jones, Zacheus Ayer, and Jesse Bird, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Rittenhouse Academy, in the county of Roane.
That Gideon Blackburn, John Montgomery, John Lowry, (merchant) Joseph B. Lapsley, and Andrew Kennedy, shall be and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Porter Academy, in the county of Blount.
That James Grant. Hugh Montgomery, Hutchins Barton, Mitchael Huffacre, and Sampson David, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, to be known by the name of the trustees of Franklin Academy in the county of Campbell. And by the names aforesaid, shall have perpetual succession and a common seal.
SEC. 2. Be it enacted, That the trustees of each of said academies, and their successors, by the names aforesaid, shall be capable in law, to purchase, receive, and hold to them and their successors forever, any lands, tenements, rents, goods, or chattels, which shall be given or devised to, or purchased by them for the use of the said academies; and to sell and dispose of the same in such manner as to them shall seem most advantageous for the said academies.
The said trustees by the names aforesaid, may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded in any court of law or equity: They shall have power from time to time to establish such bye laws, rules and ordinances, not contrary to the laws and constitution of this state, as they shall judge necessary for the good government of the said academies, and to appoint a president, secretary, tutors, treasurer, and other persons necessary for conducting the business of the institution: A majority of said trustees shall constitute a board to determine upon any matter relative to the establishment, government, or support of their respective academies; but no real estate belonging to either of the said academies shall be disposed of, unless two thirds of the trustees thereof concur in opinion thereon. Upon the death, resignation, or other legal disability of any of the said trustees, hereby, or which may hereafter be appointed, the vacancy thereby occasioned shall be supplied by the next, or any succeeding general assembly after such vacancy may occur; but may nevertheless, be supplied by the remaining trustees, or a majority of them, until such vacancy or vacancies shall be supplied by the legislature as aforesaid.
The several boards of trustees shall each elect a treasurer, who shall receive all monies accruing to the said academies, and property delivered to his care, and pay and deliver the same to the order of the said trustees; and before he enters on the execution of the duties of his office, shall give bond and security for such sum as the board of trustees by whom he is appointed shall direct, payable to them and their successors, and conditioned for the faithful discharge of the trust reposed in him, and that he will, when required by the said trustees, render to them a true account of, and for the use of the said academy; and the treasurer shall receive such salary as may be allowed and fixed by the trustees.
SEC. 3. Be it enacted, That the said trustees shall have power to fix on and purchase a scite for their respective academies, and to take and receive subscriptions for paying for the same, as well as for the purpose of erecting and building the academy, and any other building which they may think necessary thereto; and if any person shall neglect or refuse to pay the money by him subscribed for that purpose, it shall be lawful for the said trustees to recover the same by warrant before a justice of the peace, where the delinquent subscriber resides: Provided, the party has ten days previous notice of such motion: And if the treasurer shall fail to render, when thereunto required, a just and true account of all monies, goods and chattels, which have come to his hands by virtue of his office, and also all expenditures relative to the said academy, he shall on such failure, be subject to a judgment on motion, in any court of record in this state, and execution may thereupon be awarded in like manner as against sheriffs for the non- payment of public taxes.
SEC. 4. Be it enacted, That the Legislature may, from time to time, at periods not less than two years distant from each other, appoint two additional trustees to each board: Provided, the number of trustees for any of the aforesaid academies, shall never exceed thirteen.
SEC. 5. Be it enacted, That until a president shall be elected for each of the said academies, and shall have entered upon the duties of his office; and also, in all cases of a vacancy, or the absence of the president, the said trustees shall appoint one of their members to preside in their meetings, and all the doings and acts of the trustees, while acting under such circumstances, shall be considered in law as the doings and acts of the board, as fully and completely as when the president of the academy shall be in office and preside.
SEC. 6. Be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the first person named as trustee for each academy by this act established, to fix the time for holding the first meeting of said board, which shall be at the court house of the county where such academy is established, or at the place of holding court for said county, of which he shall give notice in writing to each member, at least ten days previous to such meeting.
SEC. 7. Be it enacted, That this act shall be deemed a public act, and as such shall be judicially taken notice of without special pleading, in all the courts of law and equity within this state.
Robert C. Foster,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Joseph M'Minn
Speaker of the Senate.
September 13th, 1806
Our first source for this paper is Messages of the Governors of Tennessee, 1796-1821 (Volume One), Published by “The Tennessee Historical Commission,” 1952. They claim that their source was the Acts of Tennessee, 1806. Notes
This paper was typed for TNGenWeb Project by Jo Roe Carpenter. We thank her for her good work and sharing spirit. This paper was coded in HTML by Fred Smoot. This page is © Copyrighted by TNGenNet Inc, 1999.