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'Bray Schools' in Canada, America and the Bahamas, 1645-1900

The Associates of Dr. Bray was a group comprised of English clergymen and philanthropists who created and funded schools for Black, and to a lesser extent, Indigenous North American, children in the American Colonies between 1758 and 1776. Their aim was not only to educate, but also to Christianise their pupils.  

This collection contains correspondence files, minute books, and financial reports compiled by the Associates during the period 1724-1900. It also includes some relevant documents that pre-date the organisation itself. 

The impact that Bray’s schools had cannot be overstated. His were some of the first schools tasked with eradicating indigenous cultures and replacing them with Christian doctrines. They were founded on the principles of fearing for the souls of their pupils, but seemingly cared little for their freedom from enslavement, nor for their religious or cultural autonomy.

Key Documents

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Insights

The Canadian correspondence focuses on establishing schools in Nova Scotia. The schools were in Digby, Halifax, Hammonds Plains, and Birchtown.
These items include copies of some 17th and 18th century books that were intended to provide religious guidance. Most of these books were written by the society's founder Thomas Bray.
Reviews of libraries reveal which books the associates were using to teach the local populations they lived with. Some of these missionaries' libraries were located in England.
The society's accounts enable the reader to see how finances affected the spread of the schools and how the associates tried to address falling donations during the 19th century.
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Letter book, 1759 May 11 to 1778 April 16
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Correspondence and financial reports. 1874-94
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Correspondence and financial reports. 1872-79, 1883.
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Accounts book. 1847-67.
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Accounts book. 1840-43.
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Receipt book. 1840-41.
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Receipt book. 1835-36.
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Accounts book. 1835-39.