Bray Schools
Established by The Associates of Dr. Bray
The Bray Schools were founded in 1724 by The Associates of Dr. Bray a philanthropic group with a mission to educate enslaved African Americans in the British North American colonies. In 1757 Benjamin Franklin suggested that a Bray School be established in Philadelphia. Soon after the establishment of the Philadelphia Bray School, Bray Schools were opened in New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. All the Bray Schools closed by the second year of the American Revolution (1775 to 1783). The Philadelphia Bray School reopened in 1786 and continued educating students until the early nineteenth century.
The Bray School in Williamsburg, Virginia operated from 1760 to 1774. Ann Wager was the only teacher during the school’s operation and each school year she taught between twenty and thirty students. Students were taught the beliefs of Anglican Christianity as well as reading, writing, and personal etiquette. After the death of the teacher Ann Wager on August 20, 1774, the school closed. The Bray School in Williamsburg, Virginia operated for fourteen years and educated about 400 students. - Bray School in Williamsburg, Virginia: www.colonialwilliamsburg.org
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