divided into four school districts: South, Church, North and Two Mile.   The South was the part of the town south of South river, and probably a section northwest of the river.   A schoolhouse of that earlier period stood where Mr. F. W. Hatch's stable, near where the railroad station now is, and earlier a schoolhouse was on the town land, now occupied by the cemetery south of the road.
   "The oldest south school was in existence in 1645, four years after the incorporation of the town.   It was established and supported by Edward Winslow, Thomas Bourne, Edward Buckley, and others.   'This was the first movement towards a public school in either of the New England Colonies.'   Brief and restricted as is the history of this school, it has the distinguished honor of being the legitimate successor of the pioneer school which inaugurated the system of public schools which has largely formed the character of our nation.
   "The site of the schoolhouse is on the land given to the town by the Colony and enlarged in territory by William Thomas for the maintenance of religious institutions which in early days held a place, though closely associated with them, higher than the educational.
   "Before the first old school in 1632, was the old South church, the thatched roofed meeting house of which stood on or by the side of the location of the first burying ground.   A few rods south of this site stood the first old South parsonage, occupied by Mr. Buckley, and a few rods west the second parsonage, occupied by Mr. Arnold and others, and a few rods west of the third parsonage, associated with this spot, is the ecclesiastical history of this town, its progress in religion, in education, in social life, and material prosperity for two hundred years."
   In a letter, William J. Baker, of North Pembroke, says:   "The old South schoolhouse that 'we went to school in' (a half century or more ago) was situated near the residence