Ruth Cadman

WOMEN OF WESTPORT POINT

Ruth Cadman (1762 –1845)

Teacher

2032 Main Road, Westport Point

Ruth was born in Newport, RI., the daughter of Christopher Cadman and Hannah Seabury.  Ruth never married.  Her older sister May married the wealthy merchant and whaler, Isaac Cory, Sr. in 1769  but many of the Cadman family kept their ties to Newport.  In 1840 the census indicates she was living alone and head of the household in Westport.  She bought 2032 Main Road from Abner Gifford in 1830 and sold it to William Hammond in 1836 so it is not clear where she was from 1836 to her death.  Her will was extensive with gifts of clothing, jewelry and money to a number of family members but no house.  She obviously was a person of means at her death.  Alexander H. Cory was her executor.

Her claim to fame arises from a book The Village of Westport Point by Katherine Hall and Mary H. Sowle.  Westport was late in building public schoolhouses so often communities took matters into their own hands. The following statement is taken from The Village of Westport Point:

“For some years before the building of the first public school-house Ruthy Cadman had a private school where she took in the little boys and girls to keep them out of the way. Their parents paid a little and bought the books used by the children.  An old man, who was one of Ruthy Cadman’s little scholars, says that ‘when the children grew tired she put them to bed.’  ‘The old maid’s school’, as it was called, was held in different houses in different years.”  Most of the residents of the Point contributed to the school, including Ruth herself.  A list in 1823 can be found in the booklet The Village of Westport Point.