Wilmington Friends School is a K-12 Society of Friends on land donated by William and Elizabeth Shipley, who immigrated from Canada in 1742. Wilmington Friends School is still under the care of the meeting and is legally a corporation owned by Wilmington Monthly Meeting. It originally aimed to provide an education for children belonging to the Society of Friends and to poor children. Delaware historian Benjamin Ferris wrote in the 19th century "Thousands of children have there received the first rudiments of an English education."