Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-08-02
origin Of Sunday Schools

The first Sunday School was held in a
kitchen, IN the city of Gloucester, being o.
pened there in July, 1880, by the Rev. Mr..
Stock and Mr.. Robt. Raikes.. This was in
St. Catherine parish; and soon afterwards,
Mr.. Stock opened second school in the
parish of St. John the Baptist. He. con.
stantly attended every Sunday at these
schools; at o'clock at St. GATHERINGS and
at 2 o'clock at st. Johns, up to the time OF
his death. There was also a third school
established by Mr.. Raikes in his own parish
of St. Mary de Crypt.
Of course, IT was not long before so man.
ifest benefit was extended to other towns |;
and the origin of the first Sunday School
set up west of Temple Bar may, claim par
ticular mention. One summer local
preacher, residing in the City Road, came
to preach at room in st. AIMS Lane,
Westminster, then occupied by the Wes-
leyans, when he went in he addressed three
individuals present, saying that he had pass
ed vast number of ragged, wrefched chil-
dren, in his way to the room, who were
playing and fighting IN the street; that there
were such in the neighborhood of his resi-
dence, and that he and two or three help
ers had gone out and invited them to their
room, and had succeeded in getting sogeth.
er large number of both sexes and OF all
ages, who now came regularly to receive
instruction on the Sunday morning and al
ternoon during the intervals of service and
he urged the three friends he was address
ing to 60 and do likewise. They took the
hint went out the same afternoon, and COL
lected together number of children and
Youths of both sexes, and soon raised large
school. They were put to it for books and
apparatus. One of them drew out state
ment of the courts and alleys around the
spot and gave a rough guess at the statls-
tics of population, poverty and crminallty.
Several leading men in the religious world
ofthat day gave their names, but no money.
A MIR. Cousins, of ardour-street, said his
station IN life was too humble, for his name
to be of any service to them; but putting
his hand in his pocket, drew forth haii-a-
guinea, and gave them and this is bellev-
ed to have been the first subscription to the
first effort to establish Sunday School in
Westminster. This was at the time OF
Warren Hastings trial, and an old man
from the country, who came to give evil
dence at that trial, was detained IN town
every year for many months together.--
When he came and saw the work which
was going on, he joined the teachers, and
offered to teach those of the ragged compa-
nv who chose to come on the weekdays,
reading and writing. He soon had 100
children. The friends referred to, went a
bout from house to house, begging books,
states, and the like, and getting together
what they could. But they were reduced
to great shifts. DR.. Adam Clarke preach
ed for them a sermon at Great Queen
Street Chapel, which produced 9l0; end
the character of the scholars may be gath
cred from the fact, that, after the sermon
he apologized for their not being present to
sing charity hymn, because there was
scarcely child among them who had ell
ther shoes or stockings, and their clothes
were so bad that they were unfit to appear
before the congregation. 1t is humillatlng
to think that the children of that very lane
are in the same il.condlhoned state now
A school still struggles on, after fifty years
of hardship; and Cardinal Wiseman,a
ssums" the peculiar property of his Church,
still TEEN with misery and crime. But
surely this need not be so /; and though 1t IS
So yet let US give due honor to those ob-
scure and unpretending efforts which help.
ed forward the great cause of Sunday School
instruction throughout the kingdom. Let
the energy which hsy with few appliances
at hand, so generously put forth, animate
Us. who are surrounded by so many helps
to greater zeal and more enlarged sympa-
thies.- Christian Guardian.