Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-06-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
FOUNDED IN 1871 BY A PRINTER
OF WORCESTERSHIRE.

OF WORCESTERSHIRE.
How Robert Raikes Was Led to Organ
ize the First Sunday School-why the
Scheme Attracted General Attention.
Historical Items of Interest.
Sunday schools were founded about the
close of the year 1871 by Robert Raikes. a
printer in Gloucestershire. Business lead
ing him into the suburbs of the town
inhabited by the lowest class of people, he
was surprised by seeing multitudes of
mi serably ragged children, who made the
Sal bath day carnival of noise and riot,
In which cursing and swearing had large
part.
To check this proclamation of the Lords
day he engaged four women, teachers Of
week day schools, to instruct such chill
dren as he should send them on the Sunday
in reading and the church catechism, for
which they were to receive one shilling
each
A visible improvement being effected in
a short time, both in the manners and
morals of the children, Mr.. Raikes' scheme
attracted general attention. Her majesty
Queen Charlotte admitted him to an audi
ence, and expressed high appreciation Of
his plan. Numerous schools formed on
the same model sprang up in the principal
towns. and a society. under high patron
age, was formed in London in 1885 for the
establishment and support of Sunday
schools throughout the kingdom. This
was the first stage of the Sunday school
GRATUIToUs INSTRUCTION.
A great impediment. to prosperity was
the expense of hiring the teachers. It is
not certain who first conceived the idea OF
gratuitous instruction, but this in time
came about. and the result was that by the
year 1900 teaching In the Sunday school
was almost universally without remunera
tion.
In 1903 the Sunday School union was
formed. which. by its numerous publica
tions. agents and branch societies in the
different parts Of the kingdom. exercised
q wide influence. The Institute Of the
Church of England. which operated in {
like manner, is of similar date
Scotland boasts of Sunday schools a:
| early as 1882 But it was not till 1856
when the Society for Promoting Rehgi
| GUS Knowledge among the Poor wa
formed that they were publicly recog
nized. nor until 1897, when the first Ere,
Sunday School society was organized
that free Sunday schools became general
| At first these met with considerable op
| position from portions of the ecclesiasti
| cal court. but this soon vanished, ant
| Sunday school unions existed in most O
| the large towns.
Sunday schools in Ireland had been in
measure anticipated in County Down il
ITO. but the system pursued by Mr.
Raikes was not adopted till about 1885
since which date it's system has beer
similar to that of England.
In Ireland the Sunday School society
was established in 1909.
The Roman Catholics, in the United
| Kingdom at least. have numerous Sunday
| schools.
THE FIRST IN AMERICA.
The First Day or Sunday School society
| formed in Philadelphia in 1871, is the first
permanent Sunday school organization il
the United States of which there is trust
worthy record. 1t was composed of member:
| of different denominations, including tbt
| Society of Friends. It's constitution re
quired that reading and writing from tht
Bible and such other religious and mora
books as the society approved should fur
York Sunday School union was organizedi1 IL
1916. the Philadelphia Sunday and Adult
School union one year later. These three
societies recognized the union of different
denominations. and led to the organization
of the American Sunday School union al
Philadelphia in 1924. The object of this
union was to concentrate the efforts Of
Sunday school societies in different sec
tions of the United States, and to start
schools wherever there were children
found in sufficient numbers to attend them
1t naturally came about that as new
states were settled and the various denom
| nations were strengthened, increased
attention was given by each to its OWL
| Sunday schools. and denominational unions
to promote these were formed. AS years
passed, the question book was added to
the original recitation. and at length in 9
great degree superseded it. Later on
came lesson helps. texts. maps, black.
board exercises, etc. In the earlier schools
reward tickets were given, and when these
had sufficiently accumulated they were
exchanged for books. This stimulated
the production of works of character
suitable to young minds. and from this
has been developed the Sunday school
library.