, 1888-05-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
FOUNDED IN 1881 BY A PRINTER
OF WORCESTERSHIRE.

How Robert Raikes Was Led TO Organ
izo tho First Sunday schooI-why the
Scheme Attracted General Attention.
Historical Items of Interest.
Sunday schools were founded about the
close of the year 1871 by Robert Raikss. a
printer In Worcestershire Business lead
ing him into the suburbs of the town
inhabited by the lowest class of people, he
was surprised by seeing multitudes of
miserably ragged children. who made the
Sabbath day a carnival of noise and riot,
in which cursing and swearing had a largo
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 c~atechism, for
which they were to receive one shilling
each
A visible Improvement being effected In
q 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 tho principal
towns. and a society. under high patron
age. was formed in London in 1875 for the
establishment and support Of Sunday
schools throughout the kingdom. This
was the first stage of the Sunday school.
~GRATUTToUs INSTRUCTION.
A great impeachment to prosperity was
the expense of hiring the teachers. 1t 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 tho Sunday school
was almost universally without remunera-
ton
In 1903 the Sunday School union was
formed. which, by its numerous publica-
tons, agents and branch societies In the
different parts of the kingdom. exercised
q wid influence The Institute of the
Church OF England. which operated in a
like manner. is of a similar date.
Scotland boasts of Sunday schools as
early as 1882 But 1t was not till 1876.
when the Society for Promoting Reliei.
GUS knowledge among the Poor was
formed, that they were publicly recog-
nized, nor until 1907. when the first Free
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, and
Sunday school unions existed In most of
tho large towns.
Sunday schools In Ireland had been In a
measure anticipated In County Down in
ITO. but tho system pursued by Mr..
Raikes was not adopted till about 1875,
since which date it's system has been
similar to that of England.
In Ireland the Sunday School society
was established In 1909.
The Roman Catholics, in the United
Kingdom at least. nave numeroussSunday
schools.
THE FIRST IN n
Tho First Day or Sunday School society,
formed In Philadelphia in 1871, Is the first
permanent Sunday school organization in
the United States Of which there Is trust
worthy record 1t was composed of members
OF different denominations, including the
Society of Friends Its constitution re-
quired that reading and writing from tho
Bible and such other religious and moral
SSSHoS appEONeu buOuIu Iur-
nish the course of instruction. The New
York Sunday School union was organizedin
1915. the Philadelphia Sunday and Adult
Schoo union one year later. These three
societies recognized the union Of different
denominations, and led to the organization
of h American Sunday School union at
Philadelphia In 1924 Tho object of this
union was to concentrate tho 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 attendthem.
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 own
Sunday schools. and UNCONVENTIONAL unions
to promote these were formed. AS years
passed, the question book was added to
the original recitation. andiat length In q
great degree superseded 1t. 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 q character
suitable to young minds, and from this
has been developed the Sunday school
library.