The following evidence, given by the first witness examined, is both typical of the evidence and descriptive of the work and means of support of a charity-school. Monday, June 3rd, 1816. HENRY BROUGHAM, Esq. in the Chair. Mr. GEORGE GRIFFITHS called in, and examined. Where do you live? Saint Katherine's, near the Tower. Upon what foundation is that school? It is supported by voluntary contributions. Have you any other funds? There is a fund established by the contributions, which is placed in the bank. To what does it amount? - The last purchase that was made has made it up to £1550. What is the amount of annual subscriptions? It has varied very much within the last seven or eight years; it formerly used not to amount to more than sixty or seventy pounds, it has in the last six or seven years amounted to upwards of £100 by subscriptions and donations. What is the whole amount of the yearly income? — I am not prepared to state that exactly. Is it £200?—Yes, it must be that, because our expenses amount to that. How many children are educated there? Fifty. What are they taught? - Reading, writing, and arithmetic, and clothed. What is the master's salary? - The master and mistress, £60 a year between them. Are there any other salaries than the master's and mistress's? Nothing more than a trifling salary, for teaching psalmody, of four guineas a year. None. Have the master and the mistress any perquisite? How long have you been master? - About eight years. How many were there when you came? — Fifty. Have there never been fewer, at any one time of the year, since the time you have been there? -There may have been so for a month or six weeks; the committee meet the first Tuesday in every month, and if there is a vacancy they admit whatever child is next in rotation to come in. Since the year 1707. Had it never any more property, besides the money in the funds? The chapter of Saint Katherine's has made it a present, at several times, of the leases of three houses towards its support. Have they that leasehold property at present? They have. Sixty pounds a year, the three. Then the school has this £60 a year in addition to the interest of £1550 in the funds, and £100 a year subscriptions? — The increase of stock has doubled since I have been schoolmaster, owing to a lady who died and left us £500. In what stock is it? - Navy 5 per cents. Then instead of nearly £200, it appears the income of the school is above £250 a year? I was not aware of any question of the kind being asked, or I would have been prepared to answer it. Is there any other property whatever belonging to the establishment? None. How are the children clothed? - They are completely clothed at Midsummer, and extra shoes, stockings, and linen, at Christmas. Any other salary paid, besides the master and mistress's? - None. Do the premises belong to the institution? - During the lease; the schoolhouse is a gift of the chapter of Saint Katherine's, during their pleasure, for which no rent is paid; there is a ground-rent paid for the other property. Are there any occasional contributions and donations, besides the annual subscriptions? - I include those in the annual subscriptions. Any charity sermons? Yes, we have about one a year. Is that included in the former account of £100?—No, that is not, so that the produce of this is to be added to the former sum. What are the hours of teaching? - From nine to twelve, and from two to five; six hours a day. Have you any other occupation than schoolmaster? I am parish clerk. Any other occupation? As parish clerk, I do a little business in the undertaking line, which I employ other people to do. Any other? I do make a trifle as a musician; I am chorus singer to his Majesty's ancient concert of music in Hanover-square. Have you any other employment? - No. Do you teach any other scholars besides those in the school? — I am allowed to take a few, as they offer, such as sixpenny scholars per week; and very often I give several children their education, without charging them any thing. Do the fifty children upon the foundation pay any thing? - Nothing. Are they in general children of very poor people? - In general very poor. Are there many poor children in the neighbourhood in which you reside, destitute of instruction? - The generality of the children are poor people's children; the neighbourhood is a very poor neighbourhood. Have those children the means of instruction? - Not till they are placed in our establishment, or other establishments in the neighbourhood. Is there any indisposition among the lower orders to send their children to those schools? None; the parents are very anxious to get their children on the establishment. In all those schools do they clothe? tioned. They do not board them? - No. - In all the schools I have men 292. Cost of and Support of Charity-Schools (Allen, W. O. B., and McClure, Edm., History of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, pp. 140-42. London, 1898) In their history of two hundred years' work of the S.P.C.K., the two secretaries of the Society give the following statement as to the cost for clothing and education, in 1710, and the means whereby the schools were provided. They say: In 1704 the ordinary charge in London of a "School for 50 Boys Cloathed comes to about £75 p. Ann., for which a School-Room, Books, and Firing are provided, a Master paid, and to each Boy is given yearly, 3 Bands, 1 Cap, 1 Coat, I pair of Stockings and 1 pair of Shooes." A girls' school of the same size then cost £60 per annum, which paid for the room, books, firing, and mistress, and provided for each girl, "2 Coyfs, 2 Bands, 1 Gown and Petticoat, 1 Pair of knit Gloves, 1 pair of Stockings, and 2 pair of Shooes." In 1706 the cost of "cloathing a Poor Boy" was stated to be 9s. 9 1/2d. and of a girl 10s. 7d. This had increased in 1710, and the following detailed statement may be of interest: The Charge of Cloathing a Poor Boy of a Charity-School in London 1 Yard and half quarter of Grey Yorkshire Broad Cloth, 6 quarters wide, makes a Coat. Making the Coat, with Pewter Buttons and all other Materials.... 8888889 8 03 8 ΟΙ 06 08 ΟΙ ΙΟ ΟΙ ∞ 15 The Charge of Cloathing a Poor Girl of a Charity-School in London £ s. d. 00 04 08 3 Yards and half of blue long Ells, about Yard wide, at 16d. 3888 ΟΙ об об 08 08 ΟΙ This zeal for the education of the children of the poor was widely spread, and some of the earliest parochial and ward schools arose under the auspices of our Society. A yearly account of all the charity-schools was printed and published, as an appendix to the sermon preached on the anniversary service attended by the charity children. Even in small villages where it was impossible to collect sufficient money to start a charity-school, a plan was proposed and adopted for opening day schools. Some discreet and sober person was to be pitched upon in each parish, and to be paid by results. So soon as the child could name and distinguish all the letters in the alphabet, the teacher was to receive 2s. 6d. "A like payment was to be made when the child could spell well; and 5s. more when such child could read well and distinctly, and say the Church Catechism. By which means Poor Children may be taught to read for Ten shillings; and the additional Charge for Books will be very inconsiderable." The clergy were specially noted for their zeal in this good work. In some places they taught the children gratis. In others persons were made parish clerks, on condition they would teach a certain number of children gratis. At Warwick a charity box, set up in the church, with this inscription, "For the use and increase of the Charity-School," had so good an effect that several children were taught and clothed by what was put in it. In some places effigies or statues of charity children were placed at the church or school doors, with a poor's box near them, and suitable texts of Scripture, to excite the alms of people resorting thither. In another place (Ewhurst in Surrey), where the minister of the parish was at the whole expense of educating the children, he "had provided two palls, the one of which is let out for 2s. 6d. and the other for is. a time, for the more decent funerals of the dead; and the money so arising bears a good part of the charge of teaching the poor children there." In a few cases the parents contributed something. In the account for 1717, "At Winleton in the County of Durham, the workmen of an iron-work, who are about 400 or 500, allow one farthing and a half per shilling, per week, which together with their master's contribution, maintains their poor, and affords about £17 per annum for teaching their children to read, etc." 293. Raikes' Description of the Gloucester Sunday School (Gentleman's Magazine, June, 1784; Gloucester Journal, May 24, 1784) The following letter, written by Robert Raikes to Colonel Townley, of Sheffield, describes the origin and work of the Gloucester Sunday Schools, under the direction of Raikes. Gloucester, November 25th, 1783. SIR, My friend, the Mayor (Mr. Colborne) has just communicated to me the letter which you have honoured him with, enquiring into the nature of Sunday Schools. The beginning of this scheme was entirely owing to accident. Some business leading me one morning into the suburbs of the city, where the lowest of the people (who are principally employed in the pin manufactory) chiefly reside, I was struck with concern at seeing a group of children, wretchedly ragged, at play in the streets. I asked an inhabitant whether those children belonged to that part of town, and lamented their misery and idleness. "Ah! sir," said the woman to whom I was speaking, “could you take a view of this part of the town on a Sunday, you would be shocked indeed; for then the street is filled with multitudes of these wretches, who, released on that day from employment, spend their time in noise and riot, playing at 'chuck,' and cursing and swearing in a manner so horrid as to convey to any serious mind an idea of hell rather than any other place. We have a worthy clergyman (said she), curate of our parish, who has put some of them to school; but on the Sabbath day they are all given up to follow their own inclinations without restraint, as their parents, totally abandoned themselves, have no idea of instilling into the minds of their children principles to which they themselves are entire strangers." This conversation suggested to me that it would be at least a harmless attempt, if it were productive of no good, should some little plan be formed to check the deplorable profanation of the Sabbath. I then enquired of the woman, if there were any decent well-disposed women in the neighbourhood who kept schools for teaching to read. I presently was directed to four: to these I applied, and made an agreement with them to receive as many children as I should send upon the Sunday, whom they were to instruct in reading and in the Church Catechism. For this I engaged to pay them each a shilling for their day's employment. The women seemed pleased with the proposal. I then waited on the clergyman before mentioned, and imparted to him my plan; he was so much satisfied with the idea, that he engaged to lend his assistance, by going round to the schools on a Sunday afternoon, to examine the progress that was made, and to enforce order and decorum among such a set of little heathens. This, sir, was the commencement of the plan. It is now about |