SUN'DAY, See SABBATH; LORD'S DAY; PUBLIC-nOUSxs.
were founded about the close of the year 1781 by Robert Raikes, a printer in Gloucester. Business leading him into the suburbs of the town, inhabited by the lowest class of the people, he was struck with concern at seeing a group of children, miserably ragged, at play. He was informed that "on Sunday the street was filled with a multitude of wretches, who, having no employment on that day, spent their time in noise and riot, playing at chuck, and cursing and swearing." To check this deplorable profanation of the Lord's day he engaged four women, who kept dame schools, to instruct as many children as he should send them on the Sunday, in reading and the church catechism, for which they were to receive one shilling each. In a short period a visible improvement was effected both in the manners and morals of the children, who came in considerable numbers; they attended church with their mistresses, and a great many learned to read and say their catechism. Such was the origin of the Sunday schools. This excellent scheme was noticed in the Gloucester newspaper in 1783; but a letter of Mr. Raikes, from which the above account is taken, published in the Gentle man's Magazine iu 1784, first drew general attention to it. Numerous schools, formed on the same model, sprang up in all the principal towns; and a society, under high pat ronage, was formed in London in 1785 for the establishment and support of Sunday schools throughout the kingdom, which in 14 years expended £4,000 in payment of teachers. Her majesty, queen Charlotte, admitted Mr. Raikes to an audience, and -expressed her high approbation of his plan. This was the first stage of the Sunday school. The great impediment to its prosperity was the expense of hirinp. so many teachers. Even in Gloucester, the birthplace of the Sunday-schools, after Mr. Raikes's death in 1811, all the Sunday-schools were closed for a time owing to want of funds. Whoever first conceived the idea of gratuitous instruction has nearly as great merit as Mr. Raikes himself; but probably it was suggested by necessity to many minds in dif ferent places at the same time. It was the means of starting Sunday-schools on a uew career of success, and the idea spread so rapidly that, by the year 1800, the teaching was almost universally gratuitous. A higher class of teachers offered their services; the schools ceased to be filled by the very poorest alone; handsome buildings were erected in connection with the different churches and chapels, or by general subscription, and that system was organized which has covered the laud with schools. The secular teach ing, which in certain instances included writing and arithmetic, was not of a very high order; but it placed the key of knowledge in the hands of multitudes who would other wise have been unable to read; and the religious instruction with which it was combined has molded the character of some of the best men in England. In 1803 the Sunday
school union was formed, which, by its numerous publications, its traveling agents, and its connection with branch societies in every part of the kingdom, has exercised great influence on the Sunday-school cause. The institute of the church of England, which operates in a similar manner, is of later date. Within the last 20 years the Sunday school has entered upon a third stage of its history. The improvement and multiplica tion of week-day schools obviate the necessity for teaching reading in Sunday-schools, .so that they have gradually become restricted to religious instruction. This for a time :threatened to affect their popularity, but as the teachers were earnest men they culti the art of teaching with considerable success. Sunday-schools have prospered in Scotland. where religious teaching alone ever prevailed, and the stability of this modern invention is accomplished.
The Sunday-school found its way into Scotland as early as the year 1782; but it was not till 1786, when the society for promoting religious knowledge among the poor was formed, that it was publicly recognized; nor till 1797, when the gratis Sunday-school society was originated, that schools became general. At first they met with considerable opposition from portions of the ecclesiastical courts, but they are now supported by all the churches. Sunday-school unions exist in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and most of the large towns. The names of Dr. Chalmers, James Gall, the author of the Lesson System, and David Stowe, the author of the Training System, deserve mention in connection with the progress of Sunday-schools in Scotland. In Ireland Sunday-schools had been par tially anticipated in county Down in 1770; but it was not till 1785 that the system pur sued by Mr. Raikes was adopted, since which its history has been analogous to that of England. The Sunday-school society for Ireland was established in 1809. Sunday schools were introduced into New York in 1816, through the exertions of some benevo lent ladies, from which they have spread themselves through the United States. They are now to be found wherever the English tongue is spoken. They thrive vigorously in the Protestant churches of France: and more recently have been planted in parts of Germany and Italy. The Roman Catholics, in this country at least, have numerous Sunday-schools. It is stated on good authority that there are in the United Kingdom about 300,000 teachers and 3,000,000 scholars; and in the United States there are 750,000 teachers and nearly 6,000,000 scholars. Of the teachers and scholars elsewhere it is not easy to form any estimate.