BELL, ANDREW, D.D., author of the Madras System of Education, was born at St. Andrews in 1753, and educated at the university of that place. Subsequently he took orders in the church of England; and after residing for some time in British America was appointed one of the chaplains at fort St. George, Madras. While here he was intrusted by the directors of the East India company with the management of an insti tution for the education of the orphan children of the European military. The arduous character of his new duties compelled him'to reflect seriously on the best means of ful filling them. As he found it impossible to obtain the services of properly qualified ushers, lie at length resorted to the expedient of conducting the school by the aid of the scholars themselves. Hence originated the far-famed "MONITORIAL SYSTEM" (q.v.). After superintending the institution for seven years, the state of his health forced him to return to Europe. On his departure he received a most flattering testimonial from the directors of the school. In 1797, after his arrival in England, B. published a pamphlet entitled An Experiment in Education, made at the Male Asylum of Madras; suggesting a System by which a School or Family may teach itself under the Superintendence of the Master or Parent. This pamphlet attracted little attention until Joseph Lancaster, a dissenter, commenced to work upon the system, and succeeded in obtaining for it a large measure of public recognition. In 1803, Lancaster also published a tractute on education, recom
mending the monitorial system, as it was now and admitting to be the original inventor of it, an admission which he afterwards discreditably retracted. Lancasterian schools now began to spread over the country. The church grew alarmed at the suc cessful results of the efforts made by dissenters to educate the poor, and resolved to be philanthropical ere it was too late. B. was put up against Lancaster. Money was col lected and an immense amount of emulation was excited in the bosoms of churchmen. Fortunately, however, this rivalry produced only beneficial effects, and the motives which induced it may therefore be forgotten. Later in life B. was made a prebendary of Westminster, and master of Sherborn hospital, Durham. He was also a member of various learned societies. He died at Cheltenham, Jan. 28, 1832. He left (besides a val uable estate) £120,000 of three per cent stocks for the purpose of founding various educational institutions in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leith, Aberdeen, Inverness, Cupar, and St. Andrews.