ELLIS, WILLIAM, claims a place in this work, not merely as a writer on Social Science, but as having been the means of intro ducing it into schools as an important branch of elementary educa tion. He was born in the vicinity of London in 1800. The eon of a gentleman engaged in commercial pursuits, be was early placed in a mercantile office, and soon acquired such a position among commercial men, that, at the age of twenty-six, he was appointed manager of a marine insurance office—a post he has ever since held, the office under his management having become one of the most successful establish ments of its kind in the metropolis. But commercial pursuits did not at any time entirely engross his thoughts. His attention was in early life drawn to the subject of political economy by the circumstance of his copying for Mr. Tooke (who was a friend of his father) the manu script of his work on Prices; and it was for Mr. Ellis a fortunate cir cumstance that, while involved in the difficulties which that mass of facts was sure to present to a young inquirer, be found no less able a guide than the late James Mill, under whose advice he prosecuted the study with great ardour and with corresponding success. And here perhaps it may be worth while to call attention to one fact in Mr. Ellis'a history, which, besides exercising probably a very powerful influence in the moulding of his opinions, both on literary and politioal subjects, has certainly Impressed a marked character upon his educa tional efforts. His study of economic science in early life, like his -teaching of it in hie riper years, was not a thing of books merely. Not undervaluing books, yet not content to rest his belief on authority as such, he Investigated for himself, and so conducts hie lessons that the boys do really investigate for themselves. The conclusions of the writers on political economy were in his hands propositions for inves tigation. He tried them against the phenomena of industrial life, as his daily commercial experience gave him opportunity ; and the know ledge so gained has rendered him one of the discoverers in the science, as well as perhaps one of its most zealous and able advocates. And when we call to mind the great social changes of the present century, it will not be difficult to understand how large the field, and how im portant the subjects on which Mr. Ellis's observation has been exer cised. In Ilia boyhood Mr. Tooke put him in possession of all that was then understood of Bank restriction acts and a depreciated currency. Since then he has seen our currency, as at present established, assailed in every panic from that of 1825 to that of 1848; and during the same period there have passed under his scrutiny all the great strikes by which workmen have been deluded into the hone of alleviat ing the sufferings incident to insufficient wages. These evils in duced Mr. Ellis to make some attempt at removing them ; and further impelled, it may be, by the kindly feelings towards children which form a prominent feature in his character, he determined, if possible, to introduce into schools such instruction as should send boys into the world furnished with intelligent thoughts upon all the great questions relating to industrial life. With this view he began in
1846 a series of lessons to the elder boys of a British school to which fur some years previously ha had been accustomed to render assist ance ; and about the same time he also gathered round him a group of schoolmasters with whom he went over the course of inquiry which will be found in his Progressive Lessons;' and these Lessons' will also furnish a good illustration of the mode of teaching adopted. The boys had no tasks to learn by rote, but the whole of the subjects brought before them, with the exception of things merely technical and arbitrary, were, so to speak, developed by the boys themselves, they being guided in their inquiries of course by the questions of the teacher. Thus these lessons came to be something more than the mere teaching of dry academical political economy. They assumed in fact the character of moral lessons. For, thus taught, not only do children learn as a matter of fact about what is going on as the every day work of industrial life, but they are continually invited to inves tigate what ought to be the rule of conduct of those who are engaged both in production and distribution. Not only, for example, would children learn the fact that the merchant does buy iu the cheapest and sell in the dearest market, but the questions would come, Ought he to buy in the cheapest market ?" Ought he to sell in the dearest market I' Why ? or why not ?' And such questioning, as may easily be perceived, when managed by a competent teacher, tends to a high order of mental and moral training.
Having thna "satisfied himself that social science may be made attractive to intelligent boys . . . and feeling certain that the habits of reflectiou and self examination, which its study calls forth, cannot fail to impart a useful bias to their character and conduct in after life," Mr. Ellis proceeded to establish schools in which instruction in social science should be a leading feature. The Birkbeck schools are all his, and, with the exception of the one in the London Mechanics Institute, they have been established, and one of the largest of them erected, wholly at his expense. Besides these, there are many solsoola about the country that have becu influenced by his books or his teaching; and his views have found, or are finding, acceptance with all the leading educationalists of the day.
As supplementary to his Lessons,' and to assist teachers in giving similar lessons, Mr. Ellis prepared a series of elementary works on social science. Of these the principal are—the ' Outliues of Social Economy ;" Introduction to the Study of the Social Sciences; `Outlines of the History and Formation of the Understanding f Questions and Answers, suggested by a Consideration of some of the Arrangements of Social Life; and 'Progressive Lessons in Social Science.' The most recent of these introductory works, the ' Pheno mena of Industrial Life,' edited by the Dean of Hereford, might be taken as an epitome of what Mr. Ellis has taught and is teaching as social science. He has also written 'Education as a Means of preventing Destitntion,' and some other pamphlets, besides contributing some articles to the Weatminster Review.'