PART V. CHAPTER I. Sunday schools were first established in Manchester in 1784, the project having been brought before the inhabitants at a meeting specially convened by the Boroughreeve and Constables, in August of that year. The Bishop of the Diocese favoured them, and their local success was promoted by the active services of the Lord of the Manor and the leading inhabitants. Subscriptions were set on foot, and in a short time schools were established in Manchester and the out-districts: Mr. Raikes himself sent a hundred books to aid the formation of one at Hollinwood. In September 1786, schools were opened in Salford, and so general was their adoption, that in the year ending April 1786-7 there were in Manchester 41 schools, containing 2,022 boys and 2,221 girls, shewing an increase of 1,407 in the year. At the close of the same year, Mr. Raikes intimates in a letter that the schools in England have already 250,000 scholars. A report for August, 1788, states, that there are 10,598 children taught in the Sunday schools of Salford Hundred. In October of that year there were 5,006 children in the Manchester schools, under the superintendence of 119 gentlemen. In each succeeding year there has been an increase in these excellent institutions, of which the present condition, relatively to neighbouring towns or to other distant parts of the county, is exceeding creditable to the inhabitants. The subjoined list of them was obtained from an actual survey made for the Statistical Society:— 500 No. 2, Clarendon-st., ditto.... ditto.. St. Matthew's, Liverpool-road.. All Saints', No 1, York-st., Chorlton-upon-Medlock.. St. Saviour's, Clifford-street, Newton Wesleyan, New Islington Elm-street 550 213 240 798 600 547 543 1042 720 830 Oxford-street, Chorlton-upon-Medlock 297 518 455 400 150 Chancery-lane, Ardwick Catholic, Sycamore-street. " " Grammar-street.. George Leigh-street.. Dyche-street Granby-row....... Lloyd-street.. Green-street, Hulme.. Newton.... Independent, Canal-street.. 871 172 231 420 350 1050 900 335 415 104 75 300 580 150 Mather-street 255 S Back Mosley-street... Rusholme-road, Chorlton-upon-Medlock... Methodist New Connexion, Salter-street Poland-street.. Gt. Mount-street Cheetwood.... Newton 290 983 401 690 410 179 100 480 138 496 320 329 534 90 Ormond-st., Chorlton-upon-Medlock Bible Christians, Every-street Queen-street, Hulme Scotch Church, Lower Mosley-street Scotch Secession, Lloyd-street.... New Jerusalem, Peter-street. Unitarian, Back Moseley-street ............. Independent Methodist, Edward-street... Arminian Methodist, Chapel-street....... ... Excepting one School belonging to the Bible Christians, containing 151 Scholars, who each pay 1d. per month, the Sunday Schools of Manchester are all free. Of the whole number, 36 were established prior to 1820. In all these Schools, save two, reading is taught; in ten writing is taught on the Sunday, and in forty-one on other evenings; arithmetic is taught in three, and in all religion is inculcated. Sixty-eight of these Schools have visitors, and in sixty-four there are periodical examinations. In fifty-three the children are questioned on what they read. Sixty-eight have lending libraries; twelve clothing societies; forty-six benefit societies; and two a savings' bank attached. For In connexion with the Collegiate Church, a fine edifice has been erected in Todd-street, Long Millgate, the first stone having been laid late in the year 1835. It is applied to the double use of a Sunday and Day school. For the former purpose it is calculated to accommodate about a thousand children. the latter it has connected with it the "Collegiate Church Charity school," which hitherto has been held in premises belonging to the charity, near the new school. A school-room, and a residence for the teacher in the new erection, will be paid for out of the funds of the charity, which clothes sixty girls and educates them in reading, religion, morals, and needle-work. Its funds consist of about £52 14s. 3d. in chief-rents, and £32 the rental of other premises in Fennel-street, and additional support is rendered to the school by the appropriation of one-half the offertory money, and the collections on the four festivals, at the Collegiate Church. The Warden and Fellows, with the Churchwardens, select the children.-Attached to St. John's Church there is a Day school, endowed by Mr. Byrom about 1770, and aided by other legacies as well as the offertory money. Twenty girls, from six to eight years old, are instructed in reading, their religious and moral duties, and in needle-work; and they are also clothed.-St. Mark's Sunday school-room, Cheetham, is also used for a Day-school, which was established in 1818, and is maintained by subscription thirty-six boys and twenty-eight girls (besides those received by the master on his own account-upwards of one hundred in number) are taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, their religious duties being also inculcated.— St. Mary's and St. Paul's have similar advantages, as will be seen by reference to the Reports of the Charitable Commissioners.-In connexion with St. George's, Hulme, is a National school, conducted upon the principles of Dr. Bell, and supported by subscription, with a small weekly payment from the children-of 2d. for reading, 4d. for reading and writing, or 5d. for reading, writing and arithmetic. The school contains one hundred boys and seventy girls. United with it are a lending library, and clothing and benefit Societies. Attached to the Scotch Church is a Day school, established in 1834, upon the plan of the Edinburgh Sessional school, and under the care of the Minister and Kirk Session. Its benefits are not confined to the members of any religious denomination. One hundred boys and thirty girls are taught reading for 4d. per week, writing and arithmetic for 2d. additional, and grammar and geography for another 2d. If these payments be insufficient to defray the expenses of the school, the congregation make up the deficiency. SALFORD. Trinity, King's Head Yard.... ,. 2, Canal-street................................... St. Philip's, Oldfield Road Christ Church, Crescent Church of England, 139 623 SUMMARY OF SUNDAY SCHOOLS IN THE BOROUGH OF SALFORD. To ascertain the average attendance in one of the Catholic Schools, and in that attached to St. Philip's Church, the children have been occasionally counted. No books being kept in the New Jerusalem Sunday School, an average attendance of two-thirds of the number on the books has been assumed.-All these Schools are free. * Many of the smaller schools do not keep accurate books; the average attendance therefore may not, in every case, be quite correctly given. |