William Cotton on the work of the National Society in popular
education, 1834
(Reports of the Select Committee on Education, Parliamentary Papers, 1834, IX, pp.
1876-1878; in G. M. Young and W. D. Hancock, eds., English Historical Documents,
XII(1), 1833-1874 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1956), pp. 845-47).
What progress has the society made during the 23 years it has existed, and
what is the extent of its connection at present? -I have been endeavouring to refresh
my memory with what has been done by the society, and I have made extracts from
the Reports. In 1813 there were 230 schools in union, containing 40,484 children:
such were the effects of the first operations of the society. There have been returns
made since from the different schools in union, and also from those acting upon the
same principle. For I should observe there are many schools acting precisely upon
the same principle as the National Society, which are not in union with it, and from
which schools a return has been obtained of the number of children under
education. From the return, which comes down to 1831, it appears there were
10,965 schools in union and acting upon the same principle, having in them under
education 740,000 children; but as no returns were received from many places, it
was considered requisite to add to the above number an estimate of the number
educated in those places, by which the number of children educated under the
Church of England was brought up to 900,000. We now consider that the total
number of children under education amounts to 1,000,000, and that more than
500,000 of them are educating in schools in union with the National Society, 3,500
places having now schools in union with the National Society.
Will you have the goodness to put in these Returns? –
PROGRESS OF NATIONAL SCHOOLS
In 813 (two years after the formation of society) there were 230 schools in
union, containing 40,484 children. In 1817 (when the society was incorporated) the
statement made was, schools 725, scholars 117,000; and in 1820 (the period at which
the last account was published, previous to that from which this corrected estimate
was formed) there were 1,614 schools, rather more (than) 200,000 scholars. These
totals are now, in 1830, carried up to 2,609 places, containing about 3,670 schools,
with about 346,000 scholars.
Progress of the Religions Education of the Poor in England and Wales,
ascertained from the results of the three Inquiries in 1819, 1826 and 1831.
(Extracted from the Annual Report of the National Society for 1832)
FIRST RESULT IN 1819
Obtained by means of Circulars addressed to the Clergy of the Established Church,
by Order of Parliament.
N.B. –The Population of England and Wales in the preceding Census of 1811, was
10,150,615
England
Schools endowed
Unendowed
wholly or partially
schools
School Scholar School Scholar
s
s
s
s
On
the
new
system
of
Mutua
l
inst.
302
Ordin.
school
on old
system 3,865
4,167
------Endo
wScho
ol
Wales
Schools endowed
Unendowed
wholly or partially
schools
School Scholar School Scholar
s
s
s
s
39,590
820
105,582
10
990
41
4,480
125,483
165,433
-------Schools
&c in
Englan
d
Grand
Total
10,360
11,180
4,167
15,347
319,643
425,225
165,433
590,658
199
209
--------
6,635
7,625
----------
458
499
209
708
15,347
16,055
16,873
21,353
7,625
28,978
590,658
619,636
THIRD RESULT IN JANUARY 1832
Obtained by means of Circulars as on the National Society’s previous Inquiry in
1826.
N.B. –The Population of England and Wales in the Preceding Census of 1831 was
13,894,574.
N.B. –This is the state of education in January 1831; the circulars by which the
result was obtained were all dated for the 1st January 1831, and were issued in
December 1830 and January 1831. The Returns in the Report give the number of
schools and scholars, &c.
Can you state the present number? –The Report now in the press states the
number of places in which there are schools in union with the society at upwards of
3,500, such schools educating above 500,000 children; and including schools acting
upon the same principle, though not immediately in connextion, 1,000,000 of
children are educating them.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS
On the new System of Mutual Instruction
Ordinary schools on the old system
Total Sunday Schools 5,463; Scholars
477,225
ENGLAND
Schools Scholar
s
404
50,979
4,758
401,838
WALES
Schools Scholar
s
8
713
293
23,695
5,162
301
452,817
24,408
SECOND RESULT IN 1826
Obtained by means of Circulars addressed by the National Society to the Clergy of
the Established Church, under favour of a free cover granted by His Majesty’s
Government.
N.B. –The Population of England and Wales in the preceding Census of 1821 was
11,978,875.
DIOCESE
Schools
Bangor
Bristol
Bath and Wells
Canterbury
46
213
292
227
Scholar
s
2,248
13,921
16,925
12,992
DIOCESE
Schools
Lincoln
Lichfield &
Coventry
Llandaff
852
574
59
706
Scholar
s
46,997
37,098
2,793
32,125
Carlisle
Chichester
Chester
Durham
Ely
Exeter
Gloucester
Hereford
London
79
141
466
167
80
411
274
155
536
4,056
8,114
57,619
10,133
7,123
23,557
14,312
8,699
34,780
Total
3,087
214,479
Norwich
Oxford
Peterboro’
Rochester
Salisbury
St. David’s
St. Asaph
Winchester
Worcester
York
Total
Returns in which the Schools, &c. are accurately given 410
Schools entered, the Children of which were omitted
Calculation upon the returns not received.
Total
161
249
80
329
136
61
333
170
679
7,689
13,624
5,610
18,437
8,431
3,700
21,464
11,308
51,201
4,388
3,087
7,745
260,449
214,479
474,928
20,500
55,000
550,428
924
Report of the Select Committee on the Education of the Poorer
Classes,1837-1838.
(Select Committee on the Education of the Poorer Classes, 1837; Parliamentary,
Papers, 1837-1838, VII, pp. vii-ix; in G. M. Young and W. D. Hancock, eds., English
Historical Documents, XII(1), 1833-1874 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1956),
pp. 848-49.
[Education in large towns]
Your committee now turn to the state of Education in the large manufacturing and
seaport towns, where the population has rapidly increased within the present
century; they refer for particulars to the Evidence taken before them, which
appears to bear out the following results:
1st That the kind of education given to the children of the working classes is
lamentably deficient.
2nd That it extends (bad as it is) to but a small proportion of those who ought
to receive it.
3rd That without some strenuous and persevering efforts be made on the part
of Governments, the greatest evils to all classes may follow from this neglect.
Place
1836 Liverpool
1834 Manchester
1835 Salford
Bury
1835 Ashton
Duckenfield
Staley Bridge
1837 Birmingham
Bristol
1838 Brighton(B&F)
(National)
1837 West Bromwich
1838 Leeds (B. & F.)
1838 Shefffield
Northhampton(B&F)
(National)
Reading (B. &
F)
Exeter
Populatio
n
230,000
200,000
50,810
20,000
47,800
180,000
112,438
40,634
in 1831
123,393
in 1831
96,692
in 1831
20,000
15,595
in 1831
28,242
in 1831
25,359
in 1831
Children of working classes at
Daily schools, viz.
Day and Dame
Other
schools
better schools
Very indifferent
11,336
14,024
11,520
5,680
3,340
2,015
1,648
803
TOTAL
25,000
17,100
5,350
2,451
8,180
…...not
including
scholars in
private
school…..
1,367
863
.of 6,375
children under
14 year old
Dame or Day,
but only Public
Schol
4,697
5 to 15
2,496
12,877
4,135
Total
3,053
3,247
5,254
4,400
4,110
5,905
1,215
1,202
9,314
2,226
2,198
3,359
1,011
996
962
1,830
including
evening
2697
1,259
3,875
297
2,045
1836 York
1,494
1,554
2,971
4,191
Note. -The general result of all these towns is, that about one in 12 receives
some sort of daily instruction, but only about one in 24 an education likely to be
useful. In Leeds, only one in 41; in Birmingham, one in 38; in Manchester, one in 35.
Your Committee do not propose in this place to enter into more detail on this
subject, but refer to the Evidence taken before them; they would especially beg to
refer to the Evidence of Dr. Kay, Mr. Riddall Wood, Mr. Corrie, and Mr. Buxton.
These gentlemen describe in strong terms the misery and crime likely to arise from
the neglected education of the children of the working classes in populous places.
Your Committee are fully persuaded that to this cause (embracing the want
of religious and moral training) is to be chiefly attributed the great increase of
criminals and consequently of cost to the country.
With regard to the numbers of children attending Sunday Schools, Your
Committee do not think it necessary to enter into any long details, but refer to the
Evidence on this point; they consider the instruction there given as of great
advantage, by implanting feelings of religion and giving habits of order; but as
imperfect without daily instruction also. They subjoin a short abstract of the
numbers of children attending Sunday Schools in some of the larger towns.
CHILDREN IN SUNDAY SCHOOLS
Established
Place
Church
Manchester
10,284
Salford
2,741
Liverpool
6,318
Birmingham
4,500
Bristol
2,631
Brighton
870
Sheffield, B&F
2,687
Leeds, B & F
4,130
Wakefield, National
500
Northhampton
1,091 N Ret
788 B. & F.
Exeter (National)
2,470
(B & F)
2,115
Reading
1,000
Westminster, 5
683
parishes
1,708
York
Dissenters
Catholics
19,932
6,250
8,350
11,830
8,477
1,820
8,705
11,886
1,384
1,288
3,812
613
700
338
1,193
1,208
509
872
1,655