Jgip2gk GIVEX BY Digitized by the Internet Archive ' in 2012 http://archive.org/details/accountofprogresOOadam X \ A AN ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESS OF JOSEPH LANCASTER'S PLAN FOR THE EDUCATION OF POOR CHILDREN, AND THE TRAINING OF MASTERS FOR COUNTRY SCHOOLS. ' Xn the year 1798, Joseph Lancaster opened a school in St. George's Fields, for the education of the children of tBe poor, at a very reduced charge. In the prosecution of (his Avork he was obliged to devise plans of economy, in order to diminish the ex- pense of books, paper, &c. and also a particular kind of discipline, that he might be able to manage a large number of children with- out the necessity of employing ushers or assistants with salaries. The present state of perfection exhibited by his schools is the re- sult of numerous experiments and many years indefatigable atten- tion, which he has been enabled to devote to this important sub- ject, by the encouragement of enlightened and benevolent indivi- duals. The school was shortly converted into a Free School, and in the year 1805 it was made sufficiently capacious to contain 1000 children. The distinguishing features of his plan, which are minutely explained in the publication entitled, ' Improvements in educa- tion, (a new edition of which will speedily go to press) are, 2 1. That by his system ef order and rewards, together with the division of the school into classes, and the assistance of moni- tors, ONE MASTER IS ABLE TO CONDUCT A SCHOOL OF ONE THOU- SAND CHILDREN. 2. That by printing a spelling book, or any other lessons for reading, in a large typey^npon one side of the paper, and pasting the sheets thus printed, on a pasteboard, they may, when suspend- ed to a nail, against the wall, be read by any number of children ; — a method whereby one book will serve for a whole school, instead of a book for each child. 3. That by the introduction of writing upon slates, and one boy spelling to 4ns whole class any certain word, the boys in the class will instantly write it, going on in this manner for an hour or more, so that boys may write and spell one hundred words in the course of a morning : — A method whereby five hundred boys MAY SPELL AND WRITE THE SAME WORD AT THE SAME INSTANT OF TIME. 4. An entire new method of instruction in arithmetic, wholly superseding the forme* method of setting sums in cyphering books, or using books, as Walkinghame's or Dilworth's Assistant for the four first rules : — a plan whereby any child who can read, MAY TEACH ARITHMETIC WITH THE UTMOST CERTAINTY. j. The expense of education is reduced to a very trifling sum. Schools for three hundred children may be supported at the rate of seven shillings per annum for each child; and for a greater number of children, it may be reduced to four shillings per annum for each child. And lastly, while Joseph Lancaster is anxious to lay the foundation of religious and moral principles in the youthful mind, fie studiously avoids introducing controverted theological points, ^ind in short, every thing zchich in peculiar to any sect or party; 3 The Hor,Y Scriptures is the only religious bgok taught in the school — for here, as Sir W. Jones expresses it, we have "purer morality than can be colrected from any other book in any lan- guage :" or as Locke has well observed, a volume which has " God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth Avithout any mixture of error for its subject." By proceeding upon this broad and general basis, there is nothing repulsive to the feelings of any particular sect, but the doors of his schools are thrown open to receive the whole com- munity. The good which must arise from the extension of these ele- mentary schools, cannot be calculated : their influence upon the morals and Oondnct of the lower orders of society has already been experienced ; and we may entertain more than a hope, that they will not fail to diminish the number of crimes, cherish and promote virtuous dispositions among the great mass of the people, and thus most materially contribute to the happiness and security of the State. In some places where J. Lancaster has established schools, by the committees dividing the children into different bodies, and conducting them to the several places for worship, hundreds of children are taken in an orderly manner to attend divine service, who formerly profaned the Lord's day by idle and riotous conduct in the streets. i In the Borough school alone 5000 children have been edu- cated, whose parents were of the poorest description, and hitherto no instance has occurred of any on,e of these being charged with a criminal offence in any court of justice. In this school the pro- gress of the children in learning is rapid; it is no uncommon thing for one or two hundred boys to obtain tickets of commendation daily, and more than one hundred to have rewards for merit in the course of a single week. The improvement in morals, and the habits of order among the children who are educated on this sys- tem in town or country is of the most gratifying nature. In an early stage of his labours J. Laucaster obtained the patronage and liberal support of the Duke of Bedford and Lord Somerville, whose example was soon followed by many of the Nobility, Clergy, and other characters distinguished for virtue and benevolence. In 1805 he was honoured by the countenance of the King and Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Princesses, and the Royal Dukes ; who then became, and have continued ever since, annual subscribers- to a large amount. In the course of the last year, the attention of the Sovereign and Royal Family to the welfare and progress of the Plan, has been most particularly gracious and encouraging. Twice within the year 1809, the King sent his own Page with his subscription of 100/. The Insti- tution has since been visited by the Duke of Kent, who staid two hours, and by his many attentions to the children, made them com- pletely happy. The account given by the Duke of Kent to his Royal Parents and august Family has been very gratifying. The Duke has publicly declared, that the system of education resem- bles, in its practice, the most perfect piece of machinery. The august and benevolent Personages who promoted this institution for the instruction of the poor, looking forward to the more general diffusion of these benefits, were desirous that a plan should be established for training young men and lads as school- masters, that by a practical knowledge of the improved modes of tuition, they might be qualified to superintend schools to be formed in various parts of the kingdom upon the same plan. The institution in the Borough Road, therefore, consists of Free Schools for boys and girls, and an Establishment for board- ing, clotliing, and training up young men and women for school masters and school mistresses, so as to qualify them to undertake the charge of new schools. But it is obvious, that, in the attain- ment of objects like these, a considerable and heavy expense must be incurred ; the annual expense of the Institution, in all its parts, amounts at least to 1400/. It is however very important that the public should rightly distinguish between the expense attending the Free School, and the Establishment for training school masters. In the former case, the expense for ground rent, rewards, and instruction, does not exceed 160/. per annum, which is about 3s. Gd. por annum for the education of each child. — But the support of the Institution for training young school masters and school mistresses, as it involves the board, clothing, and lodging of a considerable family, cannot be supported but at a very considerable charge. The due application of all subscriptions in aid of his plans and the management of his financial concerns, Joseph Lancaster has entrusted to his friends, JOHN JACKSON, Esq. M. P. New Broad Street, WILLIAM ALLEN, Plough Court, Lombard Street, WILLIAM CORSTON, No. 30, Ludgate Street, JOSEPH FOSTER, Bromley, Middlesex, JOSEPH FOX, 54, Lombard Street, or 27, Argyle St. THOMAS STURGE, Newington Butts. The Committee earnestly solicit the support of the benevo- lent to enable them to meet the unavoidable expenses attending so large an establishment; arid when it is considered that this Insti- tution must be regarded as the root of a tree, whose branches, it is hoped, will extend themselves over the British empire, they trust to a generous public for that annual aid which is necessary to render their labours efficient. Subscriptions are received at J. Lancaster's Royal Free School, Borough Road; by the Members of the Committee, and by the following Bankers. KENSINGTONS, STYAN, and ADAMS, 20, Lombard St. HOARES and Co. 37, Fleet Street, RANSOM, MORLAND, and Co. Pail-Mall. __ 6 Schools have been formed by J. Lancaster in the following places : Swansea, Canterbury, Lynn, Liverpool, Hull, Clewer, near Windsor, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Etruria, Oswestry, Rochester, Dover, Lewes, Cambridge, Deptford, Woburn. Uxbridge, Manchester, Lakefield, Chester, Whittington. Committees are formed in Portsmouth, Maidstone, Plymouth, Exeter, Southampton, Worcester, Newcastle upon T)'ne, Edinburgh, Dublin, Leeds, Leicester, Derby, York, and in a great number of other places. And it is with great thankfullncss J. Lanc^ter can state, that, in the schools formed by himself and his young assistants, full 30,000 poor children are receiving daily instruction in various parts of the British empire; and he hopes, that the philanthropic aid of a British Public will enable him to continue his labours, until every popu- lous district is provided with the means of education for their poor children. V. B. One part of Joseph Lancaster's Establishment consists of a Printing Office, in which every kind of business in the printing department is carried on : a?id, as the profits of this con- cernform a considerable aid to his Institution, ha solicits the order* of his friends and the public in general. fcf* Lancaster's Royal Free School is situated neai Belvidere Place, Borough Road, not far from the Obelisk ; and the Public are respectfully informed, that the School is open for inspection erery Afternoon (except Saturday) at three o'Clock. This Day are Published, By JOSEPH LANCASTER, THE FOLLOWING BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS, Organized according to the Plan of the Author. J. Lancaster's New Invented Spoiling Book, 4s. • Dictating Do. 2s. . New Invented System of Arithmetic, 10s. — : Dictating Do. 4s. Freame's Scripture Instruction, 8*. Watts's Hymns for Schools, 4s. Instructions for the forming and conducting of a Society for the Education of the Children of the Labouring Classes of the People, according to the general Principles of the Lancaster rian or British Plan. The Linguist; or Literary Amusement, consisting of above 2000 small Cards, by means of which a Family of Children may, in a short time, become acquainted with the Principal Words in the French Language, 12*. " To my Bible," a Poem: By Charlotte Richardson, 6d. A Comparative View of the Plans of Education, as detailed in the Publications of Dr. BELL and Mr. LANCASTER; with Re- marks on Dr. BELL's "Madras School,"- &c. &c. By Joseph Fox, Is. 6d. Fruits of Christian Love, or a Letter to the Society of Friends, called Quakers, Is. Address to the Friends and Teachers of Sunday Schools, Is. 6d. Hints and Directions for Building, Fitting up, and Arranging School-rooms on the British System of Education, illustrated with Plates, 1*. 6d. And speedily will be published, a Report of the System of Female Education, practised in the Borough Road, as to Learn- ing, Work, &c. An Account of a Remarkable Establishment at Paris ; to which is prefixed, Queries addressed to Dr. Bell, Is. In the press, Lancaster on Education, and an Abridgment of the same. %* Slates, Tickets for Monitors, Rules for conducting Schools, $c. <5fc. may be had at the Free School. Printed at Lancaster's Royal Free School Press, Borough Road, Southwark, and sold by W. Corston, 30, Ludgate Street, and by Darton and Harvey, Graceehurch Street. LIST OF Annual ^ufcscufcers IN AID OF J. LANCASTER'S ECONOMICAL PLANS FOR THE GENERAL EDUCATION OF THE CHILDREN OF THE POOR. ' L. THE KING 10O • THE QUEEM 50 THE PRIM CE OF WALES 50 THE PRINCESS OF WALES 10 THE DUKE OF YORK 10 THE DUCHESS OF YORK 10 THE DUKE OP KENT 10 THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND 10 THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE 10 .THE PRINCESS AUGUSTA SOPHIA .... 10 THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH 1Q THE PRINCESS MARY 10 THE PRINCESS SOPHIA 10 THE PRINCESS AMELIA 10 THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER 10 L. s. d. J. W. Adam, Grove, Mile End 5 5 Dr. Adams, New Bridge-street , . . . , , 1 1 William Alexander, Kennington 1 1 William Allen, Plough-court, L'ombard-street 5 5 Charlotte Allen, Ditto , 3 3 Joseph Allen, Kingsland Crescent 3 3 L. s. i. Margaret Allen, Kingsland Crescent , 1 1 S. Apthorp, Richmond . . . . 1 1 Benjamin Angell, Islesworth 1 1 John and Arthur Arch, Cornhill - 3 3 Henry Archer, Dover-street 1 1 Lord Arundel, Somerset-street I 1 Joseph Asher, Hay don-square 1 ' Miss Bailey, Upper Homerton • 1 1 T. W. Barker, Graccchurch-street . . - 1 1 John Barry, Plough-court, Lombard-street 2 2 John Bate, Russel-square 1 1 James Bell, Bishopsgate-street 1 1 John Bell, Oxford-street • 2 2 Lord Berwick, Grosvenor-square 21 R. and T. Bevington, Gracechurch-stree t 2 2 i: ohert Bingley, Tower 1 1 Alexander Black, Leadenhall-street 1 1 James Blackett, Borough 1 1 Matthew Blowfield, Beaufort-buildings, Strand 1 1 Samuel Ely th, Goldsmith-street ... 1 1 Thomas Bodley, Lombard-street • ■ • • 1 1 Thompson Bonar, New Broad-street 2 2 Dr. Rostock, Liverpool , . . . 1 Joseph Bowman, Bread-street ... - : 1 1 Gervas Bradbury, Suffolk-lane, Cannon-street 5 5 Joseph Bradney, Lawrance-lane . 1 1 Bi andram, Templeman and Jaques, Size-lane 5 5 Anthony Brough, Clapham 1 1 Nicholas Brown, Somerset- house 2 2 0, Thomas Brown, Grove, Mile End 5 5 ,0 Bull and Banks Borough 1 1 Rev. H. F- Burder, 53, Hatton Garden 1 1 William Butler, Oxford-court, Cannon-street 1 1 John Butler, Ditto 1 1 Joseph Butterworlh, Fleet-street : 1 1 Joel Cadbury, Gracechurch-strect 1 1 Jasper Capper, Ditto 5 5 Katfl of Carysfort, Portman-square 10 10 Mibs Carrie, 68, Gloucester-place 1 I ffieorgfl Chandler i 1 3 L. t. d. George Chandler, 66, Gloucester-place , 1 | y Kichard Chester, Stoke Newington 3 3 Thomas Chevalier, 20, South Audley-street 1 1 Miller Christy, Stockwell 1 1 T. W. and J. Christy, Gracechurch-street 3 3 John Clark, Edmonton 1 1 Honorable Robert Clifford, Wimpole-street 110 Thomas Cock, Cornhill - 1 1 James Constable, Shad Thames 1 1 Michael Constable Ditto -. 2 2 Clayton, Lincoln's Inn - = 1 1 John Coleby, Bishopsgate-street ,. 1 1 T. Compture, Gloucester-place 1 1 Harvey Coomb, jun. Russel-street 1 1 A tin Cooper, Broad-street 1 1 W. Cooper, Gloucester-place _ 1 1 John Cooper, Queen-street, Cheapside 1 1 Wm. Corston, Ludgate-street 2 2 Sir Stephen Cotterel, "Wimpole-street 2 William Curling, Fish-street Hill 1 1 Leonard Currie, Bromley 5 5 Parsons Custance, Friday-street 1 1 Darton and Harvey, Gracechurch-street ., 3 3 G. M. Davidson, Fish-street Hill . . 1 I James Davidson, jun. Ditto , . . . . 1 1 G. Davis, Surry-road 1 1 James Davies, Gracechurch-street 1 1 Thomas Davy, Gould-square 2 2 Roger Dawson, 47, Borough 1 1 W. J. Dennison, St. Mary-axe 10 10 Joseph Dorrien, New Broad-street _ 2 2 Doyle . . 1 1 Major Doyle _ 1 1 Sir Francis Drake, Nottingham-street 1 1 Sir Henry Englefield, Tilney-street, May Fair 10 10 Walter Evans, Derby I 1 John Fell, Bankside 2 2 Thomas Furguson, George-yard, Lombard-street 1 1 © L, s John Field, Lambeth Marsh .1 G. Fisher, jun. Bristol 1 Sir Charles Flower, Bart 2 Joseph Foster, Bromley 5 Sarah Foster, Ditto 3 Rachel Foster, Ditto 2 Edward Foster, jun. St. Helen's-place _ 1 Henry Foster, 85, Basinghall-street _ 1 Thomas Foster, Bromley • 5 Samuel Fossick, Gracechurch-street . - 1 George and Catherine Croker Fox, Falmouth 10 George Fox, Falmouth 2 Richard Fox, Ditto ■ 1 Robert Wefe Fox, Ditto 5 Joseph and Ann Fox, Argyll-street 10 A Friend 5 Thomas Frost, Goldsmith-street 2 Fry and Steele, Finsbury 5 it. 1 1 1 1 5 1 2 1 5 10 2 5 • William Gale, Bedford-street, Bedford-row 1 Samuel Galton, Birmingham J. Gazelee, Borough Mary Gibbs, Walworth Sir Philip Gibbes, New Burlington-street Lady Gibbes, Ditto T. Gibson, Newcastle under Lyne J. A. Gillham, Surry-road J. Graves, Borough \ . . . - Thomas Gravett, Newington J. Guiliemard, Gower- street F. Haldimand, St. Mary Axe C. Hall, Layton-yard, Borough Elthan Hammond, Milk-street Anna Hanbury, Stoke Newington ■. John Hanbury, jun. Bartlett's-buildings . George Harford, Old-street Road Samuel Harris, Ratcliff Joseph Harris, 20, St. Paul's Church-yard Samuel Harris, Clapham-Rise George Harrison, Wandsworth — — - .— Hayes, per W. Smith, M. P 1 3 C I 1 L. s. .... 10 Alexander Mackenzie, Lloyd's Coffee House 10 F. Martin, Lewes 1 1 Anonymous, 1 John Elliot, Bartholemew-close . 5 J. Buller 5 Dr. Stoddart, Surry-road , 1 James Ware, Bridge-street , . 10 10 Sunday Schools of Walberton and Gapton, Sussex 3 3 Anthony Stern, Borough 10 10 H. Volkmau 1 1 ■ Snow ; 1 Rev. J. Natt, John's College, Oxford 10 Richard Reynolds, Bristol „ 50 Sir Francis Drake, Nottingham-street ....;... 4 4 ■ Toone 15 "William Lucas, Sen. Hitchin 5 John Hanbury, Beaufoy 2 Lady Norman 1 R. Barclay, Ciapham 30 R. Barclay, Lombard-street 30 James Silver, Camden-street, Camden Town , 5 5 William Coxon, Horslydown 10 10 J. F. Butterfield 1 1 Committee of Lewes School, Sussex 5 5 A Friend to the Institution, per John Harford, Stoke Newingtou . . 5 William Kcenig, Amsterdam 1 George Stacey, Tottenham 5 5 J. Mackie, Watling-street , 1 James Meyer, Leaden hall-street 10 10 Samuel Whitbread, M. P 50 A Friend to the Institution, by Josiah Messer 20 Rev. Mr. Furrier, Deptford 1 R. Spear, Manchester 50 Manchester School Committee 10 From Sundry Individuals at Public Lectures 40 7 6 Anonymous 4 9 8 L. 454 7 2 11 ACCOUNT of Receipts and Disbursements from 1808 to 1809, for the ROYAL FREE SCHOOLS, and INSTITUTION for training School-Masters and Mistresses in the Practice of the British St/stem of Education. L. s. i. For clothing and board of young school-masters and mistresses : Family expenses, and workmen's bills for repairs and im- provement of premises 1223 6 9 Salaries &c. of Master and Mistress, rent of schools and all in- cidentals for the education of 800 boys and 200 girls, being on the average about 4 shillings each 215 16 6 Printing, on account of the Institution 42 6 4 Expense of Maiden Bradley Institution 164 IT 11 Ditto of Deptford School 87 10 6 Ground rent at Cambenvell 17 Wear and tear of Printing Utensils „,. ..« 25 v JL. 1775 18 By annual Subscribers -. 953 7 By Donations 454 8 2 Profits on Printing of J. Lancaster's publications &c. in aid of the Institution 210 17 Profit on Slates » 29 12 10 Loss to the Institution 127 13 L. 1775 18 Printed e.t the Royal Free School Press, Borough Road, Southu>ark> fy J, Lancaster. ,'■%? ■■:.'■■ •■ :> ■:■■ ■ W,-? . V