Amongtheseaconsiderablenumberwereintendedtopromoteeducation。Here，asinsomeothercases，itseemsthatpeopleattheendofthecenturywereoftentakingupanimpulsegivenacenturybefore。SotheSocietyforpromotingChristianKnowledge，foundedin1699，andtheSocietyforthePropagationoftheGospel，foundedin1701，weresupplementedbytheChurchMissionarySocietyandtheReligiousTractSociety，bothfoundedin1799。Thesocietiesforthereformationofmanners，prevalentattheendoftheseventeenthcentury，weretakenasamodelbyWilberforceandhisfriendsattheendoftheeighteenth。45*
Inthesameway，thefirstattemptsatprovidingageneraleducationforthepoorhadbeenmadebyArchbishopTenison，whofoundedaparochialschoolabout1680inorder’tocheckthegrowthofpopery。’Charityschoolsbecamecommonduringtheearlypartoftheeighteenthcenturyandreceivedvariousendowments。Theywereattackedastendingtoteachthepoortoomuch——averyneedlessalarm——andalsobyfreethinkers，suchasMandeville，asintendedoutworksoftheestablishedchurch。Thislastobjectionwasaforetasteofthebitterreligiouscontroversieswhichweretoaccompanythegrowthofaneducationalsystem。Colquhounsaysthattherewere62endowedschoolsinLondon，fromChrist’sHospitaldownwards，educatingabout5000children；
237parishschoolswithabout9000children，and3730’privateschools。’
Theteachingwas，ofcourse，veryimperfect，andinareportofacommitteeoftheHouseofCommonsin1818，itiscalculatedthatabouthalfthechildreninalargedistrictwereentirelyuneducated。Therewas，ofcourse，nothinginEnglanddeservingthenameofasystemineducationalmorethaninanyothermatters。Thegrammarschoolsthroughoutthecountryprovidedmoreorlessfortheclasseswhichcouldnotaspiretothepublicschoolsanduniversities。
AboutathirdoftheboysatChrist’sHospitalwere，asColeridgetellsus，sonsofclergymen。46*Thechildrenofthepoorwereeithernoteducated，orpickeduptheirlettersatsomecharityschoolorsuchacountrydame’sschoolasisdescribedbyShenstone。Acuriousproof，however，ofrisinginterestinthequestionisgivenbytheSundaySchoolsmovementattheendofthecentury。RobertRaikes1735-1811，aprinterinGloucesterandproprietorofanewspaper，joinedwithaclergymantosetupaschoolin1780atatotalcostof1s。6d。aweek。Withinthreeorfouryearstheplanwastakenupeverywhere，andtheworthyRaikes，whosenewspaperhadspreadthenews，foundhimselfreveredasagreatpioneerofphilanthropy。Wesleytookuptheschemewarmly；bishopscondescendedtoapprove；thekingandqueenwereinterested，andwithinthreeorfouryearsthenumberoflearnerswasreckonedattwoorthreehundredthousand。ASundaySchoolAssociationwasformedin1785