You know, sometimes I think about what one simple idea can do when God gets hold of it. Take Robert Raikes – here was a newspaper publisher from Gloucester who had one of those “lightbulb moments” that revolutionized Christian education forever. But before we dive into his famous Sunday Schools, let me tell you about the man himself – his family, his struggles, and what drove him to change the world for children.
The Personal Life of Robert Raikes
Early Years and Family Background
Robert Raikes was born on September 14, 1735, in Gloucester, England, at Ladybellegate House in Longsmith Street. Now here’s something interesting about the Raikes pronunciation – it’s pronounced “RAKES,” like you’d rake leaves, not “RAIKES” like it’s spelled. Many folks get that wrong!
His father, Robert Raikes the Elder (1690-1757), was a prominent newspaper publisher who started the Gloucester Journal on April 9, 1722. His mother was Mary Drew, and Robert was the eldest of six children. Think about that responsibility – being the oldest in a large family where Dad was running a newspaper business!
When Robert was just 22 years old, tragedy struck. His father died suddenly in 1757, leaving young Robert to take over the entire business. But that wasn’t all – he also had to care for his aged mother and his five younger siblings: Mary, William, Thomas, Richard, and Charles. Talk about pressure! Most 22-year-olds today can barely manage their own laundry, and here’s Robert running a newspaper and supporting a family of eight.
Marriage and His Ten Children
On December 23, 1767 – just two days before Christmas – Robert married Anne Trigge. Now here’s where Robert’s story gets really personal and relatable. Anne and Robert were blessed with ten children – three sons and seven daughters! Can you imagine the chaos, the joy, the sleepless nights, and the grocery bills?
Let me tell you about his children, because they show what kind of man Robert was:
His Sons:
- Robert Napier Raikes – The eldest son, who became a reverend and later fathered General Robert Napier Raikes of the Indian Army
- William Henley Raikes – Became a colonel in the Coldstream Guards and fought bravely in the Napoleonic Wars
- Third son – Name not recorded, but lived to adulthood
His Seven Daughters: While we don’t have all their names, we know they were raised in a household that valued education, faith, and service. One of his great-granddaughters, Caroline Alice Roberts (1848-1920), became a fiction writer and married the famous composer Sir Edward Elgar!
With ten children of his own, Robert understood firsthand the challenges of raising kids, the importance of education, and how easily children could go astray without proper guidance. This personal experience would prove crucial when he started working with street children.
The Raikes Family Home and Business
Robert Raikes House in Gloucester
In 1758, Robert moved his printing business into what’s now known as Robert Raikes House at 36-38 Southgate Street in Gloucester. This magnificent 16th-century timber-framed building, built in 1560 as a merchant’s house, became the headquarters of his operation.
Picture this: Robert would hold Sunday school sessions in the back garden of this very house, with his lovely wife Anne dishing up plum cake for the children! This wasn’t some sterile classroom – this was a family home where real ministry happened.
The house still stands today, beautifully restored as a public house called the Robert Raikes Inn. If you’re ever in Gloucester, you can walk through the same rooms where Robert planned his Sunday school movement and where his family lived and loved.
The Family’s Social Connections
The Raikes family was incredibly well-connected in both spiritual and social circles. They were related by marriage to William Wilberforce, the great abolitionist. George Whitefield, the famous evangelist, was a regular visitor to their home, along with the Wesley brothers. Anyone of importance who visited Gloucester was usually entertained in the Raikes’ home.
This wasn’t name-dropping for social status – Robert used these connections for Kingdom purposes, sharing his burden for children’s education with influential people who could help spread the movement.
Why Did Robert Raikes Start Sunday School?
Here’s where Robert’s heart really shows. His initial passion wasn’t education – it was prison reform. As a friend of the famous prison reformer John Howard, Robert regularly visited Gloucester jail and was horrified by what he saw.
The Root of the Problem
Robert had a penetrating insight about the cycle of poverty and crime. In his own words: “Ignorance is the root of the degradation everywhere around us. Idleness is a consequence of ignorance; idleness begets vice, and vice leads to the gallows.”
Think about that logic: ignorance leads to idleness, idleness leads to vice, and vice leads to crime and punishment. So if ignorance was the root cause, then education was the solution! Robert believed that human nature could be educated away from vice through proper instruction and knowledge.
The Practical Solution
Robert saw children as young as six working in factories six days a week, twelve hours a day. Sunday was their only day off, and what did they do? They ran wild in the streets like animals!
Here was Robert’s brilliant insight: Why not use Sunday – the one day these kids weren’t working – to teach them to read using the Bible? It was elegant in its simplicity:
- The need: Illiterate, unsupervised children heading toward crime
- The time: Sunday, when kids weren’t working
- The teachers: Lay people, especially women
- The textbook: The Bible
- The result: Literacy and spiritual instruction combined
Robert Raikes’ Famous Quotes
Throughout his life, Robert shared many insights that reveal his heart and thinking:
On Education and Ignorance:
- “Ignorance is the root of the degradation everywhere around us.”
- “Idleness is a consequence of ignorance; idleness begets vice, and vice leads to the gallows.”
On His Success:
- When he could record in the Gloucester Journal (November 3, 1783) that the district had become “quite a heaven upon Sundays.”
On Legacy and Children:
- “The world marches forth on the feet of little children.” (This shows his understanding that investing in children is investing in the future)
On Prevention vs. Cure:
- Robert believed that “vice would be better prevented than cured” – showing his focus on education as prevention rather than punishment as treatment.
The Sunday School Movement Explodes
The Original Schedule
Robert’s Sunday schools weren’t the hour-long classes we know today. Here was the original schedule he wrote: “The children were to come after ten in the morning, and stay till twelve; they were then to go home and return at one; and after reading a lesson, they were to be conducted to Church. After Church, they were to be employed in repeating the catechism till after five, and then dismissed, with an injunction to go home without making a noise.”
That’s a full day of education! These kids got serious schooling, not just a quick Bible story.
From Mockery to Movement
Initially, people called them “Raikes’ Ragged Schools” – not exactly a compliment! Critics said:
- It would weaken home-based religious education
- It might desecrate the Sabbath
- Christians shouldn’t work on Sunday
Some even called Robert “Bobby Wild Goose and his ragged regiment.” But Robert had thick skin and a clear vision. He knew that world-changing ideas always face opposition.
The Incredible Growth
The results spoke louder than the critics:
- 1785: Sunday School Society formed
- 1788: 300,000 children in local Sunday Schools
- 1831: 1,250,000 children attending weekly – 25% of Britain’s population!
- 1910: Over 5,500,000 students in UK Sunday Schools
From one little school in Sooty Alley to over five million students in 130 years – now that’s what I call multiplication!
The Personal Cost and Sacrifice
Financial Investment
In the early years, Robert bore most of the cost himself. He paid the teachers from his own pocket, provided materials, and used his newspaper to promote the work – all without any guarantee of success.
With ten children to support and a business to run, this wasn’t pocket change. But Robert understood that investing in other people’s children was just as important as investing in his own.
Family Life Balance
Imagine trying to balance running a newspaper, raising ten children, and starting a global education movement! Robert’s wife Anne was clearly a remarkable partner, supporting his vision while managing their large household.
The fact that their children turned out so well – with sons becoming military officers and reverends – shows that despite his busy schedule, Robert didn’t neglect his own family’s education and spiritual development.
Global Impact and Legacy
Beyond Britain’s Borders
Robert’s idea crossed the Atlantic and helped shape American Christianity. In 1848, Dr. Clay Trumbull, a Minister from Philadelphia, wrote: “America has practically been saved for Christianity and the religion of the Bible by the Sunday School.”
Think about that statement! One man’s simple idea in Gloucester helped preserve Christianity in America.
Recognition and Honors
In 1880, a statue was erected on Victoria Embankment in London to celebrate the centenary of the Sunday school movement – and it featured Robert Raikes. When royalty visited Gloucester in 1788, they specifically asked to tour Robert’s Sunday schools.
The Foundation of Public Education
Here’s something most people don’t realize: Robert “raised Sunday teaching from a fortuitous rarity into a universal system. He found the practice local; he made it national,” helping establish the concept that every child deserves an education.
Robert didn’t just create Sunday schools – he helped create the idea of universal education that governments would later adopt.
Lessons for Today’s Church
Start Where You Are, Use What You Have
Robert didn’t wait for a theology degree or formal ministry training. He used his newspaper platform, his family home, and his personal resources to meet a need he saw. What platform has God given you?
Simple Solutions to Complex Problems
The problem was massive: thousands of illiterate children with no hope. The solution was elegantly simple: teach them to read using the Bible on their day off. Sometimes we overcomplicate ministry when God is calling us to simple obedience.
Family and Ministry Balance
Robert proved you can have a large family AND a significant ministry. The key was involving his family in the work and not neglecting either responsibility.
Persistence Through Criticism
People mocked Robert’s “ragged regiment,” but he stayed focused on the mission. Every effective ministry faces opposition – the question is whether you’ll let critics stop you from helping people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did Robert Raikes start Sunday school?
A: Robert saw a direct connection between ignorance and crime through his prison reform work. He believed education could prevent children from ending up in jail, saying “ignorance is the root of the degradation everywhere around us.”
Q: What are some Robert Raikes quotes?
A: His most famous quotes include: “Ignorance is the root of the degradation everywhere around us,” “Idleness is a consequence of ignorance; idleness begets vice, and vice leads to the gallows,” and describing his success as making the district “quite a heaven upon Sundays.”
Q: Where was Robert Raikes from in Gloucester?
A: Robert was born at Ladybellegate House in Longsmith Street, Gloucester, and later moved his business to 36-38 Southgate Street, now known as Robert Raikes House.
Q: How do you pronounce Robert Raikes?
A: It’s pronounced “Robert RAKES” (like raking leaves), not “RAIKES” as the spelling might suggest.
Q: Tell me about Robert Raikes House.
A: Robert Raikes House is a magnificent 16th-century timber-framed building at 36-38 Southgate Street in Gloucester. Built in 1560 as a merchant’s house, Robert moved his printing business there in 1758 and held Sunday school sessions in the back garden. Today it’s a beautifully restored public house called the Robert Raikes Inn.
Q: How many children did Robert Raikes have?
A: Robert and his wife Anne had ten children – three sons and seven daughters. His eldest son Robert Napier Raikes became a reverend, and another son William Henley Raikes became a colonel in the Coldstream Guards.
The Continuing Challenge
Robert once understood that “The world marches forth on the feet of little children.” Every child taught to read, every young heart introduced to Jesus, every life transformed through education creates ripple effects for generations.
Today, as we see children struggling with screen addiction, broken families, and educational challenges, Robert’s vision remains relevant. Every church, every Christian family, every believer can ask: “What children in my community need someone to invest in their future?”
Economist Adam Smith gave the movement his strongest commendation: “No plan has promised to effect a change of manners with equal ease and simplicity since the days of the Apostles.”
Robert Raikes proved that ordinary people with Kingdom vision can change the world – one child at a time, one Sunday at a time, one simple idea at a time.
His legacy reminds us that the most powerful ministry often happens not in grand cathedrals but in back gardens, not through eloquent sermons but through simple acts of love and service. Sometimes the greatest preachers are those who never stood in a pulpit but whose lives proclaimed the Gospel loud and clear.
What’s your “Robert Raikes moment”? What simple need do you see that could spark a movement? The world is still marching forth on the feet of little children – and they’re still waiting for someone to care enough to teach them.
“Ignorance is the root of the degradation everywhere around us. Idleness is a consequence of ignorance; idleness begets vice, and vice leads to the gallows.” – Robert Raikes