Chronology of Sunday School History (Unitarian Universalist)
Part I: From the Distant Past to 1840
By Rev. Frank E. Robertson
Also on UU Faith Works, Winter/Spring 2004, UUA
Introduction
This chronology is designed to be an ongoing project of the Unitarian Universalist Religious Education History Group, who organized themselves in 2001. Because the history of Unitarian and Universalist religious education has roots in early European Christian history and in the history of the old Standing Order of American churches, and evolved from very early ways of teaching, some entries are included before the first American congregations began to identify themselves as Unitarian or Universalist during the second half of the 18th century. Current member churches of the American Unitarian Universalist Association comprise many of the oldest churches in the United States, including the First Parish of Plymouth, whose members separated from the Church of England in 1606 and founded the Plymouth Colony in 1620.
The chronology will also include entries from the history of Sunday schools in England and other lands with whom relationships with American Unitarians and Universalists existed.
While the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America formally consolidated into the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1961, they actually began to collaborate on religious education projects in the early 1900s, thus becoming increasingly similar. Entries will be made where there was evidence of that collaboration. Also, this chronology will identify entries as either "Unitarian" or "Universalist" in the early period, though placing them in one listing.
Both faith groups have a liberal Christian heritage with varieties of Unitarian and Universalist theologies. Both also have valued Biblical criticism and sources from the world’s religions, science, the humanist tradition, and earth-centered traditions, displaying many examples of these sources in the educational literature of their long history. Some notations will help the reader identify the influence of such traditions in Sunday school events and literature
The identification of archival sources or where a particular book or periodical can be found has been placed at the end of each entry to aid students in their research. Information about additional locations of materials or new entries is most welcome.
Abbreviations:
AH–Archives of the Andover-Harvard Library
H–copy in the Harvard University Library system
L–copy at Library of Congress
ML–copy at Meadville/Lombard Theological School Library
S–copy at Starr King School for the Ministry Library
Chronology
1642: The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony voted “that all masters of families do, once a week at least, catechize their children and servants in the grounds and principles of religion.” [AH 77/9 (2)]
1680: First Parish of the Plymouth in Plymouth Colony passed a vote that “the deacons be requested to assist the minister in teaching the children during the intermission on the Sabbath.” [AH 77/9 (2)]
1740: The Dunkers (believers of universal salvation) established a Sunday school in Ephrata, PA. [AH 77/9 (3)]
1763: Theophilus Lindsey, founder of the Essex Street Unitarian Chapel in 1774, established a Sunday school in Yorkshire, England.
1781: Theophilus Lindsey publishes The Catechist: Or An Inquiry Into the Doctrine...
1781: Priestley, Joseph (Unitarian minister and founder of Chemistry), A Catechism for Children, and Young Persons, London: Printed for J. Johnson, in two parts, 43 pp. In the Preface, Priestley writes: “...I would propose, that the questions in the catechism serve only to point out the principal things about which it may be proper to talk with a child, and that they be broken into a greater number of other questions and answers, too particular to be printed at large, but such as will naturally suggest themselves in the course of catechizing.” This catechism was included in early editions of the revised Book of Common Prayer of King’s Chapel of Boston, which declared itself Unitarian in 1786, the first of the old congregations among the churches in North America to do so. Priestley’s second catechism is called A Scripture Catechism. (Andover-Harvard Library, No. 1 in a bound vol. of 9 theological works by Priestley)
1782: Murray, Judith Sargent (Stevens) of Gloucester, MA (spouse of the Rev. John Murray who was the founder of organized Universalism in the mid-1770s), A Universalist Catechism. Bonnie Hurd Smith republished this work in the 1990s; 15 Winter St., Salem, MA 01970-3864.
1783:Townsend, Shippie (Universalist lay person of Boston, MA), A Practical Essay, Designed for General Use, In Three Parts…. Parts II and III treat the religious education of children. (H, Hollis #ALI 1797)
1784:Priestley, Joseph (Unitarian minister), Considerations for the Use of Young Men and the Parents of Young Men, 21 pp. and A Serious Address to Masters of Families with Forms of Family-Prayer, 65 pp.
1785: Winchester, Elhanan (Universalist minister), A Serious Address to the Youth of Both Sexes in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA: B. Towne, 7 pp. (H, Hollis#BIY7546)
1787: Townsend, Shippie (Universalist), The Master and Scholar Attending Catechizing... , Boston: B. Edes and Son, 16 pp.(H, Hollis#ALG8952) (H, Lamont, Microfiche W 2571)
Shippie Townsend (b. 1722) was a block-maker in Boston and became a Universalist about 1782. He appears to have been well educated and preached as a layman occasionally in Boston and Gloucester. He gathered up about ten of his writings into one volume, which he had published in 1794, called Gospel News. He may have been the first advocate of the theology of universal salvation in New England via the pen. He was married to Mehitable Whittemore, the granddaughter of Thomas Whittemore. He was a deacon of First Universalist Church of Boston and died of yellow fever in August of 1798. (Richard Eddy’s Universalism in America, Vol. I, 1891, pp. 265-266.)
1790: The Philadelphia Convention of Universalists, composed of seventeen persons from various states, including the Rev. John Murray from Gloucester, Massachusetts, agreed on the following statement about education:
“The Instruction of Children:–We believe it to be the duty of all parents to instruct their children in the principles of the gospel, as the best means to inspire them with the love of virtue, and to promote in them good manners, and habits of industry and sobriety. As a necessary introduction to the knowledge of the gospel, we recommend the institution of a school, or schools, to be under the direction of every church; in which shall be taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and psalmody. We recommend, further, that provision be made for instructing poor children, in the said schools, gratis. As the fullest discovery of the perfections and will of God, and of the whole duty of man, is contained in the Bible, we wish that divine book to be read by the youth of our churches as early and frequently as possible; and that they should be instructed therein at stated meetings appointed for that purpose.” (Richard Eddy’s Universalism in America: A History, Vol. I, Boston: Universalist Publishing House, 1891, p. 300)
As part of their “Plan of Church Government,” they identified the role of teacher as follows: “‘The terms bishop, elder, minister, pastor, and teacher,’ were held to be the same, ‘intended only to express the different capacities in which the same officer is called to act.’” (Eddy, Vol. I, pp. 298-299)
1790?: The First-Day or Sunday School Society of Philadelphia established as an outreach organization to educate the children of the poor by Benjamin Rush (Universalist), Bishop White (Episcopalian), and Matthew Carey (Roman Catholic). [AH 77/9 (3)]
1791: In March of 1791, the First-Day or Sunday School Society of Philadelphia established a Sunday school for poor children. In April of 1791, Oliver Wellington Lane, a school teacher in West Boston and a deacon at the First Universalist Church, established the first Sunday school in Boston for poor boys and girls. He was graduated from Harvard College in 1772, conducted the Installation Service for John Murray in 1793, and died later that year. (Richard Eddy’s Universalist in America, Vol. II, p. 407; also see Eddy’s article in the Universalist Quarterly, Oct., 1882 on microfilm at AH Library)
It took over two decades for Unitarians and Universalists to start Sunday schools specifically for their own children. Just at what point in history some children of members of various churches began to attend these charity schools is not known. Most members’ children were educated in public schools, in catechism classes at their churches, and by their parents. Poor children worked during the week and sought out Sunday schools, which offered them the basics in education as well as Bible studies.
1791: Townsend, Shippie (Universalist), Scripture Truths and Precepts: A Short Catechism..., Boston: Samuel Hall, 23 pp. In the Appendix is a writing on baptism, concluding with an explanation of communion. (H, Hollis#ALF5455 and Lamont Microfiche W 2571)
1794?: Townsend, Shippie (Universalist), The History of the Mother and Child: A New Primer, Attempting An Easy, Entertaining, and Effectual Method of Teaching Young Children the Alphabet, Boston: S. Hall, 32 pp. At the back of this book is The Young Child’s Catechism. (H. Hollis # ALI 1031; Lamont Microfiche W 2571)
1795: Packard, Hezekiah (Unitarian minister and a founder of the Free Public Library of Chelmsford, MA), A Catechism, Containing the First Principles of our Religious and Social Duties: Adapted to the Capacities of Children, Boston: Printed and sold by Samuel Hall, 53 Cornhill, 84 pp .That catechism was criticized by Universalists for its failure to embrace a theology of universal salvation(see 1797). (H, Lamont Microfiche W 2571)
Along with teaching religion, the work also instructs young people on how to be a good citizen in the newly-formed United States.
1797: Townsend, Shippie (Universalist), Observations on the Religious Education of Children: In A Letter to Mr. Hezekiah Packard, etc., Boston: B. Edes, 7 pp. (H. Hollis #ALI1033, Lamont Microfiche W 2571)
1804?: Packard, Hezekiah (Unitarian minister), Two Discourses on Prayer, Particularly on Family Worship. Preached on Feb. 12, 1804 in Wiscasset, ME, printed by Babson and Rust of Wiscasset, perhaps 1804, 28 pp. (H. Hollis #AVO7770; Lamont Microfiche W4532 no. 6969: Microfiche also at New Canaan, CT)
1810: Hannah Hill and Joanna Price (Unitarians) founded a Sunday school for poor boys in one of their homes in Beverly, MA. When the school outgrew its quarters, it moved first to the vestry of the Congregational Church (Trinitarian) and later to First Parish (Unitarian) when their vestry was built. (See archives of First Parish in Beverly, MA) Some early historians mistakenly suggest that this was the first Sunday school in America.
1810: Sarah Ripley, the daughter of Dr. Ezra Ripley (Unitarian minister), started a Sunday school for poor children in “The Old Manse” in Concord, MA. [AH 77/9(2)]
1810: Ballou, Hosea (Universalist minister), The Child’s Scriptural Catechism, Portsmouth, NH: The Gazette Office, 35 pp.
1811: John Bartlett (Unitarian minister) started two Sunday schools for poor children, one in the North End and the other in the western part of Boston. He was chaplain of the Almshouse on Leverett Street, Boston. Later that year, he was called to serve the Second Congregational Parish (Unitarian) in Marblehead, MA; but, before he left, he arranged with the Rev. Dr. Charles Lowell of the West Church (Unitarian) for the school in the western part of Boston to be taken over by the Gleaning Circle of the West Church. The Gleaning Circle was a women’s literary and humanitarian society. They continued the children’s schooling in the balcony of the church following Sunday services. At the time of its beginnings, the school was composed of all girls, and sewing was taught along with various school subjects. (See H. Archives on Bartlett and The West Church and its Ministers, Boston: Grosby, Nichols, and Co., 1856)
1812: Kneeland, Abner (Universalist minister), The Child’s Scriptural Catechism, For Use of Families and Schools, 36 pp.
1813: Channing, William Ellery and Samuel Cooper Thacher, Elements of Religion and Morality: A Catechism for Children, John Eliot’s press, 16 pp.
1813: Lydia Adams, a leader among the women of the Gleaning Circle of West Church of Boston (Unitarian), visited the Sunday school in Beverly, MA to learn about their programs and bring back ideas to Boston. At that time the West Church’s school was called “The West-Boston Charity School” and several girls who were children of church members joined the initial fifteen girls from the poor community. This is an early example of members’ children attending Sunday school.
1814: A Sunday school was founded by Unitarians of Cambridge, MA. [AH. 77/9 (2)]
1815: Dean, Paul (Universalist minister of Boston), Elements of the Christian Religion, Contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, in a catechism designed for the instruction of the children of the First Universalian [sic.] Church and Society of Boston, 28 pp.
1816: The first Universalist Sunday school for the children of the congregation of the Lombard Street Church in Philadelphia, and others from the community who would attend, was established in October, 1816, after the close of the three interfaith charity Sunday schools of the First-day Society. Although some individual church families of Unitarians and Universalists elsewhere were sending their children to the various outreach Sunday schools they founded, this is an early example of a Sunday school for all children. (Richard Eddy, Universalism In America, Vol. II, p. 408)
1816: A Sunday school was founded by Unitarians in Wilton, NH. [AH. 77/9 (2)]
1817: The Sunday school for the First Universalist Society of Boston was founded by the Rev. Paul Dean.(see note for Eddy, 1816)
1818: Rees, Thomas, The Racovian Catechism: with Notes and Illustrations, Translated from the Latin; to which is Prefixed a Sketch of the History of Unitarianism in Poland and the Adjacent Countries, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 404 pp. The Racovian Catechism had been in use among Unitarians in eastern Europe for about 200 years.
1818: Unitarians in Portsmouth, NH founded a Sunday school. [AH 77/9 (2)]
1818: Rayner, Menzies (Universalist), A Catechism of the Bible: in which all the most important events, characters, and circumstances recorded in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are noticed and illustrated by way of question and answer, New Haven: Flagg & Gray, 211 pp. (AH Library BT1031.R3 and H Lamont Microfiche W 4532 and New Canaan, CT Microfiche 45475)
1819: Deacons John Lowe and Daniel Sewell of the First Parish (Unitarian), Kennebunk, ME, started the Sunday school of that parish. (Sermon delivered in April of 1992 by the Rev. Peter Richardson)
1820: A Unitarian Sunday school was started in Dedham, MA. (The Annual Reports of the Boston Sunday School Society, 1829) Also, the Sunday school for the Independent Christian Church of Gloucester, MA (Universalist) was started (See note above for Eddy, 1816).
1821: Three Universalist writings on religious education that year:
King, Thomas Starr (Universalist minister who also served Unitarian churches later), Scripture Catechism for Sabbath Schools.
Pickering, David, A Calm Address to the Believers and Advocates of Endless Misery, designed for the Benefit of the Youth, Hudson, 16 pp.
Whittemore, Thomas (Universalist minister), An Epitome of Scripture Doctrine, Comprised in aCatechism for the Use of Children, Boston, 22 pp.
1822: Unitarians founded a Sunday school in Hingham, MA. (See The Annual Reports of the Boston Sunday School Society, 1830, p. 35)
1823: Bartlett, Robert (Universalist), A Serious and Candid Examination of the Present Government of Sunday Schools, Together with a Reply to a Certain Writer Under the Signature Benevolus, Winston, VT. 22 pp.
1823: Peabody, William Bourn Oliver (Unitarian minister), A Catechism for the Use of Children. The text was written to be sung, and was the first of several editions. (H, 1849 ed.)
1823: Unitarian Sunday schools were founded in Atkinson, ME; Northboro, MA; and Dublin, MA. (See The Annual Reports of the Boston Sunday School Society, 1830, pp. 35 and 36)
1823: Unitarians founded the Hancock Sabbath School of Boston, first meeting in the Hancock School on Hanover Street. The first superintendent was Moses Grant. (Newsletter of the Bulfinch Place Chapel, Boston, Dec. 1926)
1823: By 1823, the Association for Religious Improvement had been formed to organize a concerted outreach to the poor of Boston by the Unitarian churches. The Rev. Henry Ware, Jr., then pastor of the Second Church of Boston (Unitarian), is generally credited with starting the Association. Among other projects, the Association helped to start the Hancock Sabbath School.
1824–1832: Universalists published the following books for Sunday school use:
Thompson, John Samuel (minister), A Course of Critical Lectures, or Systematical Theology, in Four Parts, Viz: Theology, Demonology, Christology, and Anthropology, 240 pp. and probably used for adult classes, 1824. (H)
Smith, Stephen R.(minister), The Teachings of Christ: Addressed to the Youth, 1827, 12 pp.
Whittemore, Thomas (minister), A Dialogue Between A Parent and Child Concerning John V. 28, 29, For the Instruction of Children and Youth. 1827, 24 pp.
Balch, William Stevens (minister), A Brief Sketch of the Life of Christ...Designed for the Use of Small Children in Sabbath Schools and Private Families, 1830, 56pp. (H, 1839 ed.)
Reese, W. I., The Catechumen’s Guide, Or Scripture Questions and Answers for the Use of the Children in Sabbath Schools and in the Domestic Circle, 1830.
Smith, Stephen Rensselaer (minister), The Scripture Doctrine, Comprised in a Series of Questions, with Answers Extracted from the Sacred Text..., 1830, 58 pp. (H, 1839 ed.)
Murray, John (1741-1815), The Life of Rev. John Murray/ Written by Himself; To Which is Added a Brief Continuation to the Closing Scene (by Judith Sargeant Murray), 270 pp. This book had many editions and has been a major source of stories, dramatizations, and lessons for Universalists’ Sunday schools. (H)
Hudson, Charles (minister), Primary Questions on Select Portions of Scripture, Designed for Sabbath Schools, 1832.
Hudson, Charles (minister), Questions on Select Portions of Scripture, Designed for the Higher Classes in Sabbath Schools, 170 pp., 1832. (H 1840 ed.)
King, Thomas F., Universalist Sabbath School Book, Embracing Simple Lessons, Adapted to the Younger Classes, 1832. (Also an 1834 ed.)
Whittemore, Thomas (minister), Notes and Illustrations of the Parables of the New Testament, Arranged According to the Time in Which They Were Spoken, 1832, 381 pp.
This book was published in Boston at the ”Universalist Publishing House,” and represents an early mention of a press run by Universalists. (H)
The books in the list above were included in Richard Eddy’s extensive bibliography at the back of Volume II of Universalism in America, 1894.
1824: Unitarians founded Sunday schools in Newburyport, MA and Portland, ME. (The Annual Reports of the Boston Sunday School Society, 1830, p. 35)
1825: Unitarians founded Sunday schools in Waltham, MA; Springfield, MA; and Hallowell, ME. (The Annual Reports of the Boston Sunday School Society, 1830, pp. 35 and 36)