A statue of
Robert Raikes, often regarded as being the founder of
Sunday school
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
s, executed by the sculptor
Thomas Brock
Sir Thomas Brock (1 March 184722 August 1922) was an English sculptor and medallist, notable for the creation of several large public sculptures and monuments in Britain and abroad in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
His mo ...
, stands in
Victoria Embankment Gardens
The Victoria Embankment Gardens are a series of gardens on the north side of the River Thames between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster Bridge in London.
History
Between 1865 and 1870 the northern embankment and sewer was built by Sir Jose ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, United Kingdom. It was unveiled by the
Earl of Shaftesbury on 3 July 1880 and marked the centenary of the opening of the first Sunday school. The critic
Edmund Gosse
Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhoo ...
considered the statue to be "as good as anything of the kind we possess in England".
In 1958 it was designated a Grade II-
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
The front of the plinth reads: . An inscription below the figure's right foot reads:
In 1929 replicas of the statue were cast for erection the following year in
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
and
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, for the 150th anniversary the following year of opening of the first Sunday school.
References
External links
*
1880 establishments in England
1880 sculptures
Raikes, Robert
Monuments and memorials in London
Outdoor sculptures in London
Sculptures by Thomas Brock
Raikes, Robert
Victoria Embankment
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