The National Society was founded at a meeting on 16 October 1811 attended by Joshua Watson, the Revd Henry Handley Norris (Watson’s brother-in-law), and John Bowles, JP with the Archbishop of Canterbury in the chair. Its stated aim was ‘that the National Religion should be made the foundation of National Education’.
The mission of the Society was to found a Church school in every parish in England and Wales and with prodigious energy it began a national system of education establishing nearly 17,000 ‘National Schools’ supplemented by the State from 1870 onwards. The Society funded building, enlarging and equipping classrooms through grants to prospective founders. Five thousand Church of England and Church in Wales schools, educating almost a million children and young people are the heirs of that proud tradition. There have been 24 General Secretaries of the Society in the 200 years of its existence so far . . .
It also trained teachers for these schools, starting from its Central School in London. Later the Society founded its own colleges and gave support to colleges founded by the dioceses.
Joshua Watson retired from a successful business in 1814, at the age of forty-three, in order to devote all his time and energies, for the remainder of his life, to the service of the Church of England; which he continued to do until his death in 1855. You can read more about him here.
Click here for the 1831 National Society logo, here for one from 1860 and here for the logo used from 1937 until 1997. And this is the current logo.
To find out more about the National Society’s role today, visit our website and look at the four posters produced for an exhibition in the House of Commons in July 2011.
The National Society’s history
The National Society was founded at a meeting on 16 October 1811 attended by Joshua Watson, the Revd Henry Handley Norris (Watson’s brother-in-law), and John Bowles, JP with the Archbishop of Canterbury in the chair. Its stated aim was ‘that the National Religion should be made the foundation of National Education’.
The mission of the Society was to found a Church school in every parish in England and Wales and with prodigious energy it began a national system of education establishing nearly 17,000 ‘National Schools’ supplemented by the State from 1870 onwards. The Society funded building, enlarging and equipping classrooms through grants to prospective founders. Five thousand Church of England and Church in Wales schools, educating almost a million children and young people are the heirs of that proud tradition. There have been 24 General Secretaries of the Society in the 200 years of its existence so far . . .
It also trained teachers for these schools, starting from its Central School in London. Later the Society founded its own colleges and gave support to colleges founded by the dioceses.
Joshua Watson retired from a successful business in 1814, at the age of forty-three, in order to devote all his time and energies, for the remainder of his life, to the service of the Church of England; which he continued to do until his death in 1855. You can read more about him here.
Click here for the 1831 National Society logo, here for one from 1860 and here for the logo used from 1937 until 1997. And this is the current logo.
To find out more about the National Society’s role today, visit our website and look at the four posters produced for an exhibition in the House of Commons in July 2011.