| Description | The Old Meeting House Sunday School Friendly Society was instituted on 24 June 1810. It was appointed following a resolution passed by the teachers of the Sunday Schools in November 1809, in which a society be appointed 'to superintend the Management of the Old Meeting Sunday school' and also 'to aid the general promotion of knowledge & Virtue'. Its rules stipulated that all teachers should become a member of this society and should attend its meetings.
The society generally met once a week 'for the purpose of affording instruction to its members' and once on the last Sunday of each month 'to transact the society's general business'. An annual meeting was held in December to elect managers and review the proceedings of the last year, during which the teachers submitted written reports touching on the progress of their respective classes. Conditions of membership were strict. Members who neglected of attendance at the society's monthly meetings were subject to a 2d fine for every evening, unless prevented by sickness, whilst those who were absent for two successive monthly meetings were liable to expulsion from the society.
The minutes include information relating to the admission, general attendance and transfer of pupils (with some statistics), including instances of indiscipline; allocation of prizes to students; visitations to the schools; appointment of Sunday School teachers, some of whom were former pupils of the school (which contain some character references detailing the progress of children who became teachers then left the schools owing to unforeseen circumstances, for example ill-health, emigration or pressures of weekday employment); lesson plans; business touching on the maintenance of the school buildings; provision of stationery, books and other equipment; reports of the Superintendent of the Sunday Schools; general reports, correspondence and financial information and accounts.
The earlier minute books include the rules and regulations of the society (summarised in catalogue reference UC 1/11/2/1 above, usually copied into the front of each volume). At the back of the volumes are lists of attendees of the monthly meetings of the society. The minutes for the period from 29 December 1845 to 18 October 1858 are missing. |