Description:In May 1803 Mr. J. Blunt wrote to the Leveson-Gower family about establishing Sunday schools in the Parish of Trentham. Blunt’s letter provides intriguing social comment on religious ignorance and religious education in Trentham during this period.
Blunt appeals to the Marchioness of Stafford (Sussanna Leveson-Gower, d. 1805, for financial assistance towards establishing Sunday schools in the Parish. He refers to her ‘well known solicitude for the comfort of the neighbouring poor’. It appears that Blunt intended the schools to serve local poor children. He remarks that ‘amongst the children of the labouring classes’ in Trentham there was a ‘truly lamentable’ ignorance concerning ‘the very Elements of Religion’. As the Curate of Blurton, Blunt was concerned that this ignorance would eventually ‘be pernicious to the Interests of the Community’.
Blunt had endeavoured to use his role in the community to ‘remedy’ the religious ignorance of local people. In his appeal to the Marchioness he recommends establishing ‘well regulated Sunday-Schools’ which would provide religious education for children who ‘from the Ignorance Negligence or Poverty of their Parents, stand most in Need of Instruction’.