John Pounds (Founder of Ragged Schools)

John Pounds.

Born at Portsmouth in 1766; Died there January 1st 1839.

Amongst the names I honour stands John Pounds!
Although in humblest life, a noble he
Of God’s creation, who was pain’d to see
The children of the poor from sights and sounds
Of knowledge quite shut out. His cobbler’s stall 5
Is sacred for all time, for it became
Our first of Ragged Schools; his only aim
To help the helpless, seeking no fame at all,
Or other recompense, save the reward
Of knowing that he had done the will of God. 10
I who, as a paid teacher, ever did regard
Portsmouth’s poor cobbler as the pattern
With pure devotion well might seek to vie.

George Markham Tweddell
p. 118 [in Miscellaneous Sonnets]

Tweddell (with his wife) was master of a Ragged School in Bury in the 1850's.

About John Pounds -
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Published by Bouvé & Sharp, 221 Washington St., Boston, ca.1843-1845
Born June 17, 1766 Portsmouth, England Died January 1, 1839 (aged 72) Portsmouth, England


John Pounds (June 17, 1766 - January 1, 1839) was a teacher and altruist born in Portsmouth, and the man

Pounds was severely crippled in his mid-teens, from falling into a dry dock at Portsmouth Dockyard, where

He would scour the streets of Portsmouth looking for children who were poor and homeless, taking them into his small workshop and teaching them basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills. This small workshop was often host to as many as 40 children at any one time.

Many years after his death, John Pounds has become a local hero in his birthplace of Portsmouth, winning a "Man of the Millennium" award in 1999 from a local newspaper, ahead of nationally more famous local heroes including Admiral Lord Nelson and Charles Dickens.

A unitarian chapel named in his memory stands in Old Portsmouth and his life was celebrated in a sacred cantata Greatheart: The Story of John Pounds, by the Rev Carey Bonner.
In 2005, the John Pounds centre was opened in Queen Street, Portsmouth to encourage "a happier and healthier lifestyle, should that be through learning, physical or social activities."

most responsible for the creation of the concept of Ragged schools. After Pounds' death, Thomas Guthrie (often credited with the creation of Ragged Schools) wrote his Plea for Ragged Schools and proclaimed John Pounds as the originator of this idea :).
he was apprenticed as a shipwright. He could no longer work at the dockyard, and from then onwards made his living as a shoemaker.