Statue of Robert Raikes, London Statue of Robert Raikes, London A statue of Robert Raikes, often regarded as being the founder of Sunday schools, executed by the sculptor Thomas Brock, stands in Victoria Embankment Gardens, London, 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 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. The front of the plinth reads: . An inscription below the figure's right foot
George Raikes he won his Blue in 1894 and 1895. He joined Hampshire in 1900 and performed well with the bat, making a two half centuries in his first three matches and also scoring a pair of 40s. His brother Ernest and nephew Thomas both played first-class cricket. The all-rounder was also a successful cricketer in the Minor Counties Championship, where he captained Norfolk. A Championship winning captain in 1905 and 1910, Raikes amassed 3419 runs at 30.80 for them and took 282 wickets at 15.86. Despite having not played first-class cricket for a decade, Raikes returned in 1912 for a match