Robert Raikes the Elder daughters, one each from his first two marriages, died in infancy. With Mary, Raikes had six children: Robert, Mary, William, Thomas, Richard and Charles. Raikes' eldest son, also named Robert Raikes, founded and promoted Sunday Schools, and succeeded to his father's printing business. His third son, Thomas, became Governor of the Bank of England. His son William was a director of the South Sea Company. Robert Raikes the Elder Robert Raikes the Elder (baptised 22 April 1690 – 7 September 1757) was a British printer and newspaper proprietor. He is noted as a pioneer of the press who was instrumental
Robert Raikes business into Robert Raikes' House in 1758. The movement started with a school for boys in the slums. Raikes had been involved with those incarcerated at the county Poor Law (part of the jail at that time) and saw that vice would be better prevented than cured. He saw schooling as the best intervention. The best available time was Sunday as the boys were often working in the factories the other six days. The best available teachers were lay people. The textbook was the Bible, and the originally intended curriculum started with learning to read and then progressed to the