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
Arthur Raikes Arthur Raikes Arthur Edward Harington Raikes (5 February 1867 – 3 March 1915) was a British army officer who served as acting prime minister, vizier and first minister to numerous Sultans of Zanzibar. Serving in the Wiltshire Regiment Raikes took up a position as brigadier-general in Zanzibar's army and fought on the pro-British side in the Anglo-Zanzibar War. He also helped to negotiate the demarcation of the boundary between Zanzibari and British territory on the African mainland. Raikes was awarded honours by several nations in the course of his work. Raikes was born on 5 February 1867 to Reverend Charles