History of education in England that reading comprehension acquired through Bible study could be transferred to secular studies. Raikes used his newspaper to publicize the schools and bore most of the cost in the early years. The movement began in July 1780 in the home of a Mrs. Meredith. Only boys attended, and she heard the lessons of the older boys who coached the younger. Later, girls also attended. Within two years, several schools opened in and around Gloucester. Raikes published an account on 3 November 1783 of Sunday School in his paper, and later word of the work spread through the "Gentleman's Magazine", and
Victor Raikes Victor Raikes Sir Henry Victor Alpin MacKinnon Raikes KBE (19 January 1901 – 18 April 1986) was a British Conservative politician. Raikes was the son of Henry St. John Digby Raikes, eldest son of Henry Cecil Raikes. His mother was Annie Lucinda (née Mackinnon). Educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, he unsuccessfully contested Ilkeston in 1924 and 1929 before being elected for South East Essex in 1931. During World War II he served as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. In 1945 Raikes was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Wavertree. In 1950, 1951,