Family Tree of Pete Bradshaw and Wendy Offen, Durham, England
Samuel Wilderspin
1791
Male
Person 00002799
Born 23/03/1791 at London (IH)
Father: Alexander Wilderspin (1758)
Mother: Ann Vaughan (1760)
parents Alexander and Ann
Much of Samuel's details are from the book "Samuel Wilderspin and the Infant School Movement" by Philip McCann and Francis A
Young
Christened 10/04/1791 at Great Eastcheap, Blackfriars (HI)
Friar Street New Jerusalemite/Swedenborgian chapel
around 1792 at Clerkenwell ()
around 1795 at Hornsey ()
from 1798 at London ()
seperated from parents aged 7
around 1805 at London (F)
apprenticed (in cloth printing trade)
1807 at London (C)
started teaching infants "the alphabet" at Sunday School
1811 at London (S)
associated with New Jerusalem church - probably Lisle Street congregation
between 1812 and 1819 at Moorfields, London (F)
"calenderer" - involved in preparing calico cloth for printing
Married 21/05/1812 at Newington (IM)
to Sarah Ann Williams (1786)
at St Mary's - Samuel and Sarah Ann both unmarried and of the parish married by banns by Robert Dickinson, curate, in the
presence of Paul and Ann Williams and Ann Reed.
1813 at London (H)
callenderer, Tenter Street, Cripplegate
1815 at London (H)
callenderer, Obelisk Yard, St Georges
1817 at London (S)
clerk to minister of Obelisk Yard congregation; also on Sunday School committee till 1822
around 1819 at City Road (SH)
possibly a merchant's office clerk, or working "on own account"; subscriber to new Waterloo Road meeting house
January 1819 at London (F)
met Buchanon, master of first Infant schools in Britain
December 1819 at St Luke City Road, London (H)
callenderer
07/08/1820 at Spitalfields (S)
master of Quaker St Infant School, third in Britain, opened July. Soon met Robert Owen and David Stow, who opened the first two in
New Lanark and Westminster
between 1821 and 1824 at England (S)
Established Infant Schools in Bristol, Stoke Newington, Hackney, Peckham, Camden, Brighton, Walthamstow, Liverpool, Midlands,
West Country
1822 at Spitalfields (H)
school master
1823 at London (S)
Published first book on infant teaching outlining his system, highlighting use of exercise, playground, gardens, non-denominational
religious education, kindness, trained teachers, varied curriculum, etc, etc.. Hence the father of the Infant School system
Member of Waterloo Road Swedenborgian church
1824 at London (H)
2nd edition of book
still in Spitalfields
1825 at UK (S)
Worked for Infant School Society - spent following years travelling throughout England Ireland and Wales, lecturing and
encouraging the founding of Infant Schools: Glastonbury, Ross on Wye, Hereford, Chelmsford, Exeter, Stockport, Kidderminster,
Durham, Newcastle, Deddington, Banbury, Sutton (Beds), Ampton, Bristol. Then Chilham, Manchester, Liverpool, Styal, Chester,
Hackney... Around 80 infant schools now in existence.
Third edition of book published
24/02/1826 at London (M)
marriage licence granted
Married 25/02/1826 at Holborn (MF)
to Jane Mary Peacock (1803)
by licence at St Andrew's: Samuel a widower, Jane Mary a spinster
from March 1826 at Manchester (F)
and Chester
around September 1826 at Leeds and Birmingham and Dublin (F)
from 18270/00/1828 at UK (F)
Infant School Society official teacher at large. Dublin (typhoid fever), Derby, Wandsworth, Cheltenham, Melbourne (Derbs),
Loughborough, Leicester. Then Staffs (first major speech), stroud, Westminster, Taunton, Weymouth, Guernsey and Jersey,
Cambridge. Then Aylesbury, Yorkshire,...
around March 1828 at Glasgow (F)
and Edinburgh
from January 1829 at Cheltenham, Gloucs ()
Independent career: lecturing, setting up schools, teacher training and school equipment supply centre. Travelled Britain by horse
or gig. Lived in Edward Jenner's old house with three daughters, an office manager, his agent and various boarders for teacher
training
April 1829 at Scotland ()
also south Wales
4th edition of book published
April 1830 at Scotland ()
also Cumberland and Westmoreland.
met Robbie Burns' widow
1831 at UK ()
busiest year.
Scotland, Llandovery, Lincoln, northern England, midlands, South yorkshire (19 lectures in 7 weeks), Coventry, Bath...
Then East midlands, northern Scotland, yorkshire
1832 at Cheltenham ()
wrote autobiography and 5th edition of first book
1833 at Ireland ()
1834 at British isles ()
Scotland, Ireland, Wales.
opened boarding school in own house run by daughter
6th edition of training book and 2nd edition of memoirs
1835 at England ()
Bury, Wigan, Bromsgrove, Chorley
1836 at England ()
East Anglia, Windsor - school funded by Queen Adelaide hence Royal Patronage, Hereford, Kingston
from August 1836August 1837 at Liverpool, Lancs ()
Contracted to promote, organise and manage new corporation schools; previous schools all funded by charitable donation or
churches. Equal pay for women teachers.
September 1837 at Dublin ()
October 1837 at Cheltenham ()
Following highly public arguments with Evangelicals wrote polemical "National Education" appealing for state schools run on
non-denominational lines using his methods
January 1838 at Liverpool, Lancs ()
Married 25/02/1838 at Liverpool, Lancs (MC)
to Mary Tayler (1808)
Samuel, gentleman, son of Alexander, gentleman, married Mary Dowding (widow), daughter of James Taylor, gentleman; both of 8
Newington, Liverpool.married at St David's in presence of William and Edward Davies
from March 18380/07/1839 at Dublin (S)
12th trip to Ireland. Took wife, her two girls and his youngest to join Sarah Ann and Thomas.
Superintendent of national schools in Dublin
August 1839 at Warrington ()
opening more schools
1840 ()
7th edition of training book, 3rd of memoirs, comprehensive new book "A system of education for the young"
from June 1840 at Tottenham ()
economic depression: work dried up. unable to get a job with government or church or poor law commissioners, and unable to
raise money to take up invtation to USA. some lecturing e.g. at mechanics institutes
June 1841 at Bethnal Green (C)
at James Place
educationalist, age 46, with wife, daughter, and two stepdaughters
September 1842 at London ()
publisher bankrupt
around 1843 at London ()
mingd with various left-ists; communitarians, socialists, chartists. particularly close to the Gaskells of Wakefield.
spoke with Lord Shaftesbury re. national education.
few lectures
September 1843 at Hackney Road, London ()
October 1843 at Wakefield ()
family moved north. Samuel teaching and lecturing
February 1844 at Hull, East Yorks ()
set up schools for Thomas Terrington
from June 1844 at Barton on Humber (LF)
Uncharacteristically stayed on for three years as school superintendent (wife teacher) - the Wilderspin National School on Queen
Street is now open as a free museum, the only surviving Wilderspin founded school building, partly restored to its original design.
Semi-retirement - gardening and fishing.
But also lectured and opened schools in area, at Barrow, Beverley, Market Rasen, Winterton, Scarborough, York.
Received grant from prime minister's office (Robert Peel).
1845 at Barton ()
Wrote 5th book - educational songbook - with Terrington.
1846 at Barton ()
received Civil List pension of £100 a year from Queen Victoria
August 1846 at Barton ()
ill - partial paralysis
October 1846 at tour ()
Ipswich and Northwest towns
07/06/1847 at London (S)
received "national tribute" collection organized by friends, inc. proceeds of sales of copies of portrait by J R Herbert. £1800
invested in LNWR for £40 pa income. Few contributions from church and industry; mostly middle-class, non-conformist and
provincial, including Lady Byron and Charles Dickens, who spoke at the ceremony. Also received a scroll signed by 1000 infant
school children, a silver clock specially made and paid for by a penny collection from children.
from June 1848 at Wakefield ()
Moor Cottage, Westgate Common, near Daniel Gaskell.
Involved in local schools and committees, especially Wakefield mechanics institute committee where he was in charge of weekly
lectures, concerts (soirees) and classes.
Still travelled as far as Wales to lecture and give talks at soirees.
Grew a beard.
Continued to campaign and to fight with clergy.
1851 at Alverthorpe with Thorne, Yorks (C)
founder of infant schools, author and pensioner on civil list: 60, married (wife elsewhere), with Rosa Dowding (17, scholar, Hereford)
visiting , and a housemaid.
1852 at Wakefield ()
published 8th edition of training book
1861 at Alverthorpe and Thornes, Yorks (C)
70, Founder of Infants Schools and professor of the art of teaching, wife and servant
1865 at Wakefield ()
poll book lists him as too ill to vote
housebound
Died 10/03/1866 at Thornes (F)
Funeral 14/03/1866 at Thornes, Wakefield, Yorks (BR)
age 74, of Westgate, Wakefield