Leaders of Thought

Charles Dickens – supporter of Ragged Schools

In 1843, Charles Dickens visited the Field Lane Ragged School and was so shocked and moved by what he saw there, he decided to write a pamphlet about it. Instead though he penned ‘A Christmas Carol’ as he thought he could reach more people through a novel. An intriguing connection is that John Pounds set…

Read More

First Ragged School Portsmouth

In all history there are unsung heros and one of these must surely be John Pounds. Born in Portsmouth Hampshire, in 1766, John Pounds was crippled after a fall in the dockyards where he was an apprenticed shipwright. He became a shoemaker and was known as the crippled cobbler. There were many destitute children living…

Read More

London Library 1841

The London Library is an inspirational institution with many intriguing connections to people such as Charles Dickens

Read More

Empire and Colonialism

The theme of Empire and colonialism because it is this that charts the history of Britain from the C16th. The main thread of British expansion and imperialism is the history of the overseas trade routes….

Read More