p and down the aisles, and if any unfortunate
youngster did anything wrong, down came the wand, whack, upon the--no,
not upon the boy's head but upon the back of the seat, for the boys
generally could dodge it!

One of the earliest Sunday Schools established in Hertfordshire was at
Hoddesdon (1790) of which the following rules will perhaps be read with
interest by some youthful readers who think an hour in school a trial
of patience--

"The Children are to appear in the School-room at Eight o'clock in the
Morning during the Summer Months, and at nine in the Winter, and again
both Summer and Winter at Half-past Two o'clock in the Afternoon, with
clean Face and Hands, Hair combed, and decently clothed according to
the Abilities of their Parents; to proceed to Church, and from thence
to School, there to remain receiving Instruction till Six o'Clock in
the Evening!

"The Teachers shall receive One Shilling per Score; and have an
Assistant when the Number requires it."

"Children not coming to School in time, are to wear a Mark inscribed
Idle Boy or Girl, in large Letters, during Church, and the whole or
part of the School Time.

"Children behaving ill to wear a Mark of Naughty Boy or Girl."

{119}

The Old Meeting Sunday School, established in 1813, appears to have
been brought into the shape of an institution by the earlier efforts of
the Misses Nash, daughters of Mr. Wm. Nash, a noted lawyer, whose name
is mentioned elsewhere. These ladies first conducted a class for girls
in their own house. The school at the Old Meeting was started with the
following Committee of Management:--Rev. John Pendered (their
minister), James Pigott, William Clack, William Smith, William Field
Butler and Henry Butler, and the first Sunday scholar on the old
register I notice was the late Mr. John Norman, the naturalist; Mr.
James Jacklin being also among the earliest scholars.

The Sunday School at the New Meeting (Kneesworth Street Chapel) was
established later by the efforts of Mr. Stallabrass, a wool stapler,
living in Melbourn Street. The distinction of paid Church school
teachers and voluntary teachers at the Chapels appears to have been
kept up for at least 20 years after the schools were established, for
in 1831 a return was required to be made by the Overseers to the House
of Commons of all schools in their parishes, and from the return made
on that occasion by Thomas A. Butterfield and Philip Craft (overseers),
I give the