A 150th Anniversary Celebration

On Monday February 8th, MFAA members met with Mr Barry Willetts (Superinendant), deacons and some of the congregation of Two Gates Ragged School (TGRS), Cradley, to discuss recording the history of the chapel from which to prepare a series of presentations, displays and public shows to celebrate the forthcoming 150th anniversary of the chapel and Sunday School.

TGRS is one of only two ragged schools remaining country-wide that together with the Ragged School Museum serve as reminders of the development of free education for poor people from the early 1800’s. The Ragged School movement was begun by John Pounds, a Portsmouth Shoemaker, who in 1818 began teaching children without charging a fee.

Inaugurated in June 1867 the project team hope to gather and share TGRS history and heritage from August 2016 leading up to and including celebrating the 150th anniversary in June 2017.