1752-1759 CHARITY SCHOOLS IN WALES 039. WELCH PIETY. Welch piety: or, a farther account of the circulating Welch Charity Schools, from Michaelmas 1750, to Michaelmas 1751. To which are annexed, testimonials relating to the Masters and Scholars of the said schools. In a Letter to a friend. London: Printed by J. Oliver, In Bartholomew-Close. 1752. 60p. Not in BLESTC, NUC or HIGGS. CCC only in ESTC. WELCH PIETY. Welch piety: or, a farther account of the circulating Welch Charity Schools, from Michaelmas 1752, to Michaelmas 1753. To which arse annexed, testimonials relating to the Masters and Scholars of the said schools. In a Letter to a friend. London: Printed by J. Oliver, In Bartholomew-Close. 1754. 58p. Not in BLESTC, NUC or HIGGS. CCC only in ESTC. WELCH PIETY. Welch piety: or, a farther account of the circulating Welch Charity Schools, from Michaelmas 1758, to Michaelmas 1759. To which are annexed, testimonials relating to the Masters and Scholars of the said schools. In a Letter to a friend. London: Printed by J. Oliver, In Bartholomew-Close. 1759. 72p. Not in BLESTC, NUC or HIGGS. O only only in ESTC. Three annual issues of these reports on Welch Charity Schools, each with stab holes as separately issued. Bound together in half red morocco, marbled boards. From the library of the Department of Education and Science with the old oval stamp of the Science and Art Department Educational Library and the old round stamp of the Education Department Library on the title page of the first item in the volume. The author of these accounts was Griffith Jones. The British Library has Accounts for the years 17.49, 1758 and 1773 but none of those present here. NUC records the account for 1758, (one location, NIC, only) but again none of those listed here. Higgs records an Account dated 1762 (HIGGS 2805) but no others. In addition to Griffith Jones, rector of Llandower, Carmarthenshire the trustees include Rev. James Hervey of Northamptonshire (author of the ever-popular "Meditations and Contemplations ") . According to the Account for 1749-50 the number of schools established in Wales for the education of the children of the poor totalled 160 and the number of poor scholars taught in them 6,200. They were taught in Welch which the author refers to as "the ancient British Tongue" since it would be impractical to attempt instruction in English. By the year 1757 the number of schools had increased to 220 and the number of pupils to 9,037. Griffith Jones was the main inspiration and moving force behind the Welsh Circulating Charity Schools. For a full discussion of his work and the movement see M.G. Jones, The Charity School Movement 1938, Chapter IV "The Circulating Welsh Charity Schools", p.297-314. An important survival of three examples from a very rare series.