It's date of construction was 1878, and was founded for the benefit of children of Chesterfield who were living and working in poverty. The idea of ragged schools was developed by John Pounds, a Portsmouth shoemaker. In 1818 Pounds began teaching poor children without charging fees. Thomas Guthrie helped to promote Pounds' idea of free schooling for working class children. Guthrie started a ragged school in Edinburgh and Sheriff Watson established another in Aberdeen. Lord Shaftesbury formed the Ragged School Union in 1844 and over the next eight years over 200 free schools for poor children were established in Britain. The school seen here became a member of the Chesterfield Sunday School Union in 1879. By 1885 there were 340 pupils and 27 teachers.