Joseph Blake

Primarily comprising correspondence written to the secretaries of the WMMS between 1838 and 1862 regarding the establishment of juvenile missionary societies or associations and fundraising through children. In particular, Blake writes at great length regarding the systematic collection of small amounts of money (half-a-pence) by each child from about eight individuals on a weekly basis. He frequently laments the Society's insistence on concentrating on collecting money at specific times (e.g. Christmas). The correspondence also includes information on: the formation of juvenile missionary societies (including Blake's work at Harrow); his book 'The Day of Small Things' and related publications; the importance of Sabbath (Sunday) schools; collecting for missionary ships and establishing a fund for old preachers. There are also a couple of letters regarding Harrow Chapel itself. Finally, there are a few printed items including two printed Christmas appeals by the WMMS to children (1841 & 1843) and two circular letters written by Blake promoting the 'Juvenile Home and Foreign Missionary Society' (1862).

Joseph Blake (1791-1869), a shoemaker by trade, was influential in the creation of Wesleyan Methodist juvenile missionary societies and the Juvenile Home and Foreign Missionary Society (later to become known as the Juvenile Missionary Association). Blake spent much of his adult life teaching in Methodist Sunday schools (principally at Harrow, Middlesex) and encouraging the WMMS to involve children in its work, particularly through fundraising.

Inspired by a sermon delivered by the Rev Matthew Wills in 1812 Blake initiated a scheme in Wandsworth, Surrey, whereby he encouraged his charges to collect half-a-penny a week from each adult they could for missionary work. Unfortunately, he soon discovered that this disadvantaged the poorer children in his Sunday school and he halted the collections. However, others adapted Blake's approach and by 1815 Juvenile Missionary Societies had been set up in Yorkshire, London, Leicestershire and Kingswood School.

By 1815 Blake had moved to Harrow where his time was initially taken up with fundraising to renovate the chapel. In 1824, with the assistance of a local preacher named Hill, they formed a missionary branch. Blake then developed his system for collecting which involved encouraging children to collect half-a-pence a week from eight subscribers. Blake soon showed how such small sums regularly collected could raise quite substantial revenue over time. Blake also believed that the involvement of children at a young age would encourage them to become life-long supporters of missionary work.

In 1836 Blake consulted with the secretaries of the WMMS and was asked to adapt his scheme at Harrow for use across the country and in 1841, as steward of the Hammersmith Circuit, he persuaded the London District Meeting of the merits of his plan. Blake's system of collecting became widely adopted and was supported through the monthly publication of the Wesleyan Juvenile Offering from 1844. In 1846 funds raised by children assisted with the purchase of a new missionary ship, the 'John Wesley', to replace the outmoded 'Triton'. Blake's 'The Day of Small Things', which explained the methodology of collecting and gave encouragement to the founding of juvenile missionary societies, was first published in 1849.

Blake's wife, Esther Susanna, died on 21st June 1862 with Blake himself dying on 22nd January 1869.

Further Reading:

Blake, J, The day of small things (1849 & 1868);

JMA, A Brief History of the Junior Missionary Association of the Methodist Church (1980);

The Wesleyan juvenile offering: a miscellany of missionary information for young persons (1844-1878).

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Further correspondence by Blake can be found amongst the Home correspondence - see handlist for details. It is possible that replies to Blake's letters are extant amongst the Outgoing correspondence series (MMS/Home/Correspondence/Outgoing/FBN 24A-24B).

Within Notes & Transcripts (item 6) there is some material - notes and correspondence, 1948-1952 - on Blake and the evolution of the JMA (MMS/Special Series/Notes & Transcripts/FBN 1) as well as (item 200) a photograph of the memorial tablet to him formerly in Bessborough Road Church, Harrow, with some correspondence and brief notes, 1972 (MMS/Special Series/Notes & Transcripts/FBN 8).