Faith in the Town – History and RE Resources for Primary Teachers

Dr Kate Gibson, Social historian of the eighteenth century

I am social historian of eighteenth century Britain and I was part of a team of researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham from 2018 to 2021. We spent three years going through dozens of archives and local record offices looking for diaries, letters and objects like pottery or needlework samplers which people would have displayed in their houses. We ended with over 200 case studies of families or individuals.

We aimed to uncover the experiences of a large range of people. We have items written or made by people of all ages, including young children, business owners who made fortunes in the cotton industry, grocers and shopkeepers, as well as people living in quite severe poverty. For example we found the diary of a man called John Burnthwaite from Cumbria. In the early 1830s he walked around the country selling religious pamphlets, partly because he had no settled home and very little money. For him, his religion was a source of comfort, so when he experienced bad weather or his boots fell apart he prayed to God for guidance, and then gave thanks to providence if he was able to sell enough pamphlets in a particular day. It is through examples such as John Burnthwaite that we can see both the changing economic and physical landscape, as well as deep roots of peoples’ Christian faith.

As part of this research project we have worked with Kate Christopher and graphic designer David Caunce to produce a range of free resources for schools. The lessons are based on the archive documents including maps, needlework samplers, letters and diaries.

Our aim has been to encourage pupils to ask what was it like to grow up, live and work in a growing industrial town. How did the upheavals affect daily life, how did it change how people thought about their place in the world, and did it change their Christian faith? These questions tie in with broader themes such as the economic and social impact of industrialisation, as well as the growing diversity of Christian belief in the eighteenth century.

The resources are designed for KS2 and 3 pupils and arranged around 7 lessons. Each lesson contains background notes and ideas for teaching. Resource packs are given with each lesson so they are ready to be taught. The themes in the lessons are flexible so Primary teachers could apply them across History, Geography and English as well as RE.

Dr Kate Christopher, Teacher and adviser

As a teacher this has been a wonderful opportunity to create resources based on new historical research. This allows teachers to experiment with looking through a historical lens and how it feels in the classroom. I have presented this project to several groups of Primary teachers who have all responded positively to the idea that children can think as historians in RE. They can look at the sources and make sense of them in their own way.

Through these resources pupils will engage with rich, sometimes complex ideas and sources. They gain a glimpse into a past age that illuminates the present. They hear different voices and listen to peoples’ hopes and fears and their daily lives. It is a fascinating glimpse into an era experiencing rapid technological, social and physical change.

These resources support a multidisciplinary approach to Religion and Worldviews in that they provide an excellent example of historical thinking.

Please access the resources through this link: https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/research/projects/current/faith-in-the-town/

We would be very grateful for any feedback.

Check out the main website here, including blogs about the artefacts and sources for your wider interest: https://faithinthetown.wordpress.com/

Dr Kate Gibson is a researcher at the University of Manchester, specialising in the social history of eighteenth-century Britain.

Dr Kate Christopher teaches part-time in a secondary school in inner London, is an RE Advisor and is Culham St Gabriel’s Lead Consultant for Professional Development. Email: kate@cstg.org.uk