During the year 1852-53, there were four day schools, with 235 children in them, entirely supported by the funds of the Institution. Further, one Sunday school in Bristol, with 150 children, was entirely supported, and three others in Devonshire, Somersetshire, and Gloucestershire, with 280 children, were assisted. Lastly, one adult school, with 103 adult scholars, was entirely supported by the funds of the Institution. There were under our care, from March 5, 1834, to May 26, 1853, in the various day schools 5,686 children, in the Sunday schools 2,673 children, and in the adult school 2,132 persons. There was expended of the funds of the Institution during this year, for the various schools, L349, 12s. 11d.
During this year there was laid out of the funds of the Institution, on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, L431, 5s, 11/2d., and there were circulated 1,666 Bibles and 1,210 New Testaments. There were circulated from March 5, 1834, up to May 26, 1853, 10,476 Bibles, and 6,061 New Testaments.
For several years past this part of the work has appeared more and more important to me on account of the fearful attempts which have been made by the powers of darkness to rob the church of Christ of the Holy Scriptures. I have on this account sought to embrace every opportunity to circulate the Holy Scriptures in England, Ireland, Canada, British Guiana, the East Indies, China, Australia, etc. Every open door which the Lord was pleased to set before me in these or other parts of the world, I have joyfully entered; yea, I have counted it a privilege, indeed, to be permitted of God to send forth his Holy Word. Many servants of Christ, in various parts of the world, have assisted me in this service, through whose instrumentality copies of the Holy Scriptures have been circulated.
During this year there was spent of the funds of the Institution for missionary objects L2,234, 2s. 6d. By this sum fifty-four laborers in the word and doctrine, in various parts of the world, were to a greater or less degree assisted.
There was laid out for the circulation of tracts, from May 26, 1852, to May 26, 1853, the sum of L555, 16s. 71/2d.; and there were circulated within this year 733,674 tracts.
The total number of tracts which were circulated up to May 26, 1853, was 1,820,040. From Nov. 19, 1840, to May 10, 1842, the first period that the circulation of tracts was in operation in connection with the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, there were circulated 19,609; from May 26, 1851, to May 26, 1852, 489,136; and during this period 733,674.
At the beginning of this period there were 300 orphans in the new Orphan House on Ashley Down, Bristol. During the year there were admitted into it 13 orphans, making 313 in all. The total number of orphans who were under our care from April, 1836, to May 26, 1853, was 528.
_Without any one having been personally applied to for anything by me_, the sum of L55,408, 17s. 53/4d. was given to me for the orphans, _as the result of prayer to God_, from the commencement of the work up to May 26, 1853. It may be also interesting to the reader to know that the total amount which was given for the other objects, from the commencement of the work up to May 26, 1853, amounted to L19,163, 14s. 11/2d.; and that which came in by the sale of Bibles and tracts, and by the payments of the children in the day schools, amounted to L3,490, 7s. 11/4d. Besides this, also, a great variety and number of articles of clothing, furniture, provisions, etc., were given _for the use_ of the orphans.
The expenses in connection with the support of the 300 orphans and the apprentices during this year were L3,453, 15s. 11/2d.
Dec. 31, 1852. During this year there have been received into fellowship 35 believers. The Lord has been pleased to give unto me L445, 8s. 81/2d.
My brother-in-law, Mr. A. N. Groves, of whom mention has been made in the first part of this Narrative, as having been helpful to me by his example when I began my labors in England in 1829, in that he, without any visible support, and without being connected with any missionary society, went with his wife and children to Bagdad, as a missionary, after having given up a lucrative practice of about one thousand five hundred pounds per year, returned in autumn 1852, from the East Indies, a third time, being exceedingly ill. He lived, however, till May 20, 1853, when, after a most blessed testimony for the Lord, he fell asleep in Jesus in my house.
I have already stated that on May 26, 1853, I had on hand toward building premises large enough for the accommodation of 700 children, the sum of L12,531, 12s. 01/4d.
A single circumstance will illustrate the widely diverse sources from which donations are received, as well as the great disparity in amount.