PEOPLE can gain a fascinating insight into how youngsters were educated 350 years ago after Keele University in Staffordshire revealed it owns one of the world's oldest children's books.
The battered leather pocket book, called A Guide For The Childe And Youth, was published in 1667 and once belonged to a family in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
It even contains the handwritten notes of Mary Berks, from Apedale, who practised her script on the back pages.
Now Keele is giving the general public a chance to see the book for themselves at the university's library.
Nick Seager, a senior lecturer in English, said the tiny volume is a window into how children learnt in the 17th century.
One of world's oldest children's books found in North Staffordshire
By Kathie McInnes | Posted: March 15, 2016
Stoke Sentinel
A close-up of the 17th century book called A Guide For The Childe And Youth. Picture: Phil Radcliffe.
PEOPLE can gain a fascinating insight into how youngsters were educated 350 years ago after Keele University revealed it owns one of the world's oldest children's books.
The battered leather pocket book, called A Guide For The Childe And Youth, was published in 1667 and once belonged to a family in Newcastle.
It even contains the handwritten notes of Mary Berks, from Apedale, who practised her script on the back pages.
Now Keele is giving the general public a chance to see the book for themselves at the university's library.
Nick Seager, a senior lecturer in English, said the tiny volume is a window into how children learnt in the 17th century.
It was an era when schools were often the preserve of the upper classes and many less affluent families would educate their children at home.
"Parents could use this book with their children and children could also read it themselves," said Nick.
"The idea of printing a book exclusively for children was new. It was also a period when books were just starting to be acquired by middle-class readers. Previously, they were the domain of the aristocracy.
"But this is not a story book. You won't find at the end that they all get home in time for supper."
Senior English lecturer Nick Seager, from Keele University, with the book. Picture: Phil Radcliffe.
A Guide For The Childe And Youth contains instructions on how to develop children's reading, writing and maths skills. It also has a fair sprinkling of religious doctrine and moral instruction.
One of the highlights is an illustrated alphabet, with rhymes to help young learners remember each letter.
For the letter 'C', they can look at a wood-cut picture of a cat playing a fiddle to dancing mice.
The entry for 'D' includes an action shot showing how 'the dog will bite a thief at night'. And for 'F', children can learn the ditty 'the idle fool is whipt at school'.
The book was written by a school teacher, known only by the initials T.H., and was designed to appeal to a wide age range of young people.
It also contains an early version of phonics, showing children how to build up words using syllables.
They could also read poems, prayers and pearls of wisdom. And there is a question and answer section to test their knowledge as well.
For maths, youngsters could follow the forerunner of today's personal finance lessons.
Nick added: "The book contains divisions of coins, including farthings and shillings. It shows how to work out a sum of money and count up the pence.
The 17th century book, The Guide For The Childe And Youth
"It was about setting children up for life and trade-based work."
The book was also a work of its time and there are tantalising references to children needing to show loyalty to King Charles II.
"It was a very turbulent political time," said Nick. "Less than 20 years earlier, (his father) Charles I had had his head cut off."
The book was published in the same year as Milton's classic Paradise Lost.
And Daniel Defoe, who would go on to write Robinson Crusoe, was just seven years old at the time.
"He may even have read a copy of this book himself," said Nick.
Yet it would be some years before the idea of publishing children's fiction really caught on.
Although story pamphlets were available, families tended to rely on the spoken word to entertain children with fairy tales and folklore.
A Guide For The Childe And Youth was rediscovered in the university's archives in recent years.
Nick now uses it to give his students an insight into how children's books have evolved over the centuries.
Helen Burton, special collections and archives administrator at Keele, said: "We've got quite extensive rare book collections.
"But this was quite a surprise find. We are in the process of making it digitally accessible."
The illustrated alphabet in The Guide For The Childe And Youth
Read more: One of world's oldest children's books found in North Staffordshire | Stoke Sentinel
Follow us: @SentinelStaffs on Twitter | sentinelstaffs on Facebook
The battered leather pocket book, called A Guide For The Childe And Youth, was published in 1667 and once belonged to a family in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
It even contains the handwritten notes of Mary Berks, from Apedale, who practised her script on the back pages.
Now Keele is giving the general public a chance to see the book for themselves at the university's library.
Nick Seager, a senior lecturer in English, said the tiny volume is a window into how children learnt in the 17th century.
One of world's oldest children's books found in North Staffordshire
By Kathie McInnes | Posted: March 15, 2016
Stoke Sentinel
A close-up of the 17th century book called A Guide For The Childe And Youth. Picture: Phil Radcliffe.
PEOPLE can gain a fascinating insight into how youngsters were educated 350 years ago after Keele University revealed it owns one of the world's oldest children's books.
The battered leather pocket book, called A Guide For The Childe And Youth, was published in 1667 and once belonged to a family in Newcastle.
It even contains the handwritten notes of Mary Berks, from Apedale, who practised her script on the back pages.
Now Keele is giving the general public a chance to see the book for themselves at the university's library.
Nick Seager, a senior lecturer in English, said the tiny volume is a window into how children learnt in the 17th century.
It was an era when schools were often the preserve of the upper classes and many less affluent families would educate their children at home.
"Parents could use this book with their children and children could also read it themselves," said Nick.
"The idea of printing a book exclusively for children was new. It was also a period when books were just starting to be acquired by middle-class readers. Previously, they were the domain of the aristocracy.
"But this is not a story book. You won't find at the end that they all get home in time for supper."
Senior English lecturer Nick Seager, from Keele University, with the book. Picture: Phil Radcliffe.
A Guide For The Childe And Youth contains instructions on how to develop children's reading, writing and maths skills. It also has a fair sprinkling of religious doctrine and moral instruction.
One of the highlights is an illustrated alphabet, with rhymes to help young learners remember each letter.
For the letter 'C', they can look at a wood-cut picture of a cat playing a fiddle to dancing mice.
The entry for 'D' includes an action shot showing how 'the dog will bite a thief at night'. And for 'F', children can learn the ditty 'the idle fool is whipt at school'.
The book was written by a school teacher, known only by the initials T.H., and was designed to appeal to a wide age range of young people.
It also contains an early version of phonics, showing children how to build up words using syllables.
They could also read poems, prayers and pearls of wisdom. And there is a question and answer section to test their knowledge as well.
For maths, youngsters could follow the forerunner of today's personal finance lessons.
Nick added: "The book contains divisions of coins, including farthings and shillings. It shows how to work out a sum of money and count up the pence.
The 17th century book, The Guide For The Childe And Youth
"It was about setting children up for life and trade-based work."
The book was also a work of its time and there are tantalising references to children needing to show loyalty to King Charles II.
"It was a very turbulent political time," said Nick. "Less than 20 years earlier, (his father) Charles I had had his head cut off."
The book was published in the same year as Milton's classic Paradise Lost.
And Daniel Defoe, who would go on to write Robinson Crusoe, was just seven years old at the time.
"He may even have read a copy of this book himself," said Nick.
Yet it would be some years before the idea of publishing children's fiction really caught on.
Although story pamphlets were available, families tended to rely on the spoken word to entertain children with fairy tales and folklore.
A Guide For The Childe And Youth was rediscovered in the university's archives in recent years.
Nick now uses it to give his students an insight into how children's books have evolved over the centuries.
Helen Burton, special collections and archives administrator at Keele, said: "We've got quite extensive rare book collections.
"But this was quite a surprise find. We are in the process of making it digitally accessible."
The illustrated alphabet in The Guide For The Childe And Youth
Read more: One of world's oldest children's books found in North Staffordshire | Stoke Sentinel
Follow us: @SentinelStaffs on Twitter | sentinelstaffs on Facebook
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