Thomas Guthrie was another man of vision and philanthropy who in his day did much for the children of Scotland.

Guthrie was born in Brechin on July 12, 1803, the 12th child and sixth son of David Guthrie and Clementina Cay. His father was a merchant and banker in Arbroath. Precocious by todays standards, perhaps, he went to Edinburgh University at the age of 12 where he studied surgery and anatomy and completed the eight year divinity curriculum by 1825 - two years before he could be licensed as a minister, which time he spent at the Sorbonne in Paris.

In 1829 he was appointed to the Parish of Arbilot near Forfar where he introduced a special church service for children every Sunday afternoon. He soon became a "pictorial" preacher, illustrating his sermons with events in common life that were familiar to the people. His experiences in banking led him to open a savings bank for his parishioners and also a village library, all of which enhanced his growing reputation.

In 1837, Guthrie was invited to be minister at the Old Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh where he saw at first hand the "ragged children" who lived by begging and stealing amongst the poverty and squalor of the Old Town. He had probably heard of "Ragged Schools" which had been set up in England in 1820 and around the same time, Sherrif Watson in Aberdeen had formed his "Industrial Feeding School" in 1841.

In 1847, Rev. Guthrie began his campaign with a pamphlet entitled "Plea for Ragged Schools" which spoke of "bloated and brutal figures.. fierce looking women, and many a half clad mother, shivering in cold winter, her naked feet on the frozen pavement, a skeleton infant in her arms."

The pamphlet went on to say, "(D)ashing in and out of the closes careering over the open ground engaged in rude games, arrayed in flying drapery here a leg out and their an arm, are crowds of children; their faces tell how ill they are fed; their fearful oaths tell how ill they are reared."

"These Arabs of the city are as those of the desert, and must be broken in to three habits - those of discipline, learning and industry, not to speak of cleanliness."

Public subscriptions raised over £2000. and he was able to take seven boys as pupils at the Ragged School in Free St. Johns Church. Further premises were opened in Ramsay Lane, where over the entrance is a carved bible with the text "Search the Scriptures".

The prime rule of the schools was to reclaim the children from destitution and train them to earn an honest living. They were well fed and educated about cleanliness, godliness, reading, writing and taught skills including cobbling, tailoring, and cooking. By doing jobs for local shops the children were able to earn a small wage and were instilled with "the value of a penny earned."