This article explores the process of the formation of "the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church" through focusing on disagreements amongst its promoters. It demonstrates that a discrepancy existed in the opinions of Anglican promoters concerning what an Anglican national institution should be like, and that the formation of the National Society was a process of compromise between these promoters. The formation and the first phase of operation of the society show that the National Society can be regarded as a more liberal and comprehensive organisation than earlier literature has suggested. The study also shows that the formation and early operation of the National Society can be seen as a forgotten origin of the liberal education policy founded in the 1830s.