William Wilberforce
Who was William Wilberforce?
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William Wilberforce was born in 1759 in Hull, East Yorkshire. He graduated from university in Cambridge with the intention of following a political career and became Member of Parliament for Hull in 1780, aged 21. He became Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in 1784 and devoted most of his life and parliamentary career to the abolition of the British Slave Trade. Wilberforce was a deeply religious man and was converted to Evangelical Christianity in 1785 by his friend Isaac Milner. He was a popular figure and was known to be charming and witty and a great public speaker.
He was a lifelong friend of
William Pitt, who later became Prime Minister. With the backing of Pitt, Wilberforce became leader of
The Society for the Abolition of Slavery, whose members included
Thomas Clarkson and
Granville Sharpe. Together they campaigned for almost twenty years to bring an end to British involvement in the
Transatlantic Slave Trade. The abolition campaign made them many enemies, especially among those who had made huge profits from the slave trade.
Wilberforce left Hull in 1792 and moved to Clapham, London to be closer to his work in Westminster. Within the Clapham community he found friends who shared his interests in religion and politics. They became known as the "Clapham Sect" and they actively supported the anti-slavery abolitionists in raising public awareness by producing pamphlets, books and organising rallies and petitions.
Wilberforce attempted, several times, to bring private member’s Bills before Parliament which aimed to abolish Britain’s involvement in the slave trade. However, after many years of defeats, he finally achieved his goal on 25th March, 1807. But this did not abolish slavery completely.
Wilberforce also campaigned for
The Reformation of Manners and fought for legislation to improve the lives of the poor. He was passionate about education, prison reforms and ending child labour. He was also one of the founders of the
Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
He married
Barbara Spooner in 1797 and they had 6 children. Wilberforce was a loving and devoted husband and father and was proud that three of his sons became clergyman. He retired from politics in 1825 due to ill health but continued to campaign for the abolition of slavery and the freedom of slaves.
Finally, on 26th July, 1833, as Wilberforce lay on his deathbed, he was told that the
Slavery Abolition Bill, granting freedom to all slaves within the British Empire, had been passed by Parliament. Wilberforce died three days later. It was agreed that as a mark of respect of his achievements, his body should be buried in Westminster Abbey, London.
See where William Wilberforce was born, in Hull.»
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