# Tatatag: a semantic typing machine

https://tecling.com/textagram
Version: August 8, 2025: This version works with English and Spanish

Result for text extracleancorp/extra-clean-file-119.txt.tag

## Text without annotations

English politician and abolitionist ( 1759-1833 ) For his eldest son , a lawyer and Member of Parliament , see William Wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . William Wilberforce Portrait by Karl Anton Hickel , c. 1794 Member of Parliament In office 31 October 1780 - February 1825 Preceded by David Hartley Succeeded by Arthur Gough-Calthorpe Constituency * Kingston upon Hull ( 1780-1784 ) * Yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * Bramber ( 1812-1825 ) Personal details Born ( 1759-08-24) 24 August 1759 Kingston upon Hull , Yorkshire , England Died 29 July 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) Belgravia , London , England Resting place Westminster Abbey Political party Independent Spouse Barbara Spooner ​ ( m. 1797 ) ​ Children 6 , including Robert , Samuel and Henry Alma mater St John 's College , Cambridge Signature Venerated in Anglicanism Feast 30 July William Wilberforce ( 24 August 1759 - 29 July 1833 ) was a British politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade . A native of Kingston upon Hull , Yorkshire , he began his political career in 1780 , and became an independent Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) . In 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an Evangelical Anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . In 1787 , Wilberforce came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including Granville Sharp , Hannah More and Charles Middleton . They persuaded Wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition , and he became a leading English abolitionist . He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807 . Wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion , morality and education . He was involved in causes and campaigns such as the Society for the Suppression of Vice , British missionary work in India , the creation of a free colony in Sierra Leone , the foundation of the Church Mission Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals . His underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . Wilberforce played a central role in the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and continued his involvement after 1826 , when he resigned from Parliament because of health issues . That campaign led to the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 , which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire . Wilberforce died just three days after hearing that the passage of the act through Parliament was assured . He was buried in Westminster Abbey , close to his friend William Pitt the Younger . Early life and education Wilberforce was born in Hull , in Yorkshire , England , on 24 August 1759 . He was the only son of Robert Wilberforce ( 1728-1768 ) , a wealthy merchant , and his wife , Elizabeth Bird ( 1730-1798 ) . His grandfather , William ( 1690-1774 ) , had made the family fortune in the maritime trade with Baltic countries . He was twice elected mayor of Hull . Wilberforce was a small , sickly and delicate child with poor eyesight . In 1767 , he began attending Hull Grammar School , which at the time was headed by Joseph Milner , who would become a lifelong friend . Wilberforce profited from the supportive atmosphere at the school , until his father died in 1768 . With his mother struggling to cope , the nine-year-old Wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both St James 's Place , London , and Wimbledon . He attended an " indifferent " boarding school in Putney for two years and spent his holidays in Wimbledon , where he grew extremely fond of his relatives . He became interested in evangelical Christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt Hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant John Thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading Methodist preacher , George Whitefield . Wilberforce 's staunchly Church of England mother and grandfather , alarmed at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism , brought the 12-year-old boy back to Hull in 1771 . Wilberforce was heartbroken at being separated from his aunt and uncle . His family opposed a return to Hull Grammar School because the headmaster had become a Methodist , and Wilberforce continued his education at Pocklington School from 1771 to 1776 . Influenced by Methodist scruples , he initially resisted Hull 's lively social life , but , as his religious fervour diminished , he embraced theatre-going , attended balls , and played cards . statue on a lawn of a two-storey Georgian house A statue of William Wilberforce outside Wilberforce House , his birthplace in Hull In October 1776 , at the age of seventeen , Wilberforce went up to St John 's College , Cambridge . The deaths of his grandfather and uncle , in 1774 and 1777 respectively , had left him independently wealthy and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study . Instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . Witty , generous and an excellent conversationalist , Wilberforce was a popular figure . He made many friends , including the more studious future Prime Minister William Pitt . Despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying , he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1781 and a Master of Arts degree in 1788 . Early parliamentary career Wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and Pitt frequently watched House of Commons debates from the gallery . Pitt , already set on a political career , encouraged Wilberforce to join him in obtaining a parliamentary seat . In September 1780 , at the age of 21 and while still a student , Wilberforce was elected Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull , spending over £8,000 , as was the custom of the time , to ensure he received the necessary votes . Free from financial pressures , Wilberforce sat as an independent , resolving to be " no party man " . Criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both Tory and Whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . Wilberforce attended Parliament regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life , becoming an habitué of gentlemen 's gambling clubs such as Goostree 's and Boodle 's in Pall Mall , London . The writer and socialite Madame de Staël described him as the " wittiest man in England " and , according to Georgiana , Duchess of Devonshire , the Prince of Wales said that he would go anywhere to hear Wilberforce sing . Wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author James Boswell witnessed Wilberforce 's eloquence in the House of Commons and noted , " I saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as I listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " During the frequent government changes of 1781-1784 , Wilberforce supported his friend Pitt in parliamentary debates . In autumn 1783 , Pitt , Wilberforce and Edward Eliot travelled to France for a six-week holiday together . After a difficult start in Rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were English spies , they visited Paris , meeting Benjamin Franklin , General Lafayette , Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI , and joined the French court at Fontainebleau . Pitt became Prime Minister in December 1783 , with Wilberforce a key supporter of his minority government . Despite their close friendship , there is no record that Pitt offered Wilberforce a ministerial position in this or future governments . This may have been due to Wilberforce 's wish to remain an independent MP. Alternatively , Wilberforce 's frequent tardiness and disorganisation , as well as his chronic eye problems that at times made reading impossible , may have convinced Pitt that he was not ministerial material . When Parliament was dissolved in the spring of 1784 , Wilberforce decided to stand as a candidate for the county of Yorkshire in the 1784 general election . On 6 April , he was returned as MP for Yorkshire at the age of twenty-four . Conversion In October 1784 , Wilberforce embarked upon a tour of Europe with his mother , sister and Isaac Milner , the younger brother of his former headmaster . They visited the French Riviera and had dinners , played cards , and gambled . In February 1785 , Wilberforce returned to London temporarily , to support Pitt 's proposals for parliamentary reforms . He rejoined the party in Genoa , Italy , and they continued their tour to Switzerland . Milner accompanied Wilberforce to England , and on the journey they read " The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul " by Philip Doddridge , a leading early 18th-century English nonconformist . An oil-on-canvas portrait of Wilberforce holding a pen . William Wilberforce by John Rising , 1790 , pictured at the age of 30 Wilberforce 's spiritual journey is thought to have changed course at this time . He started to rise early to read the Bible and pray and kept a private journal . He underwent an evangelical conversion , regretting his past life and resolving to commit his future life and work to the service of God . His conversion changed some of his habits , but not his nature : he remained outwardly cheerful , interested and respectful , tactfully urging others towards his new faith . Inwardly , he became self-critical , harshly judging his spirituality , use of time , vanity , self-control and relationships with others . At the time , religious enthusiasm was generally regarded as a social transgression and was stigmatised in polite society . Evangelicals in the upper classes were exposed to contempt and ridicule , and Wilberforce 's conversion led him to question whether he should remain in public life . He sought guidance from John Newton , a leading evangelical Anglican clergyman of the day and Rector of St Mary Woolnoth . Both counselled him to remain in politics , and he resolved to do so " with increased diligence and conscientiousness " . His political views were informed by his faith and by his desire to promote Christianity and Christian ethics in private and public life . His views were often deeply conservative , opposed to radical changes in a God-given political and social order , and focused on issues such as the observance of the Sabbath and the eradication of immorality through education and reform . He was often distrusted by progressive voices because of his conservatism , and regarded with suspicion by many Tories who saw evangelicals as radicals who wanted the overthrow of church and state . In 1786 , Wilberforce leased a house in Old Palace Yard , Westminster , in order to be near Parliament . He began using his parliamentary position to advocate reform by introducing a Registration Bill , proposing limited changes to parliamentary election procedures . In response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . The bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . The House of Commons passed both bills , but they were defeated in the House of Lords . Abolition of the transatlantic slave trade Initial decision The British initially became involved in the slave trade during the 16th century . By 1783 , the triangular route that took British-made goods to Africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the West Indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to Britain , represented about 80 percent of Great Britain 's foreign income . British ships dominated the slave trade , supplying French , Spanish , Dutch , Portuguese and British colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the Atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . Of the estimated 11 million Africans transported into slavery , about 1.4 million died during the voyage . The British campaign to abolish the slave trade is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment of the Quakers ' anti-slavery committees , and their presentation to Parliament of the first slave trade petition in 1783 . The same year , Wilberforce , while dining with his Cambridge friend Gerard Edwards , met Rev. James Ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of St Christopher ( later St Kitts ) . Ramsay was horrified by the conditions endured by the enslaved peoples , both at sea and on the plantations and returned to England and joined abolitionist movements . Wilberforce did not follow up on his meeting with Ramsay , but three years later , inspired by his new faith , Wilberforce became interested in humanitarian reform . In November 1786 , he received a letter from Sir Charles Middleton that re-opened his interest in the slave trade . Middleton suggested that Wilberforce bring forward the abolition of the slave trade in Parliament . Wilberforce responded that he " felt the great importance of the subject , and thought himself unequal to the task allotted to him , but yet would not positively decline it " . He began to read widely on the subject and met with a group of abolitionists called the Testonites at Middleton 's home in the early winter of 1786-1787 . see caption Diagram of a slave ship , the Brookes , illustrating how slaves were transported In early 1787 , Thomas Clarkson met with Wilberforce for the first time at Old Palace Yard and brought a copy of his essay on the subject . Clarkson visited Wilberforce weekly , bringing first-hand evidence he had obtained about the slave trade . The Quakers , already working for abolition , recognised the need for influence within Parliament , and urged Clarkson to secure a commitment from Wilberforce to bring forward the case for abolition in the House of Commons . It was arranged that Bennet Langton , a Lincolnshire landowner and mutual acquaintance of Wilberforce and Clarkson , would organise a dinner party on 13 March 1787 to ask Wilberforce formally to lead the parliamentary campaign . By the end of the evening , Wilberforce had agreed in general terms that he would bring forward the abolition of the slave trade in Parliament , " provided that no person more proper could be found " . The same spring , on 12 May 1787 , the still hesitant Wilberforce held a conversation with William Pitt and the future Prime Minister William Grenville as they sat under a large oak tree on Pitt 's estate in Kent . Under what came to be known as the " Wilberforce Oak " at Holwood House , Pitt challenged his friend to give notice of a motion concerning the slave trade before another parliamentarian did . Wilberforce 's response is not recorded , but he later declared this was when he decided to bring forward the motion . Early parliamentary action Wilberforce had planned to introduce a motion giving notice that he would bring forward a bill for the Abolition of the Slave Trade during the 1789 parliamentary session . However , in January 1788 , he was taken ill with a probable stress-related condition , now thought to be ulcerative colitis . It was several months before he was able to resume work , and he spent time convalescing at Bath and Cambridge . His regular bouts of gastrointestinal illnesses precipitated the use of moderate quantities of opium , which proved effective in alleviating his condition , and which he continued to use for the rest of his life . In Wilberforce 's absence , Pitt , who had long been supportive of abolition , introduced the preparatory motion himself , and ordered a Privy Council investigation into the slave trade , followed by a House of Commons review . A black man with shackles around their wrists and ankles is kneeling to the right . An inscription at the bottom reads " " Am I not a man and a brother ? " " Am I Not A Man And A Brother ? " Medallion created as part of anti-slavery campaign by Josiah Wedgwood , 1787 With the publication of the Privy Council report in April 1789 and following months of planning , Wilberforce commenced his parliamentary campaign . On 12 May 1789 , he made his first major speech on the subject of abolition in the House of Commons , in which he reasoned that the trade was morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice . Drawing on Thomas Clarkson 's mass of evidence , he described in detail the appalling conditions in which enslaved people travelled from Africa in the middle passage and argued that abolishing the trade would also bring an improvement to the conditions of existing slaves in the West Indies . He moved twelve resolutions condemning the slave trade , but did not refer to the abolition of slavery itself , instead dwelling on the potential for reproduction in the existing slave population should the trade be abolished . With several parliamentarians signalling support for the bill , the opponents of abolition delayed the vote by proposing that the House of Commons hear its own evidence ; Wilberforce , in a decision that has been criticised for prolonging the slave trade , reluctantly agreed . The hearings were not completed by the end of the parliamentary session and were deferred until the following year . In the meantime , Wilberforce and Clarkson tried unsuccessfully to take advantage of the egalitarian atmosphere of the French Revolution to press for France 's abolition of the trade . In January 1790 , Wilberforce succeeded in speeding up the hearings by gaining approval for a smaller parliamentary select committee to consider the vast quantity of evidence which had been accumulated . Wilberforce 's house in Old Palace Yard became a centre for the abolitionists ' campaign and the location for many strategy meetings . Petitioners for other causes also besieged him there . Let us not despair ; it is a blessed cause , and success , ere long , will crown our exertions . Already we have gained one victory ; we have obtained , for these poor creatures , the recognition of their human nature , which , for a while was most shamefully denied . This is the first fruits of our efforts ; let us persevere and our triumph will be complete . Never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the Christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . William Wilberforce — speech before the House of Commons , 18 April 1791 Interrupted by a general election in June 1790 , the committee finished hearing witnesses and in April 1791 , with a closely reasoned four-hour speech , Wilberforce introduced the first parliamentary bill to abolish the slave trade . After two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the French Revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the French West Indies . A protracted parliamentary campaign to abolish slavery continued , and Wilberforce remained committed to this cause despite frustration and hostility . He was supported by fellow members of the Clapham Sect , among whom was his best friend and cousin Henry Thornton . Wilberforce accepted an invitation to share a house with Henry Thornton in 1792 , moving into his own home after Thornton 's marriage in 1796 . Wilberforce , the Clapham Sect and others were anxious to demonstrate that Africans , and particularly freed slaves , had human and economic abilities beyond the slave trade and capable of sustaining a well-ordered society , trade and cultivation . Inspired in part by the utopian vision of Granville Sharp , they became involved in the establishment in 1792 of a free colony in Sierra Leone with black settlers from Britain , Nova Scotia and Jamaica , as well as native Africans and some whites . They formed the Sierra Leone Company , with Wilberforce subscribing liberally to the project in money and time . On 2 April 1792 , Wilberforce brought another bill calling for abolition of the slave trade . Henry Dundas , as Home Secretary , proposed a compromise solution of gradual abolition of the trade over several years . This was passed by 230 to 85 votes , but Wilberforce believed that it was little more than a clever ploy to ensure that total abolition would be delayed indefinitely . War with France On 26 February 1793 , another vote to abolish the slave trade was narrowly defeated by eight votes . The outbreak of war with France the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . The same year , and again in 1794 , Wilberforce unsuccessfully brought before Parliament a bill to outlaw British ships from supplying enslaved people to foreign colonies . He voiced his concern about the war and urged Pitt and his government to make greater efforts to end hostilities . Growing more alarmed , on 31 December 1794 , Wilberforce moved that the government seek a peaceful resolution with France , a stance that created a temporary breach in his long friendship with Pitt . Abolition continued to be associated in the public consciousness with the French Revolution and with British radical groups , resulting in a decline in public support . Despite this , Wilberforce continued to introduce abolition bills throughout the 1790s . The early years of the 19th century saw an increased public interest in abolition . In June 1804 , Wilberforce 's bill to abolish the slave trade successfully passed all its stages through the House of Commons . However , it was too late in the parliamentary session for it to complete its passage through the House of Lords . On its reintroduction during the 1805 session , it was defeated , with even the usually sympathetic Pitt failing to support it . On this occasion and throughout the campaign , abolition was held back by Wilberforce 's trusting , even credulous nature , and his deferential attitude towards those in power . He found it difficult to believe that men of rank would not do what he perceived to be the right thing , and was reluctant to confront them when they did not . Final phase of the campaign see caption The House of Commons in Wilberforce 's day by Augustus Pugin and Thomas Rowlandson ( 1808-1811 ) Following Pitt 's death in January 1806 , Wilberforce increased his collaboration with the Whigs , especially the abolitionists . He gave general support to the Grenville-Fox administration , which brought more abolitionists into the cabinet ; Wilberforce and Charles Fox led the campaign in the House of Commons . A radical change of tactics , which involved the introduction of a bill to ban British subjects from aiding or participating in the slave trade to the French colonies , was suggested by the maritime lawyer James Stephen . A bill was introduced and approved by the cabinet , and Wilberforce and other abolitionists maintained a self-imposed silence , so as not to draw any attention to the effect of the bill . The approach was successful and the Foreign Slave Trade Bill received royal assent on 23 May 1806 . Wilberforce and Clarkson collected a large volume of evidence against the slave trade over the previous two decades , and Wilberforce spent the latter part of 1806 writing A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade , which was a comprehensive restatement of the abolitionists ' case . Wilberforce was re-elected as an MP for Yorkshire in the 1806 United Kingdom general election , after which he returned to finishing and publishing his Letter , a 400-page book which formed the basis for the final phase of the campaign . Lord Grenville , the Prime Minister , successfully introduced an Abolition Bill in the House of Lords first , then Charles Grey moved for a second reading in the Commons on 23 February 1807 . As tributes were made to Wilberforce , whose face streamed with tears , the bill was carried by 283 votes to 16 . Excited supporters suggested taking advantage of the large majority to seek the abolition of slavery itself , but Wilberforce made it clear that total emancipation was not the immediate goal . Personal life In his youth , William Wilberforce showed little interest in women , but when he was in his late thirties his friend Thomas Babington recommended 25-year-old Barbara Ann Spooner ( 1771-1847 ) as a potential bride . Wilberforce met her two days later on 15 April 1797 , and was immediately smitten ; following an eight-day whirlwind romance , he proposed . Despite the urgings of friends to slow down , the couple married at the Church of St Swithin in Bath , Somerset , on 30 May 1797 . They were devoted to each other , and Barbara was very attentive and supportive to Wilberforce in his increasing ill health , though she showed little interest in his political activities . They had six children in fewer than ten years : William ( born 1798 ) , Barbara ( born 1799 ) , Elizabeth ( born 1801 ) , Robert ( born 1802 ) , Samuel ( born 1805 ) and Henry ( born 1807 ) . Wilberforce was an indulgent and adoring father who revelled in his time at home and at play with his children . Other concerns Political and social reform Wilberforce was highly conservative on many political and social issues . He advocated change in society through Christianity and improvement in morals , education and religion , fearing and opposing radical causes and revolution . The radical writer William Cobbett was among those who attacked what they saw as Wilberforce 's hypocrisy in campaigning for better working conditions for enslaved people while British workers lived in terrible conditions at home . Critics noted Wilberforce 's support of the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and his votes for Pitt 's " Gagging Bills " , which banned meetings of more than 50 people , allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution . Wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the Combination Act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout Britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . He also opposed an enquiry into the 1819 Peterloo Massacre in which eleven protesters were killed at a political rally demanding reform . Concerned about " bad men who wished to produce anarchy and confusion " , he approved of the government 's Six Acts , which further limited public meetings and seditious writings . Wilberforce 's actions led the essayist William Hazlitt to condemn him as one " who preaches vital Christianity to untutored savages , and tolerates its worst abuses in civilised states . " An unfinished oil portrait of Wilberforce . The face and shoulders are painted , while the rest of the portrait contains a sketched outline . Unfinished portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence , 1828 Wilberforce 's views of women and religion were also conservative . He disapproved of women anti-slavery activists such as Elizabeth Heyrick , who organised women 's abolitionist groups in the 1820s , protesting : " or ladies to meet , to publish , to go from house to house stirring up petitions— these appear to me proceedings unsuited to the female character as delineated in Scripture . " Wilberforce initially strongly opposed bills for Catholic emancipation , which would have allowed Catholics to become MPs , hold public office and serve in the army , although by 1813 , he had changed his views and spoke in favour of a similar bill . Wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers , engaged in prison reform , and supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the Game laws . He recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when Hannah More and her sister established Sunday schools for the poor in Somerset and the Mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and Anglican clergy . From the late 1780s onward , Wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of Commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . With others , Wilberforce founded the world 's first animal welfare organisation , the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( later the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ) . He was also opposed to duelling , which he described as the " disgrace of a Christian society " and was appalled when his friend Pitt engaged in a duel with George Tierney in 1798 , particularly as it occurred on a Sunday , the Christian day of rest . Wilberforce was generous with his time and money , believing that those with wealth had a duty to give a significant portion of their income to the needy . Yearly , he gave away thousands of pounds , much of it to clergymen to distribute in their parishes . He paid off the debts of others , supported education and missions , and in a year of food shortages , gave to charity more than his own yearly income . He was exceptionally hospitable , and could not bear to sack any of his servants . As a result , his home was full of old and incompetent servants kept on in charity . Although he was often months behind in his correspondence , Wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . Evangelical Christianity A supporter of the evangelical wing of the Church of England , Wilberforce believed that the revitalisation of the church and individual Christian observance would lead to a harmonious , moral society . He sought to elevate the status of religion in public and private life , making piety fashionable in both the upper- and middle-classes of society . To this end , in April 1797 , Wilberforce published A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes of This Country Contrasted With Real Christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . This was an exposition of New Testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of Christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . The book was influential and a best-seller ; 7,500 copies were sold within six months , and it was translated into several languages . Wilberforce fostered and supported missionary activity in Britain and abroad , and was involved with other members of the Clapham Sect in various evangelical and charitable organisations . He was a founding member of the Church Missionary Society ( since renamed the Church Mission Society ) and an early vice-president of the London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews ( later the Church 's Ministry Among Jewish People ) . Horrified by the lack of Christian evangelism in India , Wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the British East India Company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of Indians . The plan was unsuccessful due to lobbying by the directors of the company , who feared that their commercial interests would be damaged . Wilberforce tried again in 1813 when the charter next came up for renewal . Using petitions , meetings , lobbying and letter writing , he successfully campaigned for changes to the charter . Speaking in favour of the Charter Act 1813 , he criticised the East India Company and their rule in India for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of Hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . Moral reform Greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy of British society , Wilberforce was active in matters of moral reform , lobbying against " the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances " , and considered this issue and the abolition of the slave trade as equally important goals . At the suggestion of Wilberforce and Bishop Porteus , King George III was requested by the Archbishop of Canterbury to issue in 1787 A Proclamation for the Encouragement of Piety and Virtue , as a remedy for the rising tide of immorality . The proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the Lord 's Day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . Greeted largely with public indifference , Wilberforce sought to increase its impact by mobilising public figures to the cause , and by founding the Society for the Suppression of Vice . This and other societies in which Wilberforce was a prime mover , mustered support for the prosecution of those who had been charged with violating relevant laws , including brothel keepers , distributors of pornographic material , and those who did not respect the Sabbath . The writer and clergyman Sydney Smith criticised Wilberforce for being more interested in the sins of the poor than those of the rich , and suggested that a better name would be the " Society for suppressing the vices of persons whose income does not exceed £500 per annum " . Wilberforce 's attempts to legislate against adultery and Sunday newspapers were also in vain ; his involvement and leadership in other , less punitive , approaches were more successful in the long-term , however . By the end of his life , British morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the Victorian era . Emancipation of enslaved Africans Wilberforce worked with the members of the African Institution to ensure the enforcement of the abolition of the slave trade and to promote abolitionist negotiations with other countries . In particular , the United States had abolished the slave trade after 1808 and Wilberforce lobbied the American government to enforce its own mandated prohibition more strongly . The same year , Wilberforce moved his family from Clapham to a sizeable mansion with a large garden in Kensington Gore , closer to the Houses of Parliament . In worsening health by 1812 , Wilberforce resigned his Yorkshire seat , and became MP for the rotten borough of Bramber in Sussex , a seat with little or no constituency obligations , thus allowing him more time for his family and the causes that interested him . From 1816 , Wilberforce introduced a series of bills which would require the compulsory registration of enslaved people , together with details of their country of origin , permitting the illegal importation of foreign slaves to be detected . Later in the same year he began to publicly denounce slavery itself , though he did not demand immediate emancipation , believing incremental change to be more effective in achieving abolition . In 1820 , after a period of poor health and with his eyesight failing , Wilberforce further limited public activities , although he became embroiled in unsuccessful mediation attempts between King George IV , and his estranged wife Caroline of Brunswick , who had sought her rights as queen of the realm . Wilberforce still hoped " to lay a foundation for some future measures for the emancipation of the poor slaves " . Aware that the cause would need younger men to continue the work , in 1821 he asked MP Thomas Fowell Buxton to take over leadership of the campaign in the Commons . As the 1820s continued , Wilberforce increasingly became more of a figurehead for the abolitionist movement , although he continued to appear at anti-slavery meetings , welcoming visitors , and maintaining a busy correspondence on the subject . In 1823 Wilberforce 's 56-page " Appeal to the Religion , Justice and Humanity of the Inhabitants of the British Empire in Behalf of the Negro Slaves in the West Indies " was published . The treatise stated that total emancipation was morally and ethically required and that slavery was a national crime which must be ended by parliamentary legislation to gradually abolish slavery . Members of Parliament did not agree , and government opposition in March 1823 stymied Wilberforce 's call for abolition . On 15 May 1823 , Buxton moved another resolution in Parliament for gradual emancipation . Subsequent debates followed on 16 March and 11 June 1824 in which Wilberforce made his last speeches in the House of Commons , and which again saw the emancipationists outmanoeuvred by the government . Last years Wilberforce 's health was continuing to fail , and he suffered further illnesses in 1824 and 1825 . With his family concerned that his life was endangered , he declined a peerage and resigned his seat in Parliament , leaving the campaign to others . A marble statue of Wilberforce , with an inscription beneath it Wilberforce was buried in Westminster Abbey next to Pitt . This memorial statue , by Samuel Joseph ( 1791-1850 ) , was erected in 1840 in the north choir aisle . In 1826 , Wilberforce moved from his large house in Kensington Gore to Hendon Park , a more modest property in the countryside of Mill Hill , north of London , where he was joined by his son William and family . William had attempted a series of educational and career paths , and a venture into farming in 1830 led to huge losses , which his father repaid in full , despite offers from others to assist . This left Wilberforce with little income , and he was obliged to let his home and spend the rest of his life visiting family members and friends . He continued his support for the anti-slavery cause , including attending and chairing meetings of the Anti-Slavery Society . Wilberforce approved of the 1830 election victory of the more progressive Whigs , though he was concerned about the implications of their Reform Bill which proposed the redistribution of parliamentary seats towards newer towns and cities and an extension of the franchise . In 1833 , Wilberforce 's health declined further and he suffered a severe attack of influenza from which he never fully recovered . He made a final anti-slavery speech in April 1833 at a public meeting in Maidstone , Kent . The following month , the Whig government introduced the Bill for the Abolition of Slavery , formally saluting Wilberforce in the process . On 26 July 1833 , Wilberforce heard of government concessions that guaranteed the passing of the Bill for the Abolition of Slavery . The following day he grew much weaker , and he died early on the morning of 29 July at his cousin 's house in Cadogan Place , London . Funeral Wilberforce had left instructions that he be buried with his sister and daughter at St Mary 's Church , Stoke Newington , just north of London . However , the leading members of both Houses of Parliament urged that he be honoured with a burial in Westminster Abbey . The family agreed and , on 3 August 1833 , Wilberforce was buried in the north transept , close to his friend William Pitt . The funeral was attended by many Members of Parliament , as well as by members of the public . The pallbearers included the Duke of Gloucester , the Lord Chancellor Henry Brougham , and the Speaker of the House of Commons Charles Manners-Sutton . While tributes were paid and Wilberforce was laid to rest , both Houses of Parliament suspended their business as a mark of respect . Legacy Five years after his death , sons Robert and Samuel Wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father , and subsequently a collection of his letters in 1840 . The biography was controversial in that the authors emphasised Wilberforce 's role in the abolition movement and played down the important work of Thomas Clarkson . Clarkson wrote a book refuting their version of events , and the sons eventually made a half-hearted private apology to him and removed the offending passages in a revision of their biography . For more than a century , Wilberforce 's role in the campaign dominated the historical record . Later historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship between Clarkson and Wilberforce , and have termed it one of history 's great partnerships : without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by Wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by Clarkson , abolition could not have been achieved . As his sons had desired and planned , Wilberforce has long been viewed as a Christian hero , a statesman-saint held up as a role model for putting his faith into action . Contemporary evangelical and conservative movements in North America appropriate his name and example in their activism . The strategies of Wilberforce and other abolitionists are invoked by anti-abortion activists , who controversially equate the abolition of slavery with ending abortion . Wilberforce has also been described as a humanitarian reformer who contributed to reshaping the political and social attitudes of the time by promoting concepts of social responsibility and action . In the 1940s , the role of Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect in abolition was downplayed by historian Eric Williams , who argued that abolition was motivated not by humanitarianism but by economics , as the West Indian sugar industry was in decline . Williams 's approach strongly influenced historians for much of the latter part of the 20th century . More recent historians have noted that the sugar industry was still making large profits at the time of the abolition of the slave trade , and this has led to a renewed interest in Wilberforce and the evangelicals , as well as a recognition of the anti-slavery movement as a prototype for subsequent humanitarian campaigns . Memorials see caption The Wilberforce Monument in the grounds of Hull College , Hull , erected in 1834 Wilberforce 's life and work have been commemorated in the United Kingdom and elsewhere . In Westminster Abbey , a seated statue of Wilberforce by Samuel Joseph was erected in 1840 , bearing an epitaph praising his Christian character and his long labour to abolish the slave trade and slavery . In Wilberforce 's hometown of Hull , a public subscription in 1834 funded the Wilberforce Monument , a 31-metre ( 102 ft ) Greek Doric column topped by a statue of Wilberforce , which stands in the grounds of Hull College near Queen 's Gardens . Wilberforce Memorial School for the Blind in York was established in 1833 in his honour . Wilberforce 's birthplace was acquired by the city corporation in 1903 and , following renovation , Wilberforce House in Hull was opened as Britain 's first slavery museum . In 2006 , the University of Hull established the Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation in a building beside Wilberforce House . Various churches within the Anglican Communion commemorate Wilberforce in their liturgical calendars , and Wilberforce University in Ohio , United States , founded in 1856 , is named after him . The university was the first owned by African-American people , and is an historically black college . In Ontario , Canada , the Wilberforce Colony was founded by black reformers , and inhabited by freed slaves from the United States . In media * Amazing Grace , a film about Wilberforce and the struggle against the slave trade , was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Parliament 's anti-slave trade legislation . * In 2007 , Focus on the Family produced an audio drama called Grace Victorious : The Story of William Wilberforce , starring Chris Larkin as Wilberforce . Works * Wilberforce , William ( 1797 ) . A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians , in the Middle and Higher Classes in this Country , Contrasted with Real Christianity . London : T. Caddell . * Wilberforce , William ( 1807 ) . A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade , Addressed to the Freeholders of Yorkshire . London : T. Cadell and W. Davies , J. Hatchard . Wilberforce , William ( 1823 ) . An Appeal to the Religion , Justice , and Humanity of the Inhabitants of the British Empire in behalf of the Negro slaves in the West Indies . London : J. Hatchard and Son .

Recall: 91.77%

## Annotated text

english politician [PERSON] and abolitionist [PERSON] ( 1759-1833 ) for his eldest son [PERSON] , a lawyer [PERSON] and member [PERSON] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] , see william wilberforce [PERSON] ( 1798-1879 ) . william wilberforce [PERSON] portrait [PERSON] by karl anton hickel [PERSON] , c. 1794 member [PERSON] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] in office [PLACE] 31 october [PERIOD] 1780 - february [PERIOD] 1825 preceded by david hartley [PERSON] succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston [PERSON] upon hull [PLACE] ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire [PLACE] ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber [UNKNOWN] ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born [PERSON] ( 1759-08-24) 24 august [PERIOD] 1759 kingston [PERSON] upon hull [PLACE] , yorkshire [PLACE] , england [PLACE] died 29 july [PERIOD] 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia [PLACE] , london [PLACE] , england [PLACE] resting place [PLACE] westminster abbey [PERSON] political party [FORCE] independent [PERSON] spouse barbara [STATE] spooner ​ ( m. 1797 ) ​ children [PERSON] 6 , including robert [PERSON] , samuel [PERSON] and henry alma mater st john [PERSON] [PERSON] 's college [INSTITUTION] , cambridge signature venerated [PERSON] in anglicanism feast 30 july [PERIOD] william wilberforce [PERSON] ( 24 august [PERIOD] 1759 - 29 july [PERIOD] 1833 ) was a british [UNKNOWN] politician [PERSON] , philanthropist [PERSON] , and a leader [PERSON] of the movement [HUMAN GROUP] to abolish the atlantic [PLACE] slave trade [PERSON] . a native [ARTIFACT] of kingston [PERSON] upon hull [PLACE] , yorkshire [PLACE] , he began his political career [QUANTITY] in 1780 , and became an independent [PERSON] member [PERSON] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] ( mp ) for yorkshire [PLACE] ( 1784-1812 ) . in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience [EFFECT] and became an evangelical anglican [UNKNOWN] , which resulted in major changes [UNKNOWN] to his lifestyle [PARTICLE] and a lifelong concern [PERSON] for reform [AMOUNT] . in 1787 , wilberforce [PERSON] came into contact [QUANTITY] with thomas clarkson [PERSON] and a group [GROUP] of activists [PERSON] against the transatlantic slave trade [PERSON] , including granville sharp [PERSON] , hannah more [PERSON] and charles middleton [PERSON] . they persuaded wilberforce [PERSON] to take on the cause [CAUSE] of abolition [EVENT] , and he became a leading english abolitionist [PERSON] . he headed the parliamentary campaign [SERIES] against the british [UNKNOWN] slave trade [PERSON] for 20 years [PERIOD] until the passage [ACT] of the slave trade [PERSON] act [ACT] 1807 . wilberforce [PERSON] was convinced of the importance [QUALITY] of religion [UNKNOWN] , morality [EVENT] and education [PROCESS] . he was involved in causes [CAUSE] and campaigns [SERIES] such as the society [INSTITUTION] for the suppression [ACT] of vice [PERSON] , british missionary work [ACTIVITY] in india [PLACE] , the creation [ACT] of a free colony [SEQUENCE] in sierra leone [PLACE] , the foundation [EVENT] of the church mission society [INSTITUTION] and the society [INSTITUTION] for the prevention [ASSET] of cruelty [STATE] to animals [ANIMAL] . his underlying conservatism [ATTITUDE] led him to support [ACT] politically and socially repressive legislation [ACT] , and resulted in criticism [ACT] that he was ignoring injustices [STATE] at home [PLACE] while [MEASURE] campaigning [ACTIVITY] for the enslaved abroad [LAND] . wilberforce [PERSON] played a central role [ROLE] in the campaign [SERIES] for the complete abolition [EVENT] of slavery [INSTITUTION] and continued his involvement [ACT] after 1826 , when he resigned from parliament [HUMAN GROUP] because of health issues [EVENT] . that campaign [SERIES] led to the slavery abolition [EVENT] act [ACT] 1833 , which abolished slavery [INSTITUTION] in most of the british empire [STATE] . wilberforce [PERSON] died just three days [PERIOD] after hearing that the passage [ACT] of the act [ACT] through parliament [HUMAN GROUP] was assured . he was buried in westminster [PERSON] abbey , close to his friend william pitt [PERSON] [PERSON] the younger [PERSON] . early life [EVENT] and education wilberforce [PERSON] was born in hull [PLACE] , in yorkshire [PLACE] , england [PLACE] , on 24 august [PERIOD] 1759 . he was the only son [PERSON] of robert wilberforce [PERSON] ( 1728-1768 ) , a wealthy merchant [PERSON] , and his wife [PERSON] , elizabeth bird [BIRD] ( 1730-1798 ) . his grandfather [PERSON] , william [PERSON] ( 1690-1774 ) , had made the family fortune [PERSON] in the maritime trade [PERSON] with baltic countries [STATE] . he was twice elected mayor [HUMAN ROLE] of hull [PLACE] . wilberforce [PERSON] was a small , sickly and delicate child [PERSON] with poor [UNKNOWN] eyesight [GROUP] . in 1767 , he began attending hull grammar school [INSTITUTION] , which at the time [PERIOD] was headed by joseph milner [PERSON] , who would become a lifelong friend [PERSON] . wilberforce [PERSON] profited from the supportive atmosphere [LANGUAGE] at the school [INSTITUTION] , until his father [PERSON] died in 1768 . with his mother [PERSON] struggling to cope , the nine-year-old wilberforce [PERSON] was sent to a prosperous uncle [PERSON] and aunt [PERSON] with houses [UNKNOWN] in both st james [PERSON] 's place [PLACE] , london [PLACE] , and wimbledon [PLACE] . he attended an " indifferent " boarding school [INSTITUTION] in putney [PERSON] for two years [PERIOD] and spent his holidays [PERIOD] in wimbledon [PLACE] , where he grew extremely fond of his relatives [PERSON] . he became interested in evangelical christianity [PERSON] due to his relatives [PERSON] ' influence [ELEMENT] , especially that of his aunt hannah [PERSON] , sister [PERSON] of the wealthy merchant john [PERSON] thornton [PERSON] , a philanthropist [PERSON] and a supporter [PERSON] of the leading methodist preacher [PERSON] , george whitefield [PERSON] . wilberforce [PERSON] 's staunchly church [PERSON] of england mother [PERSON] and grandfather [PERSON] , alarmed at these nonconformist [PERSON] influences [UNKNOWN] and at his leanings [UNKNOWN] towards evangelicalism [PERSON] , brought the 12-year-old boy [PERSON] back to hull [PLACE] in 1771 . wilberforce [PERSON] was heartbroken at being separated from his aunt [PERSON] and uncle [PERSON] . his family [HUMAN GROUP] opposed a return [STATEMENT] to hull grammar school [INSTITUTION] because the headmaster [DEVICE] had become a methodist [PERSON] , and wilberforce [PERSON] continued his education [PROCESS] at pocklington school [INSTITUTION] from 1771 to 1776 . influenced by methodist scruples [QUANTITY] , he initially resisted hull [PLACE] 's lively social life [EVENT] , but , as his religious fervour [EMOTION] diminished , he embraced theatre-going , attended balls [BALL] , and played cards [GROUP] . statue [PERSON] on a lawn [PLACE] of a two-storey georgian house [PLACE] a statue [PERSON] of william wilberforce [PERSON] outside wilberforce house [PLACE] , his birthplace [LOCATION] in hull [PLACE] in october [PERIOD] 1776 , at the age [PROPERTY] of seventeen , wilberforce [PERSON] went up to st john [PERSON] 's college [INSTITUTION] , cambridge [PERSON] . the deaths [EVENT] of his grandfather [PERSON] and uncle [PERSON] , in 1774 and 1777 respectively , had left him independently wealthy and as a result [RESULT] he had little inclination [MEASURE] or need [UNKNOWN] to apply himself to serious study [STUDY] . instead he immersed himself in the social round [SERIES] of student life [EVENT] and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle [PARTICLE] , enjoying cards [GROUP] , gambling and late-night drinking sessions [PERIOD] - although he found the excesses [AMOUNT] of some of his fellow students [PERSON] distasteful . witty , generous and an excellent conversationalist [PERSON] , wilberforce [PERSON] was a popular figure [FIGURE] . he made many friends [PERSON] , including the more studious future prime minister [HUMAN ROLE] william pitt [PERSON] [PERSON] . despite his lifestyle [PARTICLE] and lack [UNKNOWN] of interest [PERSON] in studying , he managed to pass his examinations [PERIOD] and was awarded a bachelor [PERSON] of arts degree [EVENT] in 1781 and a master [PERSON] of arts degree [EVENT] in 1788 . early parliamentary career [QUANTITY] wilberforce [PERSON] began to consider a political career [QUANTITY] while [MEASURE] still at university [INSTITUTION] and during the winter [PERSON] of 1779-1780 , he and pitt [PERSON] frequently watched house [PLACE] of commons debates [STATE] from the gallery [GOVERNMENT] . pitt [PERSON] , already set on a political career [QUANTITY] , encouraged wilberforce [PERSON] to join him in obtaining a parliamentary seat [ABSTRACT ENTITY] . in september [PERIOD] 1780 , at the age [PROPERTY] of 21 and while [MEASURE] still a student [PERSON] , wilberforce [PERSON] was elected member [PERSON] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] for kingston [PERSON] upon hull [PLACE] , spending over £8,000 , as was the custom [PERSON] of the time [PERIOD] , to ensure he received the necessary votes [ACT] . free from financial pressures [OCCURRENCE] , wilberforce [PERSON] sat as an independent [PERSON] , resolving to be " no party man [PERSON] " . criticised at times [UNKNOWN] for inconsistency [QUALITY] , he supported both tory [PERSON] and whig governments [GOVERNMENT] according to his conscience [STATE] , working closely with the party [FORCE] in power [POWER] , and voting on specific measures [MEASURE] according to their merits [QUANTITY] . wilberforce [PERSON] attended parliament [HUMAN GROUP] regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life [EVENT] , becoming an habitué [UNKNOWN] of gentlemen [PERSON] 's gambling clubs [GROUP] such as goostree [PERSON] 's and boodle [MONEY] 's in pall mall [PERSON] , london [PLACE] . the writer [PERSON] and socialite madame de staël [PERSON] described him as the " wittiest man [PERSON] in england [PLACE] " and , according to georgiana [PERSON] , duchess [EVENT] of devonshire [PERSON] , the prince [PERSON] of wales [PLACE] said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce [PERSON] sing . wilberforce [PERSON] used his speaking voice [EVENT] to great effect [EFFECT] in political speeches [SPEECH] ; the diarist [PERSON] and author james boswell [PERSON] witnessed wilberforce [PERSON] 's eloquence [QUALITY] in the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount [PLACE] upon the table [DRUG] ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp [PERSON] became a whale [PERSON] . " during the frequent government changes [UNKNOWN] of 1781-1784 , wilberforce [PERSON] supported his friend pitt [PERSON] in parliamentary debates [STATE] . in autumn [PERSON] 1783 , pitt [PERSON] , wilberforce [PERSON] and edward [PLACE] eliot travelled to france [PLACE] for a six-week holiday together . after a difficult start [UNKNOWN] in rheims [PLACE] , where their presence [ABSTRACT ENTITY] aroused police suspicion [AMOUNT] that they were english spies [RESOURCE] , they visited paris [PLACE] , meeting [ACTIVITY] benjamin franklin [PERSON] , general lafayette [PERSON] , marie antoinette [UNKNOWN] and louis xvi [PERSON] , and joined the french [PLACE] court [PERSON] at fontainebleau [PLACE] . pitt [PERSON] became prime minister [HUMAN ROLE] in december [PERIOD] 1783 , with wilberforce [PERSON] a key supporter [PERSON] of his minority government [GOVERNMENT] . despite their close friendship [RELATIONSHIP] , there is no record [ARTIFACT] that pitt [PERSON] offered wilberforce [PERSON] a ministerial position [POSITION] in this or future governments [GOVERNMENT] . this may [PERIOD] have been due to wilberforce [PERSON] 's wish [PERSON] to remain an independent [PERSON] mp. alternatively , wilberforce [PERSON] 's frequent tardiness [RESULT] and disorganisation [UNKNOWN] , as well as his chronic eye problems [PERSON] that at times [UNKNOWN] made reading [PROPERTY] impossible , may [PERIOD] have convinced pitt [PERSON] that he was not ministerial material [MATERIAL] . when parliament [HUMAN GROUP] was dissolved in the spring [PERSON] of 1784 , wilberforce [PERSON] decided to stand as a candidate [AMOUNT] for the county [PLACE] of yorkshire [PLACE] in the 1784 general election [PERSON] . on 6 april [PERIOD] , he was returned as mp for yorkshire [PLACE] at the age [PROPERTY] of twenty-four . conversion [SPEECH ACT] in october [PERIOD] 1784 , wilberforce [PERSON] embarked upon a tour [EVENT] of europe [PLACE] with his mother [PERSON] , sister [PERSON] and isaac milner [PERSON] , the younger [PERSON] brother [PERSON] of his former headmaster [DEVICE] . they visited the french riviera [PLACE] and had dinners [FOOD] , played cards [GROUP] , and gambled . in february [PERIOD] 1785 , wilberforce [PERSON] returned to london [PLACE] temporarily , to support [ACT] pitt [PERSON] 's proposals [ABSTRACT ENTITY] for parliamentary reforms [AMOUNT] . he rejoined the party [FORCE] in genoa [PLACE] , italy [PLACE] , and they continued their tour [EVENT] to switzerland [PLACE] . milner [PERSON] accompanied wilberforce [PERSON] to england [PLACE] , and on the journey [PERSON] they read " the rise [PERSON] and progress [EVENT] of religion [UNKNOWN] in the soul [PERSON] " by philip doddridge [PERSON] , a leading early 18th-century english nonconformist [PERSON] . an oil-on-canvas portrait [PERSON] of wilberforce [PERSON] holding a pen [PLACE] . william wilberforce [PERSON] by john [PERSON] rising , 1790 , pictured at the age [PROPERTY] of 30 wilberforce [PERSON] 's spiritual journey [PERSON] is thought to have changed course [PERSON] at this time [PERIOD] . he started to rise [PERSON] early to read the bible [PERSON] and pray and kept a private journal [ABSTRACT ENTITY] . he underwent an evangelical conversion [SPEECH ACT] , regretting his past life [EVENT] and resolving to commit his future life [EVENT] and work [ACTIVITY] to the service [INSTITUTION] of god [PERSON] . his conversion [SPEECH ACT] changed some of his habits [ACTION] , but not his nature [NATURE] : he remained outwardly cheerful , interested and respectful , tactfully urging others [UNKNOWN] towards his new faith [PERSON] . inwardly , he became self-critical , harshly judging his spirituality [INSTANCE] , use [USE] of time [PERIOD] , vanity [ENTITY] , self-control and relationships [RELATIONSHIP] with others [UNKNOWN] . at the time [PERIOD] , religious enthusiasm [CONDITION] was generally regarded as a social transgression [PERSON] and was stigmatised in polite society [INSTITUTION] . evangelicals [PERSON] in the upper classes [PERSON] were exposed to contempt [PERSON] and ridicule [ABSTRACT ENTITY] , and wilberforce [PERSON] 's conversion [SPEECH ACT] led him to question whether he should remain in public [UNKNOWN] life [EVENT] . he sought guidance [SPEECH ACT] from john newton [PERSON] , a leading evangelical anglican [UNKNOWN] clergyman [DEVICE] of the day [PERIOD] and rector [PERSON] of st mary woolnoth [PLACE] . both counselled him to remain in politics [ACTION] , and he resolved to do so " with increased diligence [STATE] and conscientiousness [STATE] " . his political views [GROUP] were informed by his faith [PERSON] and by his desire [PERSON] to promote christianity [PERSON] and christian ethics [SET] in private and public [UNKNOWN] life [EVENT] . his views [GROUP] were often deeply conservative , opposed to radical changes [UNKNOWN] in a god-given political and social order [PERSON] , and focused on issues [EVENT] such as the observance [FORM] of the sabbath [PERSON] and the eradication [ACT] of immorality [ACT] through education [PROCESS] and reform [AMOUNT] . he was often distrusted by progressive voices [EVENT] because of his conservatism [ATTITUDE] , and regarded with suspicion [AMOUNT] by many tories [UNKNOWN] who saw evangelicals [PERSON] as radicals [PERSON] who wanted the overthrow [PROCESS] of church [PERSON] and state [STATE] . in 1786 , wilberforce [PERSON] leased a house [PLACE] in old palace yard [PERSON] , westminster [PERSON] , in order [PERSON] to be near parliament [HUMAN GROUP] . he began using his parliamentary position [POSITION] to advocate reform [AMOUNT] by introducing a registration bill [PERSON] , proposing limited changes [UNKNOWN] to parliamentary election procedures [PROCEDURE] . in response [RANK] to the need [UNKNOWN] for bodies [BODY] for dissection [PROCESS] by surgeons [PERSON] , he brought forward a bill [PERSON] to extend the measure [MEASURE] permitting the dissection [PROCESS] after execution [CONDITION] of criminals [PERSON] such as rapists [PERSON] , arsonists [PERSON] , burglars [PERSON] and violent robbers [PERSON] . the bill [PERSON] also advocated the reduction [UNKNOWN] of sentences [PERSON] for women [PERSON] convicted of treason [EVENT] , a crime [EVENT] that at the time [PERIOD] included a husband [PERSON] 's murder [ACT] . the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] passed both bills [DOCUMENT] , but they were defeated in the house [PLACE] of lords [PERSON] . abolition [EVENT] of the transatlantic slave trade [PERSON] initial decision [DECISION] the british [UNKNOWN] initially became involved in the slave trade [PERSON] during the 16th century [PERIOD] . by 1783 , the triangular route [ROUTE] that took british-made goods to africa [PLACE] to buy slaves [PERSON] , transported the enslaved to the west indies [PLACE] , and then brought slave-grown products [RESULT] such as sugar [SUGAR] , tobacco , and cotton [ENTITY] to britain [PLACE] , represented about 80 percent [AMOUNT] of great britain [PLACE] 's foreign income [DISEASE] . british ships [SHIP] dominated the slave trade [PERSON] , supplying french [PLACE] , spanish [PLACE] , dutch [PERSON] , portuguese [UNKNOWN] and british colonies [SEQUENCE] , and in peak years [PERIOD] carried forty thousand enslaved men [PERSON] , women [PERSON] and children [PERSON] across the atlantic [PLACE] in the horrific conditions [CONDITION] of the middle [PERSON] passage [ACT] . of the estimated 11 million africans [PERSON] transported into slavery [INSTITUTION] , about 1.4 million died during the voyage [ACT] . the british campaign [SERIES] to abolish the slave trade [PERSON] is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment [INSTITUTION] of the quakers [UNKNOWN] ' anti-slavery committees [PERSON] , and their presentation [PERSON] to parliament [HUMAN GROUP] of the first slave [PERSON] trade petition [ACT] in 1783 . the same year [PERIOD] , wilberforce [PERSON] , while [MEASURE] dining with his cambridge friend [PERSON] gerard edwards [PERSON] , met rev. james ramsay [PERSON] , a ship [SHIP] 's surgeon [PERSON] who had become a clergyman [DEVICE] and medical supervisor [UNKNOWN] on the island [PLACE] of st christopher [PLACE] ( later st kitts [PLACE] ) . ramsay [PERSON] was horrified by the conditions [CONDITION] endured by the enslaved peoples [PERSON] , both at sea [PLACE] and on the plantations [QUANTITY] and returned to england [PLACE] and joined abolitionist [PERSON] movements [UNKNOWN] . wilberforce [PERSON] did not follow up on his meeting [ACTIVITY] with ramsay [PERSON] , but three years [PERIOD] later , inspired by his new faith [PERSON] , wilberforce [PERSON] became interested in humanitarian reform [AMOUNT] . in november [PERIOD] 1786 , he received a letter [ABILITY] from sir charles middleton [PERSON] [PERSON] that re-opened his interest [PERSON] in the slave trade [PERSON] . middleton [PERSON] suggested that wilberforce [PERSON] bring forward the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] in parliament [HUMAN GROUP] . wilberforce [PERSON] responded that he " felt the great importance [QUALITY] of the subject [EVENT] , and thought himself unequal to the task [PROCESS] allotted to him , but yet would not positively decline [ACT] it " . he began to read widely on the subject [EVENT] and met with a group [GROUP] of abolitionists [PERSON] called the testonites [UNKNOWN] at middleton [PERSON] 's home [PLACE] in the early winter [PERSON] of 1786-1787 . see caption diagram [PLAN] of a slave [PERSON] ship [SHIP] , the brookes [PERSON] , illustrating how slaves [PERSON] were transported in early 1787 , thomas clarkson [PERSON] met with wilberforce [PERSON] for the first time [PERIOD] at old palace yard [PERSON] and brought a copy [PERSON] of his essay [PERSON] on the subject [EVENT] . clarkson [PERSON] visited wilberforce [PERSON] weekly , bringing first-hand evidence [ABSTRACT ENTITY] he had obtained about the slave trade [PERSON] . the quakers [UNKNOWN] , already working for abolition [EVENT] , recognised the need [UNKNOWN] for influence [ELEMENT] within parliament [HUMAN GROUP] , and urged clarkson [PERSON] to secure a commitment [COMMITMENT] from wilberforce [PERSON] to bring forward the case [STUDY] for abolition [EVENT] in the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] . it was arranged that bennet langton [PERSON] , a lincolnshire landowner [PERSON] and mutual acquaintance [WORD] of wilberforce [PERSON] and clarkson [PERSON] , would organise a dinner party [FORCE] on 13 march [PERIOD] 1787 to ask wilberforce [PERSON] formally to lead the parliamentary campaign [SERIES] . by the end [UNKNOWN] of the evening [PERIOD] , wilberforce [PERSON] had agreed in general terms [TERM] that he would bring forward the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] in parliament [HUMAN GROUP] , " provided that no person [PERSON] more proper could be found " . the same spring [PERSON] , on 12 may [PERIOD] 1787 , the still hesitant wilberforce [PERSON] held a conversation [ACTION] with william pitt [PERSON] and the future prime minister william [PERSON] grenville [PERSON] as they sat under a large oak tree [TREE] on pitt [PERSON] 's estate [ESTATE] in kent [PLACE] . under what came to be known as the " wilberforce oak [PERSON] " at holwood house [PLACE] , pitt [PERSON] challenged his friend [PERSON] to give notice [ACT] of a motion [ACTION] concerning the slave trade [PERSON] before another parliamentarian [UNKNOWN] did . wilberforce [PERSON] 's response [RANK] is not recorded , but he later declared this was when he decided to bring forward the motion [ACTION] . early parliamentary action wilberforce [PERSON] had planned to introduce a motion [ACTION] giving notice [ACT] that he would bring forward a bill [PERSON] for the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] during the 1789 parliamentary session [PERIOD] . however , in january [PERIOD] 1788 , he was taken ill [PERSON] with a probable stress-related condition [CONDITION] , now thought to be ulcerative colitis [UNKNOWN] . it was several months [PERIOD] before he was able to resume work [ACTIVITY] , and he spent time [PERIOD] convalescing at bath [PLACE] and cambridge [PERSON] . his regular bouts [PERIOD] of gastrointestinal illnesses [ILLNESS] precipitated the use [USE] of moderate quantities [QUANTITY] of opium [SUBSTANCE] , which proved effective in alleviating his condition [CONDITION] , and which he continued to use [USE] for the rest [NUMBER] of his life [EVENT] . in wilberforce [PERSON] 's absence [ABSENCE] , pitt [PERSON] , who had long been supportive of abolition [EVENT] , introduced the preparatory motion [ACTION] himself , and ordered a privy council investigation [INVESTIGATION] into the slave trade [PERSON] , followed by a house [PLACE] of commons review [ACT] . a black man [PERSON] with shackles [ABSTRACT ENTITY] around their wrists [GROUP] and ankles [POSITION] is kneeling to the right [UNKNOWN] . an inscription [STYLE] at the bottom reads [EMOTION] " " am i not a man [PERSON] and a brother [PERSON] ? " " am i not a man [PERSON] and a brother [PERSON] ? " medallion [EVENT] created as part of anti-slavery campaign [SERIES] by josiah wedgwood [PERSON] , 1787 with the publication [ACTION] of the privy council report [PERSON] in april [PERIOD] 1789 and following months [PERIOD] of planning [PLAN] , wilberforce [PERSON] commenced his parliamentary campaign [SERIES] . on 12 may [PERIOD] 1789 , he made his first major speech [SPEECH] on the subject [EVENT] of abolition [EVENT] in the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] , in which he reasoned that the trade [PERSON] was morally reprehensible and an issue [EVENT] of natural justice [PROPERTY] . drawing on thomas clarkson [PERSON] 's mass [QUANTITY] of evidence [ABSTRACT ENTITY] , he described in detail [EVENT] the appalling conditions [CONDITION] in which enslaved people [HUMAN GROUP] travelled from africa [PLACE] in the middle [PERSON] passage [ACT] and argued that abolishing the trade [PERSON] would also bring an improvement [AGREEMENT] to the conditions [CONDITION] of existing slaves [PERSON] in the west indies [PLACE] . he moved twelve resolutions [DISTANCE] condemning the slave trade [PERSON] , but did not refer to the abolition [EVENT] of slavery [INSTITUTION] itself [UNKNOWN] , instead dwelling on the potential [SET] for reproduction [RESULT] in the existing slave population [PERSON] should the trade [PERSON] be abolished . with several parliamentarians [UNKNOWN] signalling support [ACT] for the bill [PERSON] , the opponents [PERSON] of abolition [EVENT] delayed the vote [PERSON] by proposing that the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] hear its own evidence [ABSTRACT ENTITY] ; wilberforce [PERSON] , in a decision [DECISION] that has been criticised for prolonging the slave trade [PERSON] , reluctantly agreed . the hearings [UNKNOWN] were not completed by the end [UNKNOWN] of the parliamentary session [PERIOD] and were deferred until the following year [PERIOD] . in the meantime [ABSTRACT ENTITY] , wilberforce [PERSON] and clarkson [PERSON] tried unsuccessfully to take advantage [CONDITION] of the egalitarian atmosphere [LANGUAGE] of the french revolution [STUDY] to press for france [PLACE] 's abolition [EVENT] of the trade [PERSON] . in january [PERIOD] 1790 , wilberforce [PERSON] succeeded in speeding up the hearings [UNKNOWN] by gaining approval for a smaller parliamentary select committee [HUMAN GROUP] to consider the vast quantity [QUANTITY] of evidence [ABSTRACT ENTITY] which had been accumulated . wilberforce [PERSON] 's house [PLACE] in old palace yard [PERSON] became a centre [UNKNOWN] for the abolitionists [PERSON] ' campaign [SERIES] and the location [LOCATION] for many strategy meetings [ACTIVITY] . petitioners [PERSON] for other causes [CAUSE] also besieged him there . let us not despair ; it is a blessed cause [CAUSE] , and success [ACT] , ere long , will crown our exertions [AMOUNT] . already we have gained one victory [PERSON] ; we have obtained , for these poor [UNKNOWN] creatures [ANIMAL] , the recognition [STATE] of their human nature [NATURE] , which , for a while [MEASURE] was most shamefully denied . this is the first fruits [EVENT] of our efforts [ACTION] ; let us persevere [UNKNOWN] and our triumph [ABSTRACT ENTITY] will be complete . never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal [PERSON] from the christian name [NAME] , released ourselves from the load [PERSON] of guilt [ACT] , under which we at present labour [ABSTRACT ENTITY] , and extinguished every trace [PERSON] of this bloody traffic [QUANTITY] , of which our posterity [WORD] , looking back to the history [UNIT] of these enlightened times [UNKNOWN] , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace [CONDITION] and dishonour [DEFICIENCY] to this country [PLACE] . william wilberforce [PERSON] — speech [SPEECH] before the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] , 18 april [PERIOD] 1791 interrupted by a general election [PERSON] in june [PERIOD] 1790 , the committee [HUMAN GROUP] finished hearing witnesses [PERSON] and in april [PERIOD] 1791 , with a closely reasoned four-hour speech [SPEECH] , wilberforce [PERSON] introduced the first parliamentary bill [PERSON] to abolish the slave trade [PERSON] . after two evenings [UNKNOWN] of debate [STATE] , the bill [PERSON] was easily defeated by 163 votes [ACT] to 88 , as the political climate [STUDY] having swung [UNKNOWN] in a conservative direction [DIRECTION] after the french revolution [STUDY] and in reaction [PERSON] to an increase [INCREASE] in radicalism [PERSON] and to slave [PERSON] revolts [ACT] in the french west indies [PLACE] . a protracted parliamentary campaign [SERIES] to abolish slavery [INSTITUTION] continued , and wilberforce [PERSON] remained committed to this cause [CAUSE] despite frustration [PERSON] and hostility [ABSTRACT ENTITY] . he was supported by fellow members [PERSON] of the clapham sect [GROUP] , among whom was his best friend [PERSON] and cousin henry thornton [PERSON] [PERSON] . wilberforce [PERSON] accepted an invitation [SPEECH ACT] to share a house [PLACE] with henry thornton [PERSON] in 1792 , moving into his own home [PLACE] after thornton [PERSON] 's marriage [EVENT] in 1796 . wilberforce [PERSON] , the clapham sect [GROUP] and others [UNKNOWN] were anxious to demonstrate that africans [PERSON] , and particularly freed slaves [PERSON] , had human and economic abilities [ABILITY] beyond the slave trade [PERSON] and capable of sustaining a well-ordered society [INSTITUTION] , trade [PERSON] and cultivation [ACT] . inspired in part by the utopian vision [UNKNOWN] of granville sharp [PERSON] , they became involved in the establishment [INSTITUTION] in 1792 of a free colony [SEQUENCE] in sierra leone [PLACE] with black settlers [PERSON] from britain [PLACE] , nova scotia [PERSON] and jamaica [PLACE] , as well as native [ARTIFACT] africans [PERSON] and some whites [UNKNOWN] . they formed the sierra leone company [INSTITUTION] , with wilberforce [PERSON] subscribing liberally to the project [ACTION] in money [MONEY] and time [PERIOD] . on 2 april [PERIOD] 1792 , wilberforce [PERSON] brought another bill [PERSON] calling [PERSON] for abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] . henry dundas [PERSON] , as home secretary [PERSON] , proposed a compromise solution [OCCURRENCE] of gradual abolition [EVENT] of the trade [PERSON] over several years [PERIOD] . this was passed by 230 to 85 votes [ACT] , but wilberforce [PERSON] believed that it was little more than a clever ploy [PERSON] to ensure that total abolition [EVENT] would be delayed indefinitely . war [EVENT] with france [PLACE] on 26 february [PERIOD] 1793 , another vote [PERSON] to abolish the slave trade [PERSON] was narrowly defeated by eight votes [ACT] . the outbreak [OCCURRENCE] of war [EVENT] with france [PLACE] the same month [PERIOD] prevented further consideration [AMOUNT] of the issue [EVENT] , as politicians [PERSON] concentrated on the national crisis [EVENT] and the threat [PERSON] of invasion [GROUP] . the same year [PERIOD] , and again in 1794 , wilberforce [PERSON] unsuccessfully brought before parliament [HUMAN GROUP] a bill [PERSON] to outlaw british ships [SHIP] from supplying enslaved people [HUMAN GROUP] to foreign colonies [SEQUENCE] . he voiced his concern [PERSON] about the war [EVENT] and urged pitt [PERSON] and his government [GOVERNMENT] to make greater efforts [ACTION] to end [UNKNOWN] hostilities [ABSTRACT ENTITY] . growing more alarmed , on 31 december [PERIOD] 1794 , wilberforce [PERSON] moved that the government [GOVERNMENT] seek a peaceful resolution [DISTANCE] with france [PLACE] , a stance [PROPERTY] that created a temporary breach [ACT] in his long friendship [RELATIONSHIP] with pitt [PERSON] . abolition [EVENT] continued to be associated in the public [UNKNOWN] consciousness [STATE] with the french revolution [STUDY] and with british [UNKNOWN] radical groups [GROUP] , resulting in a decline [ACT] in public [UNKNOWN] support [ACT] . despite this , wilberforce [PERSON] continued to introduce abolition bills [DOCUMENT] throughout the 1790s . the early years [PERIOD] of the 19th century [PERIOD] saw an increased public [UNKNOWN] interest [PERSON] in abolition [EVENT] . in june [PERIOD] 1804 , wilberforce [PERSON] 's bill [PERSON] to abolish the slave trade [PERSON] successfully passed all its stages [STAGE] through the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] . however , it was too late in the parliamentary session [PERIOD] for it to complete its passage [ACT] through the house [PLACE] of lords [PERSON] . on its reintroduction [EVENT] during the 1805 session [PERIOD] , it was defeated , with even the usually sympathetic pitt [PERSON] failing to support [ACT] it . on this occasion [ABSTRACT ENTITY] and throughout the campaign [SERIES] , abolition [EVENT] was held back by wilberforce [PERSON] 's trusting [ACTIVITY] , even credulous nature [NATURE] , and his deferential attitude [ATTITUDE] towards those in power [POWER] . he found it difficult to believe that men [PERSON] of rank [RANK] would not do what he perceived to be the right [UNKNOWN] thing [ENTITY] , and was reluctant to confront them when they did not . final phase [UNKNOWN] of the campaign [SERIES] see caption [CONDITION] the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] in wilberforce [PERSON] 's day [PERIOD] by augustus pugin [PERSON] and thomas rowlandson [PERSON] ( 1808-1811 ) following pitt [PERSON] 's death [EVENT] in january [PERIOD] 1806 , wilberforce [PERSON] increased his collaboration [PERSON] with the whigs [LIQUID] , especially the abolitionists [PERSON] . he gave general support [ACT] to the grenville-fox administration , which brought more abolitionists [PERSON] into the cabinet [PERSON] ; wilberforce [PERSON] and charles fox [PERSON] led the campaign [SERIES] in the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] . a radical change [UNKNOWN] of tactics [SEQUENCE] , which involved the introduction [ACT] of a bill [PERSON] to ban british subjects [EVENT] from aiding or participating in the slave trade [PERSON] to the french [PLACE] colonies [SEQUENCE] , was suggested by the maritime lawyer james stephen [PERSON] . a bill [PERSON] was introduced and approved by the cabinet [PERSON] , and wilberforce [PERSON] and other abolitionists [PERSON] maintained a self-imposed silence [PERSON] , so as not to draw any attention [PERSON] to the effect [EFFECT] of the bill [PERSON] . the approach [PLACE] was successful and the foreign slave trade [PERSON] bill [PERSON] received royal assent [UNKNOWN] on 23 may [PERIOD] 1806 . wilberforce [PERSON] and clarkson [PERSON] collected a large volume [AMOUNT] of evidence [ABSTRACT ENTITY] against the slave trade [PERSON] over the previous two decades [UNKNOWN] , and wilberforce [PERSON] spent the latter part of 1806 writing a letter [ABILITY] on the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] , which was a comprehensive restatement [ACT] of the abolitionists [PERSON] ' case [STUDY] . wilberforce [PERSON] was re-elected as an mp for yorkshire [PLACE] in the 1806 united kingdom [PLACE] general election [PERSON] , after which he returned to finishing and publishing his letter [ABILITY] , a 400-page book [ENTITY] which formed the basis [EVENT] for the final phase [UNKNOWN] of the campaign [SERIES] . lord grenville [PERSON] , the prime minister [HUMAN ROLE] , successfully introduced an abolition bill [PERSON] in the house [PLACE] of lords [PERSON] first , then charles grey [PERSON] moved for a second reading [PROPERTY] in the commons [PLACE] on 23 february [PERIOD] 1807 . as tributes [ACT] were made to wilberforce [PERSON] , whose face [PERSON] streamed with tears [PERSON] , the bill [PERSON] was carried by 283 votes [ACT] to 16 . excited supporters [PERSON] suggested taking advantage [CONDITION] of the large majority [PROPERTY] to seek the abolition [EVENT] of slavery [INSTITUTION] itself [UNKNOWN] , but wilberforce [PERSON] made it clear that total emancipation [ACT] was not the immediate goal [GOAL] . personal life [EVENT] in his youth [PERIOD] , william wilberforce [PERSON] showed little interest [PERSON] in women [PERSON] , but when he was in his late thirties [SIGN] his friend thomas babington [PERSON] recommended 25-year-old barbara ann spooner [PERSON] ( 1771-1847 ) as a potential [SET] bride [PERSON] . wilberforce [PERSON] met her two days [PERIOD] later on 15 april [PERIOD] 1797 , and was immediately smitten ; following an eight-day whirlwind romance [PERSON] , he proposed . despite the urgings [ACTIVITY] of friends [PERSON] to slow down , the couple [EVENT] married at the church [PERSON] of st swithin [PLACE] in bath [PLACE] , somerset [PERSON] , on 30 may [PERIOD] 1797 . they were devoted to each other , and barbara [STATE] was very attentive and supportive to wilberforce [PERSON] in his increasing ill [PERSON] health [PROPERTY] , though she showed little interest [PERSON] in his political activities [ACTIVITY] . they had six children [PERSON] in fewer [PERSON] than ten years [PERIOD] : william [PERSON] ( born 1798 ) , barbara [STATE] ( born 1799 ) , elizabeth [PLACE] ( born 1801 ) , robert [PERSON] ( born 1802 ) , samuel [PERSON] ( born 1805 ) and henry [PERSON] ( born 1807 ) . wilberforce [PERSON] was an indulgent [UNKNOWN] and adoring father [PERSON] who revelled in his time [PERIOD] at home [PLACE] and at play [EVENT] with his children [PERSON] . other concerns [PERSON] political and social reform wilberforce [PERSON] was highly conservative on many political and social issues [EVENT] . he advocated change [UNKNOWN] in society [INSTITUTION] through christianity [PERSON] and improvement [AGREEMENT] in morals [ACT] , education [PROCESS] and religion [UNKNOWN] , fearing and opposing radical causes [CAUSE] and revolution [STUDY] . the radical writer william [PERSON] cobbett [PERSON] was among those who attacked what they saw as wilberforce [PERSON] 's hypocrisy [RESOURCE] in campaigning [ACTIVITY] for better working conditions [CONDITION] for enslaved people [HUMAN GROUP] while [MEASURE] british workers [UNKNOWN] lived in terrible conditions [CONDITION] at home [PLACE] . critics [PERSON] noted wilberforce [PERSON] 's support [ACT] of the suspension [PERSON] of habeas corpus [PLACE] in 1795 and his votes [ACT] for pitt [PERSON] 's " gagging bills [DOCUMENT] " , which banned meetings [ACTIVITY] of more than 50 people [HUMAN GROUP] , allowing speakers [PROCESS] to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties [PERSON] on those who attacked the constitution [PERSON] . wilberforce [PERSON] was opposed to giving workers [UNKNOWN] ' rights [UNKNOWN] to organise into unions [STATE] , in 1799 speaking in favour [PERSON] of the combination act [ACT] , which suppressed trade union activity [ACTIVITY] throughout britain [PLACE] , and calling [PERSON] unions [STATE] " a general disease [DISEASE] in our society [INSTITUTION] " . he also opposed an enquiry [UNKNOWN] into the 1819 peterloo massacre [ACT] in which eleven protesters [PERSON] were killed at a political rally demanding reform [AMOUNT] . concerned about " bad men [PERSON] who wished to produce anarchy [QUALITY] and confusion [DEFICIENCY] " , he approved of the government [GOVERNMENT] 's six acts [UNKNOWN] , which further limited public [UNKNOWN] meetings [ACTIVITY] and seditious writings [PROCESS] . wilberforce [PERSON] 's actions [ACTION] led the essayist william [PERSON] hazlitt [PERSON] to condemn him as one " who preaches vital christianity [PERSON] to untutored savages [PERSON] , and tolerates its worst abuses [ACT] in civilised states [PLACE] . " an unfinished oil portrait [PERSON] of wilberforce [PERSON] . the face [PERSON] and shoulders [PERIOD] are painted , while [MEASURE] the rest [NUMBER] of the portrait [PERSON] contains a sketched outline [PLAN] . unfinished portrait [PERSON] by sir thomas lawrence [PERSON] , 1828 wilberforce [PERSON] 's views [GROUP] of women [PERSON] and religion [UNKNOWN] were also conservative . he disapproved of women [PERSON] anti-slavery activists [PERSON] such as elizabeth heyrick [PERSON] , who organised women [PERSON] 's abolitionist [PERSON] groups [GROUP] in the 1820s , protesting : " or ladies [GOVERNMENT] to meet , to publish , to go from house [PLACE] to house [PLACE] stirring up petitions— these appear to me proceedings [MEASURE] unsuited to the female character [EVENT] as delineated in scripture [ABSTRACT ENTITY] . " wilberforce [PERSON] initially strongly opposed bills [DOCUMENT] for catholic emancipation [ACT] , which would have allowed catholics [UNKNOWN] to become mps [UNKNOWN] , hold public [UNKNOWN] office [PLACE] and serve in the army [HUMAN GROUP] , although by 1813 , he had changed his views [GROUP] and spoke in favour [PERSON] of a similar bill [PERSON] . wilberforce [PERSON] advocated legislation [ACT] to improve the working conditions [CONDITION] for chimney-sweeps and textile workers [UNKNOWN] , engaged in prison reform [AMOUNT] , and supported campaigns [SERIES] to restrict capital punishment [PLACE] and the severe punishments [PERSON] meted out under the game laws [ACT] . he recognised the importance [QUALITY] of education [PROCESS] in alleviating poverty [QUALITY] , and when hannah more [PERSON] and her sister [PERSON] established sunday schools [PERSON] for the poor [UNKNOWN] in somerset [PERSON] and the mendips [UNKNOWN] , he provided financial and moral support [ACT] as they faced opposition [EVENT] from landowners [PERSON] and anglican clergy [PERSON] . from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce [PERSON] campaigned for limited parliamentary reform [AMOUNT] , such as the abolition [EVENT] of rotten boroughs [ESTATE] and the redistribution [PROCESS] of commons seats [ABSTRACT ENTITY] to growing towns [ENTITY] and cities [SET] , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures [MEASURE] went too far . with others [UNKNOWN] , wilberforce [PERSON] founded the world [PLACE] 's first animal welfare organisation [ORGANISATION] , the society [INSTITUTION] for the prevention [ASSET] of cruelty [STATE] to animals [ANIMAL] ( later the royal society [INSTITUTION] for the prevention [ASSET] of cruelty [STATE] to animals [ANIMAL] ) . he was also opposed to duelling [UNKNOWN] , which he described as the " disgrace [CONDITION] of a christian society [INSTITUTION] " and was appalled when his friend pitt [PERSON] engaged in a duel [PERSON] with george tierney [PERSON] in 1798 , particularly as it occurred on a sunday [PERIOD] , the christian day [PERIOD] of rest [NUMBER] . wilberforce [PERSON] was generous with his time [PERIOD] and money [MONEY] , believing that those with wealth [COLLECTION] had a duty [ATTITUDE] to give a significant portion [PORTION] of their income [DISEASE] to the needy [PERSON] . yearly , he gave away thousands [UNKNOWN] of pounds [UNIT] , much of it to clergymen [DEVICE] to distribute in their parishes [PLACE] . he paid off the debts [MONEY] of others [UNKNOWN] , supported education [PROCESS] and missions [STATE] , and in a year [PERIOD] of food shortages [DEFICIENCY] , gave to charity [PERSON] more than his own yearly income [DISEASE] . he was exceptionally hospitable , and could not bear to sack any of his servants [PERSON] . as a result [RESULT] , his home [PLACE] was full of old and incompetent servants [PERSON] kept on in charity [PERSON] . although he was often months [PERIOD] behind in his correspondence [SIMILARITY] , wilberforce [PERSON] responded to numerous requests [REQUEST] for advice [COGNITIVE STATE] or for help [UNKNOWN] in obtaining professorships [UNKNOWN] , military promotions [RESULT] and livings [PERSON] for clergymen [DEVICE] , or for the reprieve [ACT] of death sentences [PERSON] . evangelical christianity [PERSON] a supporter [PERSON] of the evangelical wing [PERSON] of the church [PERSON] of england [PLACE] , wilberforce [PERSON] believed that the revitalisation [UNKNOWN] of the church [PERSON] and individual christian observance [FORM] would lead to a harmonious , moral society [INSTITUTION] . he sought to elevate the status [STATUS] of religion [UNKNOWN] in public [UNKNOWN] and private life [EVENT] , making piety [PERSON] fashionable in both the upper- and middle-classes of society [INSTITUTION] . to this end [UNKNOWN] , in april [PERIOD] 1797 , wilberforce [PERSON] published a practical view [GROUP] of the prevailing religious system [SYSTEM] of professed christians [PERSON] in the higher [UNKNOWN] and middle classes [PERSON] of this country [PLACE] contrasted with real christianity [PERSON] [PERSON] , on which he had been working since 1793 . this was an exposition [AGREEMENT] of new testament doctrine [PLACE] and teachings [ACT] and a call [UNKNOWN] for a revival [PERSON] of christianity [PERSON] , as a response [RANK] to the moral decline [ACT] of the nation [PERSON] , illustrating his own testimony [PERSON] and the views [GROUP] which inspired him . the book [ENTITY] was influential and a best-seller ; 7,500 copies [PERSON] were sold within six months [PERIOD] , and it was translated into several languages [LANGUAGE] . wilberforce [PERSON] fostered and supported missionary activity [ACTIVITY] in britain [PLACE] and abroad [LAND] , and was involved with other members [PERSON] of the clapham sect [GROUP] in various evangelical and charitable organisations [ORGANISATION] . he was a founding member [PERSON] of the church missionary society [INSTITUTION] ( since renamed the church mission society [INSTITUTION] ) and an early vice-president of the london society [INSTITUTION] for promoting christianity [PERSON] among the jews [PERSON] ( later the church [PERSON] 's ministry among jewish people [HUMAN GROUP] ) . horrified by the lack [UNKNOWN] of christian evangelism [PROCESS] in india [PLACE] , wilberforce [PERSON] used the 1793 renewal [ACT] of the british east india [PLACE] company [INSTITUTION] [INSTITUTION] 's charter [PERSON] to propose the addition [PERSON] of clauses [SET] requiring the company [INSTITUTION] to provide teachers [PERSON] and chaplains [UNKNOWN] and to commit to the " religious improvement [AGREEMENT] " of indians [UNKNOWN] . the plan [PLAN] was unsuccessful due to lobbying by the directors [PERSON] of the company [INSTITUTION] , who feared that their commercial interests [PERSON] would be damaged . wilberforce [PERSON] tried again in 1813 when the charter [PERSON] next came up for renewal [ACT] . using petitions [ACT] , meetings [ACTIVITY] , lobbying and letter [ABILITY] writing , he successfully campaigned for changes [UNKNOWN] to the charter [PERSON] . speaking in favour [PERSON] of the charter act [ACT] 1813 , he criticised the east india [PLACE] company [INSTITUTION] and their rule [RULE] in india [PLACE] for its hypocrisy [RESOURCE] and racial prejudice [PERSON] , while [MEASURE] also condemning aspects [PERSON] of hinduism [CONCEPT] including the caste system [SYSTEM] , infanticide , polygamy [CONDITION] and sati [PERSON] . moral reform [AMOUNT] greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy [UNKNOWN] of british [UNKNOWN] society [INSTITUTION] , wilberforce [PERSON] was active in matters [PERSON] of moral reform [AMOUNT] , lobbying against " the torrent [EVENT] of profaneness [PROPERTY] that every day [PERIOD] makes more rapid advances [UNKNOWN] " , and considered this issue [EVENT] and the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] as equally important goals [GOAL] . at the suggestion [SUGGESTION] of wilberforce [PERSON] and bishop porteus [PERSON] , king george iii [PERSON] was requested by the archbishop [PERSON] of canterbury [PLACE] to issue [EVENT] in 1787 a proclamation [STATEMENT] for the encouragement [WORD] of piety [PERSON] and virtue [PERSON] , as a remedy [STUDY] for the rising tide [ABSTRACT ENTITY] of immorality [ACT] . the proclamation [STATEMENT] commanded the prosecution [INSTITUTION] of those guilty [DECISION] of " excessive drinking [ACT] , blasphemy [ACT] , profane [PERSON] swearing and cursing , lewdness [PROPERTY] , profanation [UNKNOWN] of the lord [PERSON] 's day [PERIOD] , and other dissolute [UNKNOWN] , immoral , or disorderly practices " . greeted largely with public [UNKNOWN] indifference [DEFICIENCY] , wilberforce [PERSON] sought to increase [INCREASE] its impact [ACTION] by mobilising public [UNKNOWN] figures [FIGURE] to the cause [CAUSE] , and by founding the society [INSTITUTION] for the suppression [ACT] of vice [PERSON] . this and other societies [UNKNOWN] in which wilberforce [PERSON] was a prime [PERSON] mover , mustered support [ACT] for the prosecution [INSTITUTION] of those who had been charged with violating relevant laws [ACT] , including brothel keepers [PERSON] , distributors [PERSON] of pornographic material [MATERIAL] , and those who did not respect [EVENT] the sabbath [PERSON] . the writer [PERSON] and clergyman sydney smith [PERSON] criticised wilberforce [PERSON] for being more interested in the sins [STUDY] of the poor [UNKNOWN] than those of the rich , and suggested that a better name [NAME] would be the " society [INSTITUTION] for suppressing the vices [EVENT] of persons [PERSON] whose income [DISEASE] does not exceed £500 per annum [TIME PERIOD] " . wilberforce [PERSON] 's attempts [ACTION] to legislate against adultery [PERSON] and sunday newspapers [PERSON] were also in vain [PERSON] ; his involvement [ACT] and leadership [PERSON] in other , less punitive , approaches [PLACE] were more successful in the long-term , however . by the end [UNKNOWN] of his life [EVENT] , british [UNKNOWN] morals [ACT] , manners [PERSON] , and sense [UNKNOWN] of social responsibility [RESPONSIBILITY] had increased , paving the way [UNKNOWN] for future changes [UNKNOWN] in societal conventions [ACT] and attitudes [ATTITUDE] during the victorian era [ABSTRACT ENTITY] . emancipation [ACT] of enslaved africans wilberforce [PERSON] worked with the members [PERSON] of the african institution [INSTITUTION] to ensure the enforcement [CONDITION] of the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] and to promote abolitionist [PERSON] negotiations [PROCESS] with other countries [STATE] . in particular , the united states [PLACE] had abolished the slave trade [PERSON] after 1808 and wilberforce [PERSON] lobbied the american government [GOVERNMENT] to enforce its own mandated prohibition [PERIOD] more strongly . the same year [PERIOD] , wilberforce [PERSON] moved his family [HUMAN GROUP] from clapham [PERSON] to a sizeable mansion [EVENT] with a large garden [PERSON] in kensington gore [PERSON] , closer to the houses [UNKNOWN] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] . in worsening health [PROPERTY] by 1812 , wilberforce [PERSON] resigned his yorkshire seat [ABSTRACT ENTITY] , and became mp for the rotten borough [ESTATE] of bramber [UNKNOWN] in sussex [PERSON] , a seat [ABSTRACT ENTITY] with little or no constituency obligations [OBLIGATION] , thus allowing him more time [PERIOD] for his family [HUMAN GROUP] and the causes [CAUSE] that interested him . from 1816 , wilberforce [PERSON] introduced a series [SERIES] of bills [DOCUMENT] which would require the compulsory registration [PERSON] of enslaved people [HUMAN GROUP] , together with details [EVENT] of their country [PLACE] of origin [ARTIFACT] , permitting the illegal importation [PERSON] of foreign slaves [PERSON] to be detected . later in the same year [PERIOD] he began to publicly denounce slavery [INSTITUTION] itself [UNKNOWN] , though he did not demand immediate emancipation [ACT] , believing incremental change [UNKNOWN] to be more effective in achieving abolition [EVENT] . in 1820 , after a period [PERIOD] of poor [UNKNOWN] health [PROPERTY] and with his eyesight [GROUP] failing , wilberforce [PERSON] further limited public [UNKNOWN] activities [ACTIVITY] , although he became embroiled in unsuccessful mediation attempts [ACTION] between king george [PERSON] iv , and his estranged wife caroline [PERSON] of brunswick [PLACE] , who had sought her rights [UNKNOWN] as queen [PERSON] of the realm [NUMBER] . wilberforce [PERSON] still hoped " to lay a foundation [EVENT] for some future measures [MEASURE] for the emancipation [ACT] of the poor [UNKNOWN] slaves [PERSON] " . aware that the cause [CAUSE] would need [UNKNOWN] younger [PERSON] men [PERSON] to continue the work [ACTIVITY] , in 1821 he asked mp thomas fowell buxton [PERSON] to take over leadership [PERSON] of the campaign [SERIES] in the commons [PLACE] . as the 1820s continued , wilberforce [PERSON] increasingly became more of a figurehead [PERSON] for the abolitionist [PERSON] movement [HUMAN GROUP] , although he continued to appear at anti-slavery meetings [ACTIVITY] , welcoming visitors [PERSON] , and maintaining a busy correspondence [SIMILARITY] on the subject [EVENT] . in 1823 wilberforce [PERSON] 's 56-page " appeal [PERSON] to the religion [UNKNOWN] , justice [PROPERTY] and humanity [VERTEBRATE] of the inhabitants [PLACE] of the british empire [STATE] in behalf [PERSON] of the negro slaves [PERSON] in the west indies [PLACE] " was published . the treatise [UNKNOWN] stated that total emancipation [ACT] was morally and ethically required and that slavery [INSTITUTION] was a national crime [EVENT] which must be ended by parliamentary legislation [ACT] to gradually abolish slavery [INSTITUTION] . members [PERSON] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] did not agree , and government opposition [EVENT] in march [PERIOD] 1823 stymied wilberforce [PERSON] 's call [UNKNOWN] for abolition [EVENT] . on 15 may [PERIOD] 1823 , buxton [PERSON] moved another resolution [DISTANCE] in parliament [HUMAN GROUP] for gradual emancipation [ACT] . subsequent debates [STATE] followed on 16 march [PERIOD] and 11 june [PERIOD] 1824 in which wilberforce [PERSON] made his last speeches [SPEECH] in the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] , and which again saw the emancipationists [PERSON] outmanoeuvred by the government [GOVERNMENT] . last years [PERIOD] wilberforce [PERSON] 's health [PROPERTY] was continuing to fail , and he suffered further illnesses [ILLNESS] in 1824 and 1825 . with his family [HUMAN GROUP] concerned that his life [EVENT] was endangered , he declined a peerage [COLLECTION] and resigned his seat [ABSTRACT ENTITY] in parliament [HUMAN GROUP] , leaving the campaign [SERIES] to others [UNKNOWN] . a marble statue [PERSON] of wilberforce [PERSON] , with an inscription [STYLE] beneath it wilberforce [PERSON] was buried in westminster abbey [PERSON] next to pitt [PERSON] . this memorial statue [PERSON] , by samuel joseph [PERSON] ( 1791-1850 ) , was erected in 1840 in the north choir aisle [PERSON] . in 1826 , wilberforce [PERSON] moved from his large house [PLACE] in kensington gore [PERSON] to hendon park [PLACE] , a more modest property [PROPERTY] in the countryside [PLACE] of mill hill [HILL] , north of london [PLACE] , where he was joined by his son william [PERSON] and family [HUMAN GROUP] . william [PERSON] had attempted a series [SERIES] of educational and career paths [SEQUENCE] , and a venture [PERSON] into farming [QUANTITY] in 1830 led to huge losses [PERSON] , which his father [PERSON] repaid in full , despite offers [OFFER] from others [UNKNOWN] to assist . this left wilberforce [PERSON] with little income [DISEASE] , and he was obliged to let his home [PLACE] and spend the rest [NUMBER] of his life [EVENT] visiting family members [PERSON] and friends [PERSON] . he continued his support [ACT] for the anti-slavery cause [CAUSE] , including attending and chairing meetings [ACTIVITY] of the anti-slavery society [INSTITUTION] . wilberforce [PERSON] approved of the 1830 election victory [PERSON] of the more progressive whigs [LIQUID] , though he was concerned about the implications [PERSON] of their reform bill [PERSON] which proposed the redistribution [PROCESS] of parliamentary seats [ABSTRACT ENTITY] towards newer towns [ENTITY] and cities [SET] and an extension [INSTITUTION] of the franchise [PERMISSION] . in 1833 , wilberforce [PERSON] 's health [PROPERTY] declined further and he suffered a severe attack [EVENT] of influenza [UNKNOWN] from which he never fully recovered . he made a final anti-slavery speech [SPEECH] in april [PERIOD] 1833 at a public [UNKNOWN] meeting [ACTIVITY] in maidstone [UNKNOWN] , kent [PLACE] . the following month [PERIOD] , the whig government [GOVERNMENT] introduced the bill [PERSON] for the abolition [EVENT] of slavery [INSTITUTION] , formally saluting wilberforce [PERSON] in the process [PROCESS] . on 26 july [PERIOD] 1833 , wilberforce [PERSON] heard of government concessions [PERMISSION] that guaranteed the passing [EVENT] of the bill [PERSON] for the abolition [EVENT] of slavery [INSTITUTION] . the following day [PERIOD] he grew much weaker , and he died early on the morning [PERSON] of 29 july [PERIOD] at his cousin [PERSON] 's house [PLACE] in cadogan place [PLACE] , london [PLACE] . funeral wilberforce [PERSON] had left instructions [ACT] that he be buried with his sister [PERSON] and daughter [PERSON] at st mary [PERSON] 's church [PERSON] , stoke newington [PERSON] , just north of london [PLACE] . however , the leading members [PERSON] of both houses [UNKNOWN] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] urged that he be honoured with a burial [ACT] in westminster abbey [PERSON] . the family [HUMAN GROUP] agreed and , on 3 august [PERIOD] 1833 , wilberforce [PERSON] was buried in the north transept [UNKNOWN] , close to his friend william pitt [PERSON] [PERSON] . the funeral [ACTION] was attended by many members [PERSON] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] , as well as by members [PERSON] of the public [UNKNOWN] . the pallbearers [PERSON] included the duke [PERSON] of gloucester [PLACE] , the lord chancellor henry [PERSON] brougham [PERSON] , and the speaker [PROCESS] of the house [PLACE] of commons [PLACE] charles manners-sutton . while [MEASURE] tributes [ACT] were paid and wilberforce [PERSON] was laid to rest [NUMBER] , both houses [UNKNOWN] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] suspended their business [AMOUNT] as a mark [PERSON] of respect [EVENT] . legacy five years [PERIOD] after his death [EVENT] , sons robert [PERSON] and samuel wilberforce [PERSON] published a five-volume biography [SEQUENCE] about their father [PERSON] , and subsequently a collection [COLLECTION] of his letters [ABILITY] in 1840 . the biography [SEQUENCE] was controversial in that the authors [UNKNOWN] emphasised wilberforce [PERSON] 's role [ROLE] in the abolition movement [HUMAN GROUP] and played down the important work [ACTIVITY] of thomas clarkson [PERSON] . clarkson [PERSON] wrote a book [ENTITY] refuting their version [PERMISSION] of events [EVENT] , and the sons [PERSON] eventually made a half-hearted private apology [STATE] to him and removed the offending passages [ACT] in a revision [INSTANCE] of their biography [SEQUENCE] . for more than a century [PERIOD] , wilberforce [PERSON] 's role [ROLE] in the campaign [SERIES] dominated the historical record [ARTIFACT] . later historians [PERSON] have noted the warm [ACT] and highly productive relationship [RELATIONSHIP] between clarkson [PERSON] and wilberforce [PERSON] , and have termed it one of history [UNIT] 's great partnerships [PERIOD] : without both the parliamentary leadership [PERSON] supplied by wilberforce [PERSON] and the research [EVENT] and public [UNKNOWN] mobilisation [ACT] organised by clarkson [PERSON] , abolition [EVENT] could not have been achieved . as his sons [PERSON] had desired and planned , wilberforce [PERSON] has long been viewed as a christian hero [PERSON] , a statesman-saint held up as a role model [SYSTEM] for putting his faith [PERSON] into action [ACTION] . contemporary evangelical and conservative movements [UNKNOWN] in north america [PLACE] appropriate his name [NAME] and example [ABSTRACT ENTITY] in their activism [FORM] . the strategies [STRATEGY] of wilberforce [PERSON] and other abolitionists [PERSON] are invoked by anti-abortion activists [PERSON] , who controversially equate the abolition [EVENT] of slavery [INSTITUTION] with ending abortion [STATE] . wilberforce [PERSON] has also been described as a humanitarian reformer [PERSON] who contributed to reshaping the political and social attitudes [ATTITUDE] of the time [PERIOD] by promoting concepts [CONCEPT] of social responsibility [RESPONSIBILITY] and action [ACTION] . in the 1940s , the role [ROLE] of wilberforce [PERSON] and the clapham sect [GROUP] in abolition [EVENT] was downplayed by historian eric williams [PERSON] , who argued that abolition [EVENT] was motivated not by humanitarianism [PERSON] but by economics [UNKNOWN] , as the west indian sugar [SUGAR] industry [INSTITUTION] was in decline [ACT] . williams [PERSON] 's approach [PLACE] strongly influenced historians [PERSON] for much of the latter part of the 20th century [PERIOD] . more recent historians [PERSON] have noted that the sugar [SUGAR] industry [INSTITUTION] was still making large profits [AMOUNT] at the time [PERIOD] of the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] , and this has led to a renewed interest [PERSON] in wilberforce [PERSON] and the evangelicals [PERSON] , as well as a recognition [STATE] of the anti-slavery movement [HUMAN GROUP] as a prototype [DOCUMENT] for subsequent humanitarian campaigns [SERIES] . memorials [ACT] see caption [CONDITION] the wilberforce monument [PERSON] in the grounds [UNKNOWN] of hull college [INSTITUTION] , hull [PLACE] , erected in 1834 wilberforce [PERSON] 's life [EVENT] and work [ACTIVITY] have been commemorated in the united kingdom [PLACE] and elsewhere . in westminster abbey [PERSON] , a seated statue [PERSON] of wilberforce [PERSON] by samuel joseph [PERSON] was erected in 1840 , bearing an epitaph [STYLE] praising his christian character [EVENT] and his long labour [ABSTRACT ENTITY] to abolish the slave trade [PERSON] and slavery [INSTITUTION] . in wilberforce [PERSON] 's hometown [EVENT] of hull [PLACE] , a public [UNKNOWN] subscription [QUALITY] in 1834 funded the wilberforce monument [PERSON] , a 31-metre ( 102 ft ) greek doric column [RESOURCE] topped by a statue [PERSON] of wilberforce [PERSON] , which stands in the grounds [UNKNOWN] of hull college [INSTITUTION] near queen [PERSON] 's gardens [UNKNOWN] . wilberforce memorial school [INSTITUTION] for the blind [PERSON] in york [PLACE] was established in 1833 in his honour [UNKNOWN] . wilberforce [PERSON] 's birthplace [LOCATION] was acquired by the city corporation [INSTITUTION] in 1903 and , following renovation [ACT] , wilberforce house [PLACE] in hull [PLACE] was opened as britain [PLACE] 's first slavery museum [PLACE] . in 2006 , the university [INSTITUTION] of hull [PLACE] established the wilberforce institute [INSTITUTION] for the study [STUDY] of slavery [INSTITUTION] and emancipation [ACT] in a building [BUILDING] beside wilberforce house [PLACE] . various churches [PERSON] within the anglican communion commemorate wilberforce [PERSON] in their liturgical calendars [ACTIVITY] , and wilberforce university [INSTITUTION] in ohio [PLACE] , united states [PLACE] , founded in 1856 , is named after him . the university [INSTITUTION] was the first owned by african-american people [HUMAN GROUP] , and is an historically black college [INSTITUTION] . in ontario [PLACE] , canada [PLACE] , the wilberforce colony [SEQUENCE] was founded by black reformers [PERSON] , and inhabited by freed slaves [PERSON] from the united states [PLACE] . in media [MEDIUM] * amazing grace [PERSON] , a film [ARTWORK] about wilberforce [PERSON] and the struggle [FORCE] against the slave trade [PERSON] , was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary [TIME PERIOD] of parliament [HUMAN GROUP] 's anti-slave trade legislation [ACT] . * in 2007 , focus [ELEMENT] on the family [HUMAN GROUP] produced an audio drama [INFORMATION] called grace victorious [PERSON] : the story [PERSON] of william wilberforce [PERSON] , starring chris larkin [PERSON] as wilberforce [PERSON] . works [UNKNOWN] * wilberforce [PERSON] , william [PERSON] ( 1797 ) . a practical view [GROUP] of the prevailing religious system of professed christians [PERSON] , in the middle [PERSON] and higher classes [PERSON] in this country [PLACE] , contrasted with real christianity [PERSON] . london [PLACE] : t. caddell [PERSON] . * wilberforce [PERSON] , william [PERSON] ( 1807 ) . a letter [ABILITY] on the abolition [EVENT] of the slave trade [PERSON] , addressed to the freeholders [UNKNOWN] of yorkshire [PLACE] . london [PLACE] : t. cadell [PERSON] and w. davies , j. hatchard [PERSON] . wilberforce [PERSON] , william [PERSON] ( 1823 ) . an appeal [PERSON] to the religion [UNKNOWN] , justice [PROPERTY] , and humanity [VERTEBRATE] of the inhabitants [PLACE] of the british empire [STATE] in behalf [PERSON] of the negro slaves [PERSON] in the west indies [PLACE] . london [PLACE] : j. hatchard and son [PERSON] .

## Objects found

Id | Form | Freq | Tag | Context | Error
1 | wilberforce | 136 | PERSON | for his eldest son , a lawyer and member of parliament , see william wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . |
2 | abolition | 34 | EVENT | they persuaded wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition , and he became a leading english abolitionist . |
3 | trade | 33 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
4 | house | 23 | PLACE | statue on a lawn of a two-storey georgian house a statue of william wilberforce outside wilberforce house , his birthplace in hull |
5 | parliament | 22 | HUMAN GROUP | for his eldest son , a lawyer and member of parliament , see william wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . |
6 | bill | 15 | PERSON | he began using his parliamentary position to advocate reform by introducing a registration bill , proposing limited changes to parliamentary election procedures . |
7 | pitt | 15 | PERSON | abbey , close to his friend william pitt the younger . |
8 | campaign | 15 | SERIES | he headed the parliamentary campaign against the british slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the slave trade act 1807 . |
9 | time | 14 | PERIOD | in 1767 , he began attending hull grammar school , which at the time was headed by joseph milner , who would become a lifelong friend . |
10 | life | 14 | EVENT | early life and education wilberforce was born in hull , in yorkshire , england , on 24 august 1759 . |
11 | society | 13 | INSTITUTION | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
12 | hull | 13 | PLACE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
13 | commons | 12 | PLACE | early parliamentary career wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and pitt frequently watched house of commons debates from the gallery . |
14 | slavery | 10 | INSTITUTION | wilberforce played a central role in the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and continued his involvement after 1826 , when he resigned from parliament because of health issues . |
15 | london | 10 | PLACE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
16 | yorkshire | 9 | PLACE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
17 | clarkson | 8 | PERSON | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
18 | april | 8 | PERIOD | on 6 april , he was returned as mp for yorkshire at the age of twenty-four . |
19 | others | 7 | UNKNOWN | his conversion changed some of his habits , but not his nature : he remained outwardly cheerful , interested and respectful , tactfully urging others towards his new faith . |
20 | conditions | 7 | CONDITION | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
21 | emancipation | 7 | ACT | excited supporters suggested taking advantage of the large majority to seek the abolition of slavery itself , but wilberforce made it clear that total emancipation was not the immediate goal . |
22 | family | 7 | HUMAN GROUP | his grandfather , william ( 1690-1774 ) , had made the family fortune in the maritime trade with baltic countries . |
23 | reform | 7 | AMOUNT | in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . |
24 | religion | 7 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion , morality and education . |
25 | church | 7 | PERSON | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
26 | support | 7 | ACT | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
27 | members | 7 | PERSON | he was supported by fellow members of the clapham sect , among whom was his best friend and cousin henry thornton . |
28 | abolitionists | 7 | PERSON | he began to read widely on the subject and met with a group of abolitionists called the testonites at middleton 's home in the early winter of 1786-1787 . |
29 | years | 7 | PERIOD | he headed the parliamentary campaign against the british slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the slave trade act 1807 . |
30 | slaves | 7 | PERSON | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
31 | home | 7 | PLACE | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
32 | day | 6 | PERIOD | he sought guidance from john newton , a leading evangelical anglican clergyman of the day and rector of st mary woolnoth . |
33 | people | 6 | HUMAN GROUP | drawing on thomas clarkson 's mass of evidence , he described in detail the appalling conditions in which enslaved people travelled from africa in the middle passage and argued that abolishing the trade would also bring an improvement to the conditions of existing slaves in the west indies . |
34 | england | 6 | PLACE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
35 | william | 6 | PERSON | for his eldest son , a lawyer and member of parliament , see william wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . |
36 | interest | 6 | PERSON | despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying , he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in 1781 and a master of arts degree in 1788 . |
37 | votes | 6 | ACT | in september 1780 , at the age of 21 and while still a student , wilberforce was elected member of parliament for kingston upon hull , spending over £8,000 , as was the custom of the time , to ensure he received the necessary votes . |
38 | government | 6 | GOVERNMENT | during the frequent government changes of 1781-1784 , wilberforce supported his friend pitt in parliamentary debates . |
39 | meetings | 6 | ACTIVITY | old palace yard became a centre for the abolitionists ' campaign and the location for many strategy meetings . |
40 | women | 6 | PERSON | the bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . |
41 | education | 6 | PROCESS | wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion , morality and education . |
42 | year | 6 | PERIOD | with his mother struggling to cope , the nine year old wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both st james 's place , london , and wimbledon . |
43 | william wilberforce | 6 | PERSON | for his eldest son , a lawyer and member of parliament , see william wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . |
44 | subject | 5 | EVENT | wilberforce responded that he " felt the great importance of the subject , and thought himself unequal to the task allotted to him , but yet would not positively decline it " . |
45 | france | 5 | PLACE | in autumn 1783 , pitt , wilberforce and edward eliot travelled to france for a six-week holiday together . |
46 | views | 5 | GROUP | his political views were informed by his faith and by his desire to promote christianity and christian ethics in private and public life . |
47 | passage | 5 | ACT | he headed the parliamentary campaign against the british slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the slave trade act 1807 . |
48 | member | 5 | PERSON | for his eldest son , a lawyer and member of parliament , see william wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . |
49 | work | 5 | ACTIVITY | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
50 | evidence | 5 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | clarkson visited wilberforce weekly , bringing first-hand evidence he had obtained about the slave trade . |
51 | cause | 5 | CAUSE | they persuaded wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition , and he became a leading english abolitionist . |
52 | rest | 5 | NUMBER | his regular bouts of gastrointestinal illnesses precipitated the use of moderate quantities of opium , which proved effective in alleviating his condition , and which he continued to use for the rest of his life . |
53 | statue | 5 | PERSON | statue on a lawn of a two-storey georgian house a statue of william wilberforce outside wilberforce house , his birthplace in hull |
54 | may | 5 | PERIOD | this may have been due to wilberforce 's wish to remain an independent mp. |
55 | changes | 5 | UNKNOWN | in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . |
56 | christianity | 5 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
57 | health | 5 | PROPERTY | wilberforce played a central role in the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and continued his involvement after 1826 , when he resigned from parliament because of health issues . |
58 | britain | 5 | PLACE | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
59 | age | 4 | PROPERTY | in october 1776 , at the age of seventeen , wilberforce went up to st john 's college , cambridge . |
60 | sister | 4 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
61 | faith | 4 | PERSON | his conversion changed some of his habits , but not his nature : he remained outwardly cheerful , interested and respectful , tactfully urging others towards his new faith . |
62 | causes | 4 | CAUSE | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
63 | thomas clarkson | 4 | PERSON | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
64 | end | 4 | UNKNOWN | by the end of the evening , wilberforce had agreed in general terms that he would bring forward the abolition of the slave trade in parliament , " provided that no person more proper could be found " . |
65 | slave trade | 4 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
66 | father | 4 | PERSON | wilberforce profited from the supportive atmosphere at the school , until his father died in 1768 . |
67 | clapham sect | 4 | GROUP | he was supported by fellow members of the clapham sect , among whom was his best friend and cousin henry thornton . |
68 | friend | 4 | PERSON | abbey , close to his friend william pitt the younger . |
69 | man | 4 | PERSON | free from financial pressures , wilberforce sat as an independent , resolving to be " no party man " . |
70 | motion | 4 | ACTION | under what came to be known as the " wilberforce oak " at holwood house , pitt challenged his friend to give notice of a motion concerning the slave trade before another parliamentarian did . |
71 | bills | 4 | DOCUMENT | the house of commons passed both bills , but they were defeated in the house of lords . |
72 | letter | 4 | ABILITY | in november 1786 , he received a letter from sir charles middleton that re-opened his interest in the slave trade . |
73 | income | 4 | DISEASE | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
74 | role | 4 | ROLE | wilberforce played a central role in the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and continued his involvement after 1826 , when he resigned from parliament because of health issues . |
75 | west indies | 4 | PLACE | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
76 | men | 4 | PERSON | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
77 | july | 4 | PERIOD | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
78 | speech | 4 | SPEECH | on 12 may 1789 , he made his first major speech on the subject of abolition in the house of commons , in which he reasoned that the trade was morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice . |
79 | century | 4 | PERIOD | milner accompanied wilberforce to england , and on the journey they read " the rise and progress of religion in the soul " by philip doddridge , a leading early 18th century english nonconformist . |
80 | houses | 4 | UNKNOWN | with his mother struggling to cope , the nine-year-old wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both st james 's place , london , and wimbledon . |
81 | conversion | 4 | SPEECH ACT | in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . |
82 | united states | 3 | PLACE | in particular , the united states had abolished the slave trade after 1808 and wilberforce lobbied the american government to enforce its own mandated prohibition more strongly . |
83 | british empire | 3 | STATE | that campaign led to the slavery abolition act 1833 , which abolished slavery in most of the british empire . |
84 | supporter | 3 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
85 | career | 3 | QUANTITY | a native of kingston upon hull , yorkshire , he began his political career in 1780 , and became an independent member of parliament ( mp ) for yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) . |
86 | february | 3 | PERIOD | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
87 | need | 3 | UNKNOWN | the deaths of his grandfather and uncle , in 1774 and 1777 respectively , had left him independently wealthy and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study . |
88 | children | 3 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
89 | westminster abbey | 3 | PERSON | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
90 | son | 3 | PERSON | for his eldest son , a lawyer and member of parliament , see william wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . |
91 | measures | 3 | MEASURE | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
92 | old palace yard | 3 | PERSON | in 1786 , wilberforce leased a house in old palace yard , westminster , in order to be near parliament . |
93 | months | 3 | PERIOD | it was several months before he was able to resume work , and he spent time convalescing at bath and cambridge . |
94 | prevention | 3 | ASSET | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
95 | book | 3 | ENTITY | united kingdom general election , after which he returned to finishing and publishing his letter , a 400-page book which formed the basis for the final phase of the campaign . |
96 | january | 3 | PERIOD | however , in january 1788 , he was taken ill with a probable stress-related condition , now thought to be ulcerative colitis . |
97 | justice | 3 | PROPERTY | on 12 may 1789 , he made his first major speech on the subject of abolition in the house of commons , in which he reasoned that the trade was morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice . |
98 | improvement | 3 | AGREEMENT | drawing on thomas clarkson 's mass of evidence , he described in detail the appalling conditions in which enslaved people travelled from africa in the middle passage and argued that abolishing the trade would also bring an improvement to the conditions of existing slaves in the west indies . |
99 | war | 3 | EVENT | war with france |
100 | june | 3 | PERIOD | william wilberforce — speech before the house of commons , 18 april 1791 interrupted by a general election in june 1790 , the committee finished hearing witnesses and in april 1791 , with a closely reasoned four-hour speech , wilberforce introduced the first parliamentary bill to abolish the slave trade . |
101 | wilberforce house | 3 | PLACE | statue on a lawn of a two-storey georgian house a statue of william wilberforce outside wilberforce house , his birthplace in hull |
102 | august | 3 | PERIOD | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
103 | issue | 3 | EVENT | on 12 may 1789 , he made his first major speech on the subject of abolition in the house of commons , in which he reasoned that the trade was morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice . |
104 | college | 3 | INSTITUTION | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
105 | change | 3 | UNKNOWN | a radical change of tactics , which involved the introduction of a bill to ban british subjects from aiding or participating in the slave trade to the french colonies , was suggested by the maritime lawyer james stephen . |
106 | nature | 3 | NATURE | his conversion changed some of his habits , but not his nature : he remained outwardly cheerful , interested and respectful , tactfully urging others towards his new faith . |
107 | movement | 3 | HUMAN GROUP | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
108 | brother | 3 | PERSON | in october 1784 , wilberforce embarked upon a tour of europe with his mother , sister and isaac milner , the younger brother of his former headmaster . |
109 | animals | 3 | ANIMAL | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
110 | seat | 3 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | pitt , already set on a political career , encouraged wilberforce to join him in obtaining a parliamentary seat . |
111 | kingston | 3 | PERSON | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
112 | lifestyle | 3 | PARTICLE | in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . |
113 | biography | 3 | SEQUENCE | five years after his death , sons robert and samuel wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father , and subsequently a collection of his letters in 1840 . |
114 | lords | 3 | PERSON | the house of commons passed both bills , but they were defeated in the house of lords . |
115 | university | 3 | INSTITUTION | early parliamentary career wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and pitt frequently watched house of commons debates from the gallery . |
116 | friends | 3 | PERSON | he made many friends , including the more studious future prime minister william pitt . |
117 | british | 3 | UNKNOWN | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
118 | campaigns | 3 | SERIES | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
119 | march | 3 | PERIOD | it was arranged that bennet langton , a lincolnshire landowner and mutual acquaintance of wilberforce and clarkson , would organise a dinner party on 13 march 1787 to ask wilberforce formally to lead the parliamentary campaign . |
120 | favour | 3 | PERSON | wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the combination act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . |
121 | french revolution | 3 | PLACE | in the meantime , wilberforce and clarkson tried unsuccessfully to take advantage of the egalitarian atmosphere of the french revolution to press for france 's abolition of the trade . |
122 | historians | 3 | PERSON | later historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship between clarkson and wilberforce , and have termed it one of history 's great partnerships : without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by clarkson , abolition could not have been achieved . |
123 | charter | 3 | PERSON | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
124 | legislation | 3 | ACT | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
125 | india | 3 | PLACE | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
126 | decline | 3 | ACT | wilberforce responded that he " felt the great importance of the subject , and thought himself unequal to the task allotted to him , but yet would not positively decline it " . |
127 | country | 3 | PLACE | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
128 | evangelicals | 3 | PERSON | evangelicals in the upper classes were exposed to contempt and ridicule , and wilberforce 's conversion led him to question whether he should remain in public life . |
129 | cards | 3 | GROUP | influenced by methodist scruples , he initially resisted hull 's lively social life , but , as his religious fervour diminished , he embraced theatre-going , attended balls , and played cards . |
130 | importance | 3 | QUALITY | wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion , morality and education . |
131 | times | 3 | UNKNOWN | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
132 | leadership | 3 | PERSON | wilberforce 's attempts to legislate against adultery and sunday newspapers were also in vain ; his involvement and leadership in other , less punitive , approaches were more successful in the long-term , however . |
133 | name | 3 | NAME | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
134 | cruelty | 3 | STATE | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
135 | africans | 3 | PERSON | of the estimated 11 million africans transported into slavery , about 1.4 million died during the voyage . |
136 | grandfather | 3 | PERSON | his grandfather , william ( 1690-1774 ) , had made the family fortune in the maritime trade with baltic countries . |
137 | election | 3 | PERSON | when parliament was dissolved in the spring of 1784 , wilberforce decided to stand as a candidate for the county of yorkshire in the 1784 general election . |
138 | response | 3 | RANK | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
139 | colony | 2 | SEQUENCE | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
140 | approach | 2 | PLACE | the approach was successful and the foreign slave trade bill received royal assent on 23 may 1806 . |
141 | morals | 2 | ACT | he advocated change in society through christianity and improvement in morals , education and religion , fearing and opposing radical causes and revolution . |
142 | responsibility | 2 | RESPONSIBILITY | by the end of his life , british morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the victorian era . |
143 | condition | 2 | CONDITION | however , in january 1788 , he was taken ill with a probable stress-related condition , now thought to be ulcerative colitis . |
144 | robert | 2 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
145 | ship | 2 | SHIP | james ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of st christopher ( later st kitts ) . |
146 | portrait | 2 | PERSON | william wilberforce portrait by karl anton hickel , c. 1794 member of parliament |
147 | prosecution | 2 | INSTITUTION | the proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the lord 's day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . |
148 | involvement | 2 | ACT | wilberforce played a central role in the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and continued his involvement after 1826 , when he resigned from parliament because of health issues . |
149 | kent | 2 | PLACE | the same spring , on 12 may 1787 , the still hesitant wilberforce held a conversation with william pitt and the future prime minister william grenville as they sat under a large oak tree on pitt 's estate in kent . |
150 | sabbath | 2 | PERSON | his views were often deeply conservative , opposed to radical changes in a god-given political and social order , and focused on issues such as the observance of the sabbath and the eradication of immorality through education and reform . |
151 | hannah more | 2 | PERSON | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
152 | disgrace | 2 | CONDITION | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
153 | foundation | 2 | EVENT | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
154 | countries | 2 | STATE | his grandfather , william ( 1690-1774 ) , had made the family fortune in the maritime trade with baltic countries . |
155 | notice | 2 | ACT | under what came to be known as the " wilberforce oak " at holwood house , pitt challenged his friend to give notice of a motion concerning the slave trade before another parliamentarian did . |
156 | renewal | 2 | ACT | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
157 | movements | 2 | UNKNOWN | ramsay was horrified by the conditions endured by the enslaved peoples , both at sea and on the plantations and returned to england and joined abolitionist movements . |
158 | atmosphere | 2 | LANGUAGE | wilberforce profited from the supportive atmosphere at the school , until his father died in 1768 . |
159 | case | 2 | STUDY | the quakers , already working for abolition , recognised the need for influence within parliament , and urged clarkson to secure a commitment from wilberforce to bring forward the case for abolition in the house of commons . |
160 | proclamation | 2 | STATEMENT | a proclamation for the encouragement of piety and virtue , as a remedy for the rising tide of immorality . |
161 | quakers | 2 | UNKNOWN | the british campaign to abolish the slave trade is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment of the quakers ' anti-slavery committees , and their presentation to parliament of the first slave trade petition in 1783 . |
162 | activists | 2 | PERSON | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
163 | united kingdom | 2 | PLACE | united kingdom general election , after which he returned to finishing and publishing his letter , a 400-page book which formed the basis for the final phase of the campaign . |
164 | christians | 2 | PERSON | to this end , in april 1797 , wilberforce published a practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed christians in the higher and middle classes of this country contrasted with real christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . |
165 | politician | 2 | PERSON | english politician and abolitionist ( 1759-1833 ) |
166 | money | 2 | MONEY | they formed the sierra leone company , with wilberforce subscribing liberally to the project in money and time . |
167 | decision | 2 | DECISION | abolition of the transatlantic slave trade initial decision |
168 | church mission society | 2 | INSTITUTION | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
169 | dissection | 2 | PROCESS | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
170 | use | 2 | USE | inwardly , he became self-critical , harshly judging his spirituality , use of time , vanity , self-control and relationships with others . |
171 | africa | 2 | PLACE | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
172 | poor | 2 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce was a small , sickly and delicate child with poor eyesight . |
173 | view | 2 | GROUP | to this end , in april 1797 , wilberforce published a practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed christians in the higher and middle classes of this country contrasted with real christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . |
174 | westminster | 2 | PERSON | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
175 | piety | 2 | PERSON | he sought to elevate the status of religion in public and private life , making piety fashionable in both the upper- and middle-classes of society . |
176 | journey | 2 | PERSON | milner accompanied wilberforce to england , and on the journey they read " the rise and progress of religion in the soul " by philip doddridge , a leading early 18th-century english nonconformist . |
177 | tributes | 2 | ACT | as tributes were made to wilberforce , whose face streamed with tears , the bill was carried by 283 votes to 16 . |
178 | rights | 2 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the combination act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . |
179 | arts degree | 2 | EVENT | despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying , he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in 1781 and a master of arts degree in 1788 . |
180 | prime minister | 2 | HUMAN ROLE | he made many friends , including the more studious future prime minister william pitt . |
181 | sons | 2 | PERSON | five years after his death , sons robert and samuel wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father , and subsequently a collection of his letters in 1840 . |
182 | relatives | 2 | PERSON | he attended an " indifferent " boarding school in putney for two years and spent his holidays in wimbledon , where he grew extremely fond of his relatives . |
183 | company | 2 | INSTITUTION | they formed the sierra leone company , with wilberforce subscribing liberally to the project in money and time . |
184 | groups | 2 | GROUP | abolition continued to be associated in the public consciousness with the french revolution and with british radical groups , resulting in a decline in public support . |
185 | history | 2 | UNIT | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
186 | redistribution | 2 | PROCESS | from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . |
187 | hearings | 2 | UNKNOWN | the hearings were not completed by the end of the parliamentary session and were deferred until the following year . |
188 | session | 2 | PERIOD | early parliamentary action wilberforce had planned to introduce a motion giving notice that he would bring forward a bill for the abolition of the slave trade during the 1789 parliamentary session . |
189 | power | 2 | POWER | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
190 | friend william pitt | 2 | PERSON | abbey , close to his friend william pitt the younger . |
191 | influence | 2 | ELEMENT | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
192 | december | 2 | PERIOD | pitt became prime minister in december 1783 , with wilberforce a key supporter of his minority government . |
193 | inhabitants | 2 | PLACE | in 1823 wilberforce 's 56-page " appeal to the religion , justice and humanity of the inhabitants of the british empire in behalf of the negro slaves in the west indies " was published . |
194 | cabinet | 2 | PERSON | he gave general support to the grenville-fox administration , which brought more abolitionists into the cabinet ; wilberforce and charles fox led the campaign in the house of commons . |
195 | eyesight | 2 | GROUP | wilberforce was a small , sickly and delicate child with poor eyesight . |
196 | hull college | 2 | INSTITUTION | memorials see caption the wilberforce monument in the grounds of hull college , hull , erected in 1834 wilberforce 's life and work have been commemorated in the united kingdom and elsewhere . |
197 | appeal | 2 | PERSON | in 1823 wilberforce 's 56-page " appeal to the religion , justice and humanity of the inhabitants of the british empire in behalf of the negro slaves in the west indies " was published . |
198 | mother | 2 | PERSON | with his mother struggling to cope , the nine-year-old wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both st james 's place , london , and wimbledon . |
199 | spring | 2 | PERSON | when parliament was dissolved in the spring of 1784 , wilberforce decided to stand as a candidate for the county of yorkshire in the 1784 general election . |
200 | headmaster | 2 | DEVICE | his family opposed a return to hull grammar school because the headmaster had become a methodist , and wilberforce continued his education at pocklington school from 1771 to 1776 . |
201 | days | 2 | PERIOD | wilberforce died just three days after hearing that the passage of the act through parliament was assured . |
202 | school | 2 | INSTITUTION | in 1767 , he began attending hull grammar school , which at the time was headed by joseph milner , who would become a lifelong friend . |
203 | samuel | 2 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
204 | study | 2 | STUDY | the deaths of his grandfather and uncle , in 1774 and 1777 respectively , had left him independently wealthy and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study . |
205 | death | 2 | EVENT | following pitt 's death in january 1806 , wilberforce increased his collaboration with the whigs , especially the abolitionists . |
206 | wimbledon | 2 | PLACE | with his mother struggling to cope , the nine-year-old wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both st james 's place , london , and wimbledon . |
207 | parliamentary session | 2 | PERIOD | early parliamentary action wilberforce had planned to introduce a motion giving notice that he would bring forward a bill for the abolition of the slave trade during the 1789 parliamentary session . |
208 | material | 2 | MATERIAL | alternatively , wilberforce 's frequent tardiness and disorganisation , as well as his chronic eye problems that at times made reading impossible , may have convinced pitt that he was not ministerial material . |
209 | lack | 2 | UNKNOWN | despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying , he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in 1781 and a master of arts degree in 1788 . |
210 | tour | 2 | EVENT | in october 1784 , wilberforce embarked upon a tour of europe with his mother , sister and isaac milner , the younger brother of his former headmaster . |
211 | abolitionist | 2 | PERSON | english politician and abolitionist ( 1759-1833 ) |
212 | action | 2 | ACTION | early parliamentary action wilberforce had planned to introduce a motion giving notice that he would bring forward a bill for the abolition of the slave trade during the 1789 parliamentary session . |
213 | character | 2 | EVENT | he disapproved of women anti-slavery activists such as elizabeth heyrick , who organised women 's abolitionist groups in the 1820s , protesting : " or ladies to meet , to publish , to go from house to house stirring up petitions— these appear to me proceedings unsuited to the female character as delineated in scripture . " |
214 | philanthropist | 2 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
215 | caption | 2 | CONDITION | see caption diagram of a slave ship , the brookes , illustrating how slaves were transported in early 1787 , thomas clarkson met with wilberforce for the first time at old palace yard and brought a copy of his essay on the subject . |
216 | cities | 2 | SET | from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . |
217 | ramsay | 2 | PERSON | james ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of st christopher ( later st kitts ) . |
218 | hull grammar school | 2 | INSTITUTION | in 1767 , he began attending hull grammar school , which at the time was headed by joseph milner , who would become a lifelong friend . |
219 | cambridge | 2 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
220 | efforts | 2 | ACTION | this is the first fruits of our efforts ; let us persevere and our triumph will be complete . |
221 | granville sharp | 2 | PERSON | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
222 | resolution | 2 | DISTANCE | growing more alarmed , on 31 december 1794 , wilberforce moved that the government seek a peaceful resolution with france , a stance that created a temporary breach in his long friendship with pitt . |
223 | grounds | 2 | UNKNOWN | memorials see caption the wilberforce monument in the grounds of hull college , hull , erected in 1834 wilberforce 's life and work have been commemorated in the united kingdom and elsewhere . |
224 | meeting | 2 | ACTIVITY | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
225 | writer | 2 | PERSON | the writer and socialite madame de staël described him as the " wittiest man in england " and , according to georgiana , duchess of devonshire , the prince of wales said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce sing . |
226 | labour | 2 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
227 | humanity | 2 | VERTEBRATE | in 1823 wilberforce 's 56-page " appeal to the religion , justice and humanity of the inhabitants of the british empire in behalf of the negro slaves in the west indies " was published . |
228 | month | 2 | PERIOD | the outbreak of war with france the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . |
229 | towns | 2 | ENTITY | from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . |
230 | advantage | 2 | CONDITION | in the meantime , wilberforce and clarkson tried unsuccessfully to take advantage of the egalitarian atmosphere of the french revolution to press for france 's abolition of the trade . |
231 | concern | 2 | PERSON | in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . |
232 | correspondence | 2 | SIMILARITY | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
233 | party | 2 | FORCE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
234 | middle classes | 2 | PERSON | to this end , in april 1797 , wilberforce published a practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed christians in the higher and middle classes of this country contrasted with real christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . |
235 | birthplace | 2 | LOCATION | statue on a lawn of a two-storey georgian house a statue of william wilberforce outside wilberforce house , his birthplace in hull |
236 | friendship | 2 | RELATIONSHIP | despite their close friendship , there is no record that pitt offered wilberforce a ministerial position in this or future governments . |
237 | uncle | 2 | PERSON | with his mother struggling to cope , the nine-year-old wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both st james 's place , london , and wimbledon . |
238 | call | 2 | UNKNOWN | this was an exposition of new testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . |
239 | record | 2 | ARTIFACT | despite their close friendship , there is no record that pitt offered wilberforce a ministerial position in this or future governments . |
240 | barbara | 2 | STATE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
241 | result | 2 | RESULT | the deaths of his grandfather and uncle , in 1774 and 1777 respectively , had left him independently wealthy and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study . |
242 | somerset | 2 | PERSON | despite the urgings of friends to slow down , the couple married at the church of st swithin in bath , somerset , on 30 may 1797 . |
243 | vice | 2 | PERSON | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
244 | aunt | 2 | PERSON | with his mother struggling to cope , the nine-year-old wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both st james 's place , london , and wimbledon . |
245 | crime | 2 | EVENT | the bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . |
246 | colonies | 2 | SEQUENCE | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
247 | recognition | 2 | STATE | already we have gained one victory ; we have obtained , for these poor creatures , the recognition of their human nature , which , for a while was most shamefully denied . |
248 | position | 2 | POSITION | despite their close friendship , there is no record that pitt offered wilberforce a ministerial position in this or future governments . |
249 | october | 2 | PERIOD | in office 31 october 1780 - |
250 | inscription | 2 | STYLE | an inscription at the bottom reads " " am i not a man and a brother ? " |
251 | attitudes | 2 | ATTITUDE | by the end of his life , british morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the victorian era . |
252 | unions | 2 | STATE | wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the combination act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . |
253 | servants | 2 | PERSON | he was exceptionally hospitable , and could not bear to sack any of his servants . |
254 | observance | 2 | FORM | his views were often deeply conservative , opposed to radical changes in a god-given political and social order , and focused on issues such as the observance of the sabbath and the eradication of immorality through education and reform . |
255 | series | 2 | SERIES | from 1816 , wilberforce introduced a series of bills which would require the compulsory registration of enslaved people , together with details of their country of origin , permitting the illegal importation of foreign slaves to be detected . |
256 | wilberforce monument | 2 | PERSON | memorials see caption the wilberforce monument in the grounds of hull college , hull , erected in 1834 wilberforce 's life and work have been commemorated in the united kingdom and elsewhere . |
257 | prevailing religious system | 2 | SYSTEM | to this end , in april 1797 , wilberforce published a practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed christians in the higher and middle classes of this country contrasted with real christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . |
258 | immorality | 2 | ACT | his views were often deeply conservative , opposed to radical changes in a god-given political and social order , and focused on issues such as the observance of the sabbath and the eradication of immorality through education and reform . |
259 | bath | 2 | PLACE | it was several months before he was able to resume work , and he spent time convalescing at bath and cambridge . |
260 | speeches | 2 | SPEECH | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
261 | activities | 2 | ACTIVITY | they were devoted to each other , and barbara was very attentive and supportive to wilberforce in his increasing ill health , though she showed little interest in his political activities . |
262 | establishment | 2 | INSTITUTION | the british campaign to abolish the slave trade is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment of the quakers ' anti-slavery committees , and their presentation to parliament of the first slave trade petition in 1783 . |
263 | clergyman | 2 | DEVICE | he sought guidance from john newton , a leading evangelical anglican clergyman of the day and rector of st mary woolnoth . |
264 | behalf | 2 | PERSON | in 1823 wilberforce 's 56-page " appeal to the religion , justice and humanity of the inhabitants of the british empire in behalf of the negro slaves in the west indies " was published . |
265 | whigs | 2 | LIQUID | following pitt 's death in january 1806 , wilberforce increased his collaboration with the whigs , especially the abolitionists . |
266 | kensington gore | 2 | PERSON | the same year , wilberforce moved his family from clapham to a sizeable mansion with a large garden in kensington gore , closer to the houses of parliament . |
267 | sierra leone | 2 | PLACE | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
268 | j. hatchard | 2 | PERSON | davies , j. hatchard . |
269 | hypocrisy | 2 | RESOURCE | the radical writer william cobbett was among those who attacked what they saw as wilberforce 's hypocrisy in campaigning for better working conditions for enslaved people while british workers lived in terrible conditions at home . |
270 | face | 2 | PERSON | as tributes were made to wilberforce , whose face streamed with tears , the bill was carried by 283 votes to 16 . |
271 | samuel joseph | 2 | PERSON | this memorial statue , by samuel joseph ( 1791-1850 ) , was erected in 1840 in the north choir aisle . |
272 | effect | 2 | EFFECT | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
273 | order | 2 | PERSON | his views were often deeply conservative , opposed to radical changes in a god-given political and social order , and focused on issues such as the observance of the sabbath and the eradication of immorality through education and reform . |
274 | illnesses | 2 | ILLNESS | his regular bouts of gastrointestinal illnesses precipitated the use of moderate quantities of opium , which proved effective in alleviating his condition , and which he continued to use for the rest of his life . |
275 | conservatism | 2 | ATTITUDE | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
276 | issues | 2 | EVENT | wilberforce played a central role in the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and continued his involvement after 1826 , when he resigned from parliament because of health issues . |
277 | group | 2 | GROUP | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
278 | winter | 2 | PERSON | early parliamentary career wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and pitt frequently watched house of commons debates from the gallery . |
279 | suppression | 2 | ACT | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
280 | middleton | 2 | PERSON | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
281 | phase | 2 | UNKNOWN | final phase of the campaign see caption the house of commons in wilberforce 's day by augustus pugin and thomas rowlandson ( 1808-1811 ) |
282 | bramber | 2 | UNKNOWN | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
283 | memorials | 1 | ACT | memorials see caption the wilberforce monument in the grounds of hull college , hull , erected in 1834 wilberforce 's life and work have been commemorated in the united kingdom and elsewhere . |
284 | blasphemy | 1 | ACT | the proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the lord 's day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . |
285 | calendars | 1 | ACTIVITY | various churches within the anglican communion commemorate wilberforce in their liturgical calendars , and wilberforce university in ohio , united states , founded in 1856 , is named after him . |
286 | parishes | 1 | PLACE | yearly , he gave away thousands of pounds , much of it to clergymen to distribute in their parishes . |
287 | abortion | 1 | STATE | the strategies of wilberforce and other abolitionists are invoked by anti abortion activists , who controversially equate the abolition of slavery with ending abortion . |
288 | classes | 1 | PERSON | evangelicals in the upper classes were exposed to contempt and ridicule , and wilberforce 's conversion led him to question whether he should remain in public life . |
289 | tide | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | a proclamation for the encouragement of piety and virtue , as a remedy for the rising tide of immorality . |
290 | charles grey | 1 | PERSON | lord grenville , the prime minister , successfully introduced an abolition bill in the house of lords first , then charles grey moved for a second reading in the commons on 23 february 1807 . |
291 | parliamentary reform | 1 | AMOUNT | from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . |
292 | column | 1 | RESOURCE | greek doric column topped by a statue of wilberforce , which stands in the grounds of hull college near queen 's gardens . |
293 | york | 1 | PLACE | wilberforce memorial school for the blind in york was established in 1833 in his honour . |
294 | best seller | 1 | PERSON |  |
295 | diarist | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
296 | introduction | 1 | ACT | a radical change of tactics , which involved the introduction of a bill to ban british subjects from aiding or participating in the slave trade to the french colonies , was suggested by the maritime lawyer james stephen . |
297 | calling | 1 | PERSON | on 2 april 1792 , wilberforce brought another bill calling for abolition of the slave trade . |
298 | joseph milner | 1 | PERSON | in 1767 , he began attending hull grammar school , which at the time was headed by joseph milner , who would become a lifelong friend . |
299 | suspension | 1 | PERSON | critics noted wilberforce 's support of the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and his votes for pitt 's " gagging bills " , which banned meetings of more than 50 people , allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution . |
300 | estate | 1 | ESTATE | the same spring , on 12 may 1787 , the still hesitant wilberforce held a conversation with william pitt and the future prime minister william grenville as they sat under a large oak tree on pitt 's estate in kent . |
301 | trusting | 1 | ACTIVITY | on this occasion and throughout the campaign , abolition was held back by wilberforce 's trusting , even credulous nature , and his deferential attitude towards those in power . |
302 | british colonies | 1 | SEQUENCE | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
303 | city corporation | 1 | INSTITUTION | wilberforce 's birthplace was acquired by the city corporation in 1903 and , following renovation , wilberforce house in hull was opened as britain 's first slavery museum . |
304 | sentences | 1 | PERSON | the bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . |
305 | election procedures | 1 | PROCEDURE | he began using his parliamentary position to advocate reform by introducing a registration bill , proposing limited changes to parliamentary election procedures . |
306 | presence | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
307 | prohibition | 1 | PERIOD | in particular , the united states had abolished the slave trade after 1808 and wilberforce lobbied the american government to enforce its own mandated prohibition more strongly . |
308 | bodies | 1 | BODY | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
309 | colitis | 1 | UNKNOWN | however , in january 1788 , he was taken ill with a probable stress-related condition , now thought to be ulcerative colitis . |
310 | brunswick | 1 | PLACE | iv , and his estranged wife caroline of brunswick , who had sought her rights as queen of the realm . |
311 | younger | 1 | PERSON | abbey , close to his friend william pitt the younger . |
312 | foreign slave trade bill | 1 | PERSON | the approach was successful and the foreign slave trade bill received royal assent on 23 may 1806 . |
313 | implications | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce approved of the 1830 election victory of the more progressive whigs , though he was concerned about the implications of their reform bill which proposed the redistribution of parliamentary seats towards newer towns and cities and an extension of the franchise . |
314 | collaboration | 1 | PERSON | following pitt 's death in january 1806 , wilberforce increased his collaboration with the whigs , especially the abolitionists . |
315 | duelling | 1 | UNKNOWN | he was also opposed to duelling , which he described as the " disgrace of a christian society " and was appalled when his friend pitt engaged in a duel with george tierney in 1798 , particularly as it occurred on a sunday , the christian day of rest . |
316 | capital punishment | 1 | PLACE | wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers , engaged in prison reform , and supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the game laws . |
317 | indians | 1 | UNKNOWN | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
318 | radicalism | 1 | PERSON | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
319 | pallbearers | 1 | PERSON | the pallbearers included the duke of gloucester , the lord chancellor henry brougham , and the speaker of the house of commons charles manners-sutton . |
320 | chimney sweeps | 1 | UNKNOWN |  |
321 | mp thomas fowell buxton | 1 | PERSON | aware that the cause would need younger men to continue the work , in 1821 he asked mp thomas fowell buxton to take over leadership of the campaign in the commons . |
322 | wing | 1 | PERSON | a supporter of the evangelical wing of the church of england , wilberforce believed that the revitalisation of the church and individual christian observance would lead to a harmonious , moral society . |
323 | candidate | 1 | AMOUNT | when parliament was dissolved in the spring of 1784 , wilberforce decided to stand as a candidate for the county of yorkshire in the 1784 general election . |
324 | death sentences | 1 | PERSON | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
325 | poverty | 1 | QUALITY | he recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when hannah more and her sister established sunday schools for the poor in somerset and the mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and anglican clergy . |
326 | journal | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | he started to rise early to read the bible and pray and kept a private journal . |
327 | william wilberforce portrait | 1 | PERSON | william wilberforce portrait by karl anton hickel , c. 1794 member of parliament |
328 | impact | 1 | ACTION | greeted largely with public indifference , wilberforce sought to increase its impact by mobilising public figures to the cause , and by founding the society for the suppression of vice . |
329 | proposals | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | in february 1785 , wilberforce returned to london temporarily , to support pitt 's proposals for parliamentary reforms . |
330 | borough | 1 | ESTATE | in worsening health by 1812 , wilberforce resigned his yorkshire seat , and became mp for the rotten borough of bramber in sussex , a seat with little or no constituency obligations , thus allowing him more time for his family and the causes that interested him . |
331 | criticism | 1 | ACT | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
332 | climate | 1 | STUDY | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
333 | opium | 1 | SUBSTANCE | his regular bouts of gastrointestinal illnesses precipitated the use of moderate quantities of opium , which proved effective in alleviating his condition , and which he continued to use for the rest of his life . |
334 | conversion experience | 1 | EFFECT | in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . |
335 | revision | 1 | INSTANCE | clarkson wrote a book refuting their version of events , and the sons eventually made a half-hearted private apology to him and removed the offending passages in a revision of their biography . |
336 | reading | 1 | PROPERTY | alternatively , wilberforce 's frequent tardiness and disorganisation , as well as his chronic eye problems that at times made reading impossible , may have convinced pitt that he was not ministerial material . |
337 | st christopher | 1 | PLACE | james ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of st christopher ( later st kitts ) . |
338 | injustices | 1 | STATE | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
339 | peerage | 1 | COLLECTION | with his family concerned that his life was endangered , he declined a peerage and resigned his seat in parliament , leaving the campaign to others . |
340 | debate | 1 | STATE | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
341 | while | 1 | MEASURE | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
342 | duel | 1 | PERSON | he was also opposed to duelling , which he described as the " disgrace of a christian society " and was appalled when his friend pitt engaged in a duel with george tierney in 1798 , particularly as it occurred on a sunday , the christian day of rest . |
343 | november | 1 | PERIOD | in november 1786 , he received a letter from sir charles middleton that re-opened his interest in the slave trade . |
344 | essayist william hazlitt | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's actions led the essayist william hazlitt to condemn him as one " who preaches vital christianity to untutored savages , and tolerates its worst abuses in civilised states . " |
345 | st james | 1 | PERSON | with his mother struggling to cope , the nine-year-old wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both st james 's place , london , and wimbledon . |
346 | italy | 1 | PLACE | he rejoined the party in genoa , italy , and they continued their tour to switzerland . |
347 | renovation | 1 | ACT | wilberforce 's birthplace was acquired by the city corporation in 1903 and , following renovation , wilberforce house in hull was opened as britain 's first slavery museum . |
348 | degeneracy | 1 | UNKNOWN | moral reform greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy of british society , wilberforce was active in matters of moral reform , lobbying against " the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances " , and considered this issue and the abolition of the slave trade as equally important goals . |
349 | respect | 1 | EVENT | this and other societies in which wilberforce was a prime mover , mustered support for the prosecution of those who had been charged with violating relevant laws , including brothel keepers , distributors of pornographic material , and those who did not respect the sabbath . |
350 | british missionary work | 1 | ACTIVITY | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
351 | requests | 1 | REQUEST | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
352 | new testament doctrine | 1 | PLACE | this was an exposition of new testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . |
353 | real christianity | 1 | PERSON | to this end , in april 1797 , wilberforce published a practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed christians in the higher and middle classes of this country contrasted with real christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . |
354 | debts | 1 | MONEY | he paid off the debts of others , supported education and missions , and in a year of food shortages , gave to charity more than his own yearly income . |
355 | volume | 1 | AMOUNT | wilberforce and clarkson collected a large volume of evidence against the slave trade over the previous two decades , and wilberforce spent the latter part of 1806 writing a letter on the abolition of the slave trade , which was a comprehensive restatement of the abolitionists ' case . |
356 | amazing grace | 1 | PERSON | amazing grace , a film about wilberforce and the struggle against the slave trade , was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of parliament 's anti-slave trade legislation . |
357 | guilty | 1 | DECISION | the proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the lord 's day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . |
358 | traffic | 1 | QUANTITY | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
359 | evenings | 1 | UNKNOWN | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
360 | thirties | 1 | SIGN | in his youth , william wilberforce showed little interest in women , but when he was in his late thirties his friend thomas babington recommended 25-year-old barbara ann spooner ( 1771-1847 ) as a potential bride . |
361 | balls | 1 | BALL | influenced by methodist scruples , he initially resisted hull 's lively social life , but , as his religious fervour diminished , he embraced theatre-going , attended balls , and played cards . |
362 | location | 1 | LOCATION | old palace yard became a centre for the abolitionists ' campaign and the location for many strategy meetings . |
363 | fewer | 1 | PERSON | they had six children in fewer than ten years : |
364 | william pitt | 1 | PERSON | abbey , close to his friend william pitt the younger . |
365 | outbreak | 1 | OCCURRENCE | the outbreak of war with france the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . |
366 | couple | 1 | EVENT | despite the urgings of friends to slow down , the couple married at the church of st swithin in bath , somerset , on 30 may 1797 . |
367 | king george iii | 1 | PERSON | at the suggestion of wilberforce and bishop porteus , king george iii was requested by the archbishop of canterbury to issue in 1787 |
368 | supporters | 1 | PERSON | excited supporters suggested taking advantage of the large majority to seek the abolition of slavery itself , but wilberforce made it clear that total emancipation was not the immediate goal . |
369 | manners | 1 | PERSON | by the end of his life , british morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the victorian era . |
370 | african institution | 1 | INSTITUTION | emancipation of enslaved africans wilberforce worked with the members of the african institution to ensure the enforcement of the abolition of the slave trade and to promote abolitionist negotiations with other countries . |
371 | honour | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce memorial school for the blind in york was established in 1833 in his honour . |
372 | autumn | 1 | PERSON | in autumn 1783 , pitt , wilberforce and edward eliot travelled to france for a six-week holiday together . |
373 | success | 1 | ACT | let us not despair ; it is a blessed cause , and success , ere long , will crown our exertions . |
374 | person | 1 | PERSON | by the end of the evening , wilberforce had agreed in general terms that he would bring forward the abolition of the slave trade in parliament , " provided that no person more proper could be found " . |
375 | project | 1 | ACTION | they formed the sierra leone company , with wilberforce subscribing liberally to the project in money and time . |
376 | blind | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce memorial school for the blind in york was established in 1833 in his honour . |
377 | clapham | 1 | PERSON | he was supported by fellow members of the clapham sect , among whom was his best friend and cousin henry thornton . |
378 | consideration | 1 | AMOUNT | the outbreak of war with france the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . |
379 | combination act | 1 | ACT | wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the combination act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . |
380 | wales | 1 | PLACE | the writer and socialite madame de staël described him as the " wittiest man in england " and , according to georgiana , duchess of devonshire , the prince of wales said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce sing . |
381 | gentlemen | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce attended parliament regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life , becoming an habitué of gentlemen 's gambling clubs such as goostree 's and boodle 's in pall mall , london . |
382 | assent | 1 | UNKNOWN | the approach was successful and the foreign slave trade bill received royal assent on 23 may 1806 . |
383 | minority government | 1 | GOVERNMENT | pitt became prime minister in december 1783 , with wilberforce a key supporter of his minority government . |
384 | jews | 1 | PERSON | he was a founding member of the church missionary society ( since renamed the church mission society ) and an early vice-president of the london society for promoting christianity among the jews ( later the church 's ministry among jewish people ) . |
385 | sins | 1 | STUDY | the writer and clergyman sydney smith criticised wilberforce for being more interested in the sins of the poor than those of the rich , and suggested that a better name would be the " society for suppressing the vices of persons whose income does not exceed £500 per annum " . |
386 | west indian sugar industry | 1 | INSTITUTION | in the 1940s , the role of wilberforce and the clapham sect in abolition was downplayed by historian eric williams , who argued that abolition was motivated not by humanitarianism but by economics , as the west indian sugar industry was in decline . |
387 | mendips | 1 | UNKNOWN | he recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when hannah more and her sister established sunday schools for the poor in somerset and the mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and anglican clergy . |
388 | spanish | 1 | PLACE | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
389 | grace victorious | 1 | PERSON | in 2007 , focus on the family produced an audio drama called grace victorious : the story of william wilberforce , starring chris larkin as wilberforce . |
390 | peak years | 1 | PERIOD | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
391 | elizabeth | 1 | PLACE | he was the only son of robert wilberforce ( 1728-1768 ) , a wealthy merchant , and his wife , elizabeth bird ( 1730-1798 ) . |
392 | mansion | 1 | EVENT | the same year , wilberforce moved his family from clapham to a sizeable mansion with a large garden in kensington gore , closer to the houses of parliament . |
393 | east india company | 1 | INSTITUTION | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
394 | thing | 1 | ENTITY | he found it difficult to believe that men of rank would not do what he perceived to be the right thing , and was reluctant to confront them when they did not . |
395 | st john | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
396 | elizabeth bird | 1 | BIRD | he was the only son of robert wilberforce ( 1728-1768 ) , a wealthy merchant , and his wife , elizabeth bird ( 1730-1798 ) . |
397 | building | 1 | BUILDING | in 2006 , the university of hull established the wilberforce institute for the study of slavery and emancipation in a building beside wilberforce house . |
398 | british made goods | 1 | UNKNOWN |  |
399 | god | 1 | PERSON | he underwent an evangelical conversion , regretting his past life and resolving to commit his future life and work to the service of god . |
400 | leanings | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce 's staunchly church of england mother and grandfather , alarmed at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism , brought the 12-year-old boy back to hull in 1771 . |
401 | presentation | 1 | PERSON | the british campaign to abolish the slave trade is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment of the quakers ' anti-slavery committees , and their presentation to parliament of the first slave trade petition in 1783 . |
402 | british campaign | 1 | SERIES | the british campaign to abolish the slave trade is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment of the quakers ' anti-slavery committees , and their presentation to parliament of the first slave trade petition in 1783 . |
403 | nation | 1 | PERSON | this was an exposition of new testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . |
404 | king george | 1 | PERSON | at the suggestion of wilberforce and bishop porteus , king george iii was requested by the archbishop of canterbury to issue in 1787 |
405 | st mary woolnoth | 1 | PLACE | he sought guidance from john newton , a leading evangelical anglican clergyman of the day and rector of st mary woolnoth . |
406 | august kingston | 1 | PERSON |  |
407 | persevere | 1 | UNKNOWN | this is the first fruits of our efforts ; let us persevere and our triumph will be complete . |
408 | polygamy | 1 | CONDITION | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
409 | abroad | 1 | LAND | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
410 | bennet langton | 1 | PERSON | it was arranged that bennet langton , a lincolnshire landowner and mutual acquaintance of wilberforce and clarkson , would organise a dinner party on 13 march 1787 to ask wilberforce formally to lead the parliamentary campaign . |
411 | denounce slavery | 1 | INSTITUTION | later in the same year he began to publicly denounce slavery itself , though he did not demand immediate emancipation , believing incremental change to be more effective in achieving abolition . |
412 | commons debates | 1 | STATE | early parliamentary career wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and pitt frequently watched house of commons debates from the gallery . |
413 | clever ploy | 1 | PERSON | this was passed by 230 to 85 votes , but wilberforce believed that it was little more than a clever ploy to ensure that total abolition would be delayed indefinitely . |
414 | karl anton hickel | 1 | PERSON | william wilberforce portrait by karl anton hickel , c. 1794 member of parliament |
415 | invitation | 1 | SPEECH ACT | wilberforce accepted an invitation to share a house with henry thornton in 1792 , moving into his own home after thornton 's marriage in 1796 . |
416 | anti slavery society | 1 | INSTITUTION |  |
417 | relationship | 1 | RELATIONSHIP | later historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship between clarkson and wilberforce , and have termed it one of history 's great partnerships : without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by clarkson , abolition could not have been achieved . |
418 | countryside | 1 | PLACE | in 1826 , wilberforce moved from his large house in kensington gore to hendon park , a more modest property in the countryside of mill hill , north of london , where he was joined by his son william and family . |
419 | mark | 1 | PERSON | while tributes were paid and wilberforce was laid to rest , both houses of parliament suspended their business as a mark of respect . |
420 | lawyer | 1 | PERSON | for his eldest son , a lawyer and member of parliament , see william wilberforce ( 1798-1879 ) . |
421 | sierra leone company | 1 | INSTITUTION | they formed the sierra leone company , with wilberforce subscribing liberally to the project in money and time . |
422 | indulgent | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce was an indulgent and adoring father who revelled in his time at home and at play with his children . |
423 | inconsistency | 1 | QUALITY | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
424 | meantime | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | in the meantime , wilberforce and clarkson tried unsuccessfully to take advantage of the egalitarian atmosphere of the french revolution to press for france 's abolition of the trade . |
425 | treatise | 1 | UNKNOWN | the treatise stated that total emancipation was morally and ethically required and that slavery was a national crime which must be ended by parliamentary legislation to gradually abolish slavery . |
426 | workers | 1 | UNKNOWN | the radical writer william cobbett was among those who attacked what they saw as wilberforce 's hypocrisy in campaigning for better working conditions for enslaved people while british workers lived in terrible conditions at home . |
427 | anniversary | 1 | TIME PERIOD | amazing grace , a film about wilberforce and the struggle against the slave trade , was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of parliament 's anti-slave trade legislation . |
428 | david hartley | 1 | PERSON | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
429 | portuguese | 1 | UNKNOWN | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
430 | extension | 1 | INSTITUTION | wilberforce approved of the 1830 election victory of the more progressive whigs , though he was concerned about the implications of their reform bill which proposed the redistribution of parliamentary seats towards newer towns and cities and an extension of the franchise . |
431 | laws | 1 | ACT | wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers , engaged in prison reform , and supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the game laws . |
432 | contact | 1 | QUANTITY | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
433 | instructions | 1 | ACT | funeral wilberforce had left instructions that he be buried with his sister and daughter at st mary 's church , stoke newington , just north of london . |
434 | holidays | 1 | PERIOD | he attended an " indifferent " boarding school in putney for two years and spent his holidays in wimbledon , where he grew extremely fond of his relatives . |
435 | absence | 1 | ABSENCE | in wilberforce 's absence , pitt , who had long been supportive of abolition , introduced the preparatory motion himself , and ordered a privy council investigation into the slave trade , followed by a house of commons review . |
436 | penalties | 1 | PERSON | critics noted wilberforce 's support of the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and his votes for pitt 's " gagging bills " , which banned meetings of more than 50 people , allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution . |
437 | student life | 1 | EVENT | instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . |
438 | evangelical christianity | 1 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
439 | pounds | 1 | UNIT | yearly , he gave away thousands of pounds , much of it to clergymen to distribute in their parishes . |
440 | england mother | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's staunchly church of england mother and grandfather , alarmed at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism , brought the 12-year-old boy back to hull in 1771 . |
441 | duke | 1 | PERSON | the pallbearers included the duke of gloucester , the lord chancellor henry brougham , and the speaker of the house of commons charles manners-sutton . |
442 | stages | 1 | STAGE | in june 1804 , wilberforce 's bill to abolish the slave trade successfully passed all its stages through the house of commons . |
443 | pressures | 1 | OCCURRENCE | free from financial pressures , wilberforce sat as an independent , resolving to be " no party man " . |
444 | privy council report | 1 | PERSON | with the publication of the privy council report in april 1789 and following months of planning , wilberforce commenced his parliamentary campaign . |
445 | dutch | 1 | PERSON | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
446 | master | 1 | PERSON | despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying , he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in 1781 and a master of arts degree in 1788 . |
447 | drama | 1 | INFORMATION | in 2007 , focus on the family produced an audio drama called grace victorious : the story of william wilberforce , starring chris larkin as wilberforce . |
448 | voyage | 1 | ACT | of the estimated 11 million africans transported into slavery , about 1.4 million died during the voyage . |
449 | act | 1 | ACT | he headed the parliamentary campaign against the british slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the slave trade act 1807 . |
450 | service | 1 | INSTITUTION | he underwent an evangelical conversion , regretting his past life and resolving to commit his future life and work to the service of god . |
451 | parliamentary select committee | 1 | HUMAN GROUP | in january 1790 , wilberforce succeeded in speeding up the hearings by gaining approval for a smaller parliamentary select committee to consider the vast quantity of evidence which had been accumulated . |
452 | apology | 1 | STATE | clarkson wrote a book refuting their version of events , and the sons eventually made a half-hearted private apology to him and removed the offending passages in a revision of their biography . |
453 | tardiness | 1 | RESULT | alternatively , wilberforce 's frequent tardiness and disorganisation , as well as his chronic eye problems that at times made reading impossible , may have convinced pitt that he was not ministerial material . |
454 | government changes | 1 | UNKNOWN | during the frequent government changes of 1781-1784 , wilberforce supported his friend pitt in parliamentary debates . |
455 | st mary | 1 | PERSON | he sought guidance from john newton , a leading evangelical anglican clergyman of the day and rector of st mary woolnoth . |
456 | island | 1 | PLACE | james ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of st christopher ( later st kitts ) . |
457 | leader | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
458 | partnerships | 1 | PERIOD | later historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship between clarkson and wilberforce , and have termed it one of history 's great partnerships : without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by clarkson , abolition could not have been achieved . |
459 | rise | 1 | PERSON | milner accompanied wilberforce to england , and on the journey they read " the rise and progress of religion in the soul " by philip doddridge , a leading early 18th-century english nonconformist . |
460 | franchise | 1 | PERMISSION | wilberforce approved of the 1830 election victory of the more progressive whigs , though he was concerned about the implications of their reform bill which proposed the redistribution of parliamentary seats towards newer towns and cities and an extension of the franchise . |
461 | evangelicalism | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's staunchly church of england mother and grandfather , alarmed at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism , brought the 12-year-old boy back to hull in 1771 . |
462 | ships | 1 | SHIP | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
463 | wilberforce university | 1 | INSTITUTION | various churches within the anglican communion commemorate wilberforce in their liturgical calendars , and wilberforce university in ohio , united states , founded in 1856 , is named after him . |
464 | resolutions | 1 | DISTANCE | he moved twelve resolutions condemning the slave trade , but did not refer to the abolition of slavery itself , instead dwelling on the potential for reproduction in the existing slave population should the trade be abolished . |
465 | funeral | 1 | ACTION | funeral wilberforce had left instructions that he be buried with his sister and daughter at st mary 's church , stoke newington , just north of london . |
466 | mill hill | 1 | HILL | in 1826 , wilberforce moved from his large house in kensington gore to hendon park , a more modest property in the countryside of mill hill , north of london , where he was joined by his son william and family . |
467 | food shortages | 1 | DEFICIENCY | he paid off the debts of others , supported education and missions , and in a year of food shortages , gave to charity more than his own yearly income . |
468 | brookes | 1 | PERSON | see caption diagram of a slave ship , the brookes , illustrating how slaves were transported in early 1787 , thomas clarkson met with wilberforce for the first time at old palace yard and brought a copy of his essay on the subject . |
469 | transept | 1 | UNKNOWN | the family agreed and , on 3 august 1833 , wilberforce was buried in the north transept , close to his friend william pitt . |
470 | god given | 1 | UNKNOWN |  |
471 | merits | 1 | QUANTITY | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
472 | cousin | 1 | PERSON | he was supported by fellow members of the clapham sect , among whom was his best friend and cousin henry thornton . |
473 | committee | 1 | HUMAN GROUP | in january 1790 , wilberforce succeeded in speeding up the hearings by gaining approval for a smaller parliamentary select committee to consider the vast quantity of evidence which had been accumulated . |
474 | youth | 1 | PERIOD | in his youth , william wilberforce showed little interest in women , but when he was in his late thirties his friend thomas babington recommended 25-year-old barbara ann spooner ( 1771-1847 ) as a potential bride . |
475 | directors | 1 | PERSON | the plan was unsuccessful due to lobbying by the directors of the company , who feared that their commercial interests would be damaged . |
476 | interests | 1 | PERSON | the plan was unsuccessful due to lobbying by the directors of the company , who feared that their commercial interests would be damaged . |
477 | negotiations | 1 | PROCESS | emancipation of enslaved africans wilberforce worked with the members of the african institution to ensure the enforcement of the abolition of the slave trade and to promote abolitionist negotiations with other countries . |
478 | promotions | 1 | RESULT | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
479 | tories | 1 | UNKNOWN | he was often distrusted by progressive voices because of his conservatism , and regarded with suspicion by many tories who saw evangelicals as radicals who wanted the overthrow of church and state . |
480 | voice | 1 | EVENT | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
481 | parliamentarians | 1 | UNKNOWN | with several parliamentarians signalling support for the bill , the opponents of abolition delayed the vote by proposing that the house of commons hear its own evidence ; wilberforce , in a decision that has been criticised for prolonging the slave trade , reluctantly agreed . |
482 | shrimp | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
483 | whig governments | 1 | GOVERNMENT | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
484 | restatement | 1 | ACT | wilberforce and clarkson collected a large volume of evidence against the slave trade over the previous two decades , and wilberforce spent the latter part of 1806 writing a letter on the abolition of the slave trade , which was a comprehensive restatement of the abolitionists ' case . |
485 | duchess | 1 | EVENT | the writer and socialite madame de staël described him as the " wittiest man in england " and , according to georgiana , duchess of devonshire , the prince of wales said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce sing . |
486 | losses | 1 | PERSON | william had attempted a series of educational and career paths , and a venture into farming in 1830 led to huge losses , which his father repaid in full , despite offers from others to assist . |
487 | great britain | 1 | PLACE | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
488 | belgravia | 1 | PLACE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
489 | john | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
490 | prejudice | 1 | PERSON | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
491 | friend pitt | 1 | PERSON | during the frequent government changes of 1781-1784 , wilberforce supported his friend pitt in parliamentary debates . |
492 | ethics | 1 | SET | his political views were informed by his faith and by his desire to promote christianity and christian ethics in private and public life . |
493 | pocklington school | 1 | INSTITUTION | his family opposed a return to hull grammar school because the headmaster had become a methodist , and wilberforce continued his education at pocklington school from 1771 to 1776 . |
494 | drinking sessions | 1 | PERIOD | instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . |
495 | brothel keepers | 1 | PERSON | this and other societies in which wilberforce was a prime mover , mustered support for the prosecution of those who had been charged with violating relevant laws , including brothel keepers , distributors of pornographic material , and those who did not respect the sabbath . |
496 | seats | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . |
497 | yorkshire seat | 1 | PLACE | in worsening health by 1812 , wilberforce resigned his yorkshire seat , and became mp for the rotten borough of bramber in sussex , a seat with little or no constituency obligations , thus allowing him more time for his family and the causes that interested him . |
498 | radicals | 1 | PERSON | he was often distrusted by progressive voices because of his conservatism , and regarded with suspicion by many tories who saw evangelicals as radicals who wanted the overthrow of church and state . |
499 | events | 1 | EVENT | clarkson wrote a book refuting their version of events , and the sons eventually made a half-hearted private apology to him and removed the offending passages in a revision of their biography . |
500 | church missionary society | 1 | INSTITUTION | he was a founding member of the church missionary society ( since renamed the church mission society ) and an early vice-president of the london society for promoting christianity among the jews ( later the church 's ministry among jewish people ) . |
501 | committees | 1 | PERSON | the british campaign to abolish the slave trade is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment of the quakers ' anti-slavery committees , and their presentation to parliament of the first slave trade petition in 1783 . |
502 | pall mall | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce attended parliament regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life , becoming an habitué of gentlemen 's gambling clubs such as goostree 's and boodle 's in pall mall , london . |
503 | works | 1 | UNKNOWN | works * wilberforce , william ( 1797 ) . |
504 | cultivation | 1 | ACT | wilberforce , the clapham sect and others were anxious to demonstrate that africans , and particularly freed slaves , had human and economic abilities beyond the slave trade and capable of sustaining a well-ordered society , trade and cultivation . |
505 | occasion | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | on this occasion and throughout the campaign , abolition was held back by wilberforce 's trusting , even credulous nature , and his deferential attitude towards those in power . |
506 | constituency obligations | 1 | OBLIGATION | in worsening health by 1812 , wilberforce resigned his yorkshire seat , and became mp for the rotten borough of bramber in sussex , a seat with little or no constituency obligations , thus allowing him more time for his family and the causes that interested him . |
507 | desire | 1 | PERSON | his political views were informed by his faith and by his desire to promote christianity and christian ethics in private and public life . |
508 | abilities | 1 | ABILITY | wilberforce , the clapham sect and others were anxious to demonstrate that africans , and particularly freed slaves , had human and economic abilities beyond the slave trade and capable of sustaining a well-ordered society , trade and cultivation . |
509 | barbara ann spooner | 1 | PERSON | in his youth , william wilberforce showed little interest in women , but when he was in his late thirties his friend thomas babington recommended 25-year-old barbara ann spooner ( 1771-1847 ) as a potential bride . |
510 | advances | 1 | UNKNOWN | moral reform greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy of british society , wilberforce was active in matters of moral reform , lobbying against " the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances " , and considered this issue and the abolition of the slave trade as equally important goals . |
511 | advice | 1 | COGNITIVE STATE | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
512 | criminals | 1 | PERSON | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
513 | africans wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | emancipation of enslaved africans wilberforce worked with the members of the african institution to ensure the enforcement of the abolition of the slave trade and to promote abolitionist negotiations with other countries . |
514 | wife caroline | 1 | PERSON | iv , and his estranged wife caroline of brunswick , who had sought her rights as queen of the realm . |
515 | ontario | 1 | PLACE | in ontario , canada , the wilberforce colony was founded by black reformers , and inhabited by freed slaves from the united states . |
516 | period | 1 | PERIOD | in 1820 , after a period of poor health and with his eyesight failing , wilberforce further limited public activities , although he became embroiled in unsuccessful mediation attempts between king george |
517 | freeholders | 1 | UNKNOWN | a letter on the abolition of the slave trade , addressed to the freeholders of yorkshire . |
518 | socialite madame de staël | 1 | PERSON | the writer and socialite madame de staël described him as the " wittiest man in england " and , according to georgiana , duchess of devonshire , the prince of wales said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce sing . |
519 | lawyer james stephen | 1 | PERSON | a radical change of tactics , which involved the introduction of a bill to ban british subjects from aiding or participating in the slave trade to the french colonies , was suggested by the maritime lawyer james stephen . |
520 | family fortune | 1 | PERSON | his grandfather , william ( 1690-1774 ) , had made the family fortune in the maritime trade with baltic countries . |
521 | profaneness | 1 | PROPERTY | moral reform greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy of british society , wilberforce was active in matters of moral reform , lobbying against " the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances " , and considered this issue and the abolition of the slave trade as equally important goals . |
522 | boroughs | 1 | ESTATE | from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . |
523 | sense | 1 | UNKNOWN | by the end of his life , british morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the victorian era . |
524 | figures | 1 | FIGURE | greeted largely with public indifference , wilberforce sought to increase its impact by mobilising public figures to the cause , and by founding the society for the suppression of vice . |
525 | custom | 1 | PERSON | in september 1780 , at the age of 21 and while still a student , wilberforce was elected member of parliament for kingston upon hull , spending over £8,000 , as was the custom of the time , to ensure he received the necessary votes . |
526 | wilberforce institute | 1 | INSTITUTION | in 2006 , the university of hull established the wilberforce institute for the study of slavery and emancipation in a building beside wilberforce house . |
527 | load | 1 | PERSON | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
528 | help | 1 | UNKNOWN | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
529 | author james boswell | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
530 | concepts | 1 | CONCEPT | wilberforce has also been described as a humanitarian reformer who contributed to reshaping the political and social attitudes of the time by promoting concepts of social responsibility and action . |
531 | influences | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce 's staunchly church of england mother and grandfather , alarmed at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism , brought the 12-year-old boy back to hull in 1771 . |
532 | french riviera | 1 | PLACE | they visited the french riviera and had dinners , played cards , and gambled . |
533 | catholic emancipation | 1 | ACT | wilberforce initially strongly opposed bills for catholic emancipation , which would have allowed catholics to become mps , hold public office and serve in the army , although by 1813 , he had changed his views and spoke in favour of a similar bill . |
534 | reaction | 1 | PERSON | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
535 | conversationalist | 1 | PERSON | witty , generous and an excellent conversationalist , wilberforce was a popular figure . |
536 | royal society | 1 | INSTITUTION | with others , wilberforce founded the world 's first animal welfare organisation , the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals ( later the royal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals ) . |
537 | st swithin | 1 | PLACE | despite the urgings of friends to slow down , the couple married at the church of st swithin in bath , somerset , on 30 may 1797 . |
538 | slave trade act | 1 | ACT | he headed the parliamentary campaign against the british slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the slave trade act 1807 . |
539 | whale | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
540 | sunday newspapers | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's attempts to legislate against adultery and sunday newspapers were also in vain ; his involvement and leadership in other , less punitive , approaches were more successful in the long-term , however . |
541 | ridicule | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | evangelicals in the upper classes were exposed to contempt and ridicule , and wilberforce 's conversion led him to question whether he should remain in public life . |
542 | duty | 1 | ATTITUDE | wilberforce was generous with his time and money , believing that those with wealth had a duty to give a significant portion of their income to the needy . |
543 | josiah wedgwood | 1 | PERSON | medallion created as part of anti-slavery campaign by josiah wedgwood , 1787 |
544 | t. caddell | 1 | PERSON | london : t. caddell . |
545 | henry | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
546 | victory | 1 | PERSON | already we have gained one victory ; we have obtained , for these poor creatures , the recognition of their human nature , which , for a while was most shamefully denied . |
547 | planning | 1 | PLAN | with the publication of the privy council report in april 1789 and following months of planning , wilberforce commenced his parliamentary campaign . |
548 | evening | 1 | PERIOD | by the end of the evening , wilberforce had agreed in general terms that he would bring forward the abolition of the slave trade in parliament , " provided that no person more proper could be found " . |
549 | wish | 1 | PERSON | this may have been due to wilberforce 's wish to remain an independent mp. |
550 | slavery abolition act | 1 | ACT | that campaign led to the slavery abolition act 1833 , which abolished slavery in most of the british empire . |
551 | williams | 1 | PERSON | in the 1940s , the role of wilberforce and the clapham sect in abolition was downplayed by historian eric williams , who argued that abolition was motivated not by humanitarianism but by economics , as the west indian sugar industry was in decline . |
552 | overthrow | 1 | PROCESS | he was often distrusted by progressive voices because of his conservatism , and regarded with suspicion by many tories who saw evangelicals as radicals who wanted the overthrow of church and state . |
553 | public | 1 | UNKNOWN | evangelicals in the upper classes were exposed to contempt and ridicule , and wilberforce 's conversion led him to question whether he should remain in public life . |
554 | crisis | 1 | EVENT | the outbreak of war with france the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . |
555 | confusion | 1 | DEFICIENCY | concerned about " bad men who wished to produce anarchy and confusion " , he approved of the government 's six acts , which further limited public meetings and seditious writings . |
556 | sati | 1 | PERSON | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
557 | testimony | 1 | PERSON | this was an exposition of new testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . |
558 | cousin henry thornton | 1 | PERSON | he was supported by fellow members of the clapham sect , among whom was his best friend and cousin henry thornton . |
559 | sea | 1 | PLACE | ramsay was horrified by the conditions endured by the enslaved peoples , both at sea and on the plantations and returned to england and joined abolitionist movements . |
560 | focus | 1 | ELEMENT | in 2007 , focus on the family produced an audio drama called grace victorious : the story of william wilberforce , starring chris larkin as wilberforce . |
561 | opposition | 1 | EVENT | he recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when hannah more and her sister established sunday schools for the poor in somerset and the mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and anglican clergy . |
562 | gardens | 1 | UNKNOWN | greek doric column topped by a statue of wilberforce , which stands in the grounds of hull college near queen 's gardens . |
563 | outline | 1 | PLAN | the face and shoulders are painted , while the rest of the portrait contains a sketched outline . |
564 | matters | 1 | PERSON | moral reform greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy of british society , wilberforce was active in matters of moral reform , lobbying against " the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances " , and considered this issue and the abolition of the slave trade as equally important goals . |
565 | sons robert | 1 | PERSON | five years after his death , sons robert and samuel wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father , and subsequently a collection of his letters in 1840 . |
566 | chaplains | 1 | UNKNOWN | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
567 | measure | 1 | MEASURE | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
568 | queen | 1 | PERSON | iv , and his estranged wife caroline of brunswick , who had sought her rights as queen of the realm . |
569 | eric williams | 1 | PERSON | in the 1940s , the role of wilberforce and the clapham sect in abolition was downplayed by historian eric williams , who argued that abolition was motivated not by humanitarianism but by economics , as the west indian sugar industry was in decline . |
570 | epitaph | 1 | STYLE | in westminster abbey , a seated statue of wilberforce by samuel joseph was erected in 1840 , bearing an epitaph praising his christian character and his long labour to abolish the slave trade and slavery . |
571 | commons charles manners sutton | 1 | PERSON |  |
572 | addition | 1 | PERSON | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
573 | marriage | 1 | EVENT | wilberforce accepted an invitation to share a house with henry thornton in 1792 , moving into his own home after thornton 's marriage in 1796 . |
574 | buxton | 1 | PERSON | aware that the cause would need younger men to continue the work , in 1821 he asked mp thomas fowell buxton to take over leadership of the campaign in the commons . |
575 | british workers | 1 | UNKNOWN | the radical writer william cobbett was among those who attacked what they saw as wilberforce 's hypocrisy in campaigning for better working conditions for enslaved people while british workers lived in terrible conditions at home . |
576 | morality | 1 | EVENT | wilberforce was convinced of the importance of religion , morality and education . |
577 | oil portrait | 1 | PERSON | an unfinished oil portrait of wilberforce . |
578 | solution | 1 | OCCURRENCE | henry dundas , as home secretary , proposed a compromise solution of gradual abolition of the trade over several years . |
579 | wilberforce memorial school | 1 | INSTITUTION | wilberforce memorial school for the blind in york was established in 1833 in his honour . |
580 | disorganisation | 1 | UNKNOWN | alternatively , wilberforce 's frequent tardiness and disorganisation , as well as his chronic eye problems that at times made reading impossible , may have convinced pitt that he was not ministerial material . |
581 | trade legislation | 1 | ACT | amazing grace , a film about wilberforce and the struggle against the slave trade , was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of parliament 's anti-slave trade legislation . |
582 | terms | 1 | TERM | by the end of the evening , wilberforce had agreed in general terms that he would bring forward the abolition of the slave trade in parliament , " provided that no person more proper could be found " . |
583 | drinking | 1 | ACT | instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . |
584 | shoulders | 1 | PERIOD | the face and shoulders are painted , while the rest of the portrait contains a sketched outline . |
585 | parliamentary debates | 1 | STATE | during the frequent government changes of 1781-1784 , wilberforce supported his friend pitt in parliamentary debates . |
586 | subscription | 1 | QUALITY | in wilberforce 's hometown of hull , a public subscription in 1834 funded the wilberforce monument , a 31-metre ( 102 ft ) |
587 | gallery | 1 | GOVERNMENT | early parliamentary career wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and pitt frequently watched house of commons debates from the gallery . |
588 | attempts | 1 | ACTION | wilberforce 's attempts to legislate against adultery and sunday newspapers were also in vain ; his involvement and leadership in other , less punitive , approaches were more successful in the long-term , however . |
589 | exertions | 1 | AMOUNT | let us not despair ; it is a blessed cause , and success , ere long , will crown our exertions . |
590 | george tierney | 1 | PERSON | he was also opposed to duelling , which he described as the " disgrace of a christian society " and was appalled when his friend pitt engaged in a duel with george tierney in 1798 , particularly as it occurred on a sunday , the christian day of rest . |
591 | farming | 1 | QUANTITY | william had attempted a series of educational and career paths , and a venture into farming in 1830 led to huge losses , which his father repaid in full , despite offers from others to assist . |
592 | ministry among jewish people | 1 | HUMAN GROUP | he was a founding member of the church missionary society ( since renamed the church mission society ) and an early vice-president of the london society for promoting christianity among the jews ( later the church 's ministry among jewish people ) . |
593 | robbers | 1 | PERSON | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
594 | copy | 1 | PERSON | see caption diagram of a slave ship , the brookes , illustrating how slaves were transported in early 1787 , thomas clarkson met with wilberforce for the first time at old palace yard and brought a copy of his essay on the subject . |
595 | ill | 1 | PERSON | however , in january 1788 , he was taken ill with a probable stress-related condition , now thought to be ulcerative colitis . |
596 | north america | 1 | PLACE | contemporary evangelical and conservative movements in north america appropriate his name and example in their activism . |
597 | anti abortion activists | 1 | PERSON |  |
598 | army | 1 | HUMAN GROUP | wilberforce initially strongly opposed bills for catholic emancipation , which would have allowed catholics to become mps , hold public office and serve in the army , although by 1813 , he had changed his views and spoke in favour of a similar bill . |
599 | fontainebleau | 1 | PLACE | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
600 | merchant | 1 | PERSON | he was the only son of robert wilberforce ( 1728-1768 ) , a wealthy merchant , and his wife , elizabeth bird ( 1730-1798 ) . |
601 | story | 1 | PERSON | in 2007 , focus on the family produced an audio drama called grace victorious : the story of william wilberforce , starring chris larkin as wilberforce . |
602 | course | 1 | PERSON | william wilberforce by john rising , 1790 , pictured at the age of 30 wilberforce 's spiritual journey is thought to have changed course at this time . |
603 | benjamin franklin | 1 | PERSON | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
604 | goostree | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce attended parliament regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life , becoming an habitué of gentlemen 's gambling clubs such as goostree 's and boodle 's in pall mall , london . |
605 | lawn | 1 | PLACE | statue on a lawn of a two-storey georgian house a statue of william wilberforce outside wilberforce house , his birthplace in hull |
606 | languages | 1 | LANGUAGE | the book was influential and a best-seller ; 7,500 copies were sold within six months , and it was translated into several languages . |
607 | punishments | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers , engaged in prison reform , and supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the game laws . |
608 | general lafayette | 1 | PERSON | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
609 | needy | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce was generous with his time and money , believing that those with wealth had a duty to give a significant portion of their income to the needy . |
610 | clergyman sydney smith | 1 | PERSON | the writer and clergyman sydney smith criticised wilberforce for being more interested in the sins of the poor than those of the rich , and suggested that a better name would be the " society for suppressing the vices of persons whose income does not exceed £500 per annum " . |
611 | progress | 1 | EVENT | milner accompanied wilberforce to england , and on the journey they read " the rise and progress of religion in the soul " by philip doddridge , a leading early 18th-century english nonconformist . |
612 | french | 1 | PLACE | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
613 | stance | 1 | PROPERTY | growing more alarmed , on 31 december 1794 , wilberforce moved that the government seek a peaceful resolution with france , a stance that created a temporary breach in his long friendship with pitt . |
614 | devonshire | 1 | PERSON | the writer and socialite madame de staël described him as the " wittiest man in england " and , according to georgiana , duchess of devonshire , the prince of wales said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce sing . |
615 | torrent | 1 | EVENT | moral reform greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy of british society , wilberforce was active in matters of moral reform , lobbying against " the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances " , and considered this issue and the abolition of the slave trade as equally important goals . |
616 | profits | 1 | AMOUNT | more recent historians have noted that the sugar industry was still making large profits at the time of the abolition of the slave trade , and this has led to a renewed interest in wilberforce and the evangelicals , as well as a recognition of the anti-slavery movement as a prototype for subsequent humanitarian campaigns . |
617 | humanitarianism | 1 | PERSON | in the 1940s , the role of wilberforce and the clapham sect in abolition was downplayed by historian eric williams , who argued that abolition was motivated not by humanitarianism but by economics , as the west indian sugar industry was in decline . |
618 | wife | 1 | PERSON | he was the only son of robert wilberforce ( 1728-1768 ) , a wealthy merchant , and his wife , elizabeth bird ( 1730-1798 ) . |
619 | home secretary | 1 | PERSON | henry dundas , as home secretary , proposed a compromise solution of gradual abolition of the trade over several years . |
620 | vote | 1 | PERSON | with several parliamentarians signalling support for the bill , the opponents of abolition delayed the vote by proposing that the house of commons hear its own evidence ; wilberforce , in a decision that has been criticised for prolonging the slave trade , reluctantly agreed . |
621 | slave | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
622 | sir charles middleton | 1 | PERSON | in november 1786 , he received a letter from sir charles middleton that re-opened his interest in the slave trade . |
623 | archbishop | 1 | PERSON | at the suggestion of wilberforce and bishop porteus , king george iii was requested by the archbishop of canterbury to issue in 1787 |
624 | abolition movement | 1 | HUMAN GROUP | the biography was controversial in that the authors emphasised wilberforce 's role in the abolition movement and played down the important work of thomas clarkson . |
625 | negro slaves | 1 | PERSON | in 1823 wilberforce 's 56-page " appeal to the religion , justice and humanity of the inhabitants of the british empire in behalf of the negro slaves in the west indies " was published . |
626 | letters | 1 | ABILITY | five years after his death , sons robert and samuel wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father , and subsequently a collection of his letters in 1840 . |
627 | origin | 1 | ARTIFACT | from 1816 , wilberforce introduced a series of bills which would require the compulsory registration of enslaved people , together with details of their country of origin , permitting the illegal importation of foreign slaves to be detected . |
628 | long term | 1 | TERM |  |
629 | plan | 1 | PLAN | the plan was unsuccessful due to lobbying by the directors of the company , who feared that their commercial interests would be damaged . |
630 | supervisor | 1 | UNKNOWN | james ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of st christopher ( later st kitts ) . |
631 | essay | 1 | PERSON | see caption diagram of a slave ship , the brookes , illustrating how slaves were transported in early 1787 , thomas clarkson met with wilberforce for the first time at old palace yard and brought a copy of his essay on the subject . |
632 | potential | 1 | SET | he moved twelve resolutions condemning the slave trade , but did not refer to the abolition of slavery itself , instead dwelling on the potential for reproduction in the existing slave population should the trade be abolished . |
633 | hostility | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | a protracted parliamentary campaign to abolish slavery continued , and wilberforce remained committed to this cause despite frustration and hostility . |
634 | sugar | 1 | SUGAR | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
635 | passages | 1 | ACT | clarkson wrote a book refuting their version of events , and the sons eventually made a half-hearted private apology to him and removed the offending passages in a revision of their biography . |
636 | distributors | 1 | PERSON | this and other societies in which wilberforce was a prime mover , mustered support for the prosecution of those who had been charged with violating relevant laws , including brothel keepers , distributors of pornographic material , and those who did not respect the sabbath . |
637 | catholics | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce initially strongly opposed bills for catholic emancipation , which would have allowed catholics to become mps , hold public office and serve in the army , although by 1813 , he had changed his views and spoke in favour of a similar bill . |
638 | profane | 1 | PERSON | the proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the lord 's day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . |
639 | invasion | 1 | GROUP | the outbreak of war with france the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . |
640 | approaches | 1 | PLACE | wilberforce 's attempts to legislate against adultery and sunday newspapers were also in vain ; his involvement and leadership in other , less punitive , approaches were more successful in the long-term , however . |
641 | pen | 1 | PLACE | an oil-on-canvas portrait of wilberforce holding a pen . |
642 | petitioners | 1 | PERSON | petitioners for other causes also besieged him there . |
643 | influenza | 1 | UNKNOWN | in 1833 , wilberforce 's health declined further and he suffered a severe attack of influenza from which he never fully recovered . |
644 | detail | 1 | EVENT | drawing on thomas clarkson 's mass of evidence , he described in detail the appalling conditions in which enslaved people travelled from africa in the middle passage and argued that abolishing the trade would also bring an improvement to the conditions of existing slaves in the west indies . |
645 | constitution | 1 | PERSON | critics noted wilberforce 's support of the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and his votes for pitt 's " gagging bills " , which banned meetings of more than 50 people , allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution . |
646 | office | 1 | PLACE | in office 31 october 1780 - |
647 | fervour | 1 | EMOTION | influenced by methodist scruples , he initially resisted hull 's lively social life , but , as his religious fervour diminished , he embraced theatre-going , attended balls , and played cards . |
648 | wilberforce colony | 1 | PERSON | in ontario , canada , the wilberforce colony was founded by black reformers , and inhabited by freed slaves from the united states . |
649 | nova scotia | 1 | PERSON | inspired in part by the utopian vision of granville sharp , they became involved in the establishment in 1792 of a free colony in sierra leone with black settlers from britain , nova scotia and jamaica , as well as native africans and some whites . |
650 | oil on canvas portrait | 1 | PERSON |  |
651 | states | 1 | PLACE | wilberforce 's actions led the essayist william hazlitt to condemn him as one " who preaches vital christianity to untutored savages , and tolerates its worst abuses in civilised states . " |
652 | arthur gough calthorpe constituency | 1 | PERSON |  |
653 | critics | 1 | PERSON | critics noted wilberforce 's support of the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and his votes for pitt 's " gagging bills " , which banned meetings of more than 50 people , allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution . |
654 | witnesses | 1 | PERSON | william wilberforce — speech before the house of commons , 18 april 1791 interrupted by a general election in june 1790 , the committee finished hearing witnesses and in april 1791 , with a closely reasoned four-hour speech , wilberforce introduced the first parliamentary bill to abolish the slave trade . |
655 | samuel wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | five years after his death , sons robert and samuel wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father , and subsequently a collection of his letters in 1840 . |
656 | slavery museum | 1 | PLACE | wilberforce 's birthplace was acquired by the city corporation in 1903 and , following renovation , wilberforce house in hull was opened as britain 's first slavery museum . |
657 | marie antoinette | 1 | UNKNOWN | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
658 | reforms | 1 | AMOUNT | in february 1785 , wilberforce returned to london temporarily , to support pitt 's proposals for parliamentary reforms . |
659 | philip doddridge | 1 | PERSON | milner accompanied wilberforce to england , and on the journey they read " the rise and progress of religion in the soul " by philip doddridge , a leading early 18th-century english nonconformist . |
660 | organisations | 1 | ORGANISATION | wilberforce fostered and supported missionary activity in britain and abroad , and was involved with other members of the clapham sect in various evangelical and charitable organisations . |
661 | play | 1 | EVENT | wilberforce was an indulgent and adoring father who revelled in his time at home and at play with his children . |
662 | spies | 1 | RESOURCE | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
663 | vices | 1 | EVENT | the writer and clergyman sydney smith criticised wilberforce for being more interested in the sins of the poor than those of the rich , and suggested that a better name would be the " society for suppressing the vices of persons whose income does not exceed £500 per annum " . |
664 | reads | 1 | EMOTION | an inscription at the bottom reads " " am i not a man and a brother ? " |
665 | genoa | 1 | PLACE | he rejoined the party in genoa , italy , and they continued their tour to switzerland . |
666 | this country contrasted with real christianity | 1 | PERSON | to this end , in april 1797 , wilberforce published a practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed christians in the higher and middle classes of this country contrasted with real christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . |
667 | conventions | 1 | ACT | by the end of his life , british morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the victorian era . |
668 | breach | 1 | ACT | growing more alarmed , on 31 december 1794 , wilberforce moved that the government seek a peaceful resolution with france , a stance that created a temporary breach in his long friendship with pitt . |
669 | suspicion | 1 | AMOUNT | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
670 | milner | 1 | PERSON | in 1767 , he began attending hull grammar school , which at the time was headed by joseph milner , who would become a lifelong friend . |
671 | cambridge signature venerated | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
672 | attention | 1 | PERSON | a bill was introduced and approved by the cabinet , and wilberforce and other abolitionists maintained a self-imposed silence , so as not to draw any attention to the effect of the bill . |
673 | contempt | 1 | PERSON | evangelicals in the upper classes were exposed to contempt and ridicule , and wilberforce 's conversion led him to question whether he should remain in public life . |
674 | garden | 1 | PERSON | the same year , wilberforce moved his family from clapham to a sizeable mansion with a large garden in kensington gore , closer to the houses of parliament . |
675 | surgeon | 1 | PERSON | james ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of st christopher ( later st kitts ) . |
676 | examinations | 1 | PERIOD | despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying , he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in 1781 and a master of arts degree in 1788 . |
677 | rapists | 1 | PERSON | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
678 | reform wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | other concerns political and social reform wilberforce was highly conservative on many political and social issues . |
679 | student | 1 | PERSON | instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . |
680 | wilberforce oak | 1 | PERSON | under what came to be known as the " wilberforce oak " at holwood house , pitt challenged his friend to give notice of a motion concerning the slave trade before another parliamentarian did . |
681 | details | 1 | EVENT | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
682 | reform bill | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce approved of the 1830 election victory of the more progressive whigs , though he was concerned about the implications of their reform bill which proposed the redistribution of parliamentary seats towards newer towns and cities and an extension of the franchise . |
683 | teachers | 1 | PERSON | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
684 | w. davies | 1 | PERSON |  |
685 | prison reform | 1 | AMOUNT | wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers , engaged in prison reform , and supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the game laws . |
686 | gloucester | 1 | PLACE | the pallbearers included the duke of gloucester , the lord chancellor henry brougham , and the speaker of the house of commons charles manners-sutton . |
687 | peterloo massacre | 1 | ACT | he also opposed an enquiry into the 1819 peterloo massacre in which eleven protesters were killed at a political rally demanding reform . |
688 | strategies | 1 | STRATEGY | the strategies of wilberforce and other abolitionists are invoked by anti-abortion activists , who controversially equate the abolition of slavery with ending abortion . |
689 | acquaintance | 1 | WORD | it was arranged that bennet langton , a lincolnshire landowner and mutual acquaintance of wilberforce and clarkson , would organise a dinner party on 13 march 1787 to ask wilberforce formally to lead the parliamentary campaign . |
690 | soul | 1 | PERSON | milner accompanied wilberforce to england , and on the journey they read " the rise and progress of religion in the soul " by philip doddridge , a leading early 18th-century english nonconformist . |
691 | conscience | 1 | STATE | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
692 | guilt | 1 | ACT | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
693 | henry thornton | 1 | PERSON | he was supported by fellow members of the clapham sect , among whom was his best friend and cousin henry thornton . |
694 | methodist preacher | 1 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
695 | passing | 1 | EVENT | on 26 july 1833 , wilberforce heard of government concessions that guaranteed the passing of the bill for the abolition of slavery . |
696 | annum | 1 | TIME PERIOD | the writer and clergyman sydney smith criticised wilberforce for being more interested in the sins of the poor than those of the rich , and suggested that a better name would be the " society for suppressing the vices of persons whose income does not exceed £500 per annum " . |
697 | actions | 1 | ACTION | wilberforce 's actions led the essayist william hazlitt to condemn him as one " who preaches vital christianity to untutored savages , and tolerates its worst abuses in civilised states . " |
698 | aspects | 1 | PERSON | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
699 | atlantic | 1 | PLACE | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
700 | six acts | 1 | UNKNOWN | concerned about " bad men who wished to produce anarchy and confusion " , he approved of the government 's six acts , which further limited public meetings and seditious writings . |
701 | charles fox | 1 | PERSON | he gave general support to the grenville-fox administration , which brought more abolitionists into the cabinet ; wilberforce and charles fox led the campaign in the house of commons . |
702 | execution | 1 | CONDITION | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
703 | politicians | 1 | PERSON | the outbreak of war with france the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . |
704 | fruits | 1 | EVENT | this is the first fruits of our efforts ; let us persevere and our triumph will be complete . |
705 | basis | 1 | EVENT | united kingdom general election , after which he returned to finishing and publishing his letter , a 400-page book which formed the basis for the final phase of the campaign . |
706 | settlers | 1 | PERSON | inspired in part by the utopian vision of granville sharp , they became involved in the establishment in 1792 of a free colony in sierra leone with black settlers from britain , nova scotia and jamaica , as well as native africans and some whites . |
707 | morning | 1 | PERSON | the following day he grew much weaker , and he died early on the morning of 29 july at his cousin 's house in cadogan place , london . |
708 | quantities | 1 | QUANTITY | his regular bouts of gastrointestinal illnesses precipitated the use of moderate quantities of opium , which proved effective in alleviating his condition , and which he continued to use for the rest of his life . |
709 | t. cadell | 1 | PERSON | london : t. cadell and w. |
710 | british east india company | 1 | INSTITUTION | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
711 | career paths | 1 | SEQUENCE | william had attempted a series of educational and career paths , and a venture into farming in 1830 led to huge losses , which his father repaid in full , despite offers from others to assist . |
712 | eloquence | 1 | QUALITY | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
713 | edward | 1 | PLACE | in autumn 1783 , pitt , wilberforce and edward eliot travelled to france for a six-week holiday together . |
714 | action wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | early parliamentary action wilberforce had planned to introduce a motion giving notice that he would bring forward a bill for the abolition of the slave trade during the 1789 parliamentary session . |
715 | french west indies | 1 | PLACE | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
716 | son william | 1 | PERSON | in 1826 , wilberforce moved from his large house in kensington gore to hendon park , a more modest property in the countryside of mill hill , north of london , where he was joined by his son william and family . |
717 | canterbury | 1 | PLACE | at the suggestion of wilberforce and bishop porteus , king george iii was requested by the archbishop of canterbury to issue in 1787 |
718 | putney | 1 | PERSON | he attended an " indifferent " boarding school in putney for two years and spent his holidays in wimbledon , where he grew extremely fond of his relatives . |
719 | economics | 1 | UNKNOWN | in the 1940s , the role of wilberforce and the clapham sect in abolition was downplayed by historian eric williams , who argued that abolition was motivated not by humanitarianism but by economics , as the west indian sugar industry was in decline . |
720 | oak tree | 1 | TREE | the same spring , on 12 may 1787 , the still hesitant wilberforce held a conversation with william pitt and the future prime minister william grenville as they sat under a large oak tree on pitt 's estate in kent . |
721 | hinduism | 1 | CONCEPT | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
722 | nonconformist | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's staunchly church of england mother and grandfather , alarmed at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism , brought the 12-year-old boy back to hull in 1771 . |
723 | testonites | 1 | UNKNOWN | he began to read widely on the subject and met with a group of abolitionists called the testonites at middleton 's home in the early winter of 1786-1787 . |
724 | media | 1 | MEDIUM | in media * |
725 | game laws | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers , engaged in prison reform , and supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the game laws . |
726 | writer william cobbett | 1 | PERSON | the radical writer william cobbett was among those who attacked what they saw as wilberforce 's hypocrisy in campaigning for better working conditions for enslaved people while british workers lived in terrible conditions at home . |
727 | british subjects | 1 | EVENT | a radical change of tactics , which involved the introduction of a bill to ban british subjects from aiding or participating in the slave trade to the french colonies , was suggested by the maritime lawyer james stephen . |
728 | industry | 1 | INSTITUTION | in the 1940s , the role of wilberforce and the clapham sect in abolition was downplayed by historian eric williams , who argued that abolition was motivated not by humanitarianism but by economics , as the west indian sugar industry was in decline . |
729 | encouragement | 1 | WORD | a proclamation for the encouragement of piety and virtue , as a remedy for the rising tide of immorality . |
730 | funeral wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | funeral wilberforce had left instructions that he be buried with his sister and daughter at st mary 's church , stoke newington , just north of london . |
731 | abolition bills | 1 | DOCUMENT | despite this , wilberforce continued to introduce abolition bills throughout the 1790s . |
732 | transgression | 1 | PERSON | at the time , religious enthusiasm was generally regarded as a social transgression and was stigmatised in polite society . |
733 | disease | 1 | DISEASE | wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the combination act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . |
734 | evangelical anglican | 1 | UNKNOWN | in 1785 , he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical anglican , which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and a lifelong concern for reform . |
735 | medallion | 1 | EVENT | medallion created as part of anti-slavery campaign by josiah wedgwood , 1787 |
736 | route | 1 | ROUTE | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
737 | triumph | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | this is the first fruits of our efforts ; let us persevere and our triumph will be complete . |
738 | stoke newington | 1 | PERSON | funeral wilberforce had left instructions that he be buried with his sister and daughter at st mary 's church , stoke newington , just north of london . |
739 | anglican communion commemorate wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | various churches within the anglican communion commemorate wilberforce in their liturgical calendars , and wilberforce university in ohio , united states , founded in 1856 , is named after him . |
740 | elizabeth heyrick | 1 | PERSON | he disapproved of women anti-slavery activists such as elizabeth heyrick , who organised women 's abolitionist groups in the 1820s , protesting : " or ladies to meet , to publish , to go from house to house stirring up petitions— these appear to me proceedings unsuited to the female character as delineated in scripture . " |
741 | creatures | 1 | ANIMAL | already we have gained one victory ; we have obtained , for these poor creatures , the recognition of their human nature , which , for a while was most shamefully denied . |
742 | holwood house | 1 | PLACE | under what came to be known as the " wilberforce oak " at holwood house , pitt challenged his friend to give notice of a motion concerning the slave trade before another parliamentarian did . |
743 | friend thomas babington | 1 | PERSON | in his youth , william wilberforce showed little interest in women , but when he was in his late thirties his friend thomas babington recommended 25-year-old barbara ann spooner ( 1771-1847 ) as a potential bride . |
744 | clergy | 1 | PERSON | he recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when hannah more and her sister established sunday schools for the poor in somerset and the mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and anglican clergy . |
745 | savages | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's actions led the essayist william hazlitt to condemn him as one " who preaches vital christianity to untutored savages , and tolerates its worst abuses in civilised states . " |
746 | revival | 1 | PERSON | this was an exposition of new testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . |
747 | party man | 1 | PERSON | free from financial pressures , wilberforce sat as an independent , resolving to be " no party man " . |
748 | dishonour | 1 | DEFICIENCY | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
749 | switzerland | 1 | PLACE | he rejoined the party in genoa , italy , and they continued their tour to switzerland . |
750 | authors | 1 | UNKNOWN | the biography was controversial in that the authors emphasised wilberforce 's role in the abolition movement and played down the important work of thomas clarkson . |
751 | virtue | 1 | PERSON | a proclamation for the encouragement of piety and virtue , as a remedy for the rising tide of immorality . |
752 | business | 1 | AMOUNT | while tributes were paid and wilberforce was laid to rest , both houses of parliament suspended their business as a mark of respect . |
753 | opponents | 1 | PERSON | with several parliamentarians signalling support for the bill , the opponents of abolition delayed the vote by proposing that the house of commons hear its own evidence ; wilberforce , in a decision that has been criticised for prolonging the slave trade , reluctantly agreed . |
754 | attitude | 1 | ATTITUDE | on this occasion and throughout the campaign , abolition was held back by wilberforce 's trusting , even credulous nature , and his deferential attitude towards those in power . |
755 | charles middleton | 1 | PERSON | in 1787 , wilberforce came into contact with thomas clarkson and a group of activists against the transatlantic slave trade , including granville sharp , hannah more and charles middleton . |
756 | habitué | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce attended parliament regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life , becoming an habitué of gentlemen 's gambling clubs such as goostree 's and boodle 's in pall mall , london . |
757 | canada | 1 | PLACE | in ontario , canada , the wilberforce colony was founded by black reformers , and inhabited by freed slaves from the united states . |
758 | dinner party | 1 | FORCE | it was arranged that bennet langton , a lincolnshire landowner and mutual acquaintance of wilberforce and clarkson , would organise a dinner party on 13 march 1787 to ask wilberforce formally to lead the parliamentary campaign . |
759 | family members | 1 | PERSON | this left wilberforce with little income , and he was obliged to let his home and spend the rest of his life visiting family members and friends . |
760 | publication | 1 | ACTION | with the publication of the privy council report in april 1789 and following months of planning , wilberforce commenced his parliamentary campaign . |
761 | task | 1 | PROCESS | wilberforce responded that he " felt the great importance of the subject , and thought himself unequal to the task allotted to him , but yet would not positively decline it " . |
762 | activism | 1 | FORM | contemporary evangelical and conservative movements in north america appropriate his name and example in their activism . |
763 | sussex | 1 | PERSON | in worsening health by 1812 , wilberforce resigned his yorkshire seat , and became mp for the rotten borough of bramber in sussex , a seat with little or no constituency obligations , thus allowing him more time for his family and the causes that interested him . |
764 | bouts | 1 | PERIOD | his regular bouts of gastrointestinal illnesses precipitated the use of moderate quantities of opium , which proved effective in alleviating his condition , and which he continued to use for the rest of his life . |
765 | quantity | 1 | QUANTITY | in january 1790 , wilberforce succeeded in speeding up the hearings by gaining approval for a smaller parliamentary select committee to consider the vast quantity of evidence which had been accumulated . |
766 | realm | 1 | NUMBER | iv , and his estranged wife caroline of brunswick , who had sought her rights as queen of the realm . |
767 | majority | 1 | PROPERTY | excited supporters suggested taking advantage of the large majority to seek the abolition of slavery itself , but wilberforce made it clear that total emancipation was not the immediate goal . |
768 | county | 1 | PLACE | when parliament was dissolved in the spring of 1784 , wilberforce decided to stand as a candidate for the county of yorkshire in the 1784 general election . |
769 | sir thomas lawrence | 1 | PERSON | unfinished portrait by sir thomas lawrence , 1828 wilberforce 's views of women and religion were also conservative . |
770 | bible | 1 | PERSON | he started to rise early to read the bible and pray and kept a private journal . |
771 | rule | 1 | RULE | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
772 | choir aisle | 1 | PERSON | this memorial statue , by samuel joseph ( 1791-1850 ) , was erected in 1840 in the north choir aisle . |
773 | itself | 1 | UNKNOWN | he moved twelve resolutions condemning the slave trade , but did not refer to the abolition of slavery itself , instead dwelling on the potential for reproduction in the existing slave population should the trade be abolished . |
774 | aunt hannah | 1 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
775 | exposition | 1 | AGREEMENT | this was an exposition of new testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . |
776 | george whitefield | 1 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
777 | details born | 1 | PERSON | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
778 | health issues | 1 | EVENT | wilberforce played a central role in the campaign for the complete abolition of slavery and continued his involvement after 1826 , when he resigned from parliament because of health issues . |
779 | vanity | 1 | ENTITY | inwardly , he became self-critical , harshly judging his spirituality , use of time , vanity , self-control and relationships with others . |
780 | police suspicion | 1 | AMOUNT | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
781 | churches | 1 | PERSON | various churches within the anglican communion commemorate wilberforce in their liturgical calendars , and wilberforce university in ohio , united states , founded in 1856 , is named after him . |
782 | election victory | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce approved of the 1830 election victory of the more progressive whigs , though he was concerned about the implications of their reform bill which proposed the redistribution of parliamentary seats towards newer towns and cities and an extension of the franchise . |
783 | adultery | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's attempts to legislate against adultery and sunday newspapers were also in vain ; his involvement and leadership in other , less punitive , approaches were more successful in the long-term , however . |
784 | charter act | 1 | ACT | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
785 | london society | 1 | INSTITUTION | he was a founding member of the church missionary society ( since renamed the church mission society ) and an early vice-president of the london society for promoting christianity among the jews ( later the church 's ministry among jewish people ) . |
786 | mobilisation | 1 | ACT | later historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship between clarkson and wilberforce , and have termed it one of history 's great partnerships : without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by clarkson , abolition could not have been achieved . |
787 | corpus | 1 | PLACE | critics noted wilberforce 's support of the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and his votes for pitt 's " gagging bills " , which banned meetings of more than 50 people , allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution . |
788 | swung | 1 | UNKNOWN | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
789 | landowners | 1 | PERSON | he recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when hannah more and her sister established sunday schools for the poor in somerset and the mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and anglican clergy . |
790 | charity | 1 | PERSON | he paid off the debts of others , supported education and missions , and in a year of food shortages , gave to charity more than his own yearly income . |
791 | ​ children | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
792 | politics | 1 | ACTION | both counselled him to remain in politics , and he resolved to do so " with increased diligence and conscientiousness " . |
793 | anglicanism feast july william wilberforce | 1 | PERSON |  |
794 | petitions | 1 | ACT | using petitions , meetings , lobbying and letter writing , he successfully campaigned for changes to the charter . |
795 | habits | 1 | ACTION | his conversion changed some of his habits , but not his nature : he remained outwardly cheerful , interested and respectful , tactfully urging others towards his new faith . |
796 | research | 1 | EVENT | later historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship between clarkson and wilberforce , and have termed it one of history 's great partnerships : without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by clarkson , abolition could not have been achieved . |
797 | abuses | 1 | ACT | wilberforce 's actions led the essayist william hazlitt to condemn him as one " who preaches vital christianity to untutored savages , and tolerates its worst abuses in civilised states . " |
798 | collection | 1 | COLLECTION | five years after his death , sons robert and samuel wilberforce published a five-volume biography about their father , and subsequently a collection of his letters in 1840 . |
799 | higher classes | 1 | UNKNOWN | system of professed christians , in the middle and higher classes in this country , contrasted with real christianity . |
800 | parliamentarian | 1 | UNKNOWN | under what came to be known as the " wilberforce oak " at holwood house , pitt challenged his friend to give notice of a motion concerning the slave trade before another parliamentarian did . |
801 | enthusiasm | 1 | CONDITION | at the time , religious enthusiasm was generally regarded as a social transgression and was stigmatised in polite society . |
802 | speaker | 1 | PROCESS | the pallbearers included the duke of gloucester , the lord chancellor henry brougham , and the speaker of the house of commons charles manners-sutton . |
803 | round | 1 | SERIES | instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . |
804 | figure | 1 | FIGURE | witty , generous and an excellent conversationalist , wilberforce was a popular figure . |
805 | boy | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's staunchly church of england mother and grandfather , alarmed at these nonconformist influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism , brought the 12-year-old boy back to hull in 1771 . |
806 | trace | 1 | PERSON | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
807 | rank | 1 | RANK | he found it difficult to believe that men of rank would not do what he perceived to be the right thing , and was reluctant to confront them when they did not . |
808 | status | 1 | STATUS | he sought to elevate the status of religion in public and private life , making piety fashionable in both the upper- and middle-classes of society . |
809 | registration bill | 1 | PERSON | he began using his parliamentary position to advocate reform by introducing a registration bill , proposing limited changes to parliamentary election procedures . |
810 | lord | 1 | PERSON | lord grenville , the prime minister , successfully introduced an abolition bill in the house of lords first , then charles grey moved for a second reading in the commons on 23 february 1807 . |
811 | revitalisation | 1 | UNKNOWN | a supporter of the evangelical wing of the church of england , wilberforce believed that the revitalisation of the church and individual christian observance would lead to a harmonious , moral society . |
812 | campaigning | 1 | ACTIVITY | his underlying conservatism led him to support politically and socially repressive legislation , and resulted in criticism that he was ignoring injustices at home while campaigning for the enslaved abroad . |
813 | landowner | 1 | PERSON | it was arranged that bennet langton , a lincolnshire landowner and mutual acquaintance of wilberforce and clarkson , would organise a dinner party on 13 march 1787 to ask wilberforce formally to lead the parliamentary campaign . |
814 | georgiana | 1 | PERSON | the writer and socialite madame de staël described him as the " wittiest man in england " and , according to georgiana , duchess of devonshire , the prince of wales said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce sing . |
815 | methodist | 1 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
816 | john newton | 1 | PERSON | he sought guidance from john newton , a leading evangelical anglican clergyman of the day and rector of st mary woolnoth . |
817 | reformer | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce has also been described as a humanitarian reformer who contributed to reshaping the political and social attitudes of the time by promoting concepts of social responsibility and action . |
818 | centre | 1 | UNKNOWN | old palace yard became a centre for the abolitionists ' campaign and the location for many strategy meetings . |
819 | offers | 1 | OFFER | william had attempted a series of educational and career paths , and a venture into farming in 1830 led to huge losses , which his father repaid in full , despite offers from others to assist . |
820 | future prime minister william pitt | 1 | PERSON | he made many friends , including the more studious future prime minister william pitt . |
821 | years wilberforce | 1 | PERSON |  |
822 | clergymen | 1 | DEVICE | yearly , he gave away thousands of pounds , much of it to clergymen to distribute in their parishes . |
823 | urgings | 1 | ACTIVITY | despite the urgings of friends to slow down , the couple married at the church of st swithin in bath , somerset , on 30 may 1797 . |
824 | percent | 1 | AMOUNT | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
825 | eradication | 1 | ACT | his views were often deeply conservative , opposed to radical changes in a god-given political and social order , and focused on issues such as the observance of the sabbath and the eradication of immorality through education and reform . |
826 | burial | 1 | ACT | however , the leading members of both houses of parliament urged that he be honoured with a burial in westminster abbey . |
827 | products | 1 | RESULT | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
828 | threat | 1 | PERSON | the outbreak of war with france the same month prevented further consideration of the issue , as politicians concentrated on the national crisis and the threat of invasion . |
829 | revolts | 1 | ACT | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
830 | cotton | 1 | ENTITY | by 1783 , the triangular route that took british-made goods to africa to buy slaves , transported the enslaved to the west indies , and then brought slave-grown products such as sugar , tobacco , and cotton to britain , represented about 80 percent of great britain 's foreign income . |
831 | goal | 1 | GOAL | excited supporters suggested taking advantage of the large majority to seek the abolition of slavery itself , but wilberforce made it clear that total emancipation was not the immediate goal . |
832 | film | 1 | ARTWORK | amazing grace , a film about wilberforce and the struggle against the slave trade , was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of parliament 's anti-slave trade legislation . |
833 | dissolute | 1 | UNKNOWN | the proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the lord 's day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . |
834 | state | 1 | STATE | he was often distrusted by progressive voices because of his conservatism , and regarded with suspicion by many tories who saw evangelicals as radicals who wanted the overthrow of church and state . |
835 | commons review | 1 | ACT | in wilberforce 's absence , pitt , who had long been supportive of abolition , introduced the preparatory motion himself , and ordered a privy council investigation into the slave trade , followed by a house of commons review . |
836 | place | 1 | PLACE | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
837 | plantations | 1 | QUANTITY | ramsay was horrified by the conditions endured by the enslaved peoples , both at sea and on the plantations and returned to england and joined abolitionist movements . |
838 | thomas rowlandson | 1 | PERSON | final phase of the campaign see caption the house of commons in wilberforce 's day by augustus pugin and thomas rowlandson ( 1808-1811 ) |
839 | native | 1 | ARTIFACT | a native of kingston upon hull , yorkshire , he began his political career in 1780 , and became an independent member of parliament ( mp ) for yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) . |
840 | figurehead | 1 | PERSON | as the 1820s continued , wilberforce increasingly became more of a figurehead for the abolitionist movement , although he continued to appear at anti-slavery meetings , welcoming visitors , and maintaining a busy correspondence on the subject . |
841 | enforcement | 1 | CONDITION | emancipation of enslaved africans wilberforce worked with the members of the african institution to ensure the enforcement of the abolition of the slave trade and to promote abolitionist negotiations with other countries . |
842 | lord chancellor henry brougham | 1 | PERSON | the pallbearers included the duke of gloucester , the lord chancellor henry brougham , and the speaker of the house of commons charles manners-sutton . |
843 | consciousness | 1 | STATE | abolition continued to be associated in the public consciousness with the french revolution and with british radical groups , resulting in a decline in public support . |
844 | property | 1 | PROPERTY | in 1826 , wilberforce moved from his large house in kensington gore to hendon park , a more modest property in the countryside of mill hill , north of london , where he was joined by his son william and family . |
845 | ohio | 1 | PLACE | various churches within the anglican communion commemorate wilberforce in their liturgical calendars , and wilberforce university in ohio , united states , founded in 1856 , is named after him . |
846 | negro | 1 | PERSON | in 1823 wilberforce 's 56-page " appeal to the religion , justice and humanity of the inhabitants of the british empire in behalf of the negro slaves in the west indies " was published . |
847 | slave population | 1 | PERSON | he moved twelve resolutions condemning the slave trade , but did not refer to the abolition of slavery itself , instead dwelling on the potential for reproduction in the existing slave population should the trade be abolished . |
848 | clubs | 1 | GROUP | wilberforce attended parliament regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life , becoming an habitué of gentlemen 's gambling clubs such as goostree 's and boodle 's in pall mall , london . |
849 | evangelism | 1 | PROCESS | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
850 | warm | 1 | ACT | later historians have noted the warm and highly productive relationship between clarkson and wilberforce , and have termed it one of history 's great partnerships : without both the parliamentary leadership supplied by wilberforce and the research and public mobilisation organised by clarkson , abolition could not have been achieved . |
851 | surgeons | 1 | PERSON | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
852 | grenville fox administration | 1 | PERSON |  |
853 | prototype | 1 | DOCUMENT | more recent historians have noted that the sugar industry was still making large profits at the time of the abolition of the slave trade , and this has led to a renewed interest in wilberforce and the evangelicals , as well as a recognition of the anti-slavery movement as a prototype for subsequent humanitarian campaigns . |
854 | middle | 1 | PERSON | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
855 | suggestion | 1 | SUGGESTION | at the suggestion of wilberforce and bishop porteus , king george iii was requested by the archbishop of canterbury to issue in 1787 |
856 | thornton | 1 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
857 | commons seats | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | from the late 1780s onward , wilberforce campaigned for limited parliamentary reform , such as the abolition of rotten boroughs and the redistribution of commons seats to growing towns and cities , though by 1832 , he feared that such measures went too far . |
858 | hero | 1 | PERSON | as his sons had desired and planned , wilberforce has long been viewed as a christian hero , a statesman-saint held up as a role model for putting his faith into action . |
859 | decades | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce and clarkson collected a large volume of evidence against the slave trade over the previous two decades , and wilberforce spent the latter part of 1806 writing a letter on the abolition of the slave trade , which was a comprehensive restatement of the abolitionists ' case . |
860 | husband | 1 | PERSON | the bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . |
861 | reproduction | 1 | RESULT | he moved twelve resolutions condemning the slave trade , but did not refer to the abolition of slavery itself , instead dwelling on the potential for reproduction in the existing slave population should the trade be abolished . |
862 | maidstone | 1 | UNKNOWN | he made a final anti-slavery speech in april 1833 at a public meeting in maidstone , kent . |
863 | proceedings | 1 | MEASURE | he disapproved of women anti-slavery activists such as elizabeth heyrick , who organised women 's abolitionist groups in the 1820s , protesting : " or ladies to meet , to publish , to go from house to house stirring up petitions— these appear to me proceedings unsuited to the female character as delineated in scripture . " |
864 | ladies | 1 | GOVERNMENT | he disapproved of women anti-slavery activists such as elizabeth heyrick , who organised women 's abolitionist groups in the 1820s , protesting : " or ladies to meet , to publish , to go from house to house stirring up petitions— these appear to me proceedings unsuited to the female character as delineated in scripture . " |
865 | protesters | 1 | PERSON | he also opposed an enquiry into the 1819 peterloo massacre in which eleven protesters were killed at a political rally demanding reform . |
866 | dinners | 1 | FOOD | they visited the french riviera and had dinners , played cards , and gambled . |
867 | commitment | 1 | COMMITMENT | the quakers , already working for abolition , recognised the need for influence within parliament , and urged clarkson to secure a commitment from wilberforce to bring forward the case for abolition in the house of commons . |
868 | rev. james ramsay | 1 | PERSON |  |
869 | remedy | 1 | STUDY | a proclamation for the encouragement of piety and virtue , as a remedy for the rising tide of immorality . |
870 | vision | 1 | UNKNOWN | inspired in part by the utopian vision of granville sharp , they became involved in the establishment in 1792 of a free colony in sierra leone with black settlers from britain , nova scotia and jamaica , as well as native africans and some whites . |
871 | jamaica | 1 | PLACE | inspired in part by the utopian vision of granville sharp , they became involved in the establishment in 1792 of a free colony in sierra leone with black settlers from britain , nova scotia and jamaica , as well as native africans and some whites . |
872 | independent | 1 | PERSON | february 1825 preceded by david hartley succeeded by arthur gough-calthorpe constituency * kingston upon hull ( 1780-1784 ) * yorkshire ( 1784-1812 ) * bramber ( 1812-1825 ) personal details born ( 1759-08-24) 24 august 1759 kingston upon hull , yorkshire , england died 29 july 1833 ( 1833-07-29 ) ( aged 73 ) belgravia , london , england resting place westminster abbey political party independent spouse barbara spooner ​ ( m. |
873 | treason | 1 | EVENT | the bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . |
874 | thousands | 1 | UNKNOWN | yearly , he gave away thousands of pounds , much of it to clergymen to distribute in their parishes . |
875 | diligence | 1 | STATE | both counselled him to remain in politics , and he resolved to do so " with increased diligence and conscientiousness " . |
876 | silence | 1 | PERSON | a bill was introduced and approved by the cabinet , and wilberforce and other abolitionists maintained a self-imposed silence , so as not to draw any attention to the effect of the bill . |
877 | education wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | early life and education wilberforce was born in hull , in yorkshire , england , on 24 august 1759 . |
878 | scandal | 1 | PERSON | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
879 | teachings | 1 | ACT | this was an exposition of new testament doctrine and teachings and a call for a revival of christianity , as a response to the moral decline of the nation , illustrating his own testimony and the views which inspired him . |
880 | process | 1 | PROCESS | whig government introduced the bill for the abolition of slavery , formally saluting wilberforce in the process . |
881 | trade petition | 1 | ACT | the british campaign to abolish the slave trade is generally considered to have begun in the 1780s with the establishment of the quakers ' anti-slavery committees , and their presentation to parliament of the first slave trade petition in 1783 . |
882 | henry alma mater st john | 1 | PERSON | 1797 ) ​ children 6 , including robert , samuel and henry alma mater st john 's college , cambridge signature venerated in anglicanism feast 30 july william wilberforce ( 24 august 1759 - 29 july 1833 ) was a british politician , philanthropist , and a leader of the movement to abolish the atlantic slave trade . |
883 | ankles | 1 | POSITION | a black man with shackles around their wrists and ankles is kneeling to the right . |
884 | animal welfare organisation | 1 | ORGANISATION | with others , wilberforce founded the world 's first animal welfare organisation , the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals ( later the royal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals ) . |
885 | higher | 1 | UNKNOWN | to this end , in april 1797 , wilberforce published a practical view of the prevailing religious system of professed christians in the higher and middle classes of this country contrasted with real christianity , on which he had been working since 1793 . |
886 | students | 1 | PERSON | instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . |
887 | governments | 1 | GOVERNMENT | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
888 | table | 1 | DRUG | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
889 | visitors | 1 | PERSON | as the 1820s continued , wilberforce increasingly became more of a figurehead for the abolitionist movement , although he continued to appear at anti-slavery meetings , welcoming visitors , and maintaining a busy correspondence on the subject . |
890 | era | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | by the end of his life , british morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the victorian era . |
891 | bride | 1 | PERSON | in his youth , william wilberforce showed little interest in women , but when he was in his late thirties his friend thomas babington recommended 25-year-old barbara ann spooner ( 1771-1847 ) as a potential bride . |
892 | societies | 1 | UNKNOWN | this and other societies in which wilberforce was a prime mover , mustered support for the prosecution of those who had been charged with violating relevant laws , including brothel keepers , distributors of pornographic material , and those who did not respect the sabbath . |
893 | office october | 1 | PERIOD |  |
894 | prince | 1 | PERSON | the writer and socialite madame de staël described him as the " wittiest man in england " and , according to georgiana , duchess of devonshire , the prince of wales said that he would go anywhere to hear wilberforce sing . |
895 | emancipationists | 1 | PERSON | march and 11 june 1824 in which wilberforce made his last speeches in the house of commons , and which again saw the emancipationists outmanoeuvred by the government . |
896 | augustus pugin | 1 | PERSON | final phase of the campaign see caption the house of commons in wilberforce 's day by augustus pugin and thomas rowlandson ( 1808-1811 ) |
897 | murder | 1 | ACT | the bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . |
898 | reformers | 1 | PERSON | in ontario , canada , the wilberforce colony was founded by black reformers , and inhabited by freed slaves from the united states . |
899 | st kitts | 1 | PLACE | james ramsay , a ship 's surgeon who had become a clergyman and medical supervisor on the island of st christopher ( later st kitts ) . |
900 | importation | 1 | PERSON | from 1816 , wilberforce introduced a series of bills which would require the compulsory registration of enslaved people , together with details of their country of origin , permitting the illegal importation of foreign slaves to be detected . |
901 | concerns | 1 | PERSON | other concerns political and social reform wilberforce was highly conservative on many political and social issues . |
902 | posterity | 1 | WORD | never , never will we desist till we have wiped away this scandal from the christian name , released ourselves from the load of guilt , under which we at present labour , and extinguished every trace of this bloody traffic , of which our posterity , looking back to the history of these enlightened times , will scarce believe that it has been suffered to exist so long a disgrace and dishonour to this country . |
903 | rheims | 1 | PLACE | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
904 | role model | 1 | SYSTEM | as his sons had desired and planned , wilberforce has long been viewed as a christian hero , a statesman-saint held up as a role model for putting his faith into action . |
905 | tory | 1 | PERSON | criticised at times for inconsistency , he supported both tory and whig governments according to his conscience , working closely with the party in power , and voting on specific measures according to their merits . |
906 | cadogan place | 1 | PLACE | the following day he grew much weaker , and he died early on the morning of 29 july at his cousin 's house in cadogan place , london . |
907 | henry dundas | 1 | PERSON | henry dundas , as home secretary , proposed a compromise solution of gradual abolition of the trade over several years . |
908 | increase | 1 | INCREASE | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
909 | hendon park | 1 | PLACE | in 1826 , wilberforce moved from his large house in kensington gore to hendon park , a more modest property in the countryside of mill hill , north of london , where he was joined by his son william and family . |
910 | sunday schools | 1 | PERSON | he recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when hannah more and her sister established sunday schools for the poor in somerset and the mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and anglican clergy . |
911 | mediation attempts | 1 | ACTION | in 1820 , after a period of poor health and with his eyesight failing , wilberforce further limited public activities , although he became embroiled in unsuccessful mediation attempts between king george |
912 | whirlwind romance | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce met her two days later on 15 april 1797 , and was immediately smitten ; following an eight-day whirlwind romance , he proposed . |
913 | writings | 1 | PROCESS | concerned about " bad men who wished to produce anarchy and confusion " , he approved of the government 's six acts , which further limited public meetings and seditious writings . |
914 | paris | 1 | PLACE | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
915 | hometown | 1 | EVENT | in wilberforce 's hometown of hull , a public subscription in 1834 funded the wilberforce monument , a 31-metre ( 102 ft ) |
916 | trade union activity | 1 | ACTIVITY | wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the combination act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . |
917 | guidance | 1 | SPEECH ACT | he sought guidance from john newton , a leading evangelical anglican clergyman of the day and rector of st mary woolnoth . |
918 | isaac milner | 1 | PERSON | in october 1784 , wilberforce embarked upon a tour of europe with his mother , sister and isaac milner , the younger brother of his former headmaster . |
919 | deaths | 1 | EVENT | the deaths of his grandfather and uncle , in 1774 and 1777 respectively , had left him independently wealthy and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study . |
920 | profanation | 1 | UNKNOWN | the proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the lord 's day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . |
921 | struggle | 1 | FORCE | amazing grace , a film about wilberforce and the struggle against the slave trade , was released in 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of parliament 's anti-slave trade legislation . |
922 | registration | 1 | PERSON | he began using his parliamentary position to advocate reform by introducing a registration bill , proposing limited changes to parliamentary election procedures . |
923 | relationships | 1 | RELATIONSHIP | inwardly , he became self-critical , harshly judging his spirituality , use of time , vanity , self-control and relationships with others . |
924 | privy council investigation | 1 | INVESTIGATION | in wilberforce 's absence , pitt , who had long been supportive of abolition , introduced the preparatory motion himself , and ordered a privy council investigation into the slave trade , followed by a house of commons review . |
925 | mps | 1 | UNKNOWN | wilberforce initially strongly opposed bills for catholic emancipation , which would have allowed catholics to become mps , hold public office and serve in the army , although by 1813 , he had changed his views and spoke in favour of a similar bill . |
926 | version | 1 | PERMISSION | clarkson wrote a book refuting their version of events , and the sons eventually made a half-hearted private apology to him and removed the offending passages in a revision of their biography . |
927 | venture | 1 | PERSON | william had attempted a series of educational and career paths , and a venture into farming in 1830 led to huge losses , which his father repaid in full , despite offers from others to assist . |
928 | direction | 1 | DIRECTION | after two evenings of debate , the bill was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88 , as the political climate having swung in a conservative direction after the french revolution and in reaction to an increase in radicalism and to slave revolts in the french west indies . |
929 | textile workers | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce advocated legislation to improve the working conditions for chimney-sweeps and textile workers , engaged in prison reform , and supported campaigns to restrict capital punishment and the severe punishments meted out under the game laws . |
930 | september | 1 | PERIOD | in september 1780 , at the age of 21 and while still a student , wilberforce was elected member of parliament for kingston upon hull , spending over £8,000 , as was the custom of the time , to ensure he received the necessary votes . |
931 | mayor | 1 | HUMAN ROLE | he was twice elected mayor of hull . |
932 | sunday | 1 | PERIOD | he recognised the importance of education in alleviating poverty , and when hannah more and her sister established sunday schools for the poor in somerset and the mendips , he provided financial and moral support as they faced opposition from landowners and anglican clergy . |
933 | tactics | 1 | SEQUENCE | a radical change of tactics , which involved the introduction of a bill to ban british subjects from aiding or participating in the slave trade to the french colonies , was suggested by the maritime lawyer james stephen . |
934 | arsonists | 1 | PERSON | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
935 | portion | 1 | PORTION | wilberforce was generous with his time and money , believing that those with wealth had a duty to give a significant portion of their income to the needy . |
936 | way | 1 | UNKNOWN | by the end of his life , british morals , manners , and sense of social responsibility had increased , paving the way for future changes in societal conventions and attitudes during the victorian era . |
937 | six week holiday | 1 | PERSON |  |
938 | tears | 1 | PERSON | as tributes were made to wilberforce , whose face streamed with tears , the bill was carried by 283 votes to 16 . |
939 | whites | 1 | UNKNOWN | inspired in part by the utopian vision of granville sharp , they became involved in the establishment in 1792 of a free colony in sierra leone with black settlers from britain , nova scotia and jamaica , as well as native africans and some whites . |
940 | shrimp mount | 1 | PLACE | wilberforce used his speaking voice to great effect in political speeches ; the diarist and author james boswell witnessed wilberforce 's eloquence in the house of commons and noted , " i saw what seemed a mere shrimp mount upon the table ; but as i listened , he grew , and grew , until the shrimp became a whale . " |
941 | british ships | 1 | SHIP | british ships dominated the slave trade , supplying french , spanish , dutch , portuguese and british colonies , and in peak years carried forty thousand enslaved men , women and children across the atlantic in the horrific conditions of the middle passage . |
942 | wealth | 1 | COLLECTION | wilberforce was generous with his time and money , believing that those with wealth had a duty to give a significant portion of their income to the needy . |
943 | conversation | 1 | ACTION | the same spring , on 12 may 1787 , the still hesitant wilberforce held a conversation with william pitt and the future prime minister william grenville as they sat under a large oak tree on pitt 's estate in kent . |
944 | europe | 1 | PLACE | in october 1784 , wilberforce embarked upon a tour of europe with his mother , sister and isaac milner , the younger brother of his former headmaster . |
945 | vice president | 1 | PERSON |  |
946 | livings | 1 | PERSON | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
947 | court | 1 | PERSON | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
948 | reintroduction | 1 | EVENT | on its reintroduction during the 1805 session , it was defeated , with even the usually sympathetic pitt failing to support it . |
949 | spirituality | 1 | INSTANCE | inwardly , he became self-critical , harshly judging his spirituality , use of time , vanity , self-control and relationships with others . |
950 | burglars | 1 | PERSON | in response to the need for bodies for dissection by surgeons , he brought forward a bill to extend the measure permitting the dissection after execution of criminals such as rapists , arsonists , burglars and violent robbers . |
951 | attack | 1 | EVENT | in 1833 , wilberforce 's health declined further and he suffered a severe attack of influenza from which he never fully recovered . |
952 | rector | 1 | PERSON | he sought guidance from john newton , a leading evangelical anglican clergyman of the day and rector of st mary woolnoth . |
953 | shackles | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | a black man with shackles around their wrists and ankles is kneeling to the right . |
954 | government concessions | 1 | PERMISSION | on 26 july 1833 , wilberforce heard of government concessions that guaranteed the passing of the bill for the abolition of slavery . |
955 | conscientiousness | 1 | STATE | both counselled him to remain in politics , and he resolved to do so " with increased diligence and conscientiousness " . |
956 | robert wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | he was the only son of robert wilberforce ( 1728-1768 ) , a wealthy merchant , and his wife , elizabeth bird ( 1730-1798 ) . |
957 | return | 1 | STATEMENT | his family opposed a return to hull grammar school because the headmaster had become a methodist , and wilberforce continued his education at pocklington school from 1771 to 1776 . |
958 | clauses | 1 | SET | horrified by the lack of christian evangelism in india , wilberforce used the 1793 renewal of the british east india company 's charter to propose the addition of clauses requiring the company to provide teachers and chaplains and to commit to the " religious improvement " of indians . |
959 | bachelor | 1 | PERSON | despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying , he managed to pass his examinations and was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in 1781 and a master of arts degree in 1788 . |
960 | activity | 1 | ACTIVITY | wilberforce was opposed to giving workers ' rights to organise into unions , in 1799 speaking in favour of the combination act , which suppressed trade union activity throughout britain , and calling unions " a general disease in our society " . |
961 | child | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce was a small , sickly and delicate child with poor eyesight . |
962 | anarchy | 1 | QUALITY | concerned about " bad men who wished to produce anarchy and confusion " , he approved of the government 's six acts , which further limited public meetings and seditious writings . |
963 | frustration | 1 | PERSON | a protracted parliamentary campaign to abolish slavery continued , and wilberforce remained committed to this cause despite frustration and hostility . |
964 | start | 1 | UNKNOWN | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
965 | persons | 1 | PERSON | the writer and clergyman sydney smith criticised wilberforce for being more interested in the sins of the poor than those of the rich , and suggested that a better name would be the " society for suppressing the vices of persons whose income does not exceed £500 per annum " . |
966 | world | 1 | PLACE | with others , wilberforce founded the world 's first animal welfare organisation , the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals ( later the royal society for the prevention of cruelty to animals ) . |
967 | scripture | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | he disapproved of women anti-slavery activists such as elizabeth heyrick , who organised women 's abolitionist groups in the 1820s , protesting : " or ladies to meet , to publish , to go from house to house stirring up petitions— these appear to me proceedings unsuited to the female character as delineated in scripture . " |
968 | prime minister william grenville | 1 | PERSON | the same spring , on 12 may 1787 , the still hesitant wilberforce held a conversation with william pitt and the future prime minister william grenville as they sat under a large oak tree on pitt 's estate in kent . |
969 | excesses | 1 | AMOUNT | instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle , enjoying cards , gambling and late-night drinking sessions - although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful . |
970 | merchant john thornton | 1 | PERSON | he became interested in evangelical christianity due to his relatives ' influence , especially that of his aunt hannah , sister of the wealthy merchant john thornton , a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading methodist preacher , george whitefield . |
971 | copies | 1 | PERSON | the book was influential and a best-seller ; 7,500 copies were sold within six months , and it was translated into several languages . |
972 | enquiry | 1 | UNKNOWN | he also opposed an enquiry into the 1819 peterloo massacre in which eleven protesters were killed at a political rally demanding reform . |
973 | bishop porteus | 1 | PERSON | at the suggestion of wilberforce and bishop porteus , king george iii was requested by the archbishop of canterbury to issue in 1787 |
974 | cambridge friend gerard edwards | 1 | PERSON | the same year , wilberforce , while dining with his cambridge friend gerard edwards , met rev. |
975 | marble statue | 1 | PERSON | a marble statue of wilberforce , with an inscription beneath it wilberforce was buried in westminster abbey next to pitt . |
976 | missions | 1 | STATE | he paid off the debts of others , supported education and missions , and in a year of food shortages , gave to charity more than his own yearly income . |
977 | boodle | 1 | MONEY | wilberforce attended parliament regularly , but he also maintained a lively social life , becoming an habitué of gentlemen 's gambling clubs such as goostree 's and boodle 's in pall mall , london . |
978 | goals | 1 | GOAL | moral reform greatly concerned by what he perceived to be the degeneracy of british society , wilberforce was active in matters of moral reform , lobbying against " the torrent of profaneness that every day makes more rapid advances " , and considered this issue and the abolition of the slave trade as equally important goals . |
979 | louis xvi | 1 | PERSON | after a difficult start in rheims , where their presence aroused police suspicion that they were english spies , they visited paris , meeting benjamin franklin , general lafayette , marie antoinette and louis xvi , and joined the french court at fontainebleau . |
980 | peoples | 1 | PERSON | ramsay was horrified by the conditions endured by the enslaved peoples , both at sea and on the plantations and returned to england and joined abolitionist movements . |
981 | reprieve | 1 | ACT | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
982 | revolution | 1 | STUDY | in the meantime , wilberforce and clarkson tried unsuccessfully to take advantage of the egalitarian atmosphere of the french revolution to press for france 's abolition of the trade . |
983 | parliamentary career wilberforce | 1 | PERSON | early parliamentary career wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and pitt frequently watched house of commons debates from the gallery . |
984 | prime | 1 | PERSON | he made many friends , including the more studious future prime minister william pitt . |
985 | wrists | 1 | GROUP | a black man with shackles around their wrists and ankles is kneeling to the right . |
986 | debates | 1 | STATE | early parliamentary career wilberforce began to consider a political career while still at university and during the winter of 1779-1780 , he and pitt frequently watched house of commons debates from the gallery . |
987 | inclination | 1 | MEASURE | the deaths of his grandfather and uncle , in 1774 and 1777 respectively , had left him independently wealthy and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study . |
988 | lord grenville | 1 | PERSON | lord grenville , the prime minister , successfully introduced an abolition bill in the house of lords first , then charles grey moved for a second reading in the commons on 23 february 1807 . |
989 | eye problems | 1 | PERSON | alternatively , wilberforce 's frequent tardiness and disorganisation , as well as his chronic eye problems that at times made reading impossible , may have convinced pitt that he was not ministerial material . |
990 | statesman saint | 1 | PLACE |  |
991 | creation | 1 | ACT | he was involved in causes and campaigns such as the society for the suppression of vice , british missionary work in india , the creation of a free colony in sierra leone , the foundation of the church mission society and the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals . |
992 | caste system | 1 | SYSTEM | speaking in favour of the charter act 1813 , he criticised the east india company and their rule in india for its hypocrisy and racial prejudice , while also condemning aspects of hinduism including the caste system , infanticide , polygamy and sati . |
993 | hostilities | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | he voiced his concern about the war and urged pitt and his government to make greater efforts to end hostilities . |
994 | example | 1 | ABSTRACT ENTITY | contemporary evangelical and conservative movements in north america appropriate his name and example in their activism . |
995 | daughter | 1 | PERSON | funeral wilberforce had left instructions that he be buried with his sister and daughter at st mary 's church , stoke newington , just north of london . |
996 | mass | 1 | QUANTITY | drawing on thomas clarkson 's mass of evidence , he described in detail the appalling conditions in which enslaved people travelled from africa in the middle passage and argued that abolishing the trade would also bring an improvement to the conditions of existing slaves in the west indies . |
997 | speakers | 1 | PROCESS | critics noted wilberforce 's support of the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and his votes for pitt 's " gagging bills " , which banned meetings of more than 50 people , allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution . |
998 | caption diagram | 1 | PLAN | see caption diagram of a slave ship , the brookes , illustrating how slaves were transported in early 1787 , thomas clarkson met with wilberforce for the first time at old palace yard and brought a copy of his essay on the subject . |
999 | indifference | 1 | DEFICIENCY | greeted largely with public indifference , wilberforce sought to increase its impact by mobilising public figures to the cause , and by founding the society for the suppression of vice . |
1000 | abolition bill | 1 | PERSON | lord grenville , the prime minister , successfully introduced an abolition bill in the house of lords first , then charles grey moved for a second reading in the commons on 23 february 1807 . |
1001 | methodist scruples | 1 | QUANTITY | influenced by methodist scruples , he initially resisted hull 's lively social life , but , as his religious fervour diminished , he embraced theatre-going , attended balls , and played cards . |
1002 | voices | 1 | EVENT | he was often distrusted by progressive voices because of his conservatism , and regarded with suspicion by many tories who saw evangelicals as radicals who wanted the overthrow of church and state . |
1003 | reduction | 1 | UNKNOWN | the bill also advocated the reduction of sentences for women convicted of treason , a crime that at the time included a husband 's murder . |
1004 | lewdness | 1 | PROPERTY | the proclamation commanded the prosecution of those guilty of " excessive drinking , blasphemy , profane swearing and cursing , lewdness , profanation of the lord 's day , and other dissolute , immoral , or disorderly practices " . |
1005 | professorships | 1 | UNKNOWN | although he was often months behind in his correspondence , wilberforce responded to numerous requests for advice or for help in obtaining professorships , military promotions and livings for clergymen , or for the reprieve of death sentences . |
1006 | vain | 1 | PERSON | wilberforce 's attempts to legislate against adultery and sunday newspapers were also in vain ; his involvement and leadership in other , less punitive , approaches were more successful in the long-term , however . |
1007 | right | 1 | UNKNOWN | a black man with shackles around their wrists and ankles is kneeling to the right . |
1008 | chris larkin | 1 | PERSON | in 2007 , focus on the family produced an audio drama called grace victorious : the story of william wilberforce , starring chris larkin as wilberforce . |
1009 | government opposition | 1 | EVENT | members of parliament did not agree , and government opposition in march 1823 stymied wilberforce 's call for abolition . |

## Objects sorted by category

Categoría | Objetos
PERSON | abolition bill abolitionist abolitionists action wilberforce activists addition adultery africans africans wilberforce amazing grace anglican communion commemorate wilberforce anglicanism feast july william wilberforce anti abortion activists appeal archbishop arsonists arthur gough calthorpe constituency aspects attention august kingston augustus pugin aunt aunt hannah author james boswell autumn bachelor barbara ann spooner behalf benjamin franklin bennet langton best seller bible bill bishop porteus blind boy bride brookes brothel keepers brother burglars buxton cabinet calling cambridge cambridge friend gerard edwards cambridge signature venerated charity charles fox charles grey charles middleton charter child children choir aisle chris larkin christianity christians church churches clapham clarkson classes clergy clergyman sydney smith clever ploy collaboration committees commons charles manners sutton concern concerns constitution contempt conversationalist copies copy course court cousin cousin henry thornton criminals critics custom daughter david hartley death sentences desire details born devonshire diarist directors distributors duel duke dutch education wilberforce election election victory elizabeth heyrick emancipationists england mother eric williams essay essayist william hazlitt evangelical christianity evangelicalism evangelicals eye problems face faith family fortune family members father favour fewer figurehead foreign slave trade bill friend friend pitt friend thomas babington friend william pitt friends frustration funeral wilberforce future prime minister william pitt game laws garden general lafayette gentlemen george tierney george whitefield georgiana god goostree grace victorious grandfather granville sharp grenville fox administration hannah more henry henry alma mater st john henry dundas henry thornton hero historians home secretary humanitarianism husband ill implications importation independent interest interests isaac milner j. hatchard jews john john newton joseph milner josiah wedgwood journey karl anton hickel kensington gore king george king george iii kingston landowner landowners lawyer lawyer james stephen leader leadership livings load lord lord chancellor henry brougham lord grenville lords losses louis xvi man manners marble statue mark master matters member members men merchant merchant john thornton methodist methodist preacher middle middle classes middleton milner morning mother mp thomas fowell buxton nation needy negro negro slaves nonconformist nova scotia oil on canvas portrait oil portrait old palace yard opponents order pall mall pallbearers parliamentary career wilberforce party man penalties peoples person persons petitioners philanthropist philip doddridge piety pitt politician politicians portrait prejudice presentation prime prime minister william grenville prince privy council report profane protesters punishments putney queen radicalism radicals ramsay rapists reaction real christianity rector reform bill reform wilberforce reformer reformers registration registration bill relatives rev. james ramsay revival rise robbers robert robert wilberforce sabbath samuel samuel joseph samuel wilberforce sati savages scandal sentences servants settlers shrimp silence sir charles middleton sir thomas lawrence sister six week holiday slave slave population slave trade slaves socialite madame de staël somerset son son william sons sons robert soul spring st james st john st mary statue stoke newington story student students sunday newspapers sunday schools supporter supporters surgeon surgeons suspension sussex t. caddell t. cadell teachers tears testimony textile workers this country contrasted with real christianity thomas clarkson thomas rowlandson thornton threat tory trace trade transgression uncle vain venture vice vice president victory virtue visitors vote w. davies westminster westminster abbey whale whirlwind romance wife wife caroline wilberforce wilberforce colony wilberforce monument wilberforce oak william william pitt william wilberforce william wilberforce portrait williams wing winter wish witnesses women writer writer william cobbett years wilberforce younger ​ children
PLACE | africa approach approaches atlantic bath belgravia britain brunswick cadogan place canada canterbury capital punishment commons corpus country countryside county edward elizabeth england europe fontainebleau france french french revolution french riviera french west indies genoa gloucester great britain hendon park holwood house home house hull india inhabitants island italy jamaica kent lawn london new testament doctrine north america office ohio ontario paris parishes pen place rheims sea shrimp mount sierra leone slavery museum spanish st christopher st kitts st mary woolnoth st swithin states statesman saint switzerland united kingdom united states wales west indies wilberforce house wimbledon world york yorkshire yorkshire seat
ACT | abuses act blasphemy breach burial catholic emancipation charter act combination act commons review conventions creation criticism cultivation decline drinking emancipation eradication guilt immorality instructions introduction involvement laws legislation memorials mobilisation morals murder notice passage passages peterloo massacre petitions renewal renovation reprieve restatement revolts slave trade act slavery abolition act success support suppression teachings trade legislation trade petition tributes votes voyage warm
EVENT | abolition arts degree attack basis british subjects character couple crime crisis death deaths detail details duchess events foundation fruits government opposition health issues hometown issue issues life mansion marriage medallion morality opposition passing play progress reintroduction research respect student life subject torrent tour treason vices voice voices war
PERIOD | april august bouts century day days december drinking sessions evening examinations february holidays january july june march may month months november october office october parliamentary session partnerships peak years period prohibition september session shoulders sunday time year years youth
INSTITUTION | african institution anti slavery society british east india company church mission society church missionary society city corporation college company denounce slavery east india company establishment extension hull college hull grammar school industry london society pocklington school prosecution royal society school service sierra leone company slavery society university west indian sugar industry wilberforce institute wilberforce memorial school wilberforce university
STATE | abortion apology barbara british empire commons debates conscience conscientiousness consciousness countries cruelty debate debates diligence injustices missions parliamentary debates recognition state unions
ABSTRACT ENTITY | commons seats era evidence example hostilities hostility journal labour meantime occasion presence proposals ridicule scripture seat seats shackles tide triumph
AMOUNT | business candidate consideration excesses exertions parliamentary reform percent police suspicion prison reform profits reform reforms suspicion volume
ACTION | action actions attempts conversation efforts funeral habits impact mediation attempts motion politics project publication
ACTIVITY | activities activity british missionary work calendars campaigning meeting meetings trade union activity trusting urgings work
PROCESS | dissection education evangelism negotiations overthrow process redistribution speaker speakers task writings
GROUP | cards clapham sect clubs eyesight group groups invasion view views wrists
QUANTITY | career contact farming mass merits methodist scruples plantations quantities quantity traffic
CONDITION | advantage caption condition conditions disgrace enforcement enthusiasm execution polygamy
HUMAN GROUP | abolition movement army committee family ministry among jewish people movement parliament parliamentary select committee people
PROPERTY | age health justice lewdness majority profaneness property reading stance
STUDY | case climate remedy revolution sins study
SEQUENCE | biography british colonies career paths colonies colony tactics
QUALITY | anarchy eloquence importance inconsistency poverty subscription
GOVERNMENT | gallery government governments ladies minority government whig governments
MEASURE | inclination measure measures proceedings while
ENTITY | book cotton thing towns vanity
RESULT | products promotions reproduction result tardiness
SERIES | british campaign campaign campaigns round series
ATTITUDE | attitude attitudes conservatism duty
PLAN | caption diagram outline plan planning
SET | cities clauses ethics potential
DEFICIENCY | confusion dishonour food shortages indifference
DEVICE | clergyman clergymen headmaster
DOCUMENT | abolition bills bills prototype
SYSTEM | caste system prevailing religious system role model
ESTATE | borough boroughs estate
ABILITY | abilities letter letters
RELATIONSHIP | friendship relationship relationships
RESOURCE | column hypocrisy spies
COLLECTION | collection peerage wealth
WORD | acquaintance encouragement posterity
OCCURRENCE | outbreak pressures solution
ARTIFACT | native origin record
MONEY | boodle debts money
SPEECH ACT | conversion guidance invitation
SHIP | british ships ship ships
PERMISSION | franchise government concessions version
FORCE | dinner party party struggle
INSTANCE | revision spirituality
POSITION | ankles position
DISTANCE | resolution resolutions
CAUSE | cause causes
AGREEMENT | exposition improvement
UNIT | history pounds
TIME PERIOD | anniversary annum
FIGURE | figure figures
TERM | long term terms
LANGUAGE | atmosphere languages
RANK | rank response
ELEMENT | focus influence
HUMAN ROLE | mayor prime minister
STYLE | epitaph inscription
DISEASE | disease income
SPEECH | speech speeches
ORGANISATION | animal welfare organisation organisations
CONCEPT | concepts hinduism
LOCATION | birthplace location
EFFECT | conversion experience effect
DECISION | decision guilty
STATEMENT | proclamation return
GOAL | goal goals
EMOTION | fervour reads
ANIMAL | animals creatures
NUMBER | realm rest
FORM | activism observance
LAND | abroad
BODY | bodies
USE | use
ILLNESS | illnesses
COGNITIVE STATE | advice
ROUTE | route
POWER | power
VERTEBRATE | humanity
PARTICLE | lifestyle
BIRD | elizabeth bird
STRATEGY | strategies
ROLE | role
INVESTIGATION | privy council investigation
OFFER | offers
BALL | balls
NAME | name
DIRECTION | direction
ABSENCE | absence
HILL | mill hill
INFORMATION | drama
REQUEST | requests
SUBSTANCE | opium
SUGGESTION | suggestion
OBLIGATION | constituency obligations
NATURE | nature
STAGE | stages
STATUS | status
ARTWORK | film
ASSET | prevention
SIMILARITY | correspondence
BUILDING | building
PORTION | portion
MATERIAL | material
COMMITMENT | commitment
PROCEDURE | election procedures
RESPONSIBILITY | responsibility
INCREASE | increase
FOOD | dinners
SIGN | thirties
MEDIUM | media
LIQUID | whigs
SUGAR | sugar
RULE | rule
TREE | oak tree
DRUG | table