The Wilberforce Monument
#SUBHEADING#William Wilberforce#SUBHEADINGEND# William Wilberforce, former MP for Yorkshire and anti-slave trade campaigner, died on 29th July 1833 at Cadogen Square, London. Wilberforce who was born in Hull was held in high esteem by the city and within 5 days of his death the Mayor was petitioned for a permanent memorial to Wilberforce's life and work paid for by public donation. #SUBHEADING#The Monument#SUBHEADINGEND# Early in 1834 Mr W H Clark of Leeds was commissioned to submit designs for a Doric column monument and to supervise the works, although Myers & Wilson of Carr Lane built it. #IMAGE#The monument is 102 feet high in total. The column is 90 feet and the statue on top is 12 feet tall, carved out of hard-wearing millstone grit. The statue was, in fact, an after-thought by the monument committee. It was sculpted by a Mr Feort in Dock Street and erected on the column in November 1835. The position of the monument was a contested one. Sites such as Belle Vue on Humber Bank with public gardens, the road junction of George Street and Saville Street, the oval in Kingston Square, and the end of Queen Street near the Humber were all suggested but in the end the position at the end of Whitefriargate near Princes Quay dock was agreed upon. This is now the entrance to Princes Quay Shopping Centre. The monument foundation was laid by Richard Bethel MP on 1st August 1834, the same day as the abolition of slavery in the British Colonies. A cause that Wilberforce had been passionate about, and had fought for in parliament. The total cost of the monument was 1,250 pounds that's 90,500 pounds in today's money. #SUBHEADING#A New Site#SUBHEADINGEND# The monument stood by Princes Dock for almost 100 years until Queens Dock closed in the 1930s. A new road layout was proposed for Queen Victoria Square area and the monument was making traffic flow very difficult - a new home had to be found.
Moving the Wilberforce Monument in 1935
William Wilberforce's monument had become a motoring hazard by the 1930s and it needed to be moved to a new, more convenient location. Find out who moved the monument and what secrets are buried beneath...
William Wilberforce - the man (part 1)
Discover more about at the Wilberforce Family and William Wilberforce's early years.
William Wilberforce - the man (part 2)
Read about the impact of Wilberforce's university days and his career in politics.
Wilberforce Bible - Uncovering the Family Secrets
Read about the bibles that were once owned by William Wilberforce (1759-1833) and are now on display in Wilberforce House Museum.
The Freedom Centrepiece 2007
In 2006 Hull Museums commissioned silversmith Jocelyn Burton to produce a major silver centrepiece. This was part of the commemorations for the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade in 2007. This will be a lasting testament to freedom and will hopefully be around for the tercentenary. The centrepiece was funded by the Alderman Rupert Alec-Smith Fund and the Wilberforce 2007 Programme.
Thomas Thompson (1754 - 1828)
Thomas Thompson was a local businessman and MP, who resided at 25 High Street, now Wilberforce House Museum, for nearly forty years. In 1770 at the age of 16 he went to work as a Clerk to William Wilberforce (senior) in what later became a branch of Wilberforce, Smith & Co Bank.
The Brookes Ship Model and Poster
This narrative tells the story of the Brookes ship model and poster which were made to publicise abolitionists' campaign for the abolition of slavery.They were based on an actual slave ship called the 'Brookes'
Contemporary Collections
Wilberforce House Museum has a small collection of objects in its contemporary slavery displays. These objects highlight the continual legacy of slavery and also explore the issue of human rights. They provide the visitor with a view of modern Africa today
Slavery Collections at Wilberforce House
Wilberforce House has many objects relating to slavery and the campaign for its abolition. The collection strengths lie in plantation records and anti-slavery material. Read on to discover more about the slavery collections at Wilberforce House.
Enslavement and Plantation Life
Read about the horrific conditions that slaves endured on board slave ships in the Middle Passage and how they were met with discipline and harsh punishment once they arrived at the plantations.
The Campaign Against Slavery
Read about the parliamentary campaign to abolish slavery, womens role in the anti-slavery fight and how growing opposition among the public led to a boycott of sugar produced on plantations.
Moving the Wilberforce Monument in 1935
William Wilberforce's monument had become a motoring hazard by the 1930s and it needed to be moved to a new, more convenient location. Find out who moved the monument and what secrets are buried beneath...
