Model of William Wilberforce by Minton, Stoke-on-Trent, c.1830-1836
This is Hullâs William Wilberforce, Member of Parliament for Yorkshire and a famous anti-slavery campaigner. He has a stack of books beneath his chair.
Despite what the books suggest, Wilberforce didnât do much reading in his younger days. Whilst at Cambridge University he preferred theatre, dancing, singing and playing cards to studying. Later he realised how much time he had wasted at Cambridge. He began to re-educate himself, studying for nine or ten hours a day every summer.
The model also includes a scroll of paper beneath Wilberforceâs feet. The paper has the words âAbolition, Slave Billâ on it. This is a reference to Wilberforceâs parliamentary campaign against the slave trade.
Wilberforce first became interested in the abolition of the slave trade and slavery in the 1780s. He was concerned about raising the slavery issue in Parliament due to the money invested in the slave trade by MPs. Therefore he concentrated first on the abolition of the slave trade and then the abolition of slavery.
Wilberforce made his first abolition speech in Parliament in 1789. For many years he presented the abolition bill to Parliament and it kept being defeated. The bill was finally passed in 1807. Parliament gave a round of applause to Wilberforce who had tears running down his face.
Wilberforce was less active in the abolition of slavery itself due to ill health. As he lay dying in 1833 he knew the Abolition of Slavery bill was due to be passed. It was left to his fellow MPs and abolitionists to continue the fight against slavery.
William Wilberforce died on 29 July 1833. His death was marked with a state funeral. Wilberforce was remembered in Hull and around the world. In Hull a subscription was raised to build a Wilberforce Monument. The foundation stone was laid on 1 August 1834 with flags flying and bells ringing in celebration. The Wilberforce Monument still stands in Hull today.
