Lord Wilberforce

Character Profile

Name:	Lord Wilberforce
Date of Birth:
Service:	n/a; sits in House of Lords
Rank:
Nationality:	British
Billets:

Biography

Lord Wilberforce was active in the Abolition movement in Britain, leading the movement since before 1890. He was a strong political ally of Lord Allendale, and his visits to Wollaton Hall made a lasting impression on a young William Laurence.

In 1807, after a bill to ban the slave trade was defeated in the House of Lords following a speech by Nelson, Lord Wilberforce recruited William Laurence as a spokesman and visible figure for the abolition movement. His intention was to use Laurence's standing as a hero of the Battle of Dover as a counter to Nelson's influence.