Lord Wilberforce

From TemeraireWiki
Revision as of 21:24, 12 September 2008 by Rose (talk | contribs) (William Wilberforce not a lord)

Jump to: navigation, search
William Wilberforce

Character Profile

Name: William Wilberforce
Date of Birth: 24 August, 1759
Service: n/a; sits in House of Commons
Rank:
Nationality: British
Billets:


Biography

William Wilberforce was active in the Abolition movement in Britain, leading the movement since before 1790. 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, 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.