Things you may not know about Thomas Fowell Buxton
He was sent away to school at a very young age.
MoreHe was only four and a half when he went to his first boarding school in Kingston-upon-Thames. The school regime was very harsh and the food so poor that Thomas became ill.
He was friends with his father's gamekeeper and loved countryside pursuits.
MoreThomas's father, a kindly man, died when Thomas was six years old. After his father's death Thomas became very close to the estate's gamekeeper, Abraham Plastow, who taught him to shoot and fish. He never lost his taste for countryside pursuits and had the reputation of being a first-rate shot.
His mother was a strong-minded woman with her own ideas about bringing up children.
MoreHer children were given a lot of freedom but expected to obey her immediately if asked to do so. Thomas was wilful as a boy but had integrity and honour. His mother was a Quaker and impressed on her children the equality of all people and the need to care for others. She had an abhorrence of slavery and this she passed on to her son.
Thomas did not work hard at school and left at 15 years of age.
MoreAs a child he preferred physical activity, which he was good at. He was strong and used his strength to protect his friends; they helped him with his work. When he first left school he spent most of his time persuing country sports. At this time he was happy to be nothing more than a country squire.
A visit to the Gurney family in Norfolk changed his life. He later married Hannah Gurney.
MoreHannah was one of the seven Gurney sisters. Another sister was the famous Elizabeth Fry. They were a lively family and got Thomas interested in studying. A short time after the visit, Thomas went to a tutor in Donnybrook, Ireland, for a year, to prepare for university. Although he started off behind the other students, he studied all one holiday and returned as top student.
He became a great believer in hard work, research and study.
MoreHe knew others who were cleverer than him and thought the way he could succeed was by working hard. He felt that although you could not dictate the talents you were born with you could cultivate those you had. He enthused others with a need for learning and knowledge.
He qualified from Trinity College, Dublin, with the highest possible honour.
MoreThomas graduated with distinction and earned the university's gold star. During his studies he earned 13 premiums (for coming top in all exams) as well as four silver stars from the History Association, of which he was made head.
Whilst working at a brewery he had a very lucky escape.
MoreIn the winter of 1815 he was surveying repairs whilst standing on a plank with a Mr Black. They changed places so he could see a problem that Mr Black was trying to direct his attention to. Just as they changed places a fall of bricks struck the head of Mr Black, who died shortly afterwards.
He helped raise thousands of pounds for the poor weavers in Spitalfields.
MoreHis speech in November 1816 at the Mansion House helped raise £43,369 for the poor weavers, who were starving during the bitter cold winter. It was this speech which first caused William Wilberforce to contact him and suggest that men like him were needed in parliament.
His book 'An Enquiry into Prison Discipline' had a great impact.
MorePublished in 1818, it was read abroad as well as at home. It was translated into French and distributed as far afield as Turkey.
Thomas was father to 11 children but only five survived to adulthood. Four of his children died over a period of just five weeks.
MoreOne daughter died in 1811 whilst still a baby. In 1820, around April, whooping cough hit the household, followed by measles. Four of Thomas and Hannah's children actually died from the disease during that short time (his oldest son and three infant daughters). Another son died at age 17 from consumption. Thomas was survived by three sons and two daughters.
In parliament he always voted according to his conscience, and his speeches were clear and sincere.
MoreHe was not a party man and voted according to his beliefs. When talking on the question of Abolition he once said: "I have learnt that severe as is the task of incurring the displeasure of those I esteem, my duty frequently calls for it, and I acknowledge myself amenable to no human tribunal in this cause...I should be independent and independent I will be, or how can I give an account of my stewardship?"
In his fight to end slavery he had to withstand enormous pressure and abuse from all sides.
MoreMany in the government were angry that he would not 'soften down' his resolutions, while the more radical Abolitionists were angry that he did not go far enough. In particular, they wanted him to fight the clause that gave a £20 million compensation payment to the planters. He knew he was walking a tightrope over this issue. He always said that he would do whatever was in the interests of the enslaved people. He knew the challenges of getting the bill through parliament and stood his ground.
He strove to promote the wellbeing of his poorer neighbours.
MoreWhen his poorer neighbours were forced to sell their pigs for meat, he said..."when they ask me to buy a bit, I buy two – one for myself and one for them: they are so grateful and so pleased”. He got pleasure from the employment his plantations in Norfolk provided for the poor. Even when he was very ill and dying he was still anxious that villagers were supplied with soup and comforts; he liked to see them walking home with steaming pots.
He was extremely kind and unable to deny relief to the poor even when it was asked for many times.
MoreHis friend J.J. Cunningham said of him: "I never found him too busy to be kind". His assistant described one occasion when he received a request for aid from one man for the seventh time. He asked his assistant to write a sharp note but seemed worried during the day, asking several times "have you sent it, well what do you think?" Finally he said "Oh send another soverign but make sure he knows I'd rather see his neck stretched before I send another halfpenny". Then rising to go he added: "don’t be too sharp"!
He was very fond of horses and dogs.
MoreHe loved horses and was considered a very good judge of them. He was also very fond of dogs. When a beautiful black and tan terrier rushed into the House of Commons and began barking causing mayhem, unable to find an owner Thomas took it home with him. He was a benefactor to the RSPCA.
He was once ejected from parliament, for cheering too loudly.
MoreWhen the Bill was passed for the end of the apprenticeship of former slaves, Thomas cheered so loudly that he was forcibly thrown out of the House.
He was a good host and an involved family man.
MoreHe did not like big parties but always ensured his guests were amused and never failed to thank any host of whom he was a guest. He was generous and loved to hide treats and pictures for his young children to find. He would always ensure they were happy and occupied, putting on amusements and trips for them.
He thought children should be taught to seek the truth even if this went against previous opinions.
MoreHe was against confining boys too closely to the school-room and believed they should be given some kind of diversion, such as sport.
Thomas was extraordinarily tall.
MoreHe was six foot four inches, which during Georgian times was very, very tall indeed. He was nicknamed elephant by his friends because of how tall he was. He was also broad-chested with a powerful frame.
He cared so much it destroyed his health.
MoreHe had a heart attack through the stress of worrying about whether he was doing the best for the enslaved. After his African scheme failed and he learned about the deaths of those who had travelled to the Niger, his health failed and he never fully recovered, dying a few years later.
Following his death tributes were paid in both England and Africa.
MoreIn 1840, Prince Albert headed a movement for a public tribute to his memory; donations came from over 5,000 people in the West Indies and from Africa (Sierra Leone, the Cape Coast and what is now the Eastern Cape of South Africa). A statue by Frederick Thrupp was placed near the monument to Wilberforce in the north transept of Westminster Abbey. A bust by Mr John Bell was placed in St. George's Church at Sierra Leone.
Thomas Fowell Buxton in brief
With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.
Thomas Fowell Buxton was a compassionate and selfless man who dedicated much of his life to championing the cause of enslaved people and other Africans whose rights were being trampled on. He also found the time to help the poor, campaign to improve conditions in prisons and reduce the number of crimes that carried the death sentence.
A committed Christian, he entered parliament in 1818 and worked hard to bring about the complete abolition of slavery within the British Empire, sometimes withstanding enormous pressure and abuse. He once said: "My character is of very little consequence. Indeed, have I not long ago learnt that I must sacrifice that, as well as almost all else, to this Cause?"
He also helped introduce laws which protected the rights of Africans and others who came into contact with white settlers. His final scheme was an attempt to start a trade with Africa in goods other than slaves. The failure of this attempt discredited him, and led to his early death. However, it was a noble experiment, motivated by a deep concern for the welfare of Africans.
Unlike most other Europeans at the time, Thomas wished to bring about a situation in which Europeans and Africans dealt with each other on an equal footing, whether in politics, commerce or religion. He had the power to understand and sympathise with those who were suffering both at home and abroad, and make their causes his own. The compassion this aroused in him caused him to fight for their rights and justice. As his friend J.J. Cunningham (1847) said: "His sympathy was often awakened by men he had never seen and he gave the best years of his life to their welfare".
Thomas Fowell Buxton Picture Gallery
See also the Norfolk Record Office (Slavery and Abolition section for teachers)
Source documents
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