John Clarkson (abolitionist)
John Clarkson | |
---|---|
Born | Wisbech, Isle of Ely, England | 4 April 1764
Died | 2 April 1828 Woodbridge, Suffolk, England | (aged 63)
Occupation(s) | Naval lieutenant, governor. |
Known for | Abolitionism, a founder of Freetown, Sierra Leone |
Spouse | Susannah Lee[1] |
Children | Ten |
Parents |
|
Relatives | Thomas Clarkson, brother |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Years of service | c. 1777-? |
Rank | Lieutenant (commissioned March 1783) |
Lieutenant John Clarkson (4 April 1764 – 2 April 1828) was a
John Clarkson not only founded Freetown, but was also the first governor of the settlement. Because of his work in establishing Freetown, John Clarkson is considered to be one of the founding fathers of Sierra Leone, alongside Granville Sharp, Thomas Peters, and Henry Thornton. To this day, the last prayer by John Clarkson at Freetown can be found in the houses of Creoles and other Sierra Leoneans alike. To the Nova Scotians, 'Governor Clarkson' was both 'Father' and their 'Moses' who delivered them into the promised land.
John Clarkson became a pacifist in 1816 and, together with his brother Thomas, became a founder of the
Clarkson was the second son of Rev. John Clarkson, headmaster of
He served primarily in the
Mission to America
His brother Thomas, along with
The
After arriving in Nova Scotia from England in October 1791, Clarkson worked with the Black Loyalist leader
The founding of Freetown and Governor of Sierra Leone
The records of the settlers confirm Clarkson as a conscientious, supportive, reasonable and fair administrator.[citation needed] Clarkson was universally respected by the Settlers and even among the Creole people, Governor Clarkson is remembered as a fair administrator. Clarkson was one of the most popular governors of Sierra Leone and was universally respected by the Nova Scotians. From his work with the settlers in Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone, he grew to have great respect for them and struggled to ensure the company representatives did not take advantage of them.
His advocacy for the settlers upon his return to England and recrimination of the company's actions, or lack thereof, resulted in his final dismissal by the company. Clarkson had submitted objections to the company's actions which were inconsistent with the representations and assurances he had made to the settlers. Clarkson never returned to Freetown but he received settlers who traveled to England to fight for their rights in the colony. They succeeded in carving out a political community and rights for themselves even with governors who were much less flexible than Clarkson.
Later life
On April 24, 1793, John married Susan Lee, the daughter of a wealthy banker. They moved to Purfleet, Essex and John took charge of the estate of Mr. Whitbread, a local brewery. He also became the manager of Whitbread's chalk and lime quarry. The couple had ten children, (six of which died in childhood). From 1816 to 1819 he was treasurer of the Peace Society. In 1820 he left the Whitbread Company and became a banker at Woodbridge, Suffolk, not far from his brother's home in Playford.[7][8]
Death and legacy
Clarkson died on 2 April 1828 in Woodbridge, Suffolk, and was buried in the churchyard of St Mary's.[9] The unassuming Clarkson's last words in reaction to a report of the unrelenting abuse of slaves in the West Indies were reported to be, "It is dreadful to think, after my brother and his friends have been working for forty years that such things should still be."
Clarkson was portrayed by Stephen Campbell Moore in the BBC television drama documentary Rough Crossings (2007).
References
- ISBN 0-06-053916-X
- Clarkson, John. Mission to America.
- Clarkson, John. Mission to Africa.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2008) |
- ISBN 0-06-053916-X.
- ^ "Thomas Clarkson". wisbechmuseum.org.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ISBN 9780198226741.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; accessed 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Clarkson, Clarkson's mission to America, 1791–1792, ed. and intro. C. B. Fergusson". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ Chris Donald (October 2021). "The Other Clarkson". Discovering Wisbech. p. 44.
- ^ "The Other Clarkson - part 2". Discovering Wisbech. November 2021. p. 32.
- ^ "John Clarkson". Equanos World. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ Parish Burial records
Further reading
- Barker, G.F.R. "Thomas Clarkson", Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press, 1887)
- Brogan, Hugh. "Thomas Clarkson", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: University Press, 2005)
- Carey, Brycchan. British Abolitionism and the Rhetoric of Sensibility: Writing, Sentiment, and Slavery, 1760-1807 (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). 131–37.
- Gifford, Zerbanoo, Thomas Clarkson and the Campaign Against the Slave Trade – used in events marking the bi-centenary in 2007 of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in the British Empire
- Hochschild, Adam. Bury the Chains, The British Struggle to Abolish Slavery (Basingstoke: Pan Macmillan, 2005)
- Meier, Helmut. Thomas Clarkson: 'Moral Steam Engine' or False Prophet? A Critical Approach to Three of his Antislavery Essays. (Stuttgart: Ibidem, 2007)
- Powell, Roger (2007). Why Here? Why Now? - The roles of John and Thomas Clarkson in the abolition of the slave trade 1807.
- Rodriguez, Junius P., ed. Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World. (Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, 2007)
- Wilson, Ellen Gibson. John Clarkson and the African Adventure (London: Macmillan, 1980)
- Wilson, Ellen Gibson. The Clarksons of Wisbech and the abolition of the slave trade (Wisbech Society, 1992)