WILBERFORCE, William, English phi lanthropist: b. Hull, Yorkshire, 24 Aug. 1759; d. London, 29 July 1833. Educated at Cam bridge, he was in 1780 elected member of Par liament for his native town; and in 1784 was returned both by his former constituency and by the county of York. He chose to represent the latter. In 1786 he made the acquaintance of Clarkson, who gained his sympathies on behalf of the agitation against the slave-trade, to which he henceforth devoted all his energies in Parliament till the agitation proved success ful. He first called the attention of the house to the subject in 1787, and in 1791 moved for leave to bring in a bill to prevent further im portation of African negroes into the British colonies. Year after year he pressed this meas ure, but was defeated till 1807, when it was passed during the short administration of Fox. Having secured the abolition of the slave-trade in the British colonies, he addressed himself to the task of obtaining emancipation for those already reduced to or born in slavery. In 1812,
after having sat for Yorkshire in six Parlia ments, he withdrew from the representation, and until 1825, when he retired from Parlia ment, sat for the borough of Bramber. He died shortly after the government plan for the total abolition of slavery in the British colonies had passed in the House of Commons. His remains were interred in Westminster Abbey, and his funeral was attended by distinguished men of all parties. Wilberforce was the author of a treatise entitled 'A Practical View of the Pre vailing Religious Systems of Professed Chris tians in the Higher and Middle Classes con trasted with Real Christianity' (1797). Con sult 'Life of William Wilberforce' by his sons (i838) • his 'Correspondence (edited 1840) ; and 'Private Papers of William Wilberforce' (edited 1897).