Participation, Politics, Print, and Prayer

: Dissenters and Abolition in Bristol 1787 - 1833

Abstract

The early historiography of abolition was dominated by the narrative of William Wilberforce and his high-profile coterie of evangelical Anglicans. When attention did turn to the role of the ‘ordinary’ Christian and specifically dissenters they were often represented as one homogenous group or portrayed in a predominantly positive light. My thesis nuances this picture by examining abolitionist and pro-slavery activity in Bristol during the two distinct periods of the battle to end slavery: the campaign for the abolition of the Transatlantic Traffick of Enslaved Africans 1787 – 1807; and the emancipation campaign 1823 – 1833. Using chapel records, city directories and subscription lists the work explores the Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, Quakers and Unitarians in Bristol as separate entities, providing an evaluation of local circumstances which challenges the national portrayals. It analyses the impact of specific individuals, examines the compromises they made and uncovers those who continued to advocate slavery. The thesis commences with an examination of Bristol’s Abolition Committee, Auxiliary Anti-Slavery Society and the Bristol and Clifton Female Anti-Slavery Society. This chapter illustrates that whilst all dissenting denominations were involved the participation was not uniform, often determined by national denominational guidelines or chapel connections and networks. The subsequent chapters consider denominational involvement through the themes of political involvement, the distribution of print materials and the role of prayer; foregrounding certain individuals who utilised their professional skills and religious connections to further the abolitionist cause. Alongside this analysis the work demonstrates the ongoing and complicating influence of Bristol’s reliance on the slavery economy, a factor that affected significant decisions of political importance to the relatively minor choices of stock for Bristol City Library. Running throughout the work is an interpretation of the fluid and complex relationships within dissenting denominations between both sides of the slavery debate.

Date of Award	19 Mar 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Richard G Stone (Supervisor) & Jessica Moody (Supervisor)