Elizabeth Heyrick facts for kids

Elizabeth Heyrick (born Elizabeth Coltman; 4 December 1769 – 18 October 1831) was an English woman who worked hard to help others and fought against the slave trade. She believed that slavery should be ended right away, not slowly over time.

Early Life and Beliefs

Elizabeth was born in Leicester, England, in 1769. Her father, John Coltman, made cloth, and her mother, Elizabeth Cartwright, was a writer. Her family were Unitarians, a type of Christian faith. When she was young, she met a famous religious leader named John Wesley and later became a Methodist.

In 1787, she married John Heyrick, a lawyer. Sadly, her husband died in 1795 when she was only 28 years old. After this, she joined the Quakers, another religious group known for their peaceful beliefs and work for social justice. Elizabeth soon became a very active leader in making society better during the 1820s.

Fighting for Freedom: Ending Slavery

In the early 1800s, important leaders of the British movement to end slavery, like William Wilberforce, thought that slavery would naturally disappear after the slave trade was stopped in 1807. But this didn't happen. Slave owners didn't want to give up the people they enslaved.

Elizabeth Heyrick and others wanted slavery to end completely and immediately. About ten years after the slave trade was abolished, it became clear that slavery itself wasn't going away on its own.

Immediate Action for Change

Elizabeth was a strong supporter of ending slavery right away. Around 1823 or 1824, she wrote a powerful pamphlet called "Immediate, not Gradual Abolition." In this writing, she criticized leaders like Wilberforce for thinking slavery would slowly die out. She felt they were too polite to the slave owners.

Her pamphlet had a big impact. It helped change the minds of many abolitionists, making them see slavery as a terrible wrong that needed to be stopped at once.

Boycotting Slave-Made Goods

To raise public awareness and hurt the profits of slave owners, Elizabeth encouraged people to stop buying sugar from the West Indies, where enslaved people were forced to work. She even visited grocery stores in Leicester to convince them not to sell slave-produced sugar.

Elizabeth strongly believed that women should be involved in these important issues. She felt women were especially good at understanding suffering and speaking up for those who were treated unfairly.

Joining Anti-Slavery Groups

In 1823, Elizabeth joined the new Anti-Slavery Society. Other important members included Mary Lloyd and Thomas Clarkson.

In 1825, she helped start the Birmingham Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves. This was the very first anti-slavery society made up entirely of women anywhere in the world!

Other Important Work

Elizabeth Heyrick cared about many social issues. She visited prisoners to check on their well-being. In 1809, she even stopped a cruel bull-baiting contest by buying the bull herself.

She wrote more than 20 pamphlets and other articles. These writings covered many topics, including war, helping the poor, how people were treated if they didn't have a home, fair wages, and making elections more just. Towards the end of her life, she also joined the fight against capital punishment, which is the death penalty.

Her Legacy

Elizabeth Heyrick did not live to see the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 passed, which finally ended slavery in most of the British Empire. She died on 18 October 1831 and was buried in Leicester. Her tireless work and strong belief in immediate action played a vital role in the fight for freedom.

See also

• Abolitionism in the United Kingdom
• Slave Trade Act, 1807
• Slavery Abolition Act 1833
• History of Slavery
• William Lloyd Garrison, who also wanted slavery to end immediately