Richard Rathbone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Rathbone
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in 1840 in the crowd at the conference
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| Born | 2 December 1788 |
| Died | 10 November 1860 (aged 71) |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Known for | Abolitionism |
Richard Rathbone (born December 2, 1788 – died November 10, 1860) was an important member of the well-known Rathbone family from Liverpool, England. He was famous for his strong opposition to slavery.
A Life Dedicated to Change
Richard was the second son of William Rathbone IV. He started his career as a merchant, which means he bought and sold goods. In 1809, he began a business partnership with his brother, William Rathbone V.
Family Life
On April 8, 1817, Richard Rathbone married his half-cousin, Hannah Mary. She was a talented writer and illustrator. Hannah Mary was born on July 5, 1798, and passed away on March 26, 1878. She was the daughter of Joseph Reynolds from Ketley, Shropshire. Richard spent a lot of his time on the family business.
Richard and Hannah Mary had six children together:
- Hannah Mary (1818–1853)
- Richard Reynolds (1820–1898)
- Margaret (born 1821, later Dixon)
- William Benson (1826–1892)
- Basil (1824–1853)
- Emily (1838–1907, later Greg)
Fighting Against Slavery
Richard Rathbone retired from his business in 1835. After retiring, he spent much of his time fighting against the slave trade. The slave trade was the practice of buying and selling people as property. Richard was a strong supporter of Abolitionism, which was the movement to end slavery completely.
In 1836, he published a letter called Letter to the President of the Liverpool Anti-Slavery Society. This letter showed his strong feelings against slavery.
Richard Rathbone also attended the 1840 anti-slavery convention in London. This was a big meeting where people from around the world gathered to discuss how to end slavery. He was even included in a famous painting of the event, which is now in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
