Fowell Buxton facts for kids

Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet (born April 1, 1786 – died February 19, 1845) was an important English politician, a successful brewer, and a strong supporter of ending slavery. He also worked hard to improve society in many ways. He married Hannah Gurney, whose sister, Elizabeth Fry, became famous for reforming prisons. Thomas Buxton became good friends with Hannah's family, the Gurneys.

Early Life and Family

Thomas Fowell Buxton was born in Castle Hedingham, a town in Essex, England. His father, also named Thomas Fowell Buxton, passed away when Thomas was young. He grew up with three brothers and two sisters. His mother, Anna Hanbury, was a Quaker. He finished his education at Trinity College Dublin in 1807.

Through his mother's family, Buxton became close to the Gurney family, who lived at Earlham Hall in Norwich. He was especially influenced by Joseph John Gurney and his sister, Elizabeth Fry, who worked to make prisons better. Thomas married Hannah Gurney in May 1807. They lived in Weymouth, Dorset, where he was a Member of Parliament, and later at Northrepps Hall in Norfolk.

In 1808, Buxton started working at the Truman, Hanbury & Company brewery in London. By 1811, he became a partner in the business, which was renamed Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co. He later became the sole owner.

Working for Change

Even though he was a member of the Church of England, Buxton often attended Quaker meetings with the Gurneys. This led him to join the social reform movement, where Quakers were very active. He helped raise money for weavers in London who were struggling financially. He also supported Elizabeth Fry's work to improve prisons and joined her group that focused on helping women prisoners in Newgate Prison.

In 1818, Buxton was elected to Parliament, representing Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. As a Member of Parliament, he worked to change prison conditions and laws. He also strongly campaigned for the end of slavery. His sister-in-law, Louisa Gurney Hoare, helped him a lot with this cause.

Buxton also spoke out against the death penalty. While he couldn't get it completely abolished, he worked to reduce the number of crimes that could lead to it. This number dropped from over 200 to just eight. He also pushed for stopping lotteries and ending suttee, which was the practice of burning widows in India.

Thomas and Hannah Buxton had eight children. Sadly, four of them died from whooping cough within a five-week period in 1820. Another child later died from tuberculosis.

Ending Slavery

The slave trade (buying and selling people) had been stopped in 1807, but slavery itself still existed. Buxton joined the fight to end it completely. In 1823, he helped create the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. In May 1823, Buxton presented a resolution in Parliament. It stated that slavery was "against the principles of the British constitution and of the Christian religion." He called for slavery to be gradually ended in all British colonies. He also urged the government to tell the colonies to treat enslaved people better.

After William Wilberforce retired in 1825, Buxton became the leader of the abolition movement in the British Parliament. In 1833, he presented a petition to Parliament with 187,000 signatures. This petition was partly organized by his daughter, Priscilla Buxton, who was one of the first people to sign it.

Buxton largely achieved his goal when slavery was officially ended in the British Empire with the passing of his Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This law applied everywhere except India and Ceylon. Buxton remained a Member of Parliament until 1837.

In 1839, Buxton encouraged the British government to make agreements with African leaders to stop the slave trade. The government supported the Niger expedition of 1841, which aimed to work on trade and spread Christianity. More than 150 people went on this trip, but many became sick and died from fevers. Because of this, the mission ended early in 1841.

David Livingstone, a famous explorer and missionary, was greatly influenced by Buxton. Buxton believed that the African slave trade could be stopped by promoting "legitimate trade" (trading goods instead of people) and spreading Christianity. Livingstone spent his life in Africa fighting the slave trade.

On July 30, 1840, Buxton was given the title of baronet. His health slowly declined, possibly due to his disappointment over the failed mission to Africa. He passed away five years later at his home, Northrepps Hall, near Cromer, Norfolk. He was buried at Overstrand, Norfolk.

Founding RSPCA Chairman

On June 16, 1824, a meeting was held in London to create the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This society later became the RSPCA when Queen Victoria gave it royal approval in 1840.

Buxton was chosen as the chairman for the year 1824. Among the 22 founding members were other important figures like William Wilberforce and Richard Martin.

Legacy and Honours

• A monument honoring Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton stands in Westminster Abbey.
• A memorial dedicated to the end of slavery, called the Buxton Memorial Fountain, was built in Victoria Tower Gardens. It was designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon and paid for by Buxton's son, Charles Buxton.
• There are plaques dedicated to him in Norwich Cathedral and at the Norwich Friends Meeting House.
• A statue of him can be seen in St. George's Cathedral, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
• Fowell Close in Norwich is named after him.
• A picture of Buxton was printed on the English five-pound note used between 2002 and 2017. He is the person wearing glasses in the group next to Elizabeth Fry.
• In Weymouth, Dorset, where he served as a Member of Parliament for 19 years, the main road to the Isle of Portland is named Buxton Road. It passes by Belfield House, his former home.
• A permanent memorial to him was unveiled in 2017 on Bincleaves Green in Weymouth.

Images for kids

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  The Buxton Monument in Weymouth

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  Another view of the monument

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  A closer look at the monument

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  The monument from a different angle

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  A detailed view of the monument

Writings

• An Enquiry, Whether Crime and Misery are produced or prevented by our present system of Prison Discipline (1818)
• The African Slave Trade and Its Remedy (London: J. Murray, 1839)