Home > Clapham Sect

Its members were chiefly prominent and wealthy evangelical Anglicans who shared common political views concerning the liberation of slaves, the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of the penal system.

The group's name originates from the village of Clapham, south of London, where both Wilberforce and Thornton, the sect's two most influential leaders, resided and where many of the group's meetings were held. They were supported by Beilby Porteus, Bishop of London, who sympathised with many of their aims.

After many decades of work both in Parliament and in general society, they and their successors saw their efforts rewarded, as England finally banned the slave trade, both in the British Isles and the Empire, and used its influence and power to eradicate legal slaverySlavery is involuntary servitude, enforced by violence or other, clear forms of coercion. It is sometimes regarded as an expectation associated with other relationships, such as marriage and/or other family relations, military service, or debt relationshi throughout the world.

Lampooned in their day as “the saints", the group published a journal, the Christian Observer, and were also credited with the foundation of several missionary and tract societies, including the British and Foreign Bible SocietyThe British and Foreign Bible Society BFBS more commonly known as Bible Society is a charity that was founded on March 7, 1804. It publishes, distributes, and translates the Bible. In 2000- 2001, Bible Society distributed 149,327 Bibles and 9,333 copies o and the Church Missionary Society .

Members of The Clapham Sect included:

Charles Grant ( 1746Events January 8 Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Stirling April 16 Battle of Culloden brings an end to the Jacobite Risings October 22 The College of New Jersey is founded (it becomes Princeton University in 1896) October 28 An earthquake demolishes Lima a - 1823Events July 15 San Paolo fuori le Mura church in Rome almost completely destroyed by fire September 10 Simon Bolivar named President of Peru December 2 US President James Monroe delivers a speech to the United States Congress, announcing a new policy of f), business administrator
Zachary MacaulayZachary Macaulay ( 1768- 1838) was an influential 18th century philanthropist, a man of evangelical piety and a supporter of William Wilberforce. His career was a varied one, having managed an estate in Jamaica; he became Governor of Sierra Leone, 1793- 1 ( 1768 - 1838), estate manager, colonial governor, father of Thomas Macaulay
Hannah More ( 1745 - 1835), writer and philanthropist
Granville Sharp ( 1735 - 1813), scholar and administrator
Charles Simeon ( 1759 - 1836), Anglican minister, promoter of missions
William Smith, M.P. ( 1756 - 1835), parliamentarian
James Stephen ( 1758 - 1832), Master of Chancery
Lord Teignmouth ( 1751 - 1834), Governor-General of India
Henry Thornton ( 1760 - 1815), economist, banker, philanthropist, MP for Southwark
Henry Venn ( 1725 - 1797), founder of the group
John Venn ( 1759 - 1813), Rector of Holy Trinity Church, Clapham
William Wilberforce ( 1759 - 1833), parliamentarian, leading abolitionist