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William Forster (philanthropist)
Encyclopedia
William Forster was a preacher, Quaker elder and a fervent abolitionist. He was an early member of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1839. It was William and Stephen Grellet
who introduced Elizabeth Fry
to her life's work with prisons, but it was William's brother, Josiah
, who accompanied Fry on her tour and inspection of prisons in France.
, but he then started to tour England and Scotland as a minister. He visited the Hebrides
in 1812 and Ireland
in 1813-14.
When visiting Newgate prison
with Stephen Grellet
, Forster was amazed at its state. He contacted Elizabeth Fry
and she gathered together a group of women to help with improving prison conditions. Forster thereby alerted Elizabeth Fry
to what was to be her life's work.
In 1816, Forster married Anna Buxton and they moved to Dorset
.
Forster used his family's influence. When his brother-in-law, Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, entered parliament in 1818, he wrote to him to encourage him to take up the cause of slavery. He noted that the slavery trade had been abolished (in 1807 in the British Empire) but there was still the issue of those who were already slaves. Following the Reform Act
, William Wilberforce
was able to get legislation through parliament. In 1838 legislation replaced slavery with apprenticeship. As a result, in August 1838 800,000 people in the British Empire
became free.
A picture was commissioned showing William Forster as a member of the new British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society which was formed in 1839. The painting captured this important international convention in June 1840. The small extract shown here includes only Samuel Gurney
—a banker and fellow Quaker—Forster, and William Allen
.. Also in this painting are William's brothers, Robert and Josiah Forster
. This new society's aim was "The universal extinction of slavery and the slave trade and the protection of the rights and interests of the enfranchised population in the British possessions and of all persons captured as slaves."
In 1842-3 a schism developed in the Society of Friends in Salem
in Iowa
. The difference developed over the ways that the society should support the abolition of slavery, which was still an important part of the American economy. A rival meeting house had been created and a new burial ground purchased which was separated from the older Quaker burial ground by a mere two feet of ground. Four delegates were sent from Britain: Forster, his brother Josiah, George Stacey (pictured above) and John Allen. The difference between the two groups was the level to which they should publicly oppose slavery. It was the group who most supported abolition that had created a minority group called the Abolition Friends. The group did not manage to heal the divide immediately but it was resolved by 1848.
Forster and his wife visited France in July 1845 at the invitation of the French to try to establish links with the French abolitionists. They found activity in Paris, but were disappointed to find that there was little activity in the country in general.
In 1849 the yearly meeting of the Quakers requested that Forster visit the rulers of the Christian nations. Forster visited many of the European rulers to forward the abolitionists' cause, but it was in 1853 that he and three others visited the American president, Franklin Pierce
, and journeyed to spread the message to the governors of the southern American states, eventually meeting thirteen of them. It was during this journey that Forster died and was buried in the Quaker town of Friendsville
in Tennessee
(which was on the Underground Railroad
).
The Fireside poet
, John Greenleaf Whittier
, wrote a poem in William's memory; on Forster's first visit to America he had visited the home of Whittier's parents. Forster's son William Edward Forster
was an M.P.
who campaigned for universal education.
Stephen Grellet
Stephen Grellet was a prominent French Quaker missionary.He was born Étienne de Grellet du Mabillier in Limoges, the son to a counsellor of King Louis XVI. Raised as a Roman Catholic he was educated at the military College of Lyons, and at the age of seventeen he entered the body-guard of Louis XVI...
who introduced Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry , née Gurney, was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist...
to her life's work with prisons, but it was William's brother, Josiah
Josiah Forster
Josiah Forster was a teacher and philanthropist. He was an early member of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1839 and a supporter of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Both he and his wife were senior figures in the British Quakers.-Biography:Forster was born in 1782...
, who accompanied Fry on her tour and inspection of prisons in France.
Biography
Forster was born in 1784. He initially trained as a land agent with his mother's brother in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, but he then started to tour England and Scotland as a minister. He visited the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
in 1812 and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1813-14.
When visiting Newgate prison
Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
with Stephen Grellet
Stephen Grellet
Stephen Grellet was a prominent French Quaker missionary.He was born Étienne de Grellet du Mabillier in Limoges, the son to a counsellor of King Louis XVI. Raised as a Roman Catholic he was educated at the military College of Lyons, and at the age of seventeen he entered the body-guard of Louis XVI...
, Forster was amazed at its state. He contacted Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry , née Gurney, was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist...
and she gathered together a group of women to help with improving prison conditions. Forster thereby alerted Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry
Elizabeth Fry , née Gurney, was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, as a Quaker, a Christian philanthropist...
to what was to be her life's work.
In 1816, Forster married Anna Buxton and they moved to Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.
Forster used his family's influence. When his brother-in-law, Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, entered parliament in 1818, he wrote to him to encourage him to take up the cause of slavery. He noted that the slavery trade had been abolished (in 1807 in the British Empire) but there was still the issue of those who were already slaves. Following the Reform Act
Reform Act
In the United Kingdom, Reform Act is a generic term used for legislation concerning electoral matters. It is most commonly used for laws passed to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the British House of Commons...
, William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
was able to get legislation through parliament. In 1838 legislation replaced slavery with apprenticeship. As a result, in August 1838 800,000 people in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
became free.
A picture was commissioned showing William Forster as a member of the new British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society which was formed in 1839. The painting captured this important international convention in June 1840. The small extract shown here includes only Samuel Gurney
Samuel Gurney
Samuel Gurney was an English banker and philanthropist.He should not be confused with his second son, Samuel , also described as banker and philanthropist, and a Member of Parliament.-Early years and marriage:...
—a banker and fellow Quaker—Forster, and William Allen
William Allen (Quaker)
William Allen FRS, FLS was an English scientist and philanthropist who opposed slavery and engaged in schemes of social and penal improvement in early nineteenth century England.-Early life:...
.. Also in this painting are William's brothers, Robert and Josiah Forster
Josiah Forster
Josiah Forster was a teacher and philanthropist. He was an early member of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1839 and a supporter of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Both he and his wife were senior figures in the British Quakers.-Biography:Forster was born in 1782...
. This new society's aim was "The universal extinction of slavery and the slave trade and the protection of the rights and interests of the enfranchised population in the British possessions and of all persons captured as slaves."
In 1842-3 a schism developed in the Society of Friends in Salem
Salem, Iowa
Salem is a city in Henry County, Iowa, United States. The population was 464 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Salem is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. The difference developed over the ways that the society should support the abolition of slavery, which was still an important part of the American economy. A rival meeting house had been created and a new burial ground purchased which was separated from the older Quaker burial ground by a mere two feet of ground. Four delegates were sent from Britain: Forster, his brother Josiah, George Stacey (pictured above) and John Allen. The difference between the two groups was the level to which they should publicly oppose slavery. It was the group who most supported abolition that had created a minority group called the Abolition Friends. The group did not manage to heal the divide immediately but it was resolved by 1848.
Forster and his wife visited France in July 1845 at the invitation of the French to try to establish links with the French abolitionists. They found activity in Paris, but were disappointed to find that there was little activity in the country in general.
Final journey
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
, and journeyed to spread the message to the governors of the southern American states, eventually meeting thirteen of them. It was during this journey that Forster died and was buried in the Quaker town of Friendsville
Friendsville, Tennessee
Friendsville is a city in Blount County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 890 at the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
(which was on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
).
The Fireside poet
Fireside Poets
The Fireside Poets were a group of 19th-century American poets from New England.-Overview:...
, John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier was an influential American Quaker poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is usually listed as one of the Fireside Poets...
, wrote a poem in William's memory; on Forster's first visit to America he had visited the home of Whittier's parents. Forster's son William Edward Forster
William Edward Forster
William Edward Forster PC, FRS was an English industrialist, philanthropist and Liberal Party statesman.-Early life:...
was an M.P.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who campaigned for universal education.
Works
- Memoirs of William Forster: In Two Volumes, William Forster, Benjamin Seebohn, 1865
Sources
- Memoirs of the Life and Gospel Labours of Stephen Grellet, Stephen Grellet, 1862