Unique opportunity to address the Legacy of Slavery and
related topics aboard the Zong’ square-rigger slave ship
moored by
The Tower of London 29thMar to 9thApril 2007
www.Free-at-Last.org Project
1. PROJECT: Free at Last?’
This project is organizing several events principally in London, with some in Cornwall, during late March and early April as outlined on the above website.
On Thursday 29th. March the square-sail Slave Ship Zong’ will be escorted up the Thames by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Northumberland. The project will have some TV coverage and a Navy film crew plans to cover the event from a helicopter. The confined and dimly illuminated hold of the three-mast slave ship (approx ship length 46m & height 32m) will form part of an exhibition with All Hallows Church by the Tower to: commemorate the 200-year anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade (25th. March 1807) and support action against modern forms of slavery.
The Free at Last?’ Project is organizing some purposeful evening (1900 2100+hrs) seminars, with tangible outputs, on the top deck of this square-rigger ship. Seminar topics are: À The Legacy of Slavery’ (Sun.1st.Apr.07),
À Slavery Today’ (Mon.2nd.Apr.07),
À Following the example of Wilberforce’ (Tue.3rd.Apr.07)
Other events will include: opening reception (29Apr), book and film launches and evening services on Maundy Thursday (5Apr) and at All Hallows Church by the Tower on Monday 9th. April 07.
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2. PURPOSE of the Project:
Wake-up call to address the History of Slavery and its Legacy, and to challenge social attitudes.
3. INTENDED RESULTS / OUTPUTS Framework:
1. To educate / inform historical facts of the European Slave Trade and provide appropriate (emotional) exhibition experience.
2. Highlight the positive Action and commitment of the Abolitionists and their social values. 3. Participatory identification of the Legacy of the European Slave Trade for black and white people.
4. Promote constructive change and commitment to make a difference.
4. SEMINARS aboard the Slave Ship Zong’ Free at Last?’ Project:
1stApril: THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY
Sunday, aboard the Zong’ by 1900hrs 2100+hrs
Chairperson: Bishop Dr Joe Aldred, Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs
Programme:
i. Introduction: Dr Clifford Hill / Dr Theo Willcocks of www.free-at-last.org Project
ii. Slavery in Antiquity Charmaine Jelbert, Assistant Manager Free at Last?’
iii. The European Slave Trade Lord Hugh Thomas
iv. What is the Legacy of Slavery (Black & White perspectives) Chigor Chike, Author Voices from Slavery’ & Dr Clifford Hill of Spirit of Wilberforce’
v. Where are we at in the 21st. Century? Where do we want to go to? How can we get there? Key- Note Paper’ on priorities to be addressed, approach, project-framework, etc Bishop Dr Joe Aldred and Dr Derrick Campbell,
vi. Panel Discussion involving all speakers + one, Expectations & Responsibilities’ vii. Conclusions, thanks & press release
2nd April: SLAVERY TODAY
Monday aboard the Zong’ by 1900hrs 2100+hrs
Chairperson: Rev. Dr Carrie Pemberton, Chief Executive CHASTE
Programme:
i. Introduction: Theo Willcocks (Dr), Events Manager www.free-at-last.org Project
ii. Slavery Today Statistics Key-Note Paper’ by Amazing Change or CHASTE
iii. Outline presentations from relevant NGOs & others:
Contributions anticipated by: AFUCA, Amazing Change, Anti-Slavery International, CHASTE, International Justice Mission, Stop the Traffic, The Truth isn’t sexy and UKHTC.
iv. Panel Discussion speakers + 1 (Questions & Comments from the deck/floor): Where are we at? Where do we wish to go? How will we get there? Priorities to be addressed, approach, Expectations & Responsibilities’, etc
v. Conclusions, thanks & press release
3rd April: FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF WILBERFORCE
Tuesday on-board The Zong by 1900hrs 2100+hrs
Chairperson: Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP for East Ham and
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Programme:
i. Introduction: Theo Willcocks, Events Manager www.free-at-last.org Project (5min)
ii. Socio economic conditions in England during the 18th. Century Monica Hill, Historian and Executive Director CCM, Moggerhanger (15min)
iii. The Clapham Group and the challenges they addressed David Isherwood, Rector Holy Trinity Clapham (15min)
iv. The challenges we face in 21st. Century Britain Kirk Dawes QPM, MD W Midlands Mediation & Transformation Services (15min)
v. How can today’s policy makers be more effective? (Where are we at? Where do we wish to go? How will we get there?) Priorities to be addressed, approach, project-framework, etc paper by Stephen Timms (15min) & possibly one other (10min)
vi. Discussion Panel to include speakers + one other Questions & Comments from the deck/floor , Expectations & Responsibilities’ (30min),
vii. Conclusions from Chair, thanks & press release (15min)
5. REQUESTING YOUR RESPONSE:
I am writing to you to ask whether you would like to attend and participate in one of these seminars? If so please contact through our website: www.free-at-last.org or telephone 01767-641005 You will appreciate that there is limited deck space aboard the Zong’ and we need, therefore, to be strategic in sending out invitations so please let us know as soon as possible
The Free at Last?’ Project looks forward to hearing from you, With best wishes & thanks for your interest,
Yours sincerely
Theo J Willcocks
Theo J Willcocks (Dr)
Events Manager: www.free-at-last.org Project, History & Legacy of the European Slave Trade 01525-861274 [email protected]
LINKAGES: management of these Events has involved contact with other organizations including: the GLA, MPs, The Police/UKHTC, Churches Together England (CTE), CHASTE, CMS, Anti-Slavery International, Stop the Traffik, W Midlands Mediation & Transformation Services, International Justice Mission, Amazing Change, All Hallows by-the-Tower, , Sandwell Race Equality, etc.
The Abolition of Slavery
a Bi-centenary Remembrance
The Clapham Sect
When the Abolition of Slavery Bill was finally victorious in the House of Commons, London, on 25 March 1807, much of the credit was due to the vision and determination and perseverance of William Wilberforce. But Wilberforce could not have succeeded without the help and support of a number of talented and dedicated Christians. This second article in our series of three will highlight some of Wilberforce’s colleagues.
This remarkable group of men and women were known as the Clapham Sect because they all worshipped at Holy Trinity Church, Clapham. London. The Rector was the Revd John Venn (1759-1813), an ardent evangelical, one of the founders of the Church Missionary Society and chaplain to the Clapham Sect. Henry Thornton (1760-1815) was the son of a distinguished Yorkshire family and was both a banker and a Member of Parliament. His house in Clapham was the home and headquarters of the Clapham Sect.
Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846), an outstanding classical scholar, was a tireless campaigner, a patient and careful collector of evidence, and used his time to organise committees and disseminate anti-slavery literature across the land.
Granville Sharpe (1735-1813), a self-taught scholar, was the senior member of the Sect and successful in bringing about, in 1772, the High Court ruling that when a slave sets foot in Britain, he is immediately a free man.
Hannah More (1745-1833) was the outstanding woman in the Clapham Sect. She was a campaigner for women’s education, a very successful novelist, a prominent convert to evangelical Christianity and a strong supporter of the newly-formed British and Foreign Bible Society (now the Bible Society). These were some of the evangelical men and women who wrote, travelled, lobbied parliament, organised committees, published statistics and eye-witness accounts of the horrific cruelty and debauchery that was part and parcel of the slave trade in the British Empire. In the words of Hebrews 11:32, time would fail to tell’ of other members of the Clapham Sect: Thomas Babington, Edward Eliot, Charles Grant, Zachary Macaulay, James Stephen, Lord Teignmouth, and others.
What is most memorable about these good men and women is how their faith led them to social action, to political campaigning, to fact-finding missions, to writing pamphlets, to prayer and preaching all in an effort to rid the British Empire of the villainy of slavery. They not only loved God, they loved their neighbour as well and neighbour’ included the black men, women and children transported across the world’s oceans and sold into life-long slavery. Theirs indeed was consecrated co-operation and their vision, prayer and work was rewarded in the Abolition Bill of March 1807. The next, and final article, will focus on William Wilberforce, but we must not forget that Wilberforce succeeded because as well as having the Lord with him, he also had the support and perseverance and dedicated talents of the most remarkable congregation in England the Clapham Sect. Dr H B McGonigle is Senior Lecturer in Historical Theology, Church History and Wesley Studies in Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, England.
Legacy of Slavery