John Clarkson (abolitionist)
| John Clarkson | |
|---|---|
John Clarkson
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| Born |
4 April 1764 Wisbech, England |
| Died | 2 April 1828 (aged 63) Woodbridge, Suffolk |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Naval lieutenant, governor. |
| Known for | abolitionism, a founder of Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Spouse(s) | Susannah Lee |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives |
Thomas Clarkson, brother Military career |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | c:a 1776-? |
| Rank | Lieutenant (commissioned March 1783) |
Thomas Clarkson, brother
Lieutenant John Clarkson, RN (1764–1828) was the younger brother of Thomas Clarkson, one of the central figures in the abolition of slavery in England and the British Empire at the close of the 18th century. As agent for the Sierra Leone Company, Lieutenant Clarkson was instrumental in the founding of Freetown, today Sierra Leone’s capital city, as a haven for chiefly formerly enslaved African-Americans first relocated to Nova Scotia by the British military authorities following the American Revolutionary War.
John Clarkson not only founded Freetown, but was also the first governor of the settlement. Because of his work in establishing Freetown, John Clarkson is considered to be one of the founding fathers of Sierra Leone, alongside Granville Sharp, Thomas Peters, and Henry Thornton. To this day, the last prayer by John Clarkson at Freetown can be found in the houses of Creoles and other Sierra Leoneans alike. To the Nova Scotians, 'Governor Clarkson' was both 'Father' and their 'Moses' who delivered them into the promised land.
Clarkson was the second son of Rev. John Clarkson, headmaster of Wisbech Grammar School in Cambridgeshire. He was born in the Headmaster's house and, despite the early death of his father, continued to attend the school until 1777 when, aged 12, he entered the Royal Navy as a "young gentleman" on Captain Joshua Rowley's ship, HMS Monarch. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1783.
He served primarily in the Caribbean and observed at first hand the brutality and inhumanity of the slave trade. Initially unmoved by what he had witnessed he later, likely influenced by his brother Thomas’ passionate views concerning the immorality of slavery, came to abhor the institution and rendered practical assistance to the cause of abolition.
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Wikipedia