The Life of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton The Life of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton Extraordinary Perseverance David Bruce LEXINGTONBOOKS Lanham•Boulder•NewYork•Toronto•Plymouth,UK PublishedbyLexingtonBooks AwhollyownedsubsidiaryofRowman&Littlefield 4501ForbesBoulevard,Suite200,Lanham,Maryland20706 www.rowman.com 10ThornburyRoad,PlymouthPL67PP,UnitedKingdom Copyright©2014byLexingtonBooks Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyany electronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretrievalsystems, withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquote passagesinareview. BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Bruce,David(DavidS.)ThelifeofSirThomasFowellBuxton:extraordinaryperseverance/David Bruce. pagescm Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-0-7391-8337-3(cloth:alk.paper)--ISBN978-0-7391-8338-0(electronic) 1.Buxton,ThomasFowell,Sir,1786-1845.2.Socialreformers--GreatBritain--Biography.3.Aboli- tionists--GreatBritain--Biography.I.Title. HV28.B8B782014 326'.8092--dc23 [B] 2013041558 TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsofAmerican NationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibrary Materials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992. PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica Contents Acknowledgements vii “ANoble,Simple,TrueMan”:AHistoriographicalIntroduction toSirThomasFowellBuxton ix 1 “PrinciplesEarlyPlanted” 1 2 Spitalfields 33 3 “AnInnerLight” 47 4 BuxtonandPenalReform 63 5 BuxtoninParliament,1819–1822 75 6 TakingCommand,1822–1829 101 7 AbolitionandItsAftermath,1830–1838 125 8 “AHolyCause”:TheNigerExpeditionof1841 157 9 BuxtoninWinter 183 Conclusion 189 Appendix:ChronologyontheLifeofSirThomasFowellBuxton 191 Bibliography 213 Index 221 AbouttheAuthor 227 v Acknowledgements Asclichédasitmightsound,ThomasFowellBuxtonchangedmylife. Prior to July 2002, my familiarity with Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton was minimal, at best. My rather basic knowledge of Great Britain’s abolition movementhadmademeawarethathewasanagentofWilliamWilber- force,andthathewasactiveinthefinalpassageoftheSlaveryEmancipa- tion Act of 1834, but I doubt that I could have expanded beyond those comments. I had long wanted to avoid doing research at all on either slaveryorabolition,asIfeltthatthetopichadbeenthoroughlycovered. Yet,onceIbegantoreadofBuxton,especiallythosepagesfromhisown hand, the more I grew to respect and admire him. In a time when more and more people seemed incredibly certain of their spiritual salvation and relationship with God, it was interesting – and refreshing – to meet someonewhowasnotascertain,notasconfident,andthoroughlyhonest about his own shortcomings, fears, and beliefs. Here was a man who wantedtoleavetheworldinaslightlybetterstatethantheoneinwhich hefoundit,andIadmiredtheendlesssupplyofenergyandthemotiva- tion with which he pursued his goal. At one point, I seem to be living through Buxton: his triumphs were somehow my triumphs; his failures were somehow my failures, too. I couldn’t understand why the he was not better known in today’s world! Buxton’s intentions, often naïve by today’sstandards,wereatleastpureandheartfelt;evenhismostresolute opponentspraisedhimasagoodman. One thing that Buxton realized early in his public career is that no authorworksinavacuum.Therewasavirtualarmyofindividualswho, in one way or another, make it possible for one to produce a book, and thiswasno exceptioninmycase.Infact,Ihavebeenpainfullyawareof thedebtsI’veowedsincethestartofthisproject,soIamexcitedtofinally expressmyappreciationtothosepeoplewhomadethisbookpossible. Iwouldliketothankthemembersofmydissertationcommittee:Car- la Hay, Phillip Naylor, and Timothy McMahon. I am eternally grateful for everything you all did for me as I wrestled with this material. This was not an easy undertaking for a host of reasons, but none of you ever lostfaithinme.Ionlyhopethatthisworkvalidatesyourbeliefinme. I would also like to thank the Marquette University History Depart- ment, the Graduate School, and the staff of the John P. Raynor, S.J. Li- brary, for tolerating me as long as they did. Whether it was my rather vii viii Acknowledgements liberal use of the Interlibrary Loan system, or the stacks themselves, I couldnothaveaskedforamorepleasantresearchexperience. My colleagues and friends at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside proved invaluable during this process. To Jeff Alexander, Ed Schmitt, SandyMoats,Elizabeth(Beth)Brownson,NatGodley,TeresaCoronado, PattiCleary,JamesKinchen,ReneéSartinKirby,andthecountlessothers whom I’ve not named, I have been extremely blessed to have had the tremendousamountofsupportandencouragement.Thankyouforyour guidance and (tolerance) as I worked to complete this endeavor. Other friends also lent me a proverbial shoulder upon which to cry: To Daryl Webb,WayneRiggs,JodyBartleyEastberg,Evelyn(Lyn)Morander,and Charles(Chuck)Casada,thankyouforyourfriendshipandassurancesas Ipanickedoverearliermanuscriptdraftsanddoubtedwhetherthispro- ject could be finished. I want to extend very special thanks to Laura Gellott for everything she’s done for me, but especially her steady and unflinchingconfidencethatIwouldfinish. Special thanks must go to the tireless editors and staff at Lexington Books. To Erin Walpole, Johnnie Simpson, Ethan Feinstein, and Scott Lutsky,thankyouforthewonderfulexperienceandguidanceinhelping tomakethisbookareality. I would be remiss if I did not thank three other individuals: Curt Dawkins,StevenGorecki,andRobertDretskeweremysupervisorswhile IworkedatWeEnergies;itisbecauseofthemthatIwasabletoreachthis point.IenteredthatcompanyasawaywardArmyveteranwithtwobad years of college under his belt; I left that company a decade later with a Ph.D. None of that would have been possible had it not been for their flexibility with work hours, assignments, and who-knows-what else. Gentlemen,thankyousoverymuch. My deepest gratitude goes to my family. My parents, Marvis and Bobbye Bruce, did not live to see this moment, yet both were aware of what I hoped to accomplish, and I believe that they would be pleased withthefinalresult.Mysiblingswerealsoasourceofsupportandmoti- vation:Brian,Michelle,Synthia,andJeffrey-thankyou for yourcontin- uedloveandfaithinmeasIworkedonthisproject. Finally, there is one person without whom this project – rather, the completed project – would not exist. Julie Tatlock, you’ve been with me throughout this entire endeavor. Far too often you put my needs for assistance ahead of your own so that I could complete this work. You have sacrificed time and a bit of your sanity for me while I cheered, ranted, raved, and cried over this. My debt to you is indeed great; a simple “thank you” cannot come close to compensating you for your love,companionship,andunfailingfaithinme. Hopefully,Iwon’tletyoudown.