William Morgan (abolitionist)
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William Morgan | |
|---|---|
 Morgan in a detail from a painting at the National Portrait Gallery[1] | |
| Born | 1815 England |
| Died | c. 1890 (aged 74–75)[2] |
William Morgan (1815 – c. 1890) was a leading member of the Birmingham Anti-Slavery Society, whose members were very influential in abolitionist movements in Britain.
Morgan was trained as a solicitor and worked in Birmingham.[3]
He was an active member of the Birmingham Anti-Slavery Society, which campaigned for abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1838. On the anniversary of the abolition a celebration was again held in Birmingham and it was Morgan who distributed information and invitations to the local Sunday Schools.[4]
Morgan was a founder of the local Baptist Union and served as secretary to the Birmingham Anti-Slavery Society[3][5] revived around 1835,[6] when British slavery was made illegal (in 1838).[6] The picture shows him at the 1840 Anti-Slavery Convention which was organised by Morgan's colleague Joseph Sturge. Morgan served as a secretary at the 1840 convention. He continued to work with Sturge during the 1850s.
He became the Town clerk in Birmingham[5] and gave a collection of books to Birmingham Library.[2] In 1866, the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society sent Morgan to Jamaica.[3]