It is reasonably well known that William Wilberforce campaigned for many years to end slavery in England. What is less known is the story of the community of friends that shared his struggles and his evangelical Christian faith. That is the story which Stephen Tomkins tells in his book The Clapham Sect: How Wilberforce’s Circle Transformed Britain. The friends included John Newton the author of “Amazing Grace”, John Thornton one of the richest businessmen in England, Hannah More a famous writer, Henry Thornton a famous banker and economist, and a number of other notable people.
Although Wilberforce and his friends never formed a separate church or religious group, they were pejoratively referred to some years after Wilberforce’s death as the “Clapham Sect”, and that name has persisted. As well as taking the lead in the anti-slavery fight, they were deeply involved in the colonisation of Sierra Leone as a new home for freed slaves. This turned out to be a highly unsuccessful social experiment. They were also involved in various campaigns to combat immorality and in the founding of the Church Missionary Society and various other missionary endeavours.
With the benefit of hindsight, many of the activities undertaken by Wilberforce and his friends can be regarded as mistaken; however in my view the author is a little too forceful in passing judgment on the moral views held by the members of the Clapham Sect. The story is an important one for Christians to be aware of, as it shows how a small group of sufficiently persistent Christians can create significant lasting differences in a whole country. I enjoyed reading the book, although I found some parts more engaging than others.