John Clarkson | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:John_Clarkson.jpg) John Clarkson | |
| Born | 4 April 1764 Wisbech, Isle of Ely, England |
| Died | 2 April 1828 (aged 63) Woodbridge, Suffolk, England |
| Occupation(s) | Naval lieutenant, governor. |
| Known for | Abolitionism, a founder of Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Spouse | Susannah Lee[1] |
| Children | 10 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Thomas Clarkson, brother |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | c. 1777-? |
| Rank | Lieutenant (commissioned March 1783) |
Lieutenant John Clarkson (4 April 1764 – 2 April 1828) was a Royal Navy officer and abolitionist, the younger brother of Thomas Clarkson, one of the central figures in the abolition of slavery in England and the British Empire at the end 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.
Clarkson not only founded Freetown, but was also the first governor of the settlement. Because of his work in establishing Freetown, 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 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 became a pacifist in 1816 and, together with his brother Thomas, became a founder of the Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace.[2][3]
- ^ Schama, Simon (2006). Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution. New York: Ecco Press. pp. 274, 372. ISBN 0-06-053916-X.
- ^ "Thomas Clarkson". wisbechmuseum.org.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ Ceadel, Martin (1996). The origins of war prevention: the British peace movement and international relations, 1730–1854 (reprint ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 521. ISBN 9780198226741.