Joseph Sturge | |
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| Born | 2 August 1793 Elberton, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 14 May 1859 (aged 65) Edgbaston, Birmingham, England |
| Monuments | Joseph Sturge memorial |
| Education | Sidcot School |
| Known for | Founded the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5, including Sophia Sturge |
| Relatives |
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Joseph Sturge (2 August 1793 – 14 May 1859) was an English Quaker, abolitionist and activist. He founded the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (now Anti-Slavery International). He worked throughout his life in Radical political actions supporting pacifism, working-class rights, and the universal emancipation of slaves. In the late 1830s, he published two books about the apprenticeship system in Jamaica, which helped persuade the British Parliament to adopt an earlier full emancipation date. In Jamaica, Sturge also helped found Free Villages with the Baptists, to provide living quarters for freed slaves; one was named Sturge Town in his memory.