Event    From 25/3/1807  To 1/8/1834

Abolition of slavery

The British abolition of slavery came in two parts: first the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act became law on 25 March 1807, which left slavery itself still permitted until the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 which caused all slaves in the British Empire to be emancipated on 1 August 1834. The slaves in India and Ceylon were not freed until Britain took over from the East India Company in 1843.

Compensation was paid, but to the owners, not the slaves. Meticulous records were kept and have been analysed at Legacies of British Slave-ownership.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Abolition of slavery

Commemorated ati

Aboliton of slavery - SE1

{The statue stands at one end of a long composite stone slab inlaid with a de...

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Bronze Woman

This was the first statue of a black woman to be on permanent display anywher...

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Buxton Memorial Fountain

Due to strong shadows it was only on our fourth visit that we managed to take...

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Gilt of Cain - Slave trade

This sculpture, 'Gilt of Cain', was unveiled by Bishop Tutu in commemoration ...

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Holy Trinity Clapham - Clapham Sect

The damage on this plaque is the result of WW2 bombs.

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Other Subjects

Sake Dean Mahomed

Sake Dean Mahomed

A Bengali Muslim, he joined the East India Company aged 11, where he served as a solder and fought a few times. Resigned in 1782 and two years later with his friend from the army Captain Godfrey Ev...

Person, Food & Drink, Race Issues, Indian Sub-continent

1 memorial
Claudia Jones

Claudia Jones

Born Trinidad. Moved to New York where she became a Communist. Caught up in the McCarthy trials she was imprisoned and then extradited to Britain in December 1955. Became a community organiser afte...

Person, Community / Clubs, Journalism / Publishing, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Caribbean Islands, USA

2 memorials
Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling

Poet and story writer. Born: Bombay, India. Died: London. See Waterloo Free Buffet. 2021: The Guardian reported some updates to English Heritage's information on Kipling: "While his children’s sto...

Person, Literature, Poetry, Race Issues, Seriously Famous, India

2 memorials
Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE, DL

Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE, DL

Trinidadian-British actress, singer, presenter, author and politician. Known as presenter of children's programmes such as Play School, Play Away, Jamboree and Fast Forward. On 28 June 2010, Lady B...

Person, Children, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, TV & Radio, Caribbean Islands

1 memorial
Carl Linnaeus

Carl Linnaeus

Born Stenbrohult, Småland in southern Sweden. Inventor of a system for naming, ranking, and classifying organisms. One of the great collectors of the 18th century. At his death Joseph Banks tried b...

Person, Race Issues, Science, Sweden

2 memorials

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Sir Thomas Docwra

Sir Thomas Docwra

Grand Prior of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, 1501-1527. In 1504 he rebuilt St John's Gate. We guess the Docwra family are descended from Sir Thomas or his family.

Person, Property, Religion

1 memorial