The Clapham Sect: How Wilberforce's circle transformed Britain

by Stephen Tomkins

The Clapham Sect was a group of evangelical Christians, prominent in England from about 1790 to 1830, who campaigned for the abolition of slavery and promoted missionary work at home and abroad. The group centred on the church of John Venn, rector of Clapham in south London. Its members included William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton, James Stephen, Zachary Macaulay and others. Stephen Tomkins tells the fascinating story of the group as one of a web of family relations - father and son, aunt and nephew, husband and wife, daughter and father, cousins, etc. Within the story of the people are the stories of their famous campaigns against the slave trade, then slavery, the Sierra Leone colony, Indian mission, home mission, charity and politics. The book ends by assessing the long term influence of the Clapham Sect on Victorian Britain and the Empire.

Genres: History, Christian, Justice

272 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2010

About the author

Stephen Tomkins is the author of several books, including biographies of John Wesley and William Wilberforce. He is the deputy editor of Third Way magazine.

Reviews

[MR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me a long time to get through as it is a little dry and there are a lot of people and events to keep up with. But I am grateful for how thoroughly written it was. It is a very helpful insight into how to transform a nation, with many lessons to be learnt. An inspiring account.

[Geoffrey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Tomkins, in my opinion, has done an excellent job of presenting the characters from which the so-called sect comprise, in a succinct, powerful and compelling way. So much so I left wondering what I was doing with my life! Inspiring.

[Ian Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most extraordinary features of the history of the evangelical movement is that this radical movement of the 18th century to transform society through justice, peace and righteousness has been commandeered by a conservative agenda with a blinkered and narrow perspective on morality, and an unashamedly capitalist world view that glorifies greed and threatens to destroy our planet.

How would the political pioneers of the (misnamed) Clapham sect view the evangelical church today? They would surely decry the armchair religion that passes for faith; they would abhor the self indulgent passivity that pervades our so-called evangelical churches. The average churchgoer now gives less than 2% of their income to the church; some of those who shared Wilberforce’s faith and vision gave close to 80% of their income to support the various initiatives they held so dear.

This profoundly influential group of people used all the means at their disposal - propaganda, philanthropy and politics - to fight for the poor and disenfranchised. They sought public office in order to bring about the end of the slave trade; they conducted research; they wrote books and tracts; they set up numerous societies and organizations; they even established a colony for freed slaves in Sierra Leone - a social and commercial venture with decidedly mixed and often catastrophic results, becoming the first place in the world where women were given the vote, yet ultimately consumed by civil war and commercial failure.

Paternalistic? At times - most certainly - yes. Charitable? Always. Yet consistently revolutionary. On serving the poor; “Let the aim of society be to say, not merely that this man was hungry and we fed him, but this man was naked and behold he is clothed by his own industry.”

On the corruption of government by industry; “When you see the government loading the bloody altars of commerce....you are bound by the situation wherein you have placed yourself to cry aloud against it.”

For such a phenomenally influential group it is astounding that it wasn’t until 1952 that the first significant book on the ’Clapham sect’ - a term that was first coined in 1844 to describe this remarkable network of friends and families - was published. This more recent book by Stephen Tomkins brilliantly describes these characters - warts and all - leaving one with a sense of awe and wonder at this group of very ordinary middle class people with extraordinary faith, perseverance, and self sacrifice. If there were another era in which I could choose to live, this would surely be it! For as Tomkins claims in his eloquent conclusion to the book; “Few people can make a more persuasive claim to have been doing the work of God in the world.”

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough and informative. Fascinating if you're interested in the subject, but a little too historically rigorous to be a page turner. The book naturally revolves around Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery, but it's purpose is to examine the many other members of the Clapham Sect, and the many other causes they involved themselves in. Tomkins clearly admires the anti-slavery cause, but he is generally negative about the various efforts to enforce social morality and likewise reflects negatively on the paternalistic attitude of the upper class Clapham Sect towards working class people.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed and interesting account of the formation and influence of what became known as the "Clapham sect." The author is careful to point out that while this group was not really any kind of a sect, their political and social influence was significant. This group of friends and neighbors helped bring about the end of the slave trade among other important achievements.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. If you enjoyed the movie Amazing Grace but want a more full historical account of the Clapham Sect's influence on British abolition, this is the book. Tomkins doesn't shy away from the failings and contradictions of Clapham. Even so, he's sympathetic -- rightfully so.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can keep track of all the different people involved, this is a really interesting read about the impact of a relatively small but incredibly driven group of friends and relations who have left a very significant mark on Britain - educational and inspiring.