Alexander falconbridge biography

British surgeon and writer

Alexander Falconbridge (c. 1760–1792) was a British doc who took part in quaternary voyages in slave ships among 1782 and 1787. In disgust he became an abolitionist last in 1788 published An Be concerned about of the Slave Trade advantage the Coast of Africa. Confine 1791 he was sent from one side to the ot the Anti-Slavery Society to Granville Town, Sierra Leone, a persons of freed slaves, where unquestionable died a year later cloudless 1792.

Early life

Falconbridge was born keep 1760 in England or Scotland, possibly Prestonpans or Bristol.

The lackey trade

The British surgeon Alexander Falconbridge served as a ship's physician on four slave trade socialize between 1782 and 1787 (on the ships Tartar (1780–1781), Emilia (1783-84), Alexander (1785-86) and, afresh, Emilia (1786-87) before rejecting description slave trade and becoming ending abolitionist.

(In 1782, French nautical forces captured Tartar on gibe second voyage to transport burdened people, but before she locked away taken on any captives.)

Falconbridge gained his experience on slave ships before he met the anti-slavery campaigner Thomas Clarkson following which he became a member look upon the Anti-Slavery Society.

Clarkson was the author of a disquisition en*led A Summary View assiduousness the Slave Trade and draw round the Probable Consequences of Wear smart clothes Abolition, published in 1787. Clarkson had a high regard round out Falconbridge who on more outweigh one occasion acted as personal armed bodyguard whilst elegance gathered evidence against the lackey trade.

After meeting Clarkson, Falconbridge publicized in 1788 An Account pageant the Slave Trade on nobleness Coast of Africa, an considerable book in the abolitionist repositioning.

In this book, he talked about the trade from what because the ships first acquired captives from the African coast, attachй case their treatment during the Mid P*age, to the time they were sold into hereditary thraldom in the West Indies

In 1790 Alexander gave verbal evidence at one time a House of Commons Panel. Many of them were contrary toward him.

Final voyage and death

Sierra Leoneengraved by John Matthews staging 1788

In 1791, Falconbridge was chosen by the Anti-Slavery Society withstand sail to Sierra Leone meet his wife Anna Maria; move his brother William, with ethics intent of reorganising the useless settlement of freed slaves be thankful for Granville Town, Sierra Leone.

They arrived as p*engers on integrity enslaving ship Duke of Buccleugh. On the voyage out Falconbridge had numerous drunken disputes ordain Captain John Malean, Duke cut into Buccleugh's master; Anna Maria would retire to her cabin significant these disputes.

Unfortunately, Anna Maria upfront not share Alexander's idealistic views about the settlement.

The duo quarrelled; Falconbridge began to favourite excessively, due to marital exigency and ailing health and, score would seem, disenchantment with righteousness Sierra Leone Company. A edition of Falconbridge's contemporaries were discharged for vague reasons and schedule may be that the On top of used them as scapegoats.

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Dismissals included Charles Horwood, brother of Anna Maria, Patriarch DuBois (Anna's second husband), champion eventually Clarkson himself.

Falconbridge eventually athletic of drinking a week at one time Christmas 1792. Henry Thornton, leader of the Sierra Leone Attitude, replaced him as the company's commercial agent only hours beforehand his death.

The Sierra Leone company refused to acknowledge distinction claim of his wife Anna Maria for monies owed sharp her late husband and, doubtless conveniently, the company records went missing.

Legacy

The colony was eventually dubbed Freetown, and it seems budding that Falconbridge Point in Port is named after Alexander Falconbridge. Both Alexander and his religious William, who died in Port the previous year, are summit likely buried in the Port area, though the exact say again is not recorded.

Notes

References

Lovejoy, Henry B.

(2018). Prieto: Yorùbá Kingship in Colonial Country during the Age of Revolutions. UNC Press. ISBN:9781469645384.
Mackenzie-Grieve, Averil. (1941). The Last Years of primacy English Slave Trade, Liverpool, 1750-1807. Putnam.

External links

Alexander Falconbridge (1788) An account of the slave production on the coast of Africa on the Internet Archive