The documents linked below offer a basic and incomplete overview of William Wilberforce’s extensive correspondence. Divided into decades, the correspondence is presented chronologically with the author and recipient identified, as well as the archive or publication in which it can be found. The topics of the letters have been simplified to broad categories, such as ‘abolition’, ‘religion’, ‘personal’ and ‘politics.’ Each category represents a wide range of specific subjects: for example, ‘religion’ includes but is not limited to spiritual reflection, practical church matters, and Dissenters.
This by no means claims to be a complete guide to Wilberforce’s correspondence. As the details of more letters are identified and confirmed, the documents will be updated with additional information and thus these should be treated as ‘living documents.’
In addition, there are c. 250 letters without dates that are not included in these guides. Some correspondents, like Henry Brougham, were less likely to date their letters than others, while in some cases the dated wrapper is not with the letter. Beyond that, the undated correspondence covers a similar range of subjects, and the balance of letters to/from Wilberforce is close, to that of the full collection of correspondence.
Letters for which the only reference is the Life or Correspondence of William Wilberforce (the seven volumes written and edited by Robert and Samuel Wilberforce) should be treated as incomplete regarding the topics contained within. In the Life, some of the letters were reduced to snippets quoted within sentences; longer letters were not always reproduced in full, and Robert and Samuel used similar editorial habits to those employed for the diary extracts. This editorial practice extended to the Correspondence as well. Wilberforce’s sons often excluded more strongly evangelical statements and some references to their father’s ill health and financial affairs. They also excluded the prolonged apologies with which Wilberforce often began his letters, with explanations about ill health, busy-ness and the crippling weight of his ‘arrears’ of correspondence.
The Wilberforce Diaries Project 