Fowell Buxton blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton BT. MP. 1786-1845 Buxton led the Parliamentary campaign responsible for the 1833 Act freeing the 700,000 slaves then held in the West Indies and elsewhere in the British Empire. Married into the Quaker Banking family of the Gurneys, he worked with Elizabeth Fry to improve conditions in prisons and reduce the number of crimes deemed worthy of the death penalty. He spoke at the Friends Meeting House in Norwich and used St Andrews Hall to organize meetings in favour of his various causes. Recorded plaque organisation: Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust.

Sir Fowell Buxton MP was a prominent British abolitionist whose leadership in Parliament resulted in the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, freeing hundreds of thousands of slaves in the British Empire. He also worked extensively with Elizabeth Fry to reform prison conditions and reduce capital punishment offenses.