Wilberforce, Samuel (1805-1873), was an important figure in the Anglican Church in England. He held several major church offices, including bishop of Oxford, dean of Westminster, and Chaplain of the House of Lords. Wilberforce played a mediating role during a conflict between two groups within the church—the Anglo-Catholics and the Evangelicals. Anglo-Catholics wanted to reestablish ties with Roman Catholicism without accepting the authority of the pope. The Evangelicals stressed conversion, strict morality, and social action. As Chaplain of the House of Lords, Wilberforce used his considerable influence in an attempt to bring about prison reform and measures dealing with the abuse of women and children.
Wilberforce was born on Sept. 7, 1805, in Clapham, near London. He was ordained a priest in 1829. He died on July 19, 1873. His father, William, an English statesman, played a crucial role in the abolition of slavery in British territories.
