A special service commemorating the life of Warrington’s anti-slavery campaigner William Robson is set to take place on Sunday, January 19 at Cairo Street Chapel in the town centre.
It takes place the day before an official American holiday recognising the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, civil rights leader, when Bob Janis-Dillon, himself an American and Minister of Cairo Street Chapel, will be leading a service at 10.30am commemorating William Robson’s life (1812 – 1902).
Situated in the grounds of the Unitarian Chapel, close to the steps leading to the Priestley Gates, is an obelisk commemorating the lives of William and Anna Robson and their two sons William Holbrook and Edwin.
What the obelisk does not reveal is that William Robson was the postmaster of Warrington and a leading advocate of the abolition of slavery and William holds a place in the history of Warrington for his campaigns against slavery.
In 1858 he travelled to America to campaign against slavery and he met, in Boston, Charles Ramond and his sister Sarah Parker Ramond, African Americans. He also met William Lloyd Garrison, one of America’s most prominent abolitionists, who further introduced him to other American abolitionists. On his return to Warrington, William in November, 1858 gave a lecture to the Warrington Mechanics Institution
on his travels in America.
Sarah Ramond was an international activist for human rights and women’s suffrage who lectured across America on the abolish of slavery.
William was instrumental in persuading Sarah to travel to Warrington and on January 12nd 1859, she came to stay at William and Anna’s home in Bath Buildings in Bewsey Road.
She went on to deliver three lectures on the “Slave Trade in America.”
Following the success of her visit William organised a petition to send to America supporting the abolishing of slavery. 3,522 Warrington residents signed this petition. William, when writing to
William Lloyd Garrison, said “I may add that no address on any subject has ever been more numerously signed in this town”.
He continued to correspond with William Lloyd Garrison for many years and in August 1877, Garrison visited William at Lymm, where he now lived, where a banquet was given in his honour.
