The role of women in the abolition movement, like that of the Africans, has been underplayed by historians. Hannah More was perhaps one of the better known women abolitionists. More was known as much for her writings and poems on abolition as her other literary works on the position of women in society and the reformation of manners during the reign of George III. She also made friends with royalty and society figures, as well being part of the Clapham Sect. Hannah More was born on 2 February 1745, the same year as Olaudah Equiano, in what is now the outskirts of Bristol. She was the fourth of five daughters born to Jacob and Mary Grace More. Jacob More, after trying his hand as an excise officer, turned his attention to teaching and subsequently became the master of a school in Stapleton, Gloucestershire, where he taught languages.

© Bristol Museums and Art Gallery

Hannah More flourished as a student and was also something of a linguist; it is suggested that she spoke Latin, Greek, Spanish and French. Consequently, it came as no surprise when she followed her father into teaching career. Her eldest sister, Mary, who was also a teacher, opened a school for young ladies in Bristol in 1758. By all accounts the school flourished, thus allowing the More family to move to a more desirable residence in Bristol in 1762.

While still in adolescence, More fell under the influence of a number of individuals who would have a profound affect on her life over the next few years. One such person was Dr James Stonhouse, a clergyman cum doctor who helped to ignite More’s love for literature and the arts. She used her language skills to translate the works of European writers. More also turned her hand to writing and produced the drama 'The search for happiness' while still in her teens.

Due to its involvement in the slave trade, Bristol had been transformed from a moribund seaport to a thriving city with a cultural life and social scene to rival that of any English town. Buoyed by her notoriety in the literary circles, More threw herself into this life by joining the Theatre Royal, Bristol, and forging friendships with many of the leading actors of the day.

By the mid 1760s, More became romantically involved with Edward Turner, a local landowner and admirer of her literary work. The two were soon engaged however, between 1767 and 1773, Turner found a number of feeble reasons to renege on his marriage proposals. The situation came to a head at the end of 1773 when More, with the assistance of Dr Stonhouse, broke off the engagement. In modern-day parlance, Turner gave More compensation to the tune of £200 a year, which enabled her to give up teaching and move to London.

Once in the capital, More became part of its literary and social life. She became part of the Blue Stockings Circle and formed friendships with one of the leading actors of the day, David Garrick. Her circle of friends also included Sir Joshua Reynolds and, after an initial misunderstanding, the noted Dr Samuel Johnson - generally considered to be the complier of the first English dictionary. More’s friendship with Garrick flourished and under his tutelage her tragedy Percy was staged at Covent Garden in 1777.

A combination of factors between 1778-79 saw More turn her back on the social and literary life for a more spiritual existence. It needs to be pointed out that although she was part of social life that was noted for its revelry, More still maintained a close relationship with the rector, Dr Stonhouse. Additionally, she also became friends with Dr Beilby Porteus, who later became Bishop of London. However, the real hammer blow was the death of Garrick in 1779, just before the production of her play The Fatal Falsehood. Garrick’s death and the subsequent failure of the play resulted in More laying down her quill for several years. When she eventually put pen to paper, her ensuing writings such as Balshazzar and the compilation Sacred Dramas outlined her evangelical Christian convictions. More would subsequently refuse to attend the revival of some of her plays for fear of being offended by some of their earthy subject matter.

In 1780 she was given a copy of John Newton’s published letters and there is little doubt that the ex-slaver turned preacher’s work had a profound impact on her life. Throughout the decade she gradually became more involved with the Clapham Sect (although she did not live or worship in the area) and the abolition of the slave trade.

More also displayed her philanthropic tendencies by taking Ann Yearsley, a former milkmaid, under her wing. Yearsley displayed a talent for writing poetry that was nurtured by More. She also set up a trust fund to support Yearsley’s writing career, which would eventually be the cause of much misery and heartache for More. Historians reveal that Yearsley and More quarrelled vehemently over how the money was to be used, and the resulting fracas led to More retreating to rural Somerset. While residing in her cottage in the hamlet of Cowslip Green, she formed a close relationship with John Newton who not only deepened her evangelical beliefs but also galvanised her interest in opposing the slave trade. In 1788 she wrote the poem Slavery, at roughly the same time the first parliamentary discussion on slavery occurred.

More also became friendly with William Wilberforce and shared many of his ‘reformation of manners’ ideals. In More’s situation this included Christianising the poor labourers and illiterate farmers in Cheddar, Somerset. In 1790 she also established a Sunday School (one of the first), for both children and adults in the local vicinity. Over the next decade, she established many such Sunday Schools which imparted both religious and moral instruction. She also distributed Bibles and prayer books and set up clubs and societies to encourage women to be of ‘good moral standing and virtue’.

More subsequently turned her attention to the wealthy farmers and landowners, many of whom were known for their penchant for carousing. With the help of local clergy she encouraged them to curb their excessive drinking and coarse behaviour in favour of a more sedate, spiritual existence. There is little doubt that Hannah More subscribed to the notion that there was a ‘place for everyone, and everyone must know their place’. And although she worked tirelessly for the poor, she believed heaven was the reward for a life of poverty on earth. More was equally concerned about the influence of Tom Paine, the writer, the French Revolution and the Enlightenment on the masses. She collectively grouped these influences as anti-religious and anarchistic and set her trusty quill to work to produce Village Politics by Will Chip - a sharp riposte to the current societal developments. Similarly, she held no truck with the ideas espoused by Mary Wollstencraft in Vindication of the Rights of Women, yet her own work Strictures on the Modern System of Female Education, written in 1799, has some very progressive views about the need for women to be educated to play an appropriate role in society.
In between bouts of ill health, More remained very productive in the 1790s, writing material which railed against ‘agitators’ and encouraged moral rectitude. During this period she made as many enemies as she did friends; some found her commitment to the poor and the need for greater decorum a God send. Conversely, others thought she was an agent of the wealthy who championed deference and piety. A good example of this were the Cheap Repository Tracts, a series of well written, moralistic articles which began in 1795 and displayed her fondness for the poor, the monarchy and the status quo. The closure of the Cheap Repository in 1797 led to the formation of the Religious Tract Society.

More also moved in royal circles and was seen in the company of the children of George III. More took particular delight in the approval they won among royalty and began to write material that touched on the themes of royalty and morality. One such work was Hints Towards Forming the Character of a Young Princess, written in 1805 for the young Princess Charlotte.
Although she was known for her prolific output of plays and poems, More also wrote a novel, Coelebs in Search of a Wife in 1805. This Coelebs is generally regarded as her only novel and was published to mixed reviews.

With the advance of years, More gradually withdrew from society. However, age did not cease her commitment to promoting the gospel (she was a supporter of the British and Foreign Bible Society), nor did it wither her support for the anti-slavery movement. She also continued to give money to help the cause of the poor and spoke about the need to improve moral values with anyone who would listen. More also provided guidance to a younger generation of luminaries such as the historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, Samuel Coleridge Taylor and Elizabeth Fry. In the 1830s her health took a turn for the worse, reducing her ability to write and read. Hannah More died on 6 September 1833 - the same year slavery was abolished in the British colonies.

Hannah More remains an important, yet controversial figure in the abolition movement. Her works greatly contributed to the struggle to make society cognizant of the horrors of the slave trade and transatlantic slavery. Moreover, she inspired a generation of women to take action, not only against slavery, but a whole host of protest movements and pressure groups in the Georgian and Victorian eras.

Many today would describe Hannah More as a pious, well-to-do, patronizing, reactionary figure who saw the enslaved and Britain’s working poor as a basket case in need of the help of their ‘betters’. However, her brand of evangelicalism resulted in many socio-religious initiatives to help the poor at a time when little was being done. When we judge historical figures through today’s lenses they invariably come up short. Hannah More, akin to the other abolitionists, was a woman of her time. However, during that ‘time’ she helped to change the lives of a great many of men and women.