The Diaries and Journals of William Wilberforce: An Editor’s Report
In their five-volume Life of William Wilberforce (1838), Robert and Samuel Wilberforce published c. 125,000 words from their father’s daily diaries as well as long extracts from his religious journals. Reviewers complained that the decontextualised diary entries read ‘like a ship’s log book’, and they questioned the propriety of publishing the religious journal, a document both intensely personal and ‘terribly monotonous’. Despite its shortcomings, the Life became an important historical source cited in thousands of publications, though there has long been speculation on what the sons suppressed and omitted. Almost two centuries later, we are finally in a position to know. The OUP edition, now in preparation, contains the complete text of the surviving diaries from 1779 to 1833 (c. 865,000 words) as well as the extant religious journals (c. 105,000 words). This paper will examine the editorial policy of the Wilberforce sons, and provide a preview of the complete scholarly edition.
The seminar will be preceded by a guided historical walking tour will of Northampton. Meet at the Northampton Train Station at 13:00.
This seminar aims to create a welcoming space for discussion and debate, fostering a professional environment where diverse views and perspectives can be shared. You can find more on this via our seminar page on the IHR website.
All welcome.This event is free to attend, but advance registration is required.
This will be a ‘hybrid’ seminar with a limited number of places available in person and a larger number of bookings for online attendance via Zoom. Those attending in person are asked to bring a Wi-Fi enabled laptop, tablet or phone.
This page was last updated on 9 June 2025
