Wisbech monument is something to be proud of

As calls come from across the world to remove statues commemorating slave traders, following protests by the Black Lives Matter movement, a prominent Wisbech monument stands proud in the centre of the town.

Earlier this month, protestors in Bristol tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston, which was then thrown into the River Avon,
after years of controversy surrounding the monument, sparking an international movement to remove other similar statues.

However, one statue which should be acknowledged for one man’s incredible work towards abolishing the slave trade is Wisbech’s Clarkson Memorial.

The memorial, which was erected in 1881, sits in the centre of Broad Street in the heart of the town and commemorates campaigner Thomas Clarkson who was a key player in the campaign to abolish slavery as part of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade.

Acknowledging the significance of the memorial, Wisbech Town Council leader Coun Samantha Hoy said: “I am very proud of the Clarkson Memorial. Thomas Clarkson was not afraid to speak up and be counted for the injustices he was witnessing and as a Wisbech man it is right and proper he is remembered in our town.”

In 2011, The Wisbech Society contributed £20,000 towards the cost of the restoration of one of the panels on the memorial which had been badly eroded, marking the 130th anniversary of the construction of it.

The panel depicts a slave in manacle and chains and bears the inscription “remember them that are in bonds”, which is based on the original design by the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade.

Paul Eden, of The Wisbech Society, said: “It is easy to forget the relevance of the statue and what it means, because the memorial sits where it sits and many of us drive past it every day.

“Thomas Clarkson has become part of every day life.

“His name can be found throughout Wisbech, with, for example, Clarkson Avenue and Thomas Clarkson Academy.

“He did so much for the benefit of many through his work to abolish slavery which should always be remembered.”