Editing William Wilberforce (section)

==Early life and education==

Wilberforce was born in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], in [[Yorkshire]]<!--the East Riding of Yorkshire was established in 1996-->, England, on 24 August 1759.<ref name="Wolffe2009">{{cite ODNB|last=Wolffe|first= John|title=Wilberforce, William (1759–1833)|year= 2009 |id=29386|mode=cs2}}</ref> He was the only son of Robert Wilberforce (1728–1768), a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Elizabeth Bird (1730–1798). His grandfather, William (1690–1774),<ref>{{Harvnb|Pollock|1977|p=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=29 November 1774 |title=William Wilberforce |work=[[Leeds Intelligencer]]}}</ref> had made the family fortune in the maritime trade with [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] countries.{{efn|name=PbCu}}<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2007|p=3}}</ref> He was twice elected mayor of Hull.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pollock|1977|p=3}}</ref>

Wilberforce was a small, sickly and delicate child with poor eyesight.<ref>{{Harvnb|Tomkins|2007|p=9}}</ref> In 1767, he began attending [[Hull Grammar School]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Pollock|1977|p=4}}</ref> which at the time was headed by [[Joseph Milner (priest)|Joseph Milner]], who would become a lifelong friend.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2007|p=5}}</ref> Wilberforce profited from the supportive atmosphere at the school, until his father died in 1768. With his mother struggling to cope, the nine-year-old Wilberforce was sent to a prosperous uncle and aunt with houses in both [[St James's Place]], London, and [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]]. He attended an "indifferent" boarding school in [[Putney]] for two years and spent his holidays in Wimbledon, where he grew extremely fond of his relatives.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2007|pp=6–8}}</ref> He became interested in [[evangelical Christianity]] due to his relatives' influence, especially that of his aunt Hannah, sister of the wealthy merchant [[John Thornton (philanthropist)|John Thornton]], a philanthropist and a supporter of the leading [[Methodist]] preacher, [[George Whitefield]].<ref name="Wolffe2009" />

Wilberforce's staunchly [[Church of England]] mother and grandfather, alarmed at these [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|nonconformist]] influences and at his leanings towards evangelicalism, brought the 12-year-old boy back to Hull in 1771. Wilberforce was heartbroken at being separated from his aunt and uncle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2007|pp=14–15}}</ref> His family opposed a return to Hull Grammar School because the headmaster had become a Methodist, and Wilberforce continued his education at [[Pocklington School]] from 1771 to 1776.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pollock|1977|pp=5–6}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2007|p=15}}</ref> Influenced by Methodist scruples, he initially resisted Hull's lively social life, but, as his religious fervour diminished, he embraced theatre-going, attended balls, and played cards.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2007|pp=18–19}}</ref>
[[File:Wilberforce House Hull.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left|A statue of William Wilberforce outside [[Wilberforce House]], his birthplace in Hull|alt=statue on a lawn of a two-storey Georgian house]]

In October 1776, at the age of seventeen, Wilberforce went up to [[St John's College, Cambridge]].<ref name="Pollock 1977 7">{{Harvnb|Pollock|1977|p=7}}</ref> The deaths of his grandfather and uncle, in 1774 and 1777 respectively, had left him independently wealthy<ref name="Hague 2007 20">{{Harvnb|Hague|2007|p=20}}</ref> and as a result he had little inclination or need to apply himself to serious study. Instead he immersed himself in the social round of student life<ref name="Pollock 1977 7"/><ref name="Hague 2007 20"/> and pursued a hedonistic lifestyle, enjoying cards, gambling and late-night drinking sessions – although he found the excesses of some of his fellow students distasteful.<ref>{{Harvnb|Pollock|1977|pp=8–9}}</ref><ref name="Hague 2007 23">{{Harvnb |Hague|2007|p=23}}</ref> Witty, generous and an excellent conversationalist, Wilberforce was a popular figure. He made many friends, including the more studious future Prime Minister [[William Pitt the Younger|William Pitt]].<ref name="Hague 2007 23"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hague |first=William |title=William Pitt the Younger |date=2005 |publisher=Harper Perennial |isbn=978-0-00-714720-5 |location=London |pages=29}}</ref> Despite his lifestyle and lack of interest in studying, he managed to pass his examinations<ref name="Pollock 1977 9">{{Harvnb|Pollock|1977|p=9}}</ref> and was awarded a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in 1781 and a [[Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin)|Master of Arts]] degree in 1788.<ref name="Wolffe2009" />