Editing Clapham (section)

===Clapham in the 17th–19th centuries===
In the late 17th century, large [[English country house|country house]]s began to be built there, and throughout the 18th and early 19th century it was favoured by the wealthier merchant classes of the [[City of London]], who built many large and gracious houses and villas around [[Clapham Common]] and in the Old Town. [[Samuel Pepys]] spent the last two years of his life in Clapham, living with his friend, protected at the Admiralty and former servant [[William Hewer]], until his death in 1703.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZloJAAAAIAAJ&q=%22levett+blackborne%22&pg=PA35 |title=Old Clapham, John William Grover, A. Bachhoffner, London, 1892 |access-date=13 March 2013|last1=Grover |first1=John William |year=1892 }}</ref>

Clapham was also home to [[Elizabeth Batts Cook|Elizabeth Cook]], the widow of [[Captain James Cook]] the explorer. She lived in a house at 136 Clapham High Street<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boroughphotos.org/lambeth/elizabeth-cooks-house-136-clapham-high-street-clapham/ |title=Elizabeth Cook’s house, 136 Clapham High Street, Clapham |publisher=London Borough of Lambeth |access-date=20 September 2024}}</ref> for many years following the death of her husband.

Other notable residents of Clapham Common include [[Palace of Westminster]] architect [[Charles Barry|Sir Charles Barry]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://openplaques.org/plaques/121 |title=Sir Charles Barry plaque listing on Open Plaques |publisher=Openplaques.org |access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref> Norwegian composer [[Edvard Grieg]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norway.org.uk/News_and_events/culture/music/griegplaque/ |title=Norway in Britain website Edvard Greig plaque listing |publisher=Norway.org.uk |access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref> and 20th century novelist [[Graham Greene]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/blue-plaque-for-graham-greene/ |title=English Heritage plaque listing for Graham Greene |publisher=English-heritage.org.uk |date=1 April 2011 |access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref> [[John Francis Bentley]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://openplaques.org/plaques/657 |title=John Francis Bentley plaque listing on Open Plaques |publisher=Openplaques.org |access-date=13 March 2013}}</ref> architect of [[Westminster Cathedral]], lived in the adjacent Old Town.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the [[Clapham Sect]] were a group of wealthy City merchants (mostly [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Anglican]]) social [[reform movement|reformers]] who lived around the Common. They included [[William Wilberforce]], [[Henry Thornton (abolitionist)|Henry Thornton]] and [[Zachary Macaulay]], father of the historian [[Thomas Macaulay]], as well as [[William Smith (abolitionist)|William Smith]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP), the [[English Dissenters|Dissenter]] and [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]. They were very prominent in campaigns for the [[Abolitionism in the United Kingdom|abolition]] of [[slavery]] and [[child labour]], and for [[prison reform]]. They also promoted [[missionary]] activities in [[British colonies|Britain's colonies]]. The Society for Missions to Africa and the East (as the [[Church Mission Society]] was first called) was founded on 12 April 1799 at a meeting of the [[Eclectic Society (Christian)|Eclectic Society]], supported by members of the Clapham Sect, who met under the guidance of [[John Venn (priest)|John Venn]], the Rector of Clapham.<ref name="I1">{{cite journal|last1= Mounstephen |first1= Philip |author-link1=Philip Mounstephen |title= Teapots and DNA: The Foundations of CMS|url=http://www.nzcms.org.nz/teapots-and-dna-the-foundations-of-cms-intermission-issue-22/ |year= 2015 |journal= Intermission|volume=22}}</ref> By contrast, an opponent of Wilberforce, merchant and slave-trader [[George Hibbert]] also lived at Clapham Common, worshipping in the same church, Holy Trinity.<ref name=GHcom>{{cite web|title=George Hibbert (1757–1837)|url=http://www.georgehibbert.com/george.html|website=George Hibbert.com|access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref>

In 1848, Clapham was described in the ''[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)#A Topographical Dictionary of England|Topographical Dictionary of England]]'' as a village which "has for many years, been one of the most respectable in the environs of the [[London|metropolis]]".<ref name=":0" /> At this time, the patronage of Holy Trinity church belonged to the [[Atkins baronets|Atkins family]].<ref name=":0" />