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Slave Owner and Paternalist
Sir William Young (1749-1815) in England and the Caribbean
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P.J. Marshall
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2026
About this book
An account of the life and ideas of Sir William Young, a leading opponent of the abolition of slavery, who used the rhetoric of paternalism to argue that slavery could be ameliorated to become a benign system.
This book charts the life and ideas of Sir William Young, owner of enslaved people on Antigua, St Vincent and Tobago and a leading opponent of the abolition of slavery. It outlines how he used the rhetoric of paternalism to argue that slavery could be ameliorated to become a benign system, akin to the paternalism which he worked towards in rural England, and contrasts his aims width his failure to implement them. It considers his place in the British elite - country gentleman, active back-bench MP and a man of learning - and examines his activity in attempting to improve conditions for the rural English poor. It explores his eventual financial failure, which included the loss of both his West Indian and his English estates, and his last years as Governor of Tobago. William Young was a considerable figure in both the world of the Caribbean, source of his wealth, and the world of London and the English countryside, where he spent that wealth. Young's doctrines of paternalism, unreal and self-serving as they may have been, were widely accepted by the British upper classes.
This book charts the life and ideas of Sir William Young, owner of enslaved people on Antigua, St Vincent and Tobago and a leading opponent of the abolition of slavery. It outlines how he used the rhetoric of paternalism to argue that slavery could be ameliorated to become a benign system, akin to the paternalism which he worked towards in rural England, and contrasts his aims width his failure to implement them. It considers his place in the British elite - country gentleman, active back-bench MP and a man of learning - and examines his activity in attempting to improve conditions for the rural English poor. It explores his eventual financial failure, which included the loss of both his West Indian and his English estates, and his last years as Governor of Tobago. William Young was a considerable figure in both the world of the Caribbean, source of his wealth, and the world of London and the English countryside, where he spent that wealth. Young's doctrines of paternalism, unreal and self-serving as they may have been, were widely accepted by the British upper classes.
Author / Editor information
Contributor: P.J. Marshall
P. J. MARSHALL was Lecturer, Reader and Rhodes Professor of Imperial History at King's College, London, 1959-93 and President Royal Historical Society, 1996-2000.
Topics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
v -
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Map
vi -
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Abbreviations
vii -
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Acknowledgements
viii -
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Preface
ix -
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Introduction: William Young, Rural England, the Caribbean and Paternalism
1 -
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1 Buckinghamshire and the Poor Law
27 -
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2 The Abolition of the Slave Trade and the State of Africa
53 -
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3 The Labouring Poor in England and the Enslaved in the Caribbean
86 -
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4 St Vincent and the Loss of an Inheritance
102 -
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5 The Enslaved on Young’s Plantations: St Vincent and Antigua
137 -
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6 Tobago
174 -
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Conclusion
201 -
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Bibliographical Essay
212 -
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Index
219
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
January 27, 2026
eBook ISBN:
9781805438571
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9781805438571
Keywords for this book
Sir William Young; Antigua; St Vincent; Tobago; Abolition of slavery; Paternalism; British elite; Rural England; Caribbean; Financial failure; Governor of Tobago; British upper classes
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
