Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton (1786–1845) was a noted social reformer and one of the leading members of the campaign to abolish slavery. Buxton had family connections to the Quakers and became an associate of Elizabeth Fry in campaigning for prison reform. He was elected an MP in 1818 and from 1825 he became the leader of the abolitionist movement in Parliament following William Wilberforce's retirement from politics. This biography, compiled by his son Charles Buxton and first published in 1848, provides an intimate and detailed account of Buxton's character and involvement with social reform and the abolition movement, culminating in the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act. The inclusion of Buxton's letters to family, friends and colleagues provides valuable insights into his character and his thoughts on the progress of the abolition movement and other political events connected to the campaign for abolition.