Exposure of Misrepresentations Contained in the Preface to the Correspondence of William Wilberforce

Exposure Of Misrepresentations Contained In The Preface To The Correspondence Of William Wilberforce by Henry Crabb Robinson. This pamphlet, originally published in 1840, presents a detailed argument that the preface to the Wilberforce–Clarkson correspondence has been marred by misrepresentations and personal bias. Robinson, a barrister and editor of Clarkson's Strictures, undertakes a forensic examination of the Life of William Wilberforce and related works, accusing Wilberforce’s sons of distorting abolition history. He provides extensive, section-by-section refutations, including notes on the editors’ handling of minute-books, garbled letters, dubious quotations, and alleged remuneration and confederate arrangements. Through meticulous reference to Abolition Society records, Edinburgh Review critiques, and letters, the author argues for a more impartial treatment of Clarkson and Wilberforce and a clearer accounting of the roles played by the abolitionists and their allies. The work situates itself as a corrective to what Robinson sees as posthumous misrepresentations in the public record, contributing to historiography of abolition.