Pub history

The William Wilberforce

Situated in the Old Town, this grade II listed building was built for Barclays Bank in c1895. It is now a public house bearing the name of Hull’s most famous son. Born in 1759, Wilberforce was named after his grandfather who was twice mayor of Hull. The younger William devoted much of his parliamentary career to ending the slave trade. Eventually, slavery in the British Empire was outlawed on 26 August 1833. Wilberforce died three days later.