Papers of Thomas Perronet Thompson

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Born the son of a wealthy Hull banker, Thompson served in the army and navy until, partly through his connexion with William Wilberforce, the influential anti-slavery campaigner, he was appointed governor of the colony in Sierra Leone in 1808, the year following the abolition of the slave trade across the British Empire. However, Thompson's zeal in enforcing the new law appears to have contributed to the termination of this appointment.
In 1812 he rejoined the army, serving in India and the Persian Gulf, including most notably, whilst political agent in Ra's al-Khaymah, leading an expedition in 1820 against the Beni Bou Ali tribe, for the failure of which he was court-martialled.
Already closely associated with Jeremy Bentham and other radical reformers, and on inheriting his father's fortune in 1828, Thompson turned his attentions to politics. Vociferous in his support for the Anti-Corn Law League and for the total abolition of slavery, he was returned to Parliament for the first time in 1835, only to loose to Benjamin Disraeli at the next election. Ten years later, after numerous intervening defeats, he was finally re-elected, this time as Liberal MP for Bradford.
As well as Thompson's own letters, speeches, published articles, etc., this comprehensive microfilm edition of the archive deposited with the Hull University Archives, Brynmor Jones Library, includes biographical materials gathered or produced by his son, Charles William Thompson, and granddaughter, Edith Thompson.