John Smith (missionary)

John Smith (1790-1824) was a missionary whose experiences in the West Indies attracted the attention of the anti-slavery campaigner, William Wilberforce. While in Demerara, he had been asked to assist the governor in putting down a slave rebellion, but refused to do so. For this, he was sentenced to death. Wilberforce stepped in to arrange a reprieve, but, by the time it arrived, Smith had already perished as a result of the awful conditions in jail. His death was a major step forward in the campaign to abolish slavery.