Jonathan Binns M.D (1747-1818) was an English

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

and abolitionist notable for being one of only two signatories from

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

who signed a 1783 parliamentary petition calling for the abolition of Slavery.

Life

Binns was born in 1747 to leather seller Johnathan Binns (1718-1794) and his wife Eliz Sutcliffe (1719-1748). Having trained under his maternal uncle as an apothecary he worked as a Chemist for a short while before pursuing a degree in Edinburgh in 1772. Returning to Liverpool to practice medicine he married Mary Allbright (1748-1833) and built his home on

Bold Street Bold Street is a street in Liverpool, England. It is known for its cafés and for the Church of St Luke, Liverpool, Church of St Luke, which is situated at the top end. The bottom end leads into the area surrounding Clayton Square, which is par ...

. The couple had two children. In 1783 at an annual meeting in London of members of the

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

Binns signed a petition submitted to parliament requesting an end to export of slaves by officers of the

Royal African Company The Royal African Company (RAC) was an English mercantile (trade, trading) company set up in 1660 by the royal House of Stuart, Stuart family and City of London merchants to trade along the West Africa, west coast of Africa. It was led by the J ...

. Of the 273

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

who signed only Binns and ship merchant

William Rathbone IV William Rathbone IV (10 June 1757 – 11 February 1809) was an English ship-owner and merchant involved in the organisation of American trade with Liverpool, England. He was a political radical, supporting the abolition of the slave trade and unive ...

were from Liverpool, a city which by 1795 was handling over 40% of the entire European slave trade. Binns opposition to slavery didn't go unnoticed in the city making him an unpopular character and the subject of plots against his life. Leaving Liverpool during the height of his career; possibly due to his views on slavery, he became an honorary superintendent of Quaker institution

Ackworth School Ackworth School is an independent day and boarding school located in the village of High Ackworth, near Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It is one of seven Quaker schools in England. The school (or more accurately its Head) is a member ...

and later retired to Lancaster where he continued to practice until his death in 1818.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Binns, Jonathan English abolitionists 1747 births 1818 deaths People from Liverpool English Quakers Health professionals from Merseyside Quaker abolitionists