Richard Davis Webb (1805–1872) was an Irish publisher and

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

Life

Webb was born in 1805. In 1837, he was one of three founding members, with James Haughton and Richard Allen, of the Hibernian Antislavery Association. This was not the first antislavery association but it was acknowledged to be the most active and considered the most ardent abolitionists in Europe. Allen served as the secretary of this association. Webb married Hannah Waring and they had four children Alfred, Richard, Deborah and Anne. Webb and his two sons

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

and Richard were regular correspondents with the American abolitionist.

William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December , 1805 – May 24, 1879) was a prominent American Christian, abolitionist, journalist, suffragist, and social reformer. He is best known for his widely read antislavery newspaper '' The Liberator'', which he foun ...

. Webb was one of the few Irish delegates at the 1840

Anti-Slavery Convention The World Anti-Slavery Convention met for the first time at Exeter Hall in London, on 12–23 June 1840. It was organised by the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, largely on the initiative of the English Quaker Joseph Sturge. The exclus ...

in London which attracted hundreds from the United States. The Irish delegation included Webb, Richard Allen, and

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

. In 1846, Webb attended another world convention in London. This time the subject was

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

and Webb's fellow delegate Richard Allen was one of the speakers. Webb met the American delegates

Wendell Phillips Wendell Phillips (November 29, 1811 – February 2, 1884) was an American abolitionist, advocate for Native Americans, orator, and attorney. According to George Lewis Ruffin, a Black attorney, Phillips was seen by many Blacks as "the one whi ...

and his wife Ann and Ann reported how they were particularly impressed by Webb.Ann Phillips, wife of Wendell Phillips, a memorial sketch
1886. Retrieved 24 July 2014 When

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...

visited Ireland it was Webb who was responsible for setting up his speaking engagements and also organising the printing of Douglass's book, ''

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass ''Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass'' is an 1845 memoir and treatise on Abolitionism in the United States, abolition written by famous orator and former slave Frederick Douglass during his time in Lynn, Massachusetts. It is generally hel ...

''. Douglass was earning up to £750 from a single

print run Print circulation is the average number of copies of a publication. The number of copies of a non-periodical publication (such as a book) are usually called print run. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulat ...

and he was asking Webb for more copies. Webb was notable in Douglass's regard for the arguments that he and Webb had. Douglass felt that white abolitionists would prefer to be hypocritical than be racist and would try not to disagree with him face to face. Webb however showed no such false regard and they argued as equals in a way the Douglass hoped would be a precursor of the relationships that might exist across the races when

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

ended in America.Frederick Douglass in Ireland: the Dublin Edition of His Narrative
Patricia J. Ferreira, 2001. Retrieved May 2009 Webb wrote
The Life and Letters of Captain John Brown''
1861 He died in 1872.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Richard Davis 1805 births 1872 deaths Irish abolitionists Irish activists