Meet Barbara Spooner — Debby Thompson

England has been much in the news of late with the death and funeral of her beloved longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. With my own tea and tears, I sat alone and watched for twelve hours as the world bade farewell to this amazing woman. Now today, another exceptional English lady, of far less notoriety, is the focus of this blog post: Barbara Spooner.

“Barbara Spooner became the wife of William Wilberforce, the leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. Imagine! Two weeks after their initial meeting, Wilberforce proposed marriage to this remarkable lady, to which Barbara agreed. They were married a month later, six weeks after they met.

“They were held as such an example of strength and fidelity that those around them—and around the country—took notice. ”

— World-Changers: Live to Serve

The marriage of William and Barbara was so strong, so unshakable, that historians agree it had an impact on the institution of marriage in England for the next 50 years. They were held as such an example of strength and fidelity that those around them—and around the country—took notice.

“They raised the bar and modeled something for their culture that was rarely seen at the time. ”

— Ibid

The pair ran against the culture of the time, which said it was acceptable to demean women or to be unfaithful to your wife. Add to that, Barbara’s constant exposure to the public—she was very much a public figure in her husband’s life. All these things combined so well that their marriage—and the strength of it—became public knowledge. They raised the bar and modeled something for their culture that was rarely seen at the time.

More importantly, Barbara had a tremendous impact on her husband. She was his constant encourager, his staunch ally, and his fiercest friend. She helped him carry the abolition banner for the rest of his life.”*

Barbara Spooner

1771-1847

*Bob Beltz and Walt Kallestad. World-Changers: Live to Serve. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2007. Print.