Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Bt (1786-1845), Philanthropist

Sitter in 13 portraits
In 1808 he began working for the London brewery Truman, Hanbury & Company. Three years later he was appointed a partner and subsequently became its owner. A member of the Church of England, Buxton also attended Quaker meetings and became involved in the social reform movement. He helped raise money for the London weavers who were forced into poverty by new factories. He provided financial support for Elizabeth Fry's prison reform work and became a member of her Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate. As an MP from 1818 he worked for changes in prison conditions and criminal law and for the abolition of slavery. He also opposed capital punishment and pushed for its abolition.