Bourne, George, 1780-1845

Clergyman and abolitionist.

From the description of George Bourne literary manuscript, 1802. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 124032243

Emigrating from England to Virginia, George Bourne was installed as pastor of the Presbyterian church in South River in 1814. This first direct experience with slavery convinced Bourne of its moral peril, and he quickly became an immediatist abolitionist, bringing down upon his shoulders not only the wrath of the local community, but the persecution of his own church. Convicted on charges of heresy for his views, Bourne was forced to leave Virginia, and he held pastorates in Pennsylvania, New York, and Quebec, where he adopted an ardent anti-Catholicism. By 1833, Bourne had become affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church, which was more tolerant of his radical antislavery views, and had drawn close to William Lloyd Garrison. He was author of numerous works on religion, slavery, and other topics, and was editor of the Christian Intelligencer at the time of his death in 1845.

From the guide to the George Bourne prospectus, Bourne, George, 1842, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)