On 13 December 1776, the Rev. William Turner preached the first avowedly anti-slavery sermon in the North of England. Copies of his sermon were distributed far and wide - in so doing, he had fired the first shot in the battle to end slavery had begun.

PAUL L. DAWSON BSc Hons, MRes, MIFA, FINS, is a professional historian, researcher and author who specializes in European history 1780 to 1832. He has written over 40 books on a wide array of subjects, from equitation to theology, but is best known for his decades of research carried out at the French Army Archives in Paris, primarily about the Waterloo Campaign, as well as the uniforms and equipment of the French Army.