William Dillwyn studied with Anthony Benezet and helped bring his ideas to England. He was one of the 35 members of Meeting for Suffering Committee on the Slave Trade that first met in 1783. He was also one 6 Quakers that met informally to advance the cause and one of the original 12 members of 'The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade' formed in 1787.

Committee membership:

Meeting for Suffering Committee on the Slave Trade (1783-1792):
Jacob Agar; David Barclay (1729-1809); Adey Bellamy (1739 – 1810); James Beesley; Richard Chester (1756 – 1810); Thomas Corbyn (1710 – 1791); William Dillwyn (1743-1824); Claude Gay (1707 – 1786); Jacob Hagen (1715-1795); George Harrison (1747-1827); Robert Howard (1738 - 1812); Thomas Knowles (1734-1786); John Coakley Lettsom (1744-1815); John Lloyd (1750-1811); Daniel Mildred (1731 – 1788); James Phillips (1745-1799); Foster Reynolds (1736 – 1797); Joseph Row (1722-1792); Henry Shenry; John Townsend (1725 - 1801); John Wallis (1747 - 1816); Jeremiah Waring (1715/6 - 1791); John Wright

The informal group of six Quakers who met during 1783 were:
William Dillwyn (1743-1824); George Harrison (1747-1827); Samuel Hoare Jr. (1751 - 1825); Thomas Knowles (1734-1786); John Lloyd (1750-1811); Joseph Woods (1738 - 1812)

The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade comprised:
Nine Quakers:
John Barton (1755 - 1789); William Dillwyn (1743-1824); George Harrison (1747-1827); Samuel Hoare Jr. (1751-1825); Joseph Hooper (1732 - 1789); John Lloyd (1750-1811); Joseph Woods (1738-1812); James Phillips (1745-1799) & his cousin Richard Phillips (1756 - 1836)
+ Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846)
+ Granville Sharpe (1735-1813) as chairperson
+ Philip Sansom
+ William Wilberforce (1759-1833) joined later as Parliamentary spokesperson

With Kind permission of 'The Library of the Religious Society of Friends'.