William Ewart Gladstone, one of Liverpool’s greatest sons, was born in Rodney Street in 1809, the son of John Gladstone, who was one of the largest British slave owners on his estates in Jamaica and Demerara. In 1823, the greatest slave rebellion in Demeraran history took place on a Gladstone plantation. The insurrection was put down with great brutality, with many of the slaves being mutilated and others executed for having the temerity to rebel against their enslavement. When slavery was finally abolished his family received the largest compensation payment from the British government, over £100,000 for the more than 2,000 enslaved people they had to free. Although not a claimant himself, William was closely involved with the claims of his father and other relatives. Hand written records highlight William’s central role in calculating his father’s human property and working out the compensation that was due to the family. Although William is remembered for championing Irish Home Rule and Parliamentary reform, as a young MP his earliest speeches in parliament were in defence of slavery and accusations of mistreatment of the enslaved on his family plantations. During the American Civil War, he also expressed support for the Confederacy. The statue of William (pictured below) stands in St John’s Garden. He is still the only person to have held the office of Prime Minister for four terms.