Memorial to unsung slavery hero Zach

An overlooked Scots hero who played a pivotal role in consigning slavery to the history books is to finally be recognised.

The final resting place of the pioneering activist Zachary Macaulay – whose horrific experiences in the Jamaican plantations and forensic attention to detail helped change the world forever – is to be marked for the first time with a memorial plaque.

Born in Inveraray in 1768, Macaulay overcame a misspent youth bingedrinking on the streets of Glasgow to become the governor of Sierra Leone, and later helped lay the foundations for the abolition of slavery in 1833.

His biographer, Rev Dr Iain Whyte, insists Macaulay provided the crucial “ammunition” that allowed key figures such as William Wilberforce to force a change in the law.

To mark the 250th anniversary of his birth, a plaque will be unveiled at St George’s Gardens in London after being donated by the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), the Friends of St George’s Gardens, University College London and the Clan Macaulay Association.

Sir David Spiegelhalter, president of the RSS, said: “The people who quietly gather the evidence don’t always get noticed, it’s so great that Macaulay’s contribution is being remembered today.”