Guillaume de Felice

Guillaume Adam de Félice, 4th Comte de Panzutti (1803–71) was a Savoy nobleman, theologian and abolitionist.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Félice was born on 12 March 1803 in Otterberg and died on 23 October 1871 in Lausanne and was the grandson of Fortunato de Felice by his son Bernard. Guillaume grew up in a French environment as the family settled in Lille in 1804, and inherited his grandfather's vigour for radicalism and academia. He studied theology at Strasbourg and Lausanne universities and was accepted into the Church in 1827. He became a pastor at the Reformed Church of Bolbec, in Normandy Seine-Maritime, then a professor of theology in Montauban, occupying the chair 'de morale et d'éloquence sacrée' (of morality and holy speech). In later life he settled in his family town of Yverdon and married Joséphine Rivier, the daughter of a local aristocrat.

Abolitionism

Whilst at Bolbec, it is thought that his interest in abolitionism was heightened due to its proximity to the slave-port of Le Havre. Félice started the movement against the French slave camps in Guadeloupe, at the time a very controversial subject. It was through his religious beliefs that he pursued his struggle against slavery, resulting in him drafting the famous French petition of 1846 in favor of abolition. Felice maintainted a long correspondence with English abolitionists, who won their case in 1833, France abolishing slavery in 1848.

Bibliography

Sources

References

  1. ^ Leeds University Library /All Locations
  2. ^ http://www.blogdei.com/index.php/2006/11/14/465-un-pasteur-baptiste-guadeloupeen-reflechit-sur-la-guerre-des-memoires

Further reading

]</ref> -->

Pictures