Samuel Wilberforce Biography

Samuel Wilberforce FRS (7 September 1805 – 19 July 1873) was an English bishop in the Church of England, third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his day. The nickname derives from a comment by Benjamin Disraeli that the bishop's manner was "unctuous, oleaginous, saponaceous". He is probably best remembered today for his opposition to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution—most notably at a famous debate in 1860.