Slavery Abolition Act 1833 British Parliament held two inquiries. The results of these inquiries contributed greatly to the abolition of slavery with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. The Act had its third reading in the House of Commons on 26 July 1833, three days before William Wilberforce died. It received the Royal Assent a month later, on August 28, and came into force the following year, on 1 August 1834. In practical terms, only slaves below the age of six were freed in the colonies. Former slaves over the age of six were redesignated as "apprentices", and their servitude was abolished in two stages:
Alexander Fletcher (British politician) of the Exchequer Alistair Darling. Fletcher was Under-Secretary of State for Scotland from 1979 to 1983, and Minister for Corporate and Consumer Affairs 1983 to 1985. He died in Westminster but was returned to Edinburgh for burial. He and his wife are buried together in the 20th century (north) extension to Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh. Alexander Fletcher (British politician) Sir Alexander MacPherson Fletcher (26 August 1929 – 18 September 1989), sometimes known as Alex Fletcher, was a British Conservative Party politician. He was born in Greenock in western Scotland. He was married to Christine Anne Buchanan (1926-2008). Fletcher first stood