MEMBERS of the Thomas Fowell Buxton Society attended Westminster Abbey in July for Evensong.

Current Mayor of Weymouth and Portland, Cllr Richard Kosior, was part of the Weymouth contingent who travelled to the event, along with former mayor Cllr Christine James.

The society members attended both Evensong and the annual memorial service to Thomas Fowell Buxton, who was a major voice in the abolition of slavery in Britain.

He was elected to Parliament as MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in 1818.

The Weymouth group travelled to Victoria Tower Gardens in Westminster, where they enjoyed a picnic with members of the Buxton family.

They then attended Evensong in the afternoon at Westminster Abbey, sung by the choir of St Clement’s Church, Sandwich.

Evensong was followed by the memorial service at the base of the Thomas Fowell Buxton statue, led by Rev David Stanton Canon, of the Abbey, accompanied by the Rev Edward Tildesley, from Weymouth.

Cllr Kosior addressed those in attendance to discuss how important Thomas Fowell Buxton is to Weymouth.

Lynwood Newman, of the Thomas Fowell Buxton Society, said: "There was probably near to 100 people there. It was a good turnout and it was terrific weather.

"One thing it does for the family is it brings them together. One of the family members lives in Scotland.

"It was great to see people getting to know each other."

There was also a gathering in which those in attendance were pictured with £5 notes.

Thomas Fowell Buxton appears on the current note, next to the larger representation of his sister-in-law - prison reformer Elizabeth Fry.

The society is planning to oversee the creation of a monument to Thomas Fowell Buxton in the town, constructed by Weymouth College students using Portland Stone.

Groundwork for the monument will begin at Bincleaves Green, in Weymouth, at the end of August, with a special dedication of the monument set to take place in spring 2017.