Thomas Gisborne was a clergyman and abolitionist. He was a friend of William Wilberforce and a member of the Clapham Sect, a group of reformers who sought the abolition of slavery and the reform of the penal system. This book, An Enquiry into the Duties of Men (first published in 1795) was a treatise aimed at wealthy men, encouraging them to follow the duties of a good Christian. In 1797, Gisborne published a companion aimed at women.