Wilberforce (cat)

Wilberforce
Wilberforce in Downing Street
Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office
In role
1973 – 3 April 1987
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime Minister
Preceded byPeta (c. 1976)
Succeeded byHumphrey (1989)
Personal details
Bornc. 1973
Died (aged 15)
Essex, England
OccupationMouser

Wilberforce (c. 1973 – 19 May 1988) was a cat living at 10 Downing Street who was employed as the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office from 1973 to 1987. He served during the premierships of four prime ministers: Edward Heath, Harold Wilson,[note 1] James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher. In obituaries published shortly after his death he was described as the "best mouser in Britain".

Early life and career

Wilberforce was an eight-week-old white tabby kitten when adopted from the Hounslow branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1973.[1] He was appointed the Downing Street office manager's cat to deal with a mouse infestation, and given a living allowance. He was named Wilberforce in honour of the English abolitionist William Wilberforce.[1] Downing Street staff would reply to mail sent to him "wanting to know how he was, [wishing] him luck".[2] Despite his role as chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, he rarely visited the Cabinet room, instead preferring the Scottish Office, 11 Downing Street and the Foreign Office.[1]

According to Bernard Ingham, the former Downing Street press secretary, the prime minister Margaret Thatcher once bought Wilberforce "a tin of sardines in a Moscow supermarket",[3] because, according to The Daily Telegraph, "there was nothing else to buy".[4] Wilberforce would regularly sleep on and under Ingham's desk, which irritated Ingham because of his asthma.[5][6] When resident ducks from nearby St James's Park had eggs that were about to hatch Thatcher "made sure he [Wilberforce] was kept out of the way".[7][8] During the BBC's coverage of the 1983 general election Esther Rantzen held Wilberforce and introduced him to viewers.[9] Noting his longevity, in 1985 the Sunday Mirror stated that Wilberforce "seem[ed] to go on forever";[10] in December 1986, anticipating the 1987 general election, the Lincolnshire Echo said this of Wilberforce:

Governments may come and go, prime ministers may pass in the night, but Wilberforce goes on forever, untroubled by the mighty events that go on around her [sic] twitching whiskers.[11]

Retirement and death

Wilberforce retired on 3 April 1987[3] after fourteen years of service under four different prime ministers.[12][13][14] He went to live in Essex with a retired caretaker from Number 10; before his departure, Thatcher gave Wilberforce a leaving gift.[5][2] He died in his sleep on 19 May 1988, aged 15.[2] Upon his death, Edward Heath, who was in Tokyo at the time, said that he was "very sorry that the longest resident has died".[5] Harold Wilson, who had been "extremely fond" of Wilberforce,[1] expressed his regrets; James Callaghan's wife Audrey was reportedly "shocked".[note 2][5] Thatcher was given the news of his death at the end of the daily Cabinet meeting, and stated that she was "very sad".[15] In various newspaper stories and obituaries covering his death, Wilberforce was described as the "best mouser in Britain".[14][16] He was buried near his retirement home.[2]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Wilberforce served during Wilson's second term.
  2. ^ Callaghan was flying back to Britain from Moscow that night, and was unaware of Wilberforce's death.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Kidder, Rushworth M. (3 July 1980). "Wilberforce at No. 10 is a premier cat". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Wilberforce the cat, mouser to 4 British leaders, dead at 15". Los Angeles Times. 20 May 1988. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  3. ^ a b Choron, Sandra; Choron, Harry; Moore, Arden (2007). Planet Cat: A Cat-Alog. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 126. ISBN 978-0618812592. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  4. ^ Pierce, Andrew (28 July 2009). "Downing Street cat Sybil dies". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Langdon, Julia (20 May 1988). "Wilberforce is dead". Daily Mirror. p. 7. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Obituary: Sir Bernard Ingham". BBC News. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 15 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  7. ^ Shaw, John (28 May 1988). "Mrs Thatcher splashes out on duck pond". The Daily Telegraph. p. 3. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  8. ^ "After death of No 10 cat, a duck rules the roost". Western Daily Press. 28 May 1988. p. 9. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Election 83". BBC One. 9 June 1983.
  10. ^ "All the Queen's men.". Sunday Mirror. 8 December 1985. p. 8. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  11. ^ Moncrieff, Chris (31 December 1986). "Will she won't she?". Lincolnshire Echo. p. 10. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  12. ^ Carey, M. F. (25 May 1988). "Vermin at No. 10". The Daily Telegraph. p. 18. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  13. ^ Morris, Nigel (12 September 2007). "Introducing Sybil, Downing Street's first cat for a decade". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Parliament & Politics". The Daily Telegraph. 20 May 1988. p. 15. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  15. ^ "PM 'sad' at cat's death". Daily Post. 20 May 1988. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Alas, Great Britain's 'best mouser' dead". USA Today. 20 May 1988. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2016.

Further reading