Staff recently found four letters dating from the early 19th century, including two written by Wilberforce - as part of a project to organise and develop the university archive.

Led by alumni assistant, Amy Hultum, with support from Dr Lisa Peters, the project is bringing new light to alumni donations and wider artefacts that have been in storage, some for decades.

The letters were sent by Wilberforce to the Rev Henry Raikes, son of his close friend Thomas Raikes, who was Governor of the Bank of England between 1797 and 1799.

Henry Raikes was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Chester and was one of six founders of the Chester Diocesan Training College - later becoming the University of Chester.

In his letters dated to 1830, Wilberforce discussed his efforts to build a chapel near his Highwood Hill home in Middlesex.

The other two letters date from 1808 and 1809: one is to Henry Raikes from his uncle and the other is to Thomas Raikes from his brother.

These two letters, between William Wilberforce and his friend and fellow Evangelist Henry Raikes, were written towards the end of Wilberforce's life.

The campaign which had dominated Wilberforce's political career - the abolition of the slave trade - had achieved the momentous milestone of prohibiting the buying and selling of slaves within the British Empire in 1807.

"The abolition of the trade itself would not be realised until 1833; the year of Wilberforce's death,"  Dr Hannah Ewence said.

"It was from Highwood House that Wilberforce sat down to pen his replies to Raikes, then Chancellor of the Diocese of Chester.

"Their affectionate correspondence ranged across personal, political and spiritual matters, and offers a sense of the paternal regard in which Wilberforce held the younger man.

"Certainly, his efforts to persuade Raikes that he should take a living as curate in Mill Hill because he knew him to be "a promotor of peace and good will" reveals that Wilberforce's reputation for showing great care for friend and stranger alike had not diminished, even in his final years."

Wilberforce died in July 1833 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

The chapel that he dreamt of building at Mill Hill was consecrated that same year.

Any former University of Chester students who would like to donate memorabilia such as photos, event programmes and lecture notes from their time studying at any site, to add to the collection, are asked to contact: [email protected]