What was the relationship between Wilberforce and Edmund Burke?

Question

I know Burke supported the abolition of the slave trade, does anyone know if he had any corespondence with William Wilberforce or was an early supporter of Wilberforce?

Answer 1

LeBlanc is a bit confused on his dates. Wilberforce was born in 1759, Burke died in 1797. Their overlap in Parliament began with Wilberforce's election in September 1780 and ended when Burke retired in July 1794.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke

This would include the first great period of Wilberforce's anti-slavery efforts, specifically those against the slave trade, beginning with his first speech on the matter in May 1789.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce#Abolition_campaign


Burke certainly took notice of Wilberforce at that time, declaring after that speech that his eloquence ecalled the greatest orators of ancient Greece (high praise from one considered by many the greatest orator of his day!)
http://www.witherspoonfellowship.org/index.cfm?get=item&b=7&item=WT02L1#

I do not know of any extant correspondence between the two men, but Burke was indeed an early supporter of Wilberforce's effort. In fact, he appears to have been the first main supporter of his efforts among the Whigs (Wilberforce was, with his friend William Pitt the Younger, an independent Tory).
http://www.kingsmeadow.com/2005/08/in-it-for-long-haul.html

Answer 2

Burke lived 14 years after Wilberfore was born.

I have found no evidence that there was any meeting. I think it possible that there could have been and more probable that Wilberforce would have read some of his speeches.