Joseph Brotherton | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Brotherton,c. 1850 | |
| Born | 22 May 1783 (2025-04-06UTC00:46:25) Whittington, England |
| Died | 7 January 1857(1857-01-07) (aged 73) Manchester, England |
| Resting place | Weaste Cemetery, Salford, England |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, minister, activist |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, includingHelen |
| Relatives | William Harvey (cousin and brother-in-law) |
Joseph Brotherton (22 May 1783 – 7 January 1857) was an Englishreforming politician,Bible Christian minister, and a pioneeringvegetarian activist. He was Salford's first MP and has been described as the first vegetarianmember of parliament.[1]
Brotherton was born inWhittington, nearChesterfield,Derbyshire, and was the son of John Brotherton, an excise collector, and his wife Mary Broomhead. In 1789 the family moved toSalford,Lancashire, where his father established a cotton and silk mill.[2]
Brotherton received no formal education, instead joining the family firm, of which he became a partner in 1802. On the death of his father in 1809, he went into partnership with his cousinWilliam Harvey (bapt. 1787, d. 1870). In 1806 he married his business partner's sister and cousin,Martha Harvey (bapt. 1782, d. 1861).[2] Their children wereHelen (b. 1812, d. 1898), John (b. 1813, d. 1813), James (b. 1814, d. 1871), and Mary.[3]
In 1805 he joined the SalfordSwedenborgian Church. The church, led byWilliam Cowherd, was renamed theBible Christian Church in 1809. In 1816 Cowherd died, and Brotherton became a minister. The church required abstention from the eating of meat or drinking of alcohol. In 1812, his wife authoredVegetable Cookery, the first vegetarian cookbook.[4]
In 1819, aged 36, Brotherton retired from the family business in order to devote his energy to his ministry.[2] He used his position to actively improve the conditions of workers and campaign for reforms. Among his achievements were the building of schools, the opening of a lending library and the establishment of a fund to support the victims of thePeterloo Massacre.[2] He was a member of thePortico Library, anoverseer of the poor and ajustice of the peace.[citation needed]
From 1815 Brotherton was a member of a group of NonconformistLiberals, meeting in theManchester home of John Potter, termed theLittle Circle. Other members of the group included:John Edward Taylor (founder ofThe Manchester Guardian),Archibald Prentice (later editor of theManchester Times),John Shuttleworth (industrialist and municipal reformer),Absalom Watkin (parliamentary reformer andanti corn law campaigner), William Cowdray Jnr (editor of theManchester Gazette),Thomas Potter (laterfirst mayor of Manchester) andRichard Potter (laterMP for Wigan). In 1820 Brotherton, Shuttleworth and Thomas Potter founded the ManchesterChamber of Commerce.[2]
In 1821, after thePeterloo Massacre and the government-led closure of theManchester Observer, the group without Cowdroy backedJohn Edward Taylor in founding theManchester Guardian newspaper.[citation needed]
After the death of John Potter, the Potter brothers formed a second Little Circle group, to begin a campaign for parliamentary reform. This called for the better proportional representation in the Houses of Parliament from therotten boroughs towards the fast-growing industrialised towns ofBirmingham,Leeds, Manchester andSalford. After the petition raised on behalf of the group by Absalom Watkin, Parliament passed theReform Act 1832.[citation needed]
The group's aims were achieved with the passing of theReform Act 1832. Brotherton was elected asSalford's firstMember of Parliament at theensuing general election.[2] He was re-elected five times, unopposed on two occasions.[2] In parliament he campaigned against thedeath penalty, for the abolition of slavery and for free non-denominational education.[2] He actively supported theMunicipal Corporations Bill, which led to Manchester and Salford having democratically elected councils. He took an interest in the facilities provided by the new municipalities, and was largely responsible for the opening ofPeel Park, Salford andWeaste Cemetery.[citation needed]
Brotherton viewedvegetarianism as integral to personal health, moral progress, and social peace, reflecting his broader pacifist and humanitarian principles. He argued that dietary reform was a cornerstone of broader societal reform, linking temperance in eating and drinking to the reduction of human misery and the increase of happiness.[5]
In response to the food shortages of 1847, Brotherton played a key role in setting up vegetable soup kitchens in Manchester to provide relief. Inspired by the success of this initiative, Brotherton collaborated with other local vegetarians to create an organisation dedicated to promoting vegetarianism. He presided as chairman at the inaugural meeting of theVegetarian Society, held in September of that year. During its early years, the Society relied primarily on pamphlets authored by Brotherton to advance its mission and increase public awareness of the organization.[6]
Brotherton died suddenly from aheart attack aged 73 in January 1857, while travelling to a meeting in Manchester.[2] He was buried on 14 January in the newWeaste Cemetery, Salford, the first interment at the cemetery he campaigned for, following a two and a half mile long funeral procession.[2]
AJoseph Brotherton Memorial Fund was established, and a statue of Brotherton was erected in Peel Park in 1858.[2] The statue was dismantled in 1954 and sold into private ownership in 1969. At the time Salford City Council were looking for any additional revenue and it sold the statue to a scrap metal merchant. He was aware of the rivalry between the two cities so he approached Manchester with the suggestion they might buy it. It was purchased by Manchester City Council in 1986, and was resited at Riverside Walk, overlooking theRiver Irwell and facing towards Salford. The effect was that he was looking balefully at the city that thought so little of him as to sell his statue. It was relocated onto the Salford bank of the Irwell to make way for a new footbridge linking Salford to the Spinningfield development.[7][8] In May 2018 it was returned to Peel Park and placed on a plinth which was a replica of the original one it occupied. The statue waslisted in December 2023.[9]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| New constituency | Member of Parliament forSalford 1832 –1857 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
