James Simpson (Bible Christian)
James Simpson | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Simpson from Charles W. Forward's Fifty Years of Food Reform (1898) | |
| Born | 9 July 1812 Clitheroe, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 3 September 1859 (aged 47) Accrington, Lancashire, England |
| Burial place | St James' Church, Church Kirk, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Deacon, activist |
| Known for | Co-founding and serving as the first president of the Vegetarian Society |
| Spouse | Hannah Harvey (m. 1843) |
| Children | 2 |
James Simpson (9 July 1812 – 3 September 1859) was a Bible Christian deacon and activist for a number of causes. He was active in the vegetarianism, temperance, anti-tobacco, anti-Corn Law and peace movements. Simpson helped found and was the first president of the Vegetarian Society.
Biography
[edit]James Simpson was born on 9 July 1812,[1] in Clitheroe, Lancashire, the son of James Simpson Sr.,[2] a wealthy calico printer.[3] He was educated by Rev. W. Wood at Hybrake House, Altham,[4] and received a private education in London and Berlin.[5] Simpson married Hannah Harvey in 1843;[3] they had two children.[4]
Actively engaged in public life, he supported diverse social and political reforms. A member of the Anti-Corn Law League, Simpson also joined the teetotal movement during a time when such a choice was uncommon. Embracing the tenets of Bible Christianity and influenced by Swedenborg, he maintained a lifelong commitment to vegetarianism, instilled by his mother.[5] He helped form and was elected the first president of the Vegetarian Society in 1847.[6] His travels abroad led to the establishment of international vegetarian societies.[7]
Simpson died on 3 September 1859, at the age of 47;[3] he was living in Foxhill Bank, Accrington, and suffered from a long illness for 18 months.[4] He was buried at St James' Church, Church Kirk.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
- ^ "Biography: Mary Rostron". Weaste Cemetery Heritage Trail. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ Jump up to: Jump up to: a b c "Biography: Mary Harvey". Weaste Cemetery Heritage Trail. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ Jump up to: Jump up to: a b c "Interment of the Remains of the Late Mr. Simpson". The Weekly Standard and Express. 1859-09-14. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com (subscription required).
- ^ Jump up to: Jump up to: a b "The Vegetarian Movement in England 1847-1981". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ "History". Vegetarian Society. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ "Veggie revolution was led by the North". Lancashire Telegraph. 1998-01-08. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ "Burials at St James in the Parish of Church Kirk". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerk Project. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- 1812 births
- 1859 deaths
- 19th-century English clergy
- Anti-smoking activists
- British social reformers
- English vegetarianism activists
- Burials in Lancashire
- Deacons
- English anti-war activists
- English Swedenborgians
- English temperance activists
- Organization founders
- People associated with the Vegetarian Society
- People from Clitheroe
- People from Accrington
- Christian vegetarians
- Bible Christians
- English philanthropists
- 19th-century British philanthropists