Joseph Brotherton

Joseph Brotherton (22 May 1783 – 7 January 1857) was an English reforming politician, Bible Christian minister, and vegetarianism activist. He was the first Member of Parliament for Salford and has been described as the first vegetarian member of parliament.

Biography

Early life and family Brotherton was born in Whittington, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the son of John Brotherton, an excise collector, and his wife Mary Broomhead. In 1789, the family moved to Salford, Lancashire, where his father established a cotton and silk mill.

Brotherton received no formal education and joined the family firm, becoming a partner in 1802. After his father's death in 1809, he entered into partnership with his cousin William Harvey (1787–1870). In 1806, he married his business partner's sister and cousin, Martha Harvey (1782–1861).

Bible Christian Church In 1805, Brotherton joined the Salford Swedenborgian church led by William Cowherd. The church was renamed the Bible Christian Church in 1809. After Cowherd's death in 1816, Brotherton became a minister. The church required members to abstain from meat and alcoholic drink. In 1812, his wife published Vegetable Cookery, an early vegetarian cookbook.

In 1819, aged 36, Brotherton retired from the family business to devote more time to his ministry. He supported local social reforms, including the building of schools, the opening of a lending library, and the establishment of a fund for victims of the Peterloo Massacre.

During the food shortages of 1847, Brotherton helped to set up vegetable soup kitchens in Manchester. After this, he worked with other local vegetarians to establish an organisation promoting vegetarianism. He chaired the inaugural meeting of the Vegetarian Society in September 1847. In its early years, the society used pamphlets by Brotherton to promote its views.

Death and legacy

Brotherton died suddenly from a heart attack in January 1857, aged 73, while travelling to a meeting in Manchester. In May 2018, the statue was returned to Peel Park and placed on a replica of its original plinth. The statue was listed in December 2023.