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James Simpson (Bible Christian)

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The Reverend
James Simpson
JP
A detailed black-and-white engraving of a man with a beard and neatly combed hair.
Simpson in Fifty Years of Food Reform (1898)
Born(1812-07-09)9 July 1812
Clitheroe, Lancashire, England
Died2 September 1859(1859-09-02) (aged 47)
Foxhill Bank, near Accrington, Lancashire, England
Burial place
St James' Church, Church Kirk
Occupations
  • Deacon
  • social reformer
Known forVegetarianism activism
Notable workThe Vegetarian Messenger
TitlePresident of the Vegetarian Society
Term1847–1859
SuccessorWilliam Harvey[1]
Spouse
Hannah Harvey
​
(m. 1843)​
Children2
RelativesWilliam Harvey (father-in-law)

James Simpson JP (9 July 1812 – 2 September 1859) was an English Bible Christian deacon and social reformer. Based at Foxhill Bank, near Accrington, Lancashire, he was active in vegetarianism, temperance, anti-tobacco campaigning, the anti-Corn Law movement, and the peace movement. He was a member of the Anti-Corn Law League, a vice-president of the United Kingdom Alliance, and a justice of the peace for Lancashire.

Simpson co-founded the Vegetarian Society and served as its first president from 1847 until his death. He later published and edited the society's journal, The Vegetarian Messenger. He was a lifelong vegetarian and a deacon of the Bible Christian Church.

Biography

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Early life and education

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James Simpson Jr. was born on 9 July 1812 in Clitheroe, Lancashire.[2] He was the son of James Simpson Sr., a wealthy calico printer.[3][4] The family later moved to Foxhill Bank, near Accrington.[2] They were members of the Bible Christian Church.[5]: 106 

Simpson was educated by Rev. W. Wood at Hybrake House, Altham.[6] He later received private tuition in London and Berlin. He intended to pursue a career in law, but did not do so; the temperance historian Samuel Couling attributed this to his moral principles. After his father's death, Simpson inherited a large fortune.[2]

Public life

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Simpson supported a range of social and political reforms. A member of the Anti-Corn Law League, he was also involved in the temperance movement.[7] He served as vice-president of the United Kingdom Alliance. He was also a prominent member of the Lancashire Liberal Party.[5]: 106  He was a justice of the peace for the county palatine of Lancaster.[8]

Vegetarianism

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Simpson was a lifelong vegetarian. According to the International Vegetarian Union, his vegetarianism was encouraged by his mother, the Bible Christian Church's dietary teaching, and Swedenborgian influence.[7] He also served as a deacon of the church.[9]

Simpson co-founded the Vegetarian Society and was elected its first president in 1847.[10] From 1849, he published and edited the society's journal, The Vegetarian Messenger.[11] His travels abroad were reported as contributing to the establishment of vegetarian societies outside Britain.[12] He anonymously published two works on vegetarianism.[5]: 106 

Personal life and death

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Simpson married Hannah Harvey in 1843.[4] They had two children.[6] His father-in-law was William Harvey, who was Mayor of Salford from 1857 to 1859, and a prominent Bible Christian.[13]

Simpson died on 2 September 1859, aged 47, at Foxhill Bank, near Accrington.[8] He had been ill for 18 months.[6] He was buried at St James' Church, Church Kirk.[14] A 30-foot (9.1 m) obelisk was erected in his memory.[5]: 106 

Legacy

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Historian James Gregory notes that one of Simpson's lectures on vegetarianism inspired T. Anderson Hanson to become a vegetarian.[5]: 52 

Publications

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Antrobus, Derek. "William Harvey (1789-1870)". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Couling, Samuel (1862). "Simpson, James". History of the Temperance Movement in Great Britain and Ireland: From the Earliest Date to the Present Time. London: W. Tweedie. p. 349.
  3. ↑ "Biography: Mary Rostron". Weaste Cemetery Heritage Trail. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Biography: Mary Harvey". Weaste Cemetery Heritage Trail. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Gregory, James Richard Thomas Elliott (May 2002). "Biographical Index of British Vegetarians and Food reformers of the Victorian Era". The Vegetarian Movement in Britain c.1840–1901: A Study of Its Development, Personnel and Wider Connections (PDF) (PhD thesis). Vol. 2. University of Southampton. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Interment of the Remains of the Late Mr. Simpson". The Weekly Standard and Express. 14 September 1859. p. 3. Retrieved 4 May 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 "The Vegetarian Movement in England 1847-1981". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Died". Stockport Advertiser. 9 September 1859. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "The Bible Christian Church (1809-1930)". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  10. ↑ McIlwain, Richard (April 2024) [2022]. "History". Vegetarian Society. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  11. ↑ Young, Liam (2021), "Vegetarian Messenger, The", The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Victorian Women's Writing, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 1–9, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-02721-6_436-1, ISBN 978-3-030-02721-6, retrieved 10 October 2025
  12. ↑ "Veggie revolution was led by the North". Lancashire Telegraph. 8 January 1998. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Biography: Mary Rostron". Weaste Cemetery Heritage Trail. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  14. ↑ "Burials at St James in the Parish of Church Kirk". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerk Project. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
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