Early life and family Brotherton was born in
Whittington, near
Chesterfield,
Derbyshire, and was 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, 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 cousin
William Harvey (bapt. 1787, d. 1870). In 1806 he married his business partner's sister and cousin,
Martha Harvey (bapt. 1782, d. 1861).
Bible Christian Church In 1805 he joined the Salford
Swedenborgian Church. The church, led by
William Cowherd, was renamed the
Bible 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 authored
Vegetable Cookery, the first vegetarian cookbook. In 1819, aged 36, Brotherton retired from the family business in order to devote his energy to his ministry. 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 the
Vegetarian 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.
Death and legacy Brotherton died suddenly from a
heart attack aged 73 in January 1857, while travelling to a meeting in Manchester. 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 was
listed in December 2023. ==References==