Reverend William Cowherd: The Manchester Minister Who Helped Start Modern Vegetarianism

When people think about vegetarianism or veganism today, they usually picture plant-based diets, oat milk lattes, tofu stir-fries, and maybe a bit of Instagram activism. But did you know that the roots of modern vegetarianism can actually be traced back to early 19th-century Salford, just over the river from Manchester?

Yep — a local minister named Reverend William Cowherd (no joke, that was his actual name) helped kick off a movement that still echoes today. This quiet corner of Greater Manchester played a surprisingly big role in shaping the vegetarian and even vegan values we know now.

If you're vegan or vegetarian and living in Manchester, or you're just interested in the backstory of your plant-based lifestyle, this is one bit of local history you’ll definitely want to know about.

Reverend William Cowherd was born in 1763 and became a Christian minister during a time of massive change in the UK — the industrial revolution, new ideas about religion and society, and growing concerns about inequality and animal welfare were all bubbling up.

In 1809, he founded the Bible Christian Church in Salford. This wasn’t your average church. The Bible Christians believed in:

• Free will and spiritual freedom
• Education and equality
• Living a life of kindness and compassion
• Avoiding alcohol
• And — most notably — abstaining from meat

Cowherd preached that it was a Christian duty to show mercy to animals, and that eating them wasn’t in line with a compassionate or moral life. His message was surprisingly modern, and even more surprising — people listened.

He once said: "If God had meant us to eat meat, it would have come to us in edible form — as is the ripened fruit."

At a time when meat was a staple and the idea of vegetarianism was almost unheard of in Britain, this was a pretty revolutionary statement.

The Bible Christian Church wasn’t just about sermons. Members genuinely committed to living meat-free lives. Cowherd encouraged his congregation to not only avoid meat but also think more broadly about how they treated all living beings.

This small but passionate community in Salford effectively became one of the first organized vegetarian groups in the Western world.

Their meat-free, alcohol-free lifestyle wasn’t just about personal health either — it was tied deeply to moral and spiritual values, and a desire to live gently and fairly in a world that, frankly, wasn’t doing a great job at either.

After Cowherd died in 1816, many of his followers kept the movement alive and well. One of the most notable was Joseph Brotherton, a former church member who went on to become Salford’s first MP. He remained vegetarian for life and pushed the message in Parliament and beyond.

A few decades later, in 1847, the Vegetarian Society was officially formed. Although it was technically founded in Ramsgate, Kent, many of its early leaders were either directly influenced by Cowherd’s teachings or were from the Manchester and Salford area.

This makes Greater Manchester one of the true birthplaces of organized vegetarianism in the West.

This is where things get cool — especially if you’re running a vegan directory for Manchester (hi!). You can genuinely say that your city helped launch the entire vegetarian movement.

Here are a few fun local facts:

• There’s a blue plaque in Salford marking the spot of the original Bible Christian Church.
• Cowherd is buried in St. John’s Churchyard in Manchester.
• Manchester became a hub for progressive ideas in the 1800s — abolition, workers' rights, suffrage, and yes, vegetarianism too.
• The Vegetarian Society eventually moved its base to Altrincham, Greater Manchester, where it's still active today.

Knowing that vegetarianism and plant-based thinking have roots right here in Salford makes the modern vegan scene in Manchester feel like more than just a trend — it’s a continuation of a long-standing local tradition.

From Cowherd’s humble sermons to the countless vegan and veggie spots now scattered around the city, Manchester has come full circle. And honestly, that’s something to be proud of.

So next time you’re tucking into a jackfruit burger or sipping a soya flat white, raise your glass to Reverend Cowherd. Without him, the plant-based scene we love today might’ve taken a very different path.