William Cowherd

Infobox clergy
name = William Cowherd


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church = Salford Bible Christian Church
other_names = 'Cowherdite'cite web|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101006496/|title=William Cowherd (brief information)|publisher=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|accessdate=2008-07-08]
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congregations = parts of Salford
offices_held = priest
title = reverend
spouse = none
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Reverend William Cowherd (1763–1816) was a priest serving the Salford area of Greater Manchester and one of the philosophical forerunners of The Vegetarian Society, founded in 1847.cite web|url=http://www.vegsoc.org/info/developm.html|title=History of Vegetarianism - Early Ideas|publisher=The Vegetarian Society|accessdate=2008-07-08; James Gregory, "Of Victorians and Vegetarians" (London: I. B. Tauris, 2007) pp. 30-35.] cite web|url=http://www.vegsoc.org/parkdale/whatis1.html|title=What is the Vegetarian Society?|publisher=The Vegetarian Society|accessdate=2008-07-08] Cowherd advocated and encouraged members of his then small group of followers - known as 'cowherdites'. His early ideas and insight into the abstinence from eating meat, provided the basis for early ideas about vegetarianism. This message was later preached to the U.S. as some 41 members of the Bible Christian Church set across the Altantic in 1817.

Influence

Cowherd is accredited with being the main figure advocating the theory of vegetarianism.cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/may/14/foodanddrink|title=A Mars Bar a day? No longer an option if you are vegetarian|publisher=The Guardian|date=2007-03-17|accessdate=2008-07-08] It is noted that he asked his congregation to refrain from eating meat which culminated in the founding of the Vegetarian Society in 1847.cite web|url=http://www.ely.anglican.org/parishes/camgsm/Majestas/1999/July.html|title=Majestas: July 1999|publisher=Diocese of Ely|accessdate=2008-07-08] His church was located in Bridge Street, Manchester.

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