Lewis Gompertz

English writer, inventor and animal rights activist (c. 1784–1861

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Lewis Gompertz (c. 1784^{[note 1]} – 2 December 1861) was an English writer and inventor, and early animal rights and veganism advocate. He was a founding member of the English Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; later the RSPCA, and the Animals' Friend Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Biography

Lewis Gompertz was born into a large and wealthy family of London diamond merchants,^[2] the fifth son of his father Solomon Barent Gompertz's (1729–1808) second marriage; he was the younger brother of the mathematician and actuary Benjamin Gompertz, and the poet Isaac Gompertz.^[3] Being Jewish, Gompertz and his siblings were not allowed to attend university and instead received an informal education.^[2]

Gompertz was a vegan and opposed to humans intentionally using animals for human interests in any way.^[2] He refused to wear leather or silk and declined to ride in coaches due to the suffering of the horses.^[4][5] He was the inventor of a multitude of inventions—including the expanding chuck—many of them designed to reduce animal suffering.^[6] In 1821, Gompertz invented an improved velocipede, an early form of bicycle. His machine was powered by pulling on the steering handles, which drove a rack and pinion mechanism, which in turn rotated the front wheel.^[7]

Gompertz was one of the founding members for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), later the RSPCA, attending its inaugural meeting in 1824.^[2] He published his first book Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes, in the same year, which laid out his ethical views on animals;^[8] the book was also critical of capitalism and the oppression of women, and praised Owenism.^[3] Gompertz acted as the SPCA's second Honorary Secretary, before resigning in 1833, after the governing committee objected to Gompertz's promotion of "Pythagorean doctrines", which held that the feelings of animals and humans were of equal value. The committee also had created a resolution that limited membership in the SPCA to Christians. Since Gompertz was a Jew, he was forced to resign.^[2]

Gompertz went on to found the Animals' Friend Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which he ran until 1846, after which he resigned to care for Ann, his terminally ill wife. The society was welcoming to evangelicals and Quakers. His wife died in 1847,^[9] and he spent the remainder of his life writing and speaking about animal rights and welfare,^[3][10] and creating inventions.^[2] In 1852, he published his second book on animals, Fragments in Defence of Animals.^[8]

Gompertz died from bronchitis at his home in Kennington, on 2 December 1861,^[11] and was buried in the graveyard of the local church.^[3]

Selected publications

• Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes (1824; 1992, edited by Peter Singer; 1997, edited by Charles R. Magel)
• Mechanical Inventions and Suggestions on Land and Water Locomotion (1851)
• Fragments in Defence of Animals, and Essays on Morals, Soul, and Future State (1852)
• Index to 38 Inventions of L. G. (1856)

See also

• List of animal rights advocates

Notes

References

Further reading

• Nathan, Sandra. "Animals and Their Jewish Guardians". Tikkun. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
• Davis, John (20 December 2011). "Lewis Gompertz - Jewish 'vegan' and co-founder of the RSPCA in 1824". International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
• Renier, Hannah (10 February 2012). "Finding Lewis Gompertz". Cemetery Scribes blog. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
• Kew, Barry (28 April 2023). Lewis Gompertz: Philosopher, Activist, Philanthropist, Inventor. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-6667-6129-0.

External links

• Quotations related to Lewis Gompertz at Wikiquote