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S. A. Birtwell

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S. A. Birtwell
Birtwell, from an obituary in The Vegetarian Messenger
Born
Sarah Ann Harrison

c. 1844
Accrington, England
Died (aged 53)
Manchester, England
Resting place
Southern Cemetery, Manchester
OccupationVegetarianism activist
OrganizationVegetarian Society
Spouse
Thomas Birtwell
​
​
(m. 1865; died 1884)​
Children1
Relatives

Sarah Ann Birtwell (née Harrison; c. 1844 – 20 February 1897) was an English vegetarianism activist. She was a member of the Vegetarian Society and the sister of its treasurer, William Harrison.

Biography

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Birtwell was born Sarah Ann Harrison in Accrington, Lancashire, around 1844.[1] She was baptised on 28 July 1844 at St Leonard's Church, Downham. Her parents were William Harrison, a butcher, and Mary Harrison.[2] Her older brother, William Harrison, later served as treasurer of the Vegetarian Society.[3]

In 1865, she married Thomas Birtwell in Haslingden.[4][5] By 1881, her husband was working as a cotton weaver and living in Rishton, Lancashire, where she was recorded as a cotton winder.[1] They had one son, Joseph, who later worked in a printworks.[1][6] Thomas died in 1884.[7]

Birtwell and her son were listed as residents of Accrington when they joined the Vegetarian Society in 1889.[6] Charles W. Forward's Fifty Years of Food Reform stated that Birtwell spent much of her time promoting vegetarianism and that she gained converts to the movement, including Albert Broadbent and A. O. Broadley.[8]

Birtwell died at Plymouth Grove, Manchester, on 20 February 1897, aged 53.[9][10] She was buried at Southern Cemetery on 23 February. At her funeral, conducted by the Reverend James Clark, Henry Pitman attended on behalf of the Vegetarian Society, and Mrs. Redfern represented the Accrington Congregational Church, of which Birtwell was a member.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 United Kingdom census (1881). "Sarah A Birtwell". FamilySearch. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Baptisms at St Leonard in the Parish of Downham: Baptisms recorded in the Register for 1813 - 1888: Baptisms for 1839 - 1864". The Parish of Downham. Retrieved 5 December 2024. Baptism: 28 Jul 1844 St Leonard, Downham, Lancashire; Sarah Anne Harrison - [Child] of William Harrison & Mary; Abode: Accrington; Occupation: Butcher
  3. ↑ Gregory, James Richard Thomas Elliott (May 2002). "Biographical Index of British Vegetarians and Food Reformers of the Victorian Era" (PDF). 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. p. 15. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "Marriages Sep 1865: Birtwell, Thomas". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "Marriages Sep 1865: Harrison, Sarah Ann". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  6. 1 2 "New Members". The Vegetarian Messenger. III (1): ix. January 1889. Retrieved 14 May 2026 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ "Deaths Jun 1884: Birtwell, Thomas". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Forward, Charles W. (1898). Fifty Years of Food Reform: A History of the Vegetarian Movement in England. London: The Ideal Publishing Union. pp. 181–182. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Sarah Ann Birtwell". National Probate Calendar. Ancestry.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Deaths Mar 1897: Birtwell, Sarah Ann". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Death". The Vegetarian Messenger. XI: 163–165. 1897. Retrieved 14 May 2026 – via Google Books.
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