# William Brown (veterinarian)

William Brown JP (September 1861 – 27 September 1931) was an English veterinarian, anti-vivisectionist, and advocate for animal rights, temperance, and peace. A prominent Quaker, he was actively engaged in religious, social, and political work throughout his life.

## Biography
### Early life

William Brown was born in September 1861 in North Shields, Northumberland, into a Quaker family. He was the son of Charles and Emily Brown (d. 1904) and had a brother, Dr. E. Vipont Brown of Manchester.

### Veterinary career

Brown was a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He practiced as a veterinary surgeon for 39 years in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, having moved there around 1886. During his career, he also served as the Veterinary Inspector for the Wiveliscombe, Dulverton, and Bishops Lydeard districts under the Diseases of Animals Act. In 1925, he retired from veterinary practice and resigned as Veterinary Inspector. Following his retirement, Brown moved to Tottenham, where he engaged in Quaker social work.

### Contributions to politics

During his time in Wiveliscombe, Brown contributed significantly to the welfare of the town and its residents. He was involved in local politics, serving as a justice of the peace for Somerset and regularly sat on the local courts. In 1910, he was elected president of the Taunton and District Free Church Council.
Brown was active in the Adult School movement, fostering connections among members. His dedication to the movement included serving on the local School Board and the Council School Managers.
Initially a supporter of the Liberal Party, Brown assisted candidates in the West Somerset constituency. Later, he became a Labour sympathiser, helping James Lunnon in his campaign against Sir Arthur Griffith-Boscawen. He also served as the chairman of the Taunton and West Somerset Labour Party.

### Religious work

Despite being a Quaker, Brown was closely aligned with the Congregational Church and helped establish a branch of the Independent Order of Good Templars in Wiveliscombe. Among his achievements was the foundation of an Adult Bible Class, which became a popular and long-lasting initiative to support the church community. He was also a staunch supporter of the British and Foreign Bible Society and worked diligently to promote its mission.
Brown was a prominent member of the Society of Friends in the West of England. In 1897, he was recorded as a minister by the West Division of Somerset Monthly Meeting. During the First World War, he was an active Quaker chaplain for conscientious objectors. He also committed himself wholeheartedly to the Society of Friends' reconstruction efforts in the distressed areas of South Wales.

### Activism

Brown travelled around the country lecturing on anti-vivisection, peace, and temperance. He also served as president of the Prohibition Society.
In 1905, in association with the Friends' Anti-Vivisection Association, Brown delivered lectures on vivisection and animal rights, arguing that animals have the right to be protected from suffering. In 1919, at the request of the association, he compiled a series of lectures he had delivered on the subject, published under the title Our Lesser Brethren.
After the founding of the Cats Protection League in 1927, Brown joined its council. In 1929, he spoke out against blood sports, stating:
   Have you a right to torture animals for your pleasure? Have you a right to make their lives amid terror and misery in order to derive some measure of gratification from what are called the pleasures of the chase?

### Personal life and death

Brown was a vegetarian. He married Emily Stripp at Looe, Cornwall, on 31 May 1888. They had two sons, Edgar and William. William was later the editor of the The Veterinary Journal.
On 28 June 1921, Brown was involved in a fatal motor accident in Taunton. Arthur Putman, 72, stepped into the road and was struck despite Brown's efforts to avoid him. A witness confirmed Brown was not at fault.
Brown died from heart failure in his sleep on 27 September 1931. He had celebrated his 70th birthday that month and was attending a Quaker conference at Welwyn Garden City. On 1 October, he was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium and a memorial was held at Friends House on Euston Road. In December 1932, a new lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars in Wiveliscombe was established as the William Brown Memorial Lodge, following a ceremony with visiting members and addresses on temperance.

## Publications

* Our Lesser Brethren. London: Headley Brothers. 1919. OCLC 57291028.