Donald Watson

Donald Watson (2 September 1910 – 16 November 2005) was an English animal rights advocate who coined the word vegan and founded the Vegan Society.

Early life

Watson was born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, the son of a headmaster in a mining community, an environment in which vegetarianism, let alone veganism, was unknown. As a child, Watson spent time on his Uncle George's farm. The slaughtering of a pig on the farm horrified Watson; he said his view of farm life changed from idyllic to a Death Row for animals. Watson began to reassess his practice of eating meat. He became a vegetarian in 1924 at the age of fourteen, making a New Year's resolution to never again eat meat. He gave up dairy about 18 years later, having decided the production of milk related products was unethical.

His journey to veganism began when he was very young, at the farm of his Uncle George. There, he said:

Teaching

On leaving school at fifteen, Watson was apprenticed to a family joinery firm, and from the age of twenty became a joinery teacher. He taught in Leicester, where he also played a large part in the Leicester Vegetarian Society. He moved on to Keswick, where he taught for twenty-three years. He stayed in Cumbria for the rest of his life. For several years he devoted much time to working as a guided fell-walking leader, as well as to organic vegetable gardening, until very shortly before his death, aged 95.

Donald Watson (disambiguation)

Donald Watson (1910–2005) was an English animal rights advocate and founder of the Vegan Society.

Donald Watson may also refer to:

See also

Donald Watson (rugby union)

James Donald Watson (10 August 1872 – 25 December 1958) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A forward, Watson represented Taranaki at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1896. He played one match for the All Blacks, against Queensland at Wellington.

Following the death of Henry Butland in 1956, Watson held the distinction of being the oldest living All Black.

References

Donald Watson (artist)

Donald Watson (28 June 1918 - 7 November 2005) was a Scottish ornithologist and a wildlife artist.

Early years

Watson was born at Cranleigh, Surrey. He drew birds as a child and was encouraged in this by the wildlife artist Archibald Thorburn. The family relocated to Edinburgh, and Donald attended Edinburgh Academy. There he met a former pupil, George Waterston, Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Scotland, and President of the Midlothian Ornithologists' Club, which became the Scottish Ornithologists' Club in 1936. After attending Oxford University and then undergoing war service in India, he was further encouraged by two ornithologists at Tynron, Dumfries & Galloway, the Rev. J.M. McWilliam, and Sir Arthur Duncan, Chairman of the Nature Conservancy.

Career

Donald Watson specialised in painting birds in their natural environment. He had his first one man exhibition in Edinburgh in 1949, followed by London, Glasgow, Oxford, Dumfries as well as Toronto and Luxembourg. He illustrated over 30 books, including the Oxford Book of British Birds. He became a founder member of the Society of Wildlife Artists, and President of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club. He also was a local bird recorder for Galloway.