Vegan Life

Heritage Society honours Donald Watson Founder of Veganism

Donad Watson Blue PlaquePhoto by: The Vegan Society

A blue plaque was unveiled at the New Pastures Primary School on Saturday November 9th in honour of Donald Watson, inventor of the term "vegan" and founding member of The Vegan Society. The unveiling by the Mexborough & District Heritage Society had been timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the creation of The Vegan Society in November 1944.

A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The plaques are generally reserved for people who have made an outstanding contribution to human welfare or happiness.

Donald Watson attended Doncaster Road School, now New Pastures Primary School, where the plaque will be displayed.

Donald Watson Image by: Vegan Society (CC BY)

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. As Watson grew up, he did not smoke, consume alcohol, or make contact with foods or substances which he regarded as toxins. In the 1940s, after learning about milk production; he became a vegan. He explained his motivation as ethical concern for sentient animals:

"We can see quite plainly that our present civilization is built on the exploitation of animals, just as past civilizations were built on the exploitation of slaves, and we believe the spiritual destiny of man is such that in time he will view with abhorrence the idea that men once fed on the products of animals' bodies"

The word vegan is made up from the beginning and end of the word vegetarian, "because veganism starts with vegetarianism and carries it through to its logical conclusion."

Watson lived to the age of 95, nearly 20 years older than the average age of death of males in the UK at the time. He once said: "Speaking from my old age, I sometimes think I've outlived my critics, and I can't remember the last time that I encountered one."

