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Frederick Towgood

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Frederick Towgood
Born(1807-10-05)5 October 1807
Russell Square, Middlesex, England
Died27 June 1860(1860-06-27) (aged 52)
Hillingdon, Middlesex, England
Resting placeSt Margaret's Church, Uxbridge, England
Other namesFrederic Towgood
Occupation(s)Businessperson, writer, reformer, activist
Known forAdvocacy of phrenology, temperance, and vegetarianism
Spouse
Ann Napier Ross
​
​
(m. 1856; died 1860)​
FatherMatthew Towgood IV
Relatives
FamilyTowgood family
Signature

Frederick Towgood (also spelled Frederic; 5 October 1807 – 27 June 1860) was an English businessperson, writer, reformer, and activist. He advocated for phrenology, temperance, and vegetarianism. Towgood served as president of the Anthropological Society of London, the City of London Temperance Society, and the London Vegetarian Association.

Biography

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Frederick Towgood was born on 5 October 1807 in Russell Square, Middlesex,[1] the son of Ann (née Gibson) and Matthew Towgood.[2] His father was a banker and owned a paper mill in Little Paxton. After his death, his sons, Frederick and Edward, took over the company, operating under the name Towgood Bros.[3]

Towgood had a successful commercial career.[4] He retired in 1856,[5] after which he devoted himself to advancing public welfare, emphasizing education, health, and moral improvement.[4] He was an associate of William Horsell and Jabez Inwards.[6]

In 1845, Towgood was granted the Freedom of the City of London by patrimony, as the legitimate son of his father, who had previously been admitted to the Freedom of the City.[7]

Towgood had interests in phrenology, mesmerism, homeopathy, hydropathy, and physiology. He lectured on phrenology at Camden Hall in 1855 and contributed articles on the subject. Towgood served as president of the Anthropological Society of London and treasurer of the newly formed London Phrenological Society in 1856.[6] He was also a co-editor of the Journal of Health & Phrenological Magazine in 1850[6] and was editor for 12 issues from 1855 to 1856.[8]

Towgood was a strong proponent of vegetarianism,[note 1] total abstinence from alcohol, and the avoidance of tobacco, which he regarded as crucial for personal health and moral living. He believed these practices were supported by both contemporary scientific understanding and biblical teachings.[4] Towgood served as president of the City of London Temperance Society.[9] He was the first treasurer of the London Band of Hope Union from 1855.[6] He also served as president of the London Vegetarian Association until his resignation in 1857.[6]

Towgood was an admirer of the Unitarian preacher William Ellery Channing and traveled around the world, including to America.[6]

Towgood married Ann Napier Ross on 21 Feb 1857 at St Luke's Church, Chelsea.[10] She died on 30 May 1860 in Hillingdon, Middlesex.[11] Towgood died shortly after, following several weeks of illness, on 27 June 1860, also in Hillingdon,[12] and was buried at St Margaret's Church, Uxbridge.[13]

Selected publications

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Towgood authored various works under different pseudonyms. These include:[6]

  • (Anonymous) Original Views on Diet with Rules of Health and Longevity Intended for All Classes of Society with Remarks Addressed to Consumptive Patients of the Water Cure as Practised by Vincent Priessnitz of Graefenberg, Silesia, by One of Nature's School (1849)
  • As 'Omega,' The Coming Times (1852)
  • Christian Precepts
  • As 'Redivivus,' A Sign and Warning (1852)
  • Voices of the Sages, the Times, and the Ages; or, Historical Gleanings; Teaching the Way to Attain Health and Longevity, Virtue and Happiness, and Avoid Disease and Early Death, Crime and Misery (c. 1854)
  • Anthropology; or, the Science of Human Nature Part I (A treatise on physiology and digestion, recommended by the Weekly Despatch, 22 March 1856, p. 6)
  • The Life and Character of Sylvester Graham (c. 1860)

Notes

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  1. ^ He has been described as a vegan.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008. (subscription required)
  2. ^ Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. (subscription required)
  3. ^ Broad, David A. (1989). History of Little Paxton: The Story of a Huntingdonshire Village on the Banks of the River Great Ouse. D. Broad. ISBN 978-0951429303.
  4. ^ a b c Inwards, Jabez (1879). "Frederick Towgood". Memorials of Temperance Workers: Containing Brief Sketches of Nearly One Hundred Deceased and Worthy Labourers. Partridge. pp. 286–293.
  5. ^ The World's Paper Trade Review. Stonhill & Gillis. 1888. p. 356.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Gregory, James Richard Thomas Elliott (2002). "Biographical Index of British Vegetarians and Food reformers of the Victorian Era". The Vegetarian Movement in Britain c.1840–1901: A Study of Its Development, Personnel and Wider Connections (PDF). Vol. 2. University of Southampton. p. 116. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  7. ^ Ancestry.com. London, England, Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681-1930 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. (subscription required)
  8. ^ a b Edmundson, John (1 November 2013). "London Vegans 1856 – Elizabeth And William Horsell". HappyCow. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  9. ^ Couling, Samuel (1862). History of the temperance movement in Great Britain and Ireland; from the earliest date to the present time. London: W. Tweedie.
  10. ^ London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P74/LUK/217.
  11. ^ "Deaths". The Morning Chronicle. 4 June 1860. p. 10. (subscription required)
  12. ^ "Deaths". The Morning Post. 30 June 1860. p. 7. (subscription required)
  13. ^ London Metropolitan Archives; "London, England, UK" ; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: Dro/010/015.

Further reading

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