Lewis Gompertz | |
|---|---|
 Portrait from Fragments in Defence of Animals (1852) | |
| Born | c. 1784 London, England |
| Died | 2 December 1861 (aged 77) Kennington, London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Activist, philosopher, writer, inventor |
| Years active | 1814–1852 |
| Known for | Activism for animal rights and welfare, and veganism |
| Notable work | Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes |
| Spouse |
Ann Hollaman
(m. 1809; died 1847) |
| Relatives |
|
| Family | Gompertz family |
Lewis Gompertz (c. 1784 – 2 December 1861) was an English Jewish activist, philosopher, writer and inventor. He dedicated his life to promoting animal rights and welfare, and veganism.
Gompertz was born around 1784 into a wealthy Jewish family of diamond merchants in London and was the youngest of 15 children. He received an informal education due to being barred from university for his religion. Gompertz dedicated his life to animal rights, promoting veganism and the humane treatment of animals through his 1824 book, Moral Inquiries on the Situation of Man and of Brutes. As a founding member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, later the RSPCA, he served in key roles but resigned in 1833 due to his outspoken views and religious exclusion. He then established the Animals' Friend Society, advocating for animal welfare until his retirement from public life in 1846. An inventive mechanical engineer, Gompertz created numerous devices to reduce animal suffering, publishing his works on inventions and animal protection. He died of bronchitis in 1861 at the age of 77.