Martha Brotherton

Martha Harvey Brotherton (born Martha Harvey; bapt. 1782 – 25 January 1861) was an English cookbook writer best known as the author of Vegetable Cookery (1812), the earliest known vegetarian cookbook. A committed member of the Bible Christian Church in Salford, she promoted the church's principles of meat-free and alcohol-free living through her writing. Her book, published anonymously and later issued in several expanded editions, has been recognised as a foundational text in the history of vegetarianism. She was also involved in the early activities of the Vegetarian Society, attending its first annual meeting. She was married to Joseph Brotherton, a minister in the Bible Christian Church and Salford's first Member of Parliament.