The Life of Charlotte Despard:The Awakened Instinct

This article is about Charlotte Despard, President of the London Vegetarian Society in 1918 and Vice-President in 1931, but also the founder of the Women’s Freedom League, suffragist, conscientious objector, leading figure in prison and education reform and a powerful figure in social politics. Vegetarianism was central to her activism, believing it would free women from drudgery and enable workers to live a healthier life. This article will draw on her own writing in the Vegetarian Messenger, to show readers how Despard herself saw the links between vegetarianism and social justice, links which are still relevant today.