Henry John Williams (8 February 1838 – 1 April 1919) was an English Anglican priest and activist for humanitarianism, animal rights and vegetarianism. He was the founder of the Order of the Golden Age; an international animal rights society.
Henry John Williams was born on 8 February 1838 in Whatley, Mendip.[1] He was the son of Margaret Sophia and Hamilton John Williams,[1] an Anglican priest.[2] Williams had six brothers, including Howard Williams, the author of The Ethics of Diet and a vegetarian and fellow humanitarian.[3][4]
Williams was married twice, first to Cecelia Frances D'Arblay Croft and then to a person, in July 1871, in Newport Pagnell, whose name has not been recorded.[1]
At the age of 40, Williams was inspired by his brother Howard to become a vegetarian.[5] He later published the pamphlet A Plea for a Broken Law, which made a case for vegetarianism from a theological point of view.[6] In 1881, he founded the animal rights society, the Order of the Golden Age; it was constituted in 1882. Due to a lack of funds, the organisation was inactive until 1895, when Williams, Sidney H. Beard and others met and discussed how to remedy its dormancy.[7] Williams wrote for the order's journal, The Herald of the Golden Age.[8][9]
Williams was rector of Kinross,[10] honorary president of the Scottish Vegetarian Society[11] and a member of the Humanitarian League's Humane Diet department.[3]
Williams died on 1 April 1919 in Aspley Guise, at the age of 81;[1] Howard authored an obituary, which was published in the May 1919 edition of The Vegetarian Messenger and Health Review.[5]