James Mease
James Mease (August 11, 1771 – May 14, 1846) was an American doctor, scientist, and horticulturist from Philadelphia. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1787 and a medical degree in 1792.
Mease published medical articles early in his career and served as a surgeon for nine months during the War of 1812. He was also active beyond medicine: he edited the Domestic Encyclopedia (1803–04) and the Archives of Useful Knowledge (1811–12), wrote The Picture of Philadelphia (a 372-page volume) and a Geological Account of the United States (1807), one of the first American geology works, and he published on medals as a numismatist. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1802 and served as an officer from 1824 to 1836. He helped found the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, where he served as the first vice-president.
Mease is best known for publishing the first tomato-based ketchup recipe in 1812. The sauce used tomatoes (often called love apples) with spices and brandy, and did not rely on sugar or vinegar.
In his personal life, Mease married Sarah Butler on July 3, 1800. They had two sons who later changed their surname to Butler to secure an inheritance; one son, Pierce Butler, married the actress Frances Anne Kemble. James Mease died in Philadelphia and was buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
His writings and papers are preserved at the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library at UCLA and at Duke University’s Rubenstein Library.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:29 (CET).