Charles Watts (27 February 1836 – 16 February 1906) was an English writer, lecturer and publisher, who was prominent in the

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

and freethought movements in both

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Life and career

He was born in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

into a family of Methodists, and showed precocious talents, giving his first lecture at the age of 14. At the age of 16 he moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, and worked with his elder brother John Watts (1834-1866) in a printing office. Through this work the two brothers came into contact with

freethinkers Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other methods ...

including

Charles Southwell Charles Southwell (1814 – 7 August 1860) was a radical English journalist, freethinker and colonial advocate. Early life Charles Southwell was born in London, the youngest of 33 children in a poor family. His father, William, was a piano ma ...

and

Charles Bradlaugh Charles Bradlaugh (; 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was an English political activist and atheist. He founded the National Secular Society in 1866, 15 years after George Holyoake had coined the term "secularism" in 1851. In 1880, Bradl ...

. John Watts became an active proselytiser for secularism, and in 1863 was appointed editor of the ''National Reformer'', a radical periodical founded by Bradlaugh, with Charles as assistant editor. In 1864 the brothers formed a publishing business, Watts & Co.Edward Royle, ''Victorian Infidels: The Origins of the British Secularist Movement 1791-1866''
, Manchester University Press, 1974, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, ''Biography of Charles Watts'', American Atheists
/ref> He and his first wife, Mary Ann, had a son,

Charles Albert Watts Charles Albert Watts (27 May 1858 – 15 May 1946) was an English secularist editor and publisher. He founded the journal ''Watts's Literary Guide'', which later became the ''New Humanist'' magazine, and the Rationalist Press Association. ...

in 1858; in 1870 he married his second wife, the freethinker Kate Eunice Watts, with whom he had a daughter in 1875. John Watts died from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

at the age of 32. Charles Watts took charge of the publishing business and toured the country, delivering hundreds of lectures on theological, social, and political issues. He declared himself an atheist and, with Bradlaugh and others, helped found the

National Secular Society The National Secular Society (NSS) is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of it. It was ...

(NSS) in 1866. In 1876, he was appointed full-time editor and publisher of the ''National Reformer''. He also wrote and published a wide range of pamphlets on secularism and

republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic. Historically, it emphasises the idea of self-rule and ranges from the rule of a representative minority or oligarchy to popular sovereignty. It ...

, and wrote the first systematic history of freethought, eventually published in book form as ''Freethought: its Rise, Progress and Triumph''. His wife, Kate Watts, often travelled with him and also wrote pamphlets, including ''The Education and Position of Woman'' and ''Christianity: Defective and Unnecessary''. In 1877 Charles Watts broke with Bradlaugh over the pamphlet '' The Fruits of Philosophy'', which had been written by American physician and atheist

Charles Knowlton Charles Knowlton (May 10, 1800 – February 20, 1850) was an American physician and writer. He was an atheist. Education Knowlton was born May 10, 1800 in Templeton, Massachusetts. His parents were Stephen and Comfort (White) Knowlton; his ...

, and which promoted birth control and discussed

human sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

. The pamphlet was published for the first time in Britain by James Watson's publishing company in 1845. In 1876, Charles Watts published the pamphlet and was prosecuted under the

Obscene Publications Act Since 1857, a series of obscenity laws known as the Obscene Publications Acts have governed what can be published in England and Wales. The classic definition of criminal obscenity is if it "tends to deprave and corrupt," stated in 1868 by Lord ...

. In protest of Watts' prosecution, Bradlaugh and Annie Besant, published the pamphlet it 1877 and were also prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act, resulting in the infamous "Knowlton Trial" of Bradlaugh and Besant. Later Watts was released, resigned from the NSS, and, with

George Holyoake George Jacob Holyoake (13 April 1817 – 22 January 1906) was an English secularist, co-operator and newspaper editor. He coined the terms secularism in 1851 and " jingoism" in 1878. He edited a secularist paper, the ''Reasoner'', from 1846 to J ...

and George Foote, formed the British Secular Union, a short-lived rival group. Watts became editor of the '' Secular Review'' founded by Holyoake. G. H. Taylor, ''A Chronology of British Secularism'', National Secular Society, 1957
In 1882, he travelled for the first time to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

to lecture, and also visited

, where he was invited to take up residence. He emigrated to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

in 1883, leaving his son Charles Albert Watts in charge of his publishing interests in Britain. Charles Watts then became the leader of the secularist movement in Canada, founding and editing ''

Secular Thought ''Secular Thought'' (1887–1911) was a Canadian periodical, published in Toronto, dedicated to promoting the principles of freethought and secularism. Founded and edited during its first several years by English freethinker Charles Watts, the e ...

'' in Toronto, and also regularly went on lecture tours of the US. He returned in 1891 to England (upon Bradlaugh's death), where his son had by then established the periodical ''Watts's Literary Guide'' (the forerunner of the ''

New Humanist ''New Humanist'' is a quarterly magazine, published by the Rationalist Association in the UK, that focuses on culture, news, philosophy, and science from a sceptical perspective. History The ''New Humanist'' has been in print for more than 13 ...

'' magazine) to promote secularist activities. Charles Watts rejoined the NSS and continued lecturing, as well as cooperating with Foote on the journal, '' The Freethinker''. He returned to the US and Canada, with Foote, to lecture in 1896, and again visited the US in 1899. He died in England in 1906 at the age of 70 and is buried in a family grave on the eastern side of

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...

. His son, Charles Albert Watts, who was later buried with him, remained active in the secularist movement, helping to develop the

Rationalist Press Association The Rationalist Association, originally the Rationalist Press Association, is an organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1885 by a group of freethinkers who were unhappy with the increasingly political and decreasingly intellectual tenor ...

Family grave of Charles Watts in Highgate Cemetery

Selected publications

*''Evolution and Special Creation'' (1860)
''Christianity & Secularism: Which is the Better Suited to Meet the Wants of Mankind?''
(1882)
''The Origin, Nature and Destiny of Man''
(1893)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Charles 1836 births 1906 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery British secularists English agnostics English humanists English sceptics Freethought writers