John William Gott

Who was John William Gott?

John William Gott was the last person in Britain to be sent to prison for blasphemy. His was also the last public prosecution. Later prosecutions were purely private.

A trouser salesman from Bradford, he led the Freethought Socialist League, working with Thomas Stewart and Ernest Pack. Gott believed that Christian influence was undermining attempts to achieve socialism. Gott and his supporters promoted active and public attacks on Christianity. He proudly asserted that his organisation was "responsible for more outdoor lectures on Secularism and Rationalism than all other Societies combined." This was not always easy, as Gott frequently had to solicit funds to continue the lectures.

Gott came to the attention of the Home Office in 1902 with the Truth Seeker when local Manchester residents started to agitate against its circulation. The Home Office advised the Chief Constable of Bradford to not prosecute; the Leeds police however decided to prosecute the publishers of the Truth Seeker in 1903. This prosecution was thrown out by the magistrate but Gott was again charged in Leeds for "Rib Ticklers or Questions for Parsons" in 1911.