John William Gott

John William Gott (1866 – 4 November 1922) was a British socialist and the last person in Britain to be sent to prison for blasphemy. His was also the last public prosecution for blasphemy. Later prosecutions were purely private.

Religious statements

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 virulent and public attacks on Christianity. He boasted 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.

Initial imprisonment 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 not to prosecute; the Leeds police however decided to prosecute the publishers of the Truth Seeker in 1903. An appeal was lodged, supported by the National Secular Society; the Lord Chief Justice upheld the conviction. Giving the judgement at the Court of Appeal, Lord Trevethin C.J. said:

It does not require a person of strong religious feelings to be outraged by a description of Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem "like a circus clown on the back of two donkeys". There are other passages in the pamphlets equally offensive to anyone in sympathy with the Christian religion, whether he be a strong Christian, or a lukewarm Christian, or merely a person sympathizing with their ideals. Such a person might be provoked to a breach of the peace.

By the time Gott was released, his weak health had been broken by the conditions of his imprisonment. He died on 4 November 1922, at the age of 56. Historian Edward Royle describes him as a "witty and attractive character" who became more "embittered" after the death of his wife. He was buried at Scholemoor Cemetery, Bradford.