Watts (Charles A.), a son of above, b. 27 May, 1858. Conducts Watts’s Literary Gazette and edits the Agnostic Annual.
Watts (John), brother of Charles, b. Bedminster, Bristol, 2 Oct. 1834. His father was a Wesleyan preacher, and he was converted to Freethought by his brother Charles. He became sub-editor of the Reasoner, and afterwards for a time edited the National Reformer. He edited Half Hours With Freethinkers with “Iconoclast,” and published several pamphlets, Logic and Philosophy of Atheism, Origin of Man, Is Man Immortal? The Devil, Who were the Writers of the New Testament, etc. Died 31 Oct. 1866.
Watts (of Lewes, Sussex), author of the Yahoo, a satire in verse (first published in 1833), also The Great Dragon Cast Out.
Webber (Zacharias), Dutch painter, who in the seventeenth century wrote heretical works On the Temptation of Christ and The Seduction of Adam and Eve, etc. He defended Bekker, whom he surpassed in boldness. Under the pen name J. Adolphs he wrote The True Origin, Continuance and Destruction of Satan. Died in 1679.
Weber (Karl Julius), German author, b. Langenburg, 16 April, 1767. Studied law at Erlangen and Göttingen. He lived for a while in Switzerland and studied French philosophy, which suited his satirical turn of mind. He wrote a history of Monkery, 1818–20; Letters of Germans Travelling in Germany, ’26–28; and Demokritos, or the Posthumous Papers of a Laughing Philosopher, ’32–36. Died Kupferzell, 19 July, 1832.
Weitling (Wilhelm), German social democrat, b. Magdeburg, 1808. He was a leader of “Der Bund der Gerechten,” the League of the Just, and published at Zürich The Gospel of Poor Sinners. He also wrote Humanity, As It Is and As It Should Be. He emigrated to America, where he died 25 Jan. 1871.
Wellhausen (Julius), German critic, b. Hameln 17 May, 1844, studied theology at Göttingen, and became professor in Griefswald, Halle, and Marburg. Is renowned for his History of Israel in progress, ’78, etc., and his Prolegomena to the same, and his contributions to the Encyclopædia Britannica.
Westbrook (Richard Brodhead), Dr., American author, b. Pike co., Pennsylvania, 8 Feb. 1820. He became a Methodist preacher in ’40, and afterwards joined the Presbyterians, but withdrew about ’60, and has since written The Bible: Whence and What? and Man: Whence and Whither? In ’88 Dr. Westbrook was elected President of the American Secular Union, and has since offered a prize for the best essay on teaching morality apart from religion.
Westerman (W. B.) During many years, from 1856–68, an active co-operator on De Dageraad.
Westra (P.), Dutch Freethinker, b. 16 March, 1851. Has for some years been active secretary of the Dutch Freethought society, “De Dageraad.”