He was an English writer, lecturer and publisher, who was prominent in the secularist and freethought movements in both Britain and Canada. He was born in Bristol into a family of Methodists, and at the age of 16 he moved to London, 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 including Charles Southwell and Charles Bradlaugh. He became an active proselytiser for secularism, and in 1863 was appointed editor of the National Reformer, and in 1864 the brothers formed a publishing business, Watts & Co. When his brother died, he took charge of the publishing business and toured the country, delivering hundreds of lectures on theological, social, and political issues, declared himself an atheist and helped found the National Secular Society (NSS) in 1866. 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, and which promoted birth control and discussed human sexuality. In 1882, he travelled for the first time to the United States to lecture, and also visited Canada, where he was invited to take up residence. He emigrated to Toronto in 1883, leaving his son Charles Albert Watts in charge of his publishing interests in Britain. He became the leader of the secularist movement in Canada, and also regularly went on lecture tours of the US.
He was an English writer, lecturer and publisher, who was prominent in the secularist and freethought movements in both Britain and Canada. He was born in Bristol into a family of Methodists, and at the age of 16 he moved to London, 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 including Charles Southwell and Charles Bradlaugh. He became an active proselytiser for secularism, and in 1863 was appointed editor of the National Reformer, and in 1864 the brothers formed a publishing business, Watts & Co. When his brother died, he took charge of the publishing business and toured the country, delivering hundreds of lectures on theological, social, and political issues, declared himself an atheist and helped found the National Secular Society (NSS) in 1866. 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, and which promoted birth control and discussed human sexuality. In 1882, he travelled for the first time to the United States to lecture, and also visited Canada, where he was invited to take up residence. He emigrated to Toronto in 1883, leaving his son Charles Albert Watts in charge of his publishing interests in Britain. He became the leader of the secularist movement in Canada, and also regularly went on lecture tours of the US.
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