1833-1891. British freethinker and radical
politician. In 1880 he was elected Liberal
member of Parliament for Northampton, but was
not allowed to take his seat until 1886
because, as an atheist, he (unsuccessfully)
claimed the right to affirm instead of taking
the oath. He was associated with the feminist
Annie Besant. He served in the army, was a
lawyer's clerk, became well known as a
speaker and journalist under the name of
Iconoclast, and from 1860 ran the National
Reformer. He advocated the freedom of the
press, contraception, and other social
reforms.