James Watson (Spencean)

James Watson (Spencean) (c. 1766 – 12 February 1838) was a British radicalism activist and prominent member of the Spencean movement, which opposed private land ownership and championed social reform. Possibly of Scotlandn origin, Watson received his medical training in Edinburgh before moving to London, where he worked as a surgeon, chemist, or apothecary. In the capital, he became involved with the Spencean Philanthropists, a group inspired by the ideas of Thomas Spence that promoted "parochial partnership" and communal land ownership. His activities during the turbulent post-Napoleonic Wars era included organizing meetings and conspiracies aimed at challenging the established political order.