J. M. (Joseph Mazzini) Wheeler

Born in London in 1850, Joseph Mazzini Wheeler became an English atheist and freethought writer whose work was closely tied to the secular movement of the late 19th century. He is associated with The Freethinker, where he served as subeditor from the paper's founding in 1881 until his death in 1898, and he was known as a close colleague of editor G. W. Foote.

Wheeler wrote energetically on religion, history, and unbelief, aiming his work at ordinary readers rather than specialists. He is especially remembered for A Biographical Dictionary of Freethinkers of All Ages and Nations, along with other skeptical and historical works that gathered examples, arguments, and lives from across different periods.

His writing reflects the combative but curious spirit of Victorian secularism: critical of dogma, interested in historical evidence, and eager to give freethinkers a usable past. Though not a household name today, he remains an important figure for readers interested in the history of unbelief, radical publishing, and public debate in Britain.