Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Gott, John
GOTT, JOHN (1830–1906), bishop of Truro, born on 25 Dec. 1830, was third son of William Gott of Wyther Grange, Leeds, by Margaret, daughter of William Ewart of Mossley Hill, Liverpool. His grandfather was Benjamin Gott of Armley House, who introduced the factory system into the woollen trade of Leeds, and contributed greatly to the prosperity of the town. Educated first at Winchester, he matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford, on 7 June 1849, and graduated B.A. in 1853, proceeding M.A. in 1854, B.D. and D.D. in 1873. After a year at Wells Theological College and some time spent in travel, he was ordained deacon in 1857 and priest in 1858. From 1857 to 1861 he was curate of Great Yarmouth, and from 1861 to 1863 had charge of St. Andrew's Church. In 1863 the vicar of Leeds gave him the perpetual curacy of Bramley, Leeds; and in 1873, on the appointment of J. R. Woodford [q. v.] to the see of Ely, Gott was chosen by the crown his successor as vicar of Leeds. The appointment gave satisfaction from the intimate association of the Gott family with the commercial life of the city, and was amply justified by Gott's work. He started a church extension movement, with the result that, during his twelve years at Leeds, eight new churches were consecrated and the building of four others begun; he founded in 1875 Leeds clergy school; took a leading part in 1880 in the establishment of Victoria University, of the court of which the crown made him a member; promoted the university extension movement in the West Riding; and was the generous friend of all good works. In 1886 Gott was made dean of Worcester, a post which he filled till 1891. He extended the usefulness of the cathedral as a diocesan centre, and entered fully into the life of the diocese.
In 1891 Gott succeeded to the see of Truro on the resignation of George Howard Wilkinson [q. v. Suppl. II]. Consecrated at St. Paul's on 29 Sept. 1891, he saw in 1903 the completion of Truro Cathedral; founded a bishop's clergy fund for the aid of clergy in time of ill-health or other necessity; and diligently visited all parts of his diocese. A high churchman, but not a strong partisan, he signed in January 1901 the bishops' letter inviting clergy to accept the positions defined in the Lambeth ‘Opinions.’ He died suddenly at his residence, Trenython, near Par, on 21 July 1906 and was buried at Tywardreath.
Gott married in 1858 Harriet Mary, daughter of W. Whitaker Maitland of Loughton Hall, Essex; she died in London on 19 April 1906; by her he had one son and three daughters. A portrait by W. W. Ouless was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1899. Another, painted in 1903, is in the dining-hall of Leeds clergy school.
Apart from his charge delivered in 1896 on ‘Ideals of a Parish,’ Gott wrote only one book, ‘The Parish Priest of the Town’ (1887), which had a wide circulation. He inherited a fine library, which was dispersed by sale at Messrs. Sotheby's in March 1908 and July 1910. It included a set of the four folio editions of Shakespeare, of which the first folio realised 1800l., 22 July 1910.
[Yorkshire Post, 23 July 1906; Yorkshire Weekly Post, 6 May 1911; Guardian, 21 April and 28 July 1906; Record, 27 July 1906; The Times, 23 and 26 July 1910; and Foster, Alumni Oxonienses.]