278:"I have taken part, in discussions in this House on the unemployable; I have taken Members in authority on both sides and shown them 300 or 400 men not one of whom would be privately employed by any person for anything at all, not even for their keep. These were formerly mentally defective children who had been allowed to drift about the world, and to become absolutely useless. There is only one fitting description; they are almost like human vermin. They crawl about, doing absolutely nothing, except polluting and corrupting everything they touch. We talk about the liberty of the subject. What nonsense! What waste of words! We ask that you should take these people and have proper control over them, because they have no control over themselves. They are verminous, dirty, with no idea of washing or cleansing themselves. Yet they are human beings, and you could, under proper control, so far improve them that they could be put to some employment, not enough to keep them—I never expect that—but sufficient to maintain themselves partly, and to give them a human existence which they have not got now. Above everything else, you would stop the supply of these children—a very important thing."
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Born in
Shirbutt Street, Poplar, Crooks was the third son of a ship's stoker, George Crooks, who lost his arm in an accident when Crooks was three years old. His mother, Caroline Elizabeth (née Coates), then supported the family by working as a seamstress, but money was scarce and five of the
293:, Crooks led the House of Commons in singing the national anthem, and unlike pacifist colleagues in the Labour Party he supported the war efforts of the government. In 1916 he was one of the Labour MPs to form part of the executive of
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88:, and was asked by his fellow workers to speak out about their working conditions. Consequently, he was sacked for being a political agitator. He remained a member of the Coopers Union from 1867 until his death in 1921.
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Unemployment Bill in 1905, as well as supporting his wife in seeking the right for women to obtain the vote. Re-elected in 1906, he supported the reforming
Liberal governments of
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as describing disabled people as "like human vermin" who "crawl about doing absolutely nothing, except polluting and corrupting everything they touch". The full quote is:
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paddle-steamers was named in his memory (taken out of service in 1963). A council housing estate in his native Poplar still bears his name, as does a road in
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A prominent local politician, he helped bring about many local improvements. In 1891 he "warmly endorsed" representation by the
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gates. He also began to give political lectures, and his speaking abilities proved helpful in raising funds for 10,000 striking
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As a member of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board he helped to raise the age the Board was required to look after those with a
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school, Crooks worked initially as a grocer's errand boy, then a blacksmith's labourer and then as an apprentice
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He remained an MP until ill-health forced his retirement in
February 1921. He died in the London Hospital,
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https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1912/may/17/feeble-minded-persons-control-bill
Hansard
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in a massive electoral victory exceeding expectations. This success was the result of a pact between the
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100:, Crooks returned to London and found work in the docks. He developed his speaking skills outside the
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301:(BWL). Under pressure from the Labour Party he resigned from the BWL at the end of 1917. In
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As an MP, he retained his working-class roots and contacts, campaigned hard for workers'
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56:. He is particularly remembered for his campaigning work against poverty and inequality.
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The
Origins of the Lloyd George Coalition: The Politics of Social-Imperialism, 1900–1918
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in 1861. This experience had a profound influence on Crooks's views on poverty.
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from 16 to 21, and increased the teaching and training of those in its care.
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48:(6 April 1852 – 5 June 1921) was a noted trade unionist and politician from
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Crooks (fifth from left) in 1906, with other leading figures in the party
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over support for the Labour
Disputes Bill. In 1912 he supported the
530:. London: The Times Publishing Company (Limited). 1919. p. 23.
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to restrict immigration. On 3 August 1895, Crooks formally opened
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Victoria
Brignell "The eugenics movement Britain wants to forget"
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Annal, Dave, 'What would I have done?', Lifelines
Research, 2018
211:. At the time, he was only the fourth Labour MP (preceded by
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British
Workers and the Independent Labour Party, 1888-1906
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Labour's Lost Leader: The Life and Politics of Will Crooks
250:(1908–1910). Crooks lost his seat in Parliament at the
80:. A keen reader, Crooks learned about reformers such as
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Will Crooks, by Harry Furniss, pen and ink, 1880s–1900s
124:. With support and help from friend and fellow member
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The Alien Invasion: The Origins of the Aliens Act 1905
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mayor of Poplar, and two years later was elected to
817:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
112:. Earlier that year, Crooks, a candidate for the
65:children were temporarily forced to enter Poplar
16:British trade unionist and politician (1852–1921)
777:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
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473:Inside Cabinet: from the Charles Hobhouse Diares
289:On 18 September 1914, following the outbreak of
116:, became one of the first labour members on the
234:, supported reforms to limit the powers of the
408:, Manchester University Press (1983), p. 264.
501:, Princeton University Press (1975), p. 263.
429:in Haworth, Alan, and Hayter, Dianne (eds),
391:in Haworth, Alan, and Hayter, Dianne (eds),
362:in Haworth, Alan, and Hayter, Dianne (eds),
19:For other references to William Crooks, see
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163:(completed in 1902 and 1912 respectively).
631:contributions in Parliament by Will Crooks
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658:Lord Charles William de la Poer Beresford
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812:Progressive Party (London) politicians
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305:he was returned unopposed for the new
569:"The Labourer is worthy of his hire."
316:four months later, and was buried in
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151:. He also campaigned for the first
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822:Burials in Tower Hamlets Cemetery
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571:Crooks as caricatured by "Spy," (
143:, a park at the south end of the
782:Members of London County Council
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486:The Life Story of Will Crooks MP
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433:, Routledge (2006), p. 52.
395:, Routledge (2006), p. 50.
379:, Heinemann (1972), p. 31.
366:, Routledge (2006), p. 48.
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636:Portraits of Will Crooks
517:, Tauris (2007), p. 210.
284:Developmental Disability
209:Independent Labour Party
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714:Constituency abolished
553:Picture of Will Crooks,
611:Tower Hamlets Cemetery
497:Scally, Robert James,
318:Tower Hamlets Cemetery
299:British Workers League
297:'s 'patriotic Labour'
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52:, and a member of the
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161:Woolwich foot tunnels
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488:(1917), pp. 318–319.
328:In 1930, one of the
72:Educated at a local
431:Men Who Made Labour
393:Men Who Made Labour
364:Men Who Made Labour
37:caricature by Spy (
609:Memorial stone at
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244:Campbell-Bannerman
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149:Greenwich Hospital
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110:London Dock Strike
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741:Succeeded by
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471:ed. David (1977)
375:Gainer, Bernard,
213:James Keir Hardie
167:Labour politician
114:Progressive Party
92:Working men union
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578:Vanity Fair
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314:Whitechapel
291:World War I
147:, opposite
86:John Bright
39:Leslie Ward
34:Vanity Fair
756:Categories
744:Robert Gee
344:References
185:Parliament
60:Early life
240:Balfour's
157:Greenwich
98:Liverpool
67:workhouse
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666:Woolwich
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232:pensions
203:and the
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130:poor law
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106:dockers
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324:Legacy
181:Labour
78:cooper
575:) in
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