Will Crooks

William "Will" Crooks (6 April 1852 – 5 June 1921) was a noted trade unionist and politician from Poplar, London, and a member of the Fabian Society. He is particularly remembered for his campaigning work against poverty and inequality.

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 children were temporarily forced to enter Poplar workhouse in 1861. This experience had a profound influence on Crooks' views on poverty.

Educated at a local poor law school, Crooks worked initially as a grocer's errand boy, then a blacksmith's labourer and then as an apprentice cooper. A keen reader, Crooks learned about reformers such as Richard Cobden and John Bright, 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.

After a short spell working in Liverpool, Crooks returned to London and found work in the docks. He developed his speaking skills outside the East India Dock gates. He also began to give political lectures, and his speaking abilities proved helpful in raising funds for 10,000 striking dockers in the 1889 London Dock Strike. Earlier that year, Crooks, a candidate for the Progressive Party, became one of the first labour members on the London County Council, and subsequently became the first working-class member, and later chairman, of the Poplar Board of Guardians. With support and help from friend and fellow member George Lansbury, Crooks set about reforming the local workhouse, creating a model for other poor law authorities.

...
Wikipedia