48-582: William 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
96-616: A 15-foot crucifix that stood on the site of the old high altar and a contemporary granite and light sculpture, A Doorway of Hope , by sculptor Nicolas Moreton . Poplar High Street is host to a number of landmarks as it had previously been the principal street in Poplar. These include the Old Town Hall , which has mosaic detail and is now a hotel. Poplar Bowls Club, founded in 1910, is part of Poplar Recreation Ground A recently reopened sports centre called The Workhouse stands on
144-532: A human existence which they have not got now. Above everything else, you would stop the supply of these children—a very important thing." As a member of the Metropolitan Asylums Board he helped to raise the age the Board was required to look after those with a Developmental Disability from 16 to 21, and increased the teaching and training of those in its care. On 18 September 1914, following
192-617: A mandate to pass the budget. The general election resulted in a hung parliament , with the Conservative Party led by Arthur Balfour and their Liberal Unionist allies receiving the most votes, but the Liberals , who were now led by H. H. Asquith following the death of Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1908, winning the most seats, returning two more MPs than the Conservatives. Asquith's government remained in power with
240-552: A model for other poor law authorities. A prominent local politician, he helped bring about many local improvements. In 1891 he "warmly endorsed" representation by the London Trades Council to restrict immigration. On 3 August 1895, Crooks formally opened Island Gardens , a park at the south end of the Isle of Dogs , opposite Greenwich Hospital . He also campaigned for the first Blackwall Tunnel , and as Chairman of
288-547: A new housing association set up for the purpose of regenerating the area. The following year, tenants on further estates voted to remain with the council. However, after a lengthy consultation of all Council estates in Tower Hamlets begun in 2002, most estates in Poplar did transfer to Poplar HARCA, East End Homes and other landlords between 2005 and 2007. The first airborne terror campaign in Britain took place during
336-702: A pact between the Labour Representation Committee and the Liberal Party ; his selection as prospective parliamentary candidate had been criticised by the Independent Labour Party . At the time, he was only the fourth Labour MP (preceded by James Keir Hardie , Richard Bell and David Shackleton ; Arthur Henderson followed later in 1903). As an MP, he retained his working-class roots and contacts, campaigned hard for workers' pensions , supported reforms to limit
384-682: A part of the Port of London as Northumberland Wharf is still retained as a working wharf with special status from the Mayor of London and the Port of London Authority (PLA) as a safeguarded wharf . It is run by Cory Riverside Energy who also managed the Reuse and Recycling Centre which is next to the wharf and for the transportation of waste by barge along the River Thames. Poplar Borough Council had been authorised in 1893 to supply electricity to
432-823: A road in Eltham , just south of Woolwich . Poplar, London Poplar is a district in East London , England and is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets . It is an inner-city suburb located five miles (8 km) east of Charing Cross . It lies on the western bank of the River Lea and is part of the London Docklands . Poplar is identified as a major district centre in the London Plan , with its district centre being Chrisp Street Market ,
480-600: A significant commercial and retail centre surrounded by extensive residential development. Originally part of the Manor and Ancient Parish of Stepney , the Hamlet of Poplar had become an autonomous area of Stepney by the 17th century, and an independent parish in 1817. The Parish and later Metropolitan Borough of Poplar. After a series of mergers, Poplar became part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 1965. Poplar
528-622: Is Canary Wharf , which is served by Elizabeth line and Jubilee line trains. The nearest National Rail station is at Limehouse , which is served by c2c trains between London Fenchurch Street (in the city) and destinations in South Essex, including Southend Central . Poplar is served by London Buses routes 15 , 115, 309, D6 and night bus routes N15 and N551. Poplar is well connected to destinations in East London and East Anglia by road: Poplar High Street runs through
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#1732779772777576-510: Is a mixed secondary school and sixth form , located northeast of Chrisp Street Market . The George Green's School was founded in 1828 by George Green , a shipbuilder and shipwright. It was originally located on East India Dock Road . Today it is a voluntary controlled school supported by the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights located on the Isle of Dogs peninsula. Poplar is connected to other areas of East London by
624-481: Is located on Poplar High Street, opposite Tower Hamlets College . There was a major ship fitting industry from at least the 15th century, and the maritime trades became more important after the East and West India Docks were opened in 1806. Thames Ironworks at Leamouth Wharf was a major employer till its closure in 1912, its works team becoming known as West Ham United F.C. The docks attracted very heavy bombing to
672-531: The British National Party became a councillor for Millwall ward, in a by election . This was the culmination of years of resentment by local residents of perceived neglect by both Liberal Democrat and Labour Party politicians. Labour regained the ward in the full council election of May 1994, and held all three seats until a further by election in September 2004. Langdon Park School
720-804: The December 1910 general election In 1911 he fell out with the Trades Union Congress over support for the Labour Disputes Bill. In 1912 he supported the Feeble-Minded Persons (Control) Bill ; Crooks has been quoted by the New Statesman 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: "I have taken part, in discussions in this House on
768-696: The Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Five stations serve the area, including All Saints , Langdon Park , Poplar , Blackwall and East India . DLR stations in Poplar are in London fare zone 2 , and link the area to destinations such as Bank (in the City ), Canary Wharf , City Airport , Greenwich , and Stratford . Poplar DLR station is a focal point for the DLR network, where several different routes converge. The nearest London Underground station
816-504: The First World War , which caused significant damage and took many lives. German raids on Britain, for example, caused 1,413 deaths and 3,409 injuries. Air raids provided an unprecedented means of striking at resources vital to an enemy's war effort. Many of the novel features of the war in the air between 1914 and 1918—the lighting restrictions and blackouts, the air raid warnings and the improvised shelters—became central aspects of
864-542: The Lansbury Estate and the Balfron Tower . A new Church Green next to St. Mary and St. Joseph Church was created in 2012 on the site of the former Blitz -bombed Catholic church, across the road from the current church designed by Adrian Gilbert Scott . It is open to the public during the day and public sculptures include, the former Catholic Boys' School entrance statue dedicated to dockers and seafarers,
912-627: The Metropolitan Borough of Poplar in 1900; population (1901), 168,822. In 1965 it merged with the Metropolitan Boroughs of Stepney and Bethnal Green to form the new London Borough of Tower Hamlets . In 1654, as the population of the district began to grow, the East India Company ceded a piece of land upon which to build a chapel and this became the nucleus of the settlement. St Matthias Old Church
960-712: The Tower Division (also known as the Tower Hamlets) . The role of the Tower Division ended when Poplar became part of the new County of London in 1889. The County of London was replaced by Greater London in 1965. In 1855, Poplar joined with neighbouring Bromley and Bow to form the Poplar District of the Metropolis — though it remained an independent parish for some administrative purposes. The Poplar District (including Bromley and Bow) became
1008-513: The thermal efficiency was only 8.39 per cent. Until 1965, Poplar had its own council which was based at Poplar Town Hall . Since 1965, the area has formed part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , with its council based at Mulberry Place . The council moved to a new Tower Hamlets Town Hall in Whitechapel Road on 1 March 2023. The Isle of Dogs and Poplar proper in general achieved notoriety in 1993 when Derek Beackon of
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#17327797727771056-610: 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
1104-657: The A13 towards Canning Town, East Ham , and Barking . National Cycle Route 13 follows the route of CS3 through Poplar. This long-distance route links Tower Hill to Fakenham , Norfolk . The route does not run continuously; however, east of Poplar, the route runs non-stop as far as Purfleet , via the ExCeL and Rainham . Balfron Tower has been featured in various other music videos, films and television programmes, as have various other locations in Poplar. According to movie website IMDb , locations around Poplar have been used in
1152-617: The Baths closed again and was conversion to an industrial training centre in 1988. The Baths once again re-opened on 25 July 2016 and were removed from the Buildings at Risk register. The Museum of London Docklands in West India Quay , opened in 2003 on the site of a grade I listed early-19th century Georgian "low" sugar warehouses built in 1802 on the side of West India Docks in the Port of London . Poplar still remains
1200-697: The British Government adopted policies to redevelop the docklands areas, including the creation of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) in 1981 and the granting of Urban Enterprise Zone status to the Isle of Dogs in 1982. In 1998, following ballots of the residents, Tower Hamlets Council transferred parts of the Lansbury estate and six other Council housing estates within Poplar to Poplar HARCA ,
1248-586: The British public at the time. In World War II , Poplar suffered heavily in the Blitz of that war, the Metropolitan Borough losing 770 civilian dead as a result of enemy action. At the height of the bombing, ten Poplar schools were evacuated to Oxford. Architecturally, the area is a mixture of 18th- and 19th-century terraced houses and 20th-century council estates . Notable examples include
1296-663: The East End's poor as a result of the Baths and Washhouses Act 1846 . The Baths were rebuilt in 1933 to a design by Harley Heckford and the larger pool was covered over to convert the building into a theatre and designated the East India Hall. Poplar Baths reopened in 1947 after the Second World War and continued to be used as a swimming facility, attracting on average 225,700 bathers every year between 1954 and 1959,
1344-538: The LCC Bridges Committee in 1898, he helped provide the Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels (completed in 1902 and 1912 respectively). In 1900 Crooks became the first Labour mayor of Poplar, and two years later was elected to Parliament as MP for Woolwich wresting the seat away from the Conservative Party in a massive electoral victory exceeding expectations. This success was the result of
1392-674: The World War II less than 30 years later. The East End of London was one of the most heavily targeted places. Poplar, in particular, was struck badly by some of the air raids during the World War I. Initially these were at night by Zeppelins which bombed the area indiscriminately, leading to the death of innocent civilians. The first daylight bombing attack on London by a fixed-wing aircraft took place on 13 June 1917. Fourteen German Gotha G.IV bombers led by Hauptmann Ernst Brandenberg flew over Essex and began dropping their bombs. It
1440-692: The area during the Blitz . In 1921, the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar was the location of the Poplar Rates Rebellion , led by then-Mayor George Lansbury , who was later elected as leader of the Labour Party. As part of the 1951 Festival of Britain , a new council housing estate was built to the north of the East India Dock Road and named the Lansbury Estate after him. This estate includes Chrisp Street Market , which
1488-485: The borough. Electricity supplies began in October 1900 from a power station on the corner of Glaucus Street and Yeo Street. The station was later known as Poplar Watts Grove (off Devons Road). The generating capacity of the station and the electricity generated over the operational life is as follows: In 1903-04 there were estimated to be 320 arc lights, 1,649 incandescent lamps, and 130 electric motors connected to
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1536-402: The centre of Poplar. Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3) passes east–west through Poplar, along Poplar High Street. The route runs unbroken and signposted westbound towards Lancaster Gate ( Hyde Park ) via Shadwell , the city, Victoria Embankment , and Parliament Square . Eastbound cyclists leave Poplar on Naval Row, following signposts towards Canning Town and the A13. The route runs alongside
1584-517: The efforts of local campaigners. The importance of the maritime industries attracted many overseas migrant to the area, including the Chinese community in the Pennyfields area of Poplar. This area, on the border with Limehouse was a part of the old East End Chinatown , most closely associated with Limehouse. The West India Dock and other local docks had all closed by the end of 1980, so
1632-726: The end of 1917. In 1918 he was returned unopposed for the new Woolwich East constituency. He remained an MP until ill-health forced his retirement in February 1921. He died in the London Hospital, Whitechapel four months later, and was buried in Tower Hamlets Cemetery . In 1930, one of the Woolwich Ferry 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
1680-466: 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's 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
1728-569: The following feature films: January 1910 United Kingdom general election H. H. Asquith Liberal H. H. Asquith Liberal The January 1910 United Kingdom general election was held from 15 January to 10 February 1910. The government called the election in the midst of a constitutional crisis caused by the rejection of the People's Budget by the Conservative-dominated House of Lords , in order to get
1776-495: 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
1824-513: The naturalist Oliver Rackham noted "Nearby, in the midst of railway dereliction, a single Black Poplar even now struggles for life". By the seventeenth century the area had become a Hamlet , a territorial sub-division of Stepney, with a degree of independence. The Hamlet of Poplar became an independent civil and ecclesiastical parish in 1817. The area was part of the historic (or ancient) county of Middlesex , but military and most (or all) civil county functions were managed more locally, by
1872-559: The outbreak of World War I , 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 Viscount Milner 's 'patriotic Labour' British Workers League (BWL). Under pressure from the Labour Party he resigned from the BWL at
1920-563: The powers of the House of Lords , and supported Balfour's 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 Campbell-Bannerman (1906–1908) and Asquith (1908–1910). Crooks lost his seat in Parliament at the January 1910 general election , but was re-elected at
1968-580: The public electricity supply in Poplar. The power station used water from the adjacent Limehouse Cut canal together with cooling towers to condense steam and for cooling. Upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership of the station passed to the British Electricity Authority and later to the Central Electricity Generating Board . The CEGB closed the station in 1967 when
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2016-441: The site of Poplar Workhouse , where local politician Will Crooks spent some of his earliest years (a nearby council housing estate is named after him). Another is the designated Grade II* listed St Matthias Old Church , now a community centre and formerly a chapel that was built by the East India Company in 1654. The original Poplar Baths opened in 1852, costing £10,000. It was built to provide public wash facilities for
2064-515: 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
2112-557: Was a direct hit on a primary school in Poplar. In the Upper North Street School at the time were a girls' class on the top floor, a boys' class on the middle floor and an infant class of about 50 pupils on the ground floor. The bomb fell through the roof into the girls' class; it then proceeded to fall through the boys' classroom before finally exploding in the infant class. Eighteen pupils were killed, of whom sixteen were aged from 4 to 6 years old. The tragedy shocked
2160-463: Was a hot day and the sky was hazy; nevertheless, onlookers in London's East End were able to see 'a dozen or so big aeroplanes scintillating like so many huge silver dragonflies'. These three-seater bombers were carrying shrapnel bombs which were dropped just before noon. Numerous bombs fell in rapid succession in various districts. In the East End alone 104 people were killed, 154 seriously injured and 269 slightly injured. The gravest incident that day
2208-521: 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
2256-427: Was formerly part of the Manor and Ancient Parish of Stepney , and was first recorded in either 1327 or 1350. It took its name from the Black Poplar trees which once flourished in the area. Black Poplar is a very rare and exceptionally large tree that grows well in the wet conditions which the Thames and Lea historically brought to much of the neighbourhood. A specimen persisted in the area until at least 1986 when
2304-481: Was greatly commended by Lewis Mumford . The same era also saw the construction of the Robin Hood Gardens housing complex (overlooking the northern portal of the Blackwall Tunnel ) – designed by architects Peter and Alison Smithson – and the similarly brutalist Balfron Tower , Carradale House and Glenkerry House (to the north) – designed by Ernő Goldfinger . Other notable buildings in Poplar include Poplar Baths which closed in 1989 and reopened in 2016 after
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