Will Thorne CBE, MP, JP (1857 – 1946)

Will Thorne was born in Birmingham on 8th October, 1857. He started work at the age of six and had a number of different jobs.

In 1879 at the age of 22 he married Harriet Hallam. Both he and Harriet were illiterate. They moved to London in 1882 and Will started work at Beckton gas works. At that time he joined the Canning Town branch of the Social Democratic Federation. One of the other members, Eleanor Marx helped to teach Thorne how to read and write. He lived at 1, Lawrence road, Upton Park

In 1899 he helped to establish the National Union of Gasworkers & General Labourers, (whose membership rose to 20,000). As General Secretary of the union he successfully led the negotiations to reduce members’ working day from twelve to eight hours. This inspired other unions to pursue better pay and conditions. Perhaps the most significant of which was the London dockworkers’ strike of 1899, in which he became heavily involved.

Will Thorne served in the First World War in the West Ham Volunteer Force, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Will and Harriet’s eldest son was killed at Ypres in 1917

Other significant dates in Will Thorne’s life:

1894 to 1933 served on the Trades Union Congress Parliamentary Committee.

1891 to 1910 - West Ham councillor

1910 to 1946 - West Ham alderman

1917 to 18 - mayor of West Ham

1906 to 1945 - MP for West Ham constituencies. (Latterly Plaistow from the 1918 election).

1925 wrote My Life’s Battles.

1930 created Companion of the British Empire (CBE)

In his busy campaigning life Will Thorne met such people as Friedrich Engels, Prime Minister David Lloyd George, George Bernard Shaw, Eleanor Marx; James Kier Hardie, and King George V. He also went to Russia in 1917 to see the revolution in that country.

Will Thorne died on 2nd January, 1946. A sports pavilion in Beckton was named after him.