Career
A businessman, he was known as "the most generous man in Liverpool". Cropper was renowned for being rich, but also being generous. lieutenant is said that a letter addressed to "the most generous man in Liverpool" ended up on his desk.
Cropper would also hold a bible class every Sunday at a home the family had set up for "fallen girls." This was in addition to the ragged school they set up for local pauper"s children.
This school was known as "Saint Croppers" and is likely to be the one referred to in the poem below. This was no small affair as the Quaker church was the centre of its members community.
Benson was involved with, and related to, Isaac Crewdson (a leader to the Manchester Quaker meeting). Crewdson had written and published a book in January 1835 called A Beacon to the Society of Friends.
The controversy it ignited, which related to the role of evangelism in the Society, eventually led to the resignation of Crewdson and about 300 similarly minded people across the country.
Benson moved to Manchester. In 1840, John Cropper journeyed to London to attend the World"s anti-slavery convention on 12 June 1840. The picture above shows him in a painting made to commemorate the event which attracted delegates from America, France, Haiti, Australia, Ireland, Jamaica and Barbados.
Cropper joined the committee of the Liverpool City Mission and served as its President from 1847 to 1874.
In 1853 Harriett Beecher Stowe visited England and stayed first at John Cropper"s house, Dingle Bank. On 23 September 1853 Cropper"s third son, John Wakefield Cropper, married Susanna Elizabeth Lydia Arnold.
Susanna was third daughter of the late Doctor Arnold of Rugby School Cropper was born to James and Mary Cropper in 1797. Cropper married Anne Wakefield and they had ten children.
Mary (1821-1885) married John Saul Howson.
James (1823-1900). Sarah (1824-1890). Anne (born 1825). John Wakefield (1828-1829).
John Wakefield (1830-1892).
Isabella (1831-1831). Edward William (born 1833). Isabella Eliza (born 1835).
Margaret (born 1836).