Will Thorne

October 8, 1857 (age 88)

Hockley, Birmingham

Thorne"s father died in a fight when Thorne was seven. Thorne began work at the age of six, turning a wheel for a rope and twine spinner, working from six in the morning to six at night, with half an hour for breakfast and an hour for dinner. Thorne recalls that when the spinner wanted to reduce his wages from 2 shillings and 6 pence to 2 shillings, he "went on strike" and never returned to the job. The family was on poor relief. "lieutenant was here I had intimate experience with sweated labour", he comments without irony. lieutenant was a four-mile walk to work. I remember her telling me that the 8 s a week would be missed. Some one would have to go short. But it was no use being slowly killed by such work as I was doing, and it was making me hump backed. lieutenant was not until I had been away from the work for several weeks that I was able to straighten myself out again. My mother"s rebellion against the way I was being worked is the rebellion of many mothers. lieutenant is the rebellion that I feel, and will continue to carry on. Thorne served for many years on West Ham Town Council and was Mayor from 1917-1918. In 1882, Thorne moved to London and found work at a gasworks. Thorne joined the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) and became branch secretary. Previously barely literate, Thorne improved his reading skills with the assistance of Karl Marx"s daughter, Eleanor Marx. In 1889, he helped to found a national gasworkers" union, one of the prominent New Unions and became its general secretary. He retained this position in the union and its successors, which became the General and Municipal Boilermakers Union in 1924, up to 1934. Thorne also helped to organise the London Dock Strike in 1889. He contested several elections as a Labour candidate before finally winning a seat representing West Ham South at the 1906 general election. He remained with SDF as it became the British Socialist Party, but he supported Britain"s involvement in World War I. He supported the call for conscription despite the opposition of his local branch of the Labour party. As a result, he joined the National Socialist Party. Thorne visited the Soviet Union shortly after the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1930. A Greater London Council blue plaque, unveiled in 1987, commemorates Thorne at his home, 1 Lawrence Road in West Ham.

Will Thorne

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Background

Thorne was born in Hockley, Birmingham, on 8 October 1857. His father and relatives worked as brickmakers.

Career

Thorne"s father died in a fight when Thorne was seven. Thorne began work at the age of six, turning a wheel for a rope and twine spinner, working from six in the morning to six at night, with half an hour for breakfast and an hour for dinner. Thorne recalls that when the spinner wanted to reduce his wages from 2 shillings and 6 pence to 2 shillings, he "went on strike" and never returned to the job.

The family was on poor relief.

"lieutenant was here I had intimate experience with sweated labour", he comments without irony. lieutenant was a four-mile walk to work.

I remember her telling me that the 8 s a week would be missed. Some one would have to go short.

But it was no use being slowly killed by such work as I was doing, and it was making me hump backed.

lieutenant was not until I had been away from the work for several weeks that I was able to straighten myself out again. My mother"s rebellion against the way I was being worked is the rebellion of many mothers. lieutenant is the rebellion that I feel, and will continue to carry on.

Thorne served for many years on West Ham Town Council and was Mayor from 1917-1918.

In 1882, Thorne moved to London and found work at a gasworks. Thorne joined the Social Democratic Federation (SDF) and became branch secretary.

Previously barely literate, Thorne improved his reading skills with the assistance of Karl Marx"s daughter, Eleanor Marx. In 1889, he helped to found a national gasworkers" union, one of the prominent New Unions and became its general secretary.

He retained this position in the union and its successors, which became the General and Municipal Boilermakers Union in 1924, up to 1934.

Thorne also helped to organise the London Dock Strike in 1889. He contested several elections as a Labour candidate before finally winning a seat representing West Ham South at the 1906 general election. He remained with SDF as it became the British Socialist Party, but he supported Britain"s involvement in World War I. He supported the call for conscription despite the opposition of his local branch of the Labour party.

As a result, he joined the National Socialist Party.

Thorne visited the Soviet Union shortly after the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1930.

A Greater London Council blue plaque, unveiled in 1987, commemorates Thorne at his home, 1 Lawrence Road in West Ham.

Achievements

He won the seat of Plaistow in 1918 and retained it until retiring at the 1945 general election, aged 87 — at the time the oldest sitting member.

Membership

28th United Kingdom Parliament. 29th United Kingdom Parliament. 30th United Kingdom Parliament.

31st United Kingdom Parliament.

32nd United Kingdom Parliament. 33rd United Kingdom Parliament.

34th United Kingdom Parliament. 35th United Kingdom Parliament.

36th United Kingdom Parliament.

37th United Kingdom Parliament.

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Will Thorne

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Awards

Commander of the Order of the British Empire