First General Secretary of the International, later a Liberal MP and Nobel Peace laureate for international arbitration
Born to a working-class family in Fareham in 1828, he became a carpenter and, moving to London in 1852, made his name as a union organiser. With Odger he convened the St Martin's Hall meeting of 1864; elected Secretary of the International in 1865, he resigned in 1867 when the organisation decided to admit women. Respected by Marx, he did not agree with a worker-led revolution. From his first run for Parliament in 1868 he advocated international arbitration, and he was Liberal MP for Haggerston from 1885 to 1895 and from 1900 until his death. He co-founded the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the International Arbitration League and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1903. Knighted in 1907, he died of pneumonia in 1908.
Also known as: William Randal Cremer
Activities and affiliations
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1852–
Social movements and organizing
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1864–1867
International Workingmen's Association (First International)
Social movements and organizing -
1865–1869
Social movements and organizing
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1885–1908
United Kingdom state institutionsMember of ParliamentMain
Legislature and state representation -
1885–1908
Legislature and state representation
Career Timeline
- 1864Convened the St Martin's Hall meeting
- 1865–1867General Secretary of the International
- 1885–1895MP for Haggerston
- 1900–1908MP for Haggerston
- 1903Nobel Peace Prize