Henry Crompton (27 August 1836 –15 March 1904) was an English court clerk and barrister, known as an advocate of

positivism Positivism is a philosophical school that holds that all genuine knowledge is either true by definition or positivemeaning '' a posteriori'' facts derived by reason and logic from sensory experience.John J. Macionis, Linda M. Gerber, ''Soci ...

and trade unions.

Life

Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

on 27 August 1836, he was the second of five sons of Charles John Crompton and his wife Caroline Fletcher; the eldest son was Charles Crompton (1833–1890). Educated at

University College school University College School, also known as UCS, is a private day school in Frognal, Hampstead, London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views. ...

, London, at a private school in Bonn, and at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, where he graduated B.A. in 1858, he went on to study medicine at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. In 1858 Crompton was appointed clerk of assize on the Chester and North Wales circuit, a post which he held for 43 years. He was

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

on 6 June 1863. He died on 15 March 1904 at Churt near

Farnham, Surrey Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the administrative counties of England, county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the ...

, and is buried there.

Works

Positivism

During a long illness (1858–9), Crompton read

Auguste Comte Isidore Auguste Marie François Xavier Comte (; ; 19 January 1798 – 5 September 1857) was a French philosopher, mathematician and writer who formulated the doctrine of positivism. He is often regarded as the first philosopher of science in the ...

's ''Philosophie Positive'' in

Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau (12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist.Hill, Michael R. (2002''Harriet Martineau: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives'' Routledge. She wrote from a sociological, holism, holistic, religious and ...

's edition, and became a positivist. He met

Edward Spencer Beesly Edward Spencer Beesly (; 23 January 1831 – 7 March 1915) was an English positivist, trades union activist, and historian. Life He was born on 23 January 1831 in Feckenham, Worcestershire, the eldest son of the Rev. James Beesly and his wif ...

in 1864, and took an active part in the positivist movement. In his later life he was chief assistant to

Richard Congreve Richard Congreve (4 September 1818 – 5 July 1899) was the first English philosopher to openly espouse the Religion of Humanity, the godless form of religious humanism that was introduced by Auguste Comte, as a distinct form of positivism. Con ...

at the

Church of Humanity Church of Humanity was a Positivism#Comte's positivism, positivist church in England influenced and inspired by Auguste Comte's Religion of Humanity in France. It also had a branch or variant in New York City, Brazil and other locations. Rich ...

, Chapel Street, becoming its leader after Congreve's death in 1899. There he gave addresses on religion, philosophy, history, and public affairs: some were published as pamphlets.

Other works

* ''Industrial Conciliation'' (1876). Crompton was at the time referee to the board of arbitration and conciliation for the Nottingham lace trade. Beatrice and

Sidney Webb Sidney James Webb, 1st Baron Passfield, (13 July 1859 – 13 October 1947) was a British socialist, economist and reformer, who co-founded the London School of Economics. He was an early member of the Fabian Society in 1884, joining, like Geo ...

called it "the classic work" on the subject (''Industrial Democracy'', p. 223, note). It was translated into French. * ''Letters on Social and Political Subjects'' (1870), reprinted from the ''Sheffield Independent''. * ''Our Criminal Justice'' (1905), edited papers, with an introduction by Kenelm Edward Digby, on the English system of criminal procedure. * ''Selections of Prose and Poetry by Henry Crompton'' (1910), issued by his widow.

Interests

Crompton applied his principles to public questions, protested against international injustice, and opposed racial oppression of other races. He served on the Jamaica Committee, formed to prosecute Governor

Edward Eyre Edward John Eyre (5 August 181530 November 1901) was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand's New Munster Province, New Munster province, and Governor of Jamaica. Early ...

in 1867; worked for the admission of women to lectures at

University College, London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

; strove for the improvement and just administration of the

criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...

; and gave a strenuous and support to the trade unions in their struggle to reform the labour laws. When bills affecting trade unions were before parliament, he advised based on his technical knowledge in the area. In recognition of his services he was made in 1868 a member of the

Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners (ASC&J) was a New Model Trade Union in the 1860s in the United Kingdom, representing carpenters and joiners. History The formation of the Society was spurred by the Stonemason's strike, 1859, ...

Family

Crompton married on 8 November 1870 Lucy Henrietta, daughter of

John Romilly, 1st Baron Romilly John Romilly, 1st Baron Romilly PC (20 January 1802 – 23 December 1874), known as Sir John Romilly between 1848 and 1866, was an English Whig politician and judge. He served in Lord John Russell's first administration as Solicitor-General ...

. They had two sons.

Notes

External links

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Crompton, Henry 1836 births 1904 deaths Law clerks English barristers English writers