William Crockford
William Crockford (1775–1844) was a London gambling club proprietor.
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[edit] Life
Crockford was born in London in 1775, the son of a fishmonger, and for some time himself carried on that business. After winning a large sum of money (according to one story, £100,000) either at cards or by running a gambling establishment, he built a luxurious gambling house at 50 St James's Street in 1827. In order to ensure exclusiveness, he organized the house as a club. The gambling house was called Crockford's Club, and it quickly became the rage – every English social celebrity and every distinguished foreigner visiting London hastened to become a member. Even the Duke of Wellington joined, though it is alleged that this was only to be able to blackball his son, Lord Douro, should he seek election. Hazard was the favourite game, and very large sums changed hands.[1]
Crockford retired in 1840, when, in the expressive language of Captain Rees Howell Gronow, he had "won the whole of the ready money of the then existing generation." He took approximately £1,200,000 out of the club, but subsequently lost most of it in unlucky speculations. Crockford died on 24 May 1844.[1]
[edit] Bibliography
- John Timbs, Club Life of London (London, 1866).
- R. H. Gronow, Celebrities of London and Paris, 3rd series (London, 1865).
[edit] References
- ^ a b Chisholm 1911.
- Attribution
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Crockford, William". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
[edit] External links
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
