WILLIAM

See also:

• WILLIAM CROCKFORD (1775–1844)

CROCKFORD (1775–1844)  , proprietor of Crock-ford's Club, 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 £Ioo,000 —either at cards or by running a gambling establishment, he built, in 1827, a luxurious gambling house at 50 St James's Street, which, to ensure exclusiveness, he organized as a club . Crockford's 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 averred, only in order to be able to blackball his son, Lord Douro, should he seek election . Hazard was the favourite game, and very large sums changed hands . Crockford retired in 184o, when, in the expressive language of Captain R . H . Gronow, he had "won the whole of the ready money of the then existing generation." He took, indeed, about £1,200,000 out of the club, but subsequently lost most of it in unlucky speculations . Crockford died on the 24th of May 1844 . See John Timbs, Club Life of London (London, 1866) ; Gronow, Celebrities of London and Paris, 3rd series (London, 1865) .