Arthur Binns Crookall JP, MLC, CP (1873 - 15 June 1935), was a philanthropist, Mayor of the Borough of Douglas, a member of both branches of Tynwald, Chairman of the Isle of Man Steam Packet CompanyIsle of Man Times, Saturday, September 18, 1943; Page: 4 and Chairman of the

Isle of Man Railway The Isle of Man Railway (IMR) ( gv, Raad Yiarn Vannin) is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin on the Isle of Man. The line is narrow gauge and long. It is the remainder of what was a much ...

CompanyMona's Herald, Tuesday, June 18, 1935; Page: 5 who at his death was one of the wealthiest people on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

Biography

Personal life

One of four children of James and Rebekah Crookall, Arthur Crookall was born in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

in 1873 and moved to the

at the age of 14. Having served his apprenticeship Crookall became a master painter trading at Duke Street, Douglas. On 29 December 1896 Crookall married Jane Callow (20 April 1872 - 15 May 1922) at Maughold Parish Church.Mona's Herald, Wednesday, January 04, 1922; Page: 4 They set up the family home at 2 Osbourne Terrace, and later moved to "Woodlands", a palatial family home on Alexander Drive, Douglas. The marriage produced six children. Following the death of his first wife, Crookall married Alice Crookall (née Callow), the sister of his first wife and widow of his deceased half-brother John Robert Earnest Crookall (d. 16 September 1922) on 9 August 1923; the wedding was again at Maughold Parish Church.Ramsey Courier, Friday, August 10, 1923; Page: 3 Crookall became a leading member of the Isle of Man's

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Society and was Master of the Tynwald Lodge. He also held Provincial rank, being Provincial Grand Senior Warden in 1917. He was a lifelong

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

, and regularly attended Rosemount Methodist Church. Crookall's brother James (7 November 1887 - 27 July 1960) had served in the Merchant Navy and then settled in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

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, as a young boy leading to Crookall founding the North American Manx Association (NAMA). As President, he oversaw two 'Homecomings'. The first was in 1927 when Crookall, in his capacity as Mayor of Douglas, took a deputation which included two of his sons to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

to facilitate the visit. Crookall paid a second visit to North America when along with 22 other representatives from the Isle of Man he attended the Manx Convention in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

in August 1928. Following Crookall's death, his widow became Honorary President of the NAMA and oversaw a further "Homecoming" in May 1937, and attended numerous conventions in North America for the rest of her life. In sport Crookall was widely regarded as a very able footballer, playing for Wanderers F.C.

Political career and business

For over 25 years, Crookall was a prominent Manx politician. He entered Douglas Town Council in 1911, and was Mayor of Douglas for five years from 1922 - 1927. He became a MHK for

Douglas North Douglas North is a House of Keys constituency in Douglas, Isle of Man Douglas ( gv, Doolish, ) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021). It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, a ...

in 1921, as well as being a borough councilor. He was elected to the Legislative Council in 1934, replacing Joseph Qualtrough. Throughout his time as a councillor, he was a strong advocate for many enhancements to Douglas, such as the widening of

Loch Promenade ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots and Irish language, Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is Cognate, cognate with the Manx language, Manx lough, Cornish language, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh language, Welsh w ...

in 1929. This was required to reduce congestion at the junction of the Victoria Pier and the promenade and provided welcome employment for many of the town's men over the lean winter months. During the First World War he oversaw the setting up of the Knockaloe Internment Camp. Crookall was also a leading figure in the establishment of the

Manx Grand Prix The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Snaefell Mountain Course, Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period, usually spanning the end of August and early September. New for 2022 is a period re ...

. He was Captain of the Parish of Malew for a few weeks before his death.

Philanthropy

Crookall was one of the greatest philanthropic benefactors in the history of the island. He donated hundreds of presents to poor children every Christmas. He also took a keen interest in Noble’s Hospital, and founded, in memory of his first wife, the Jane Crookall Maternity Home. The Home was first in Demesne Road, Douglas, but was replaced by a larger building after receiving £10,000 from Crookall's estate. Work started in March 1938, and the new Jane Crookall Maternity Home opened in 1939. The maternity home remained in use until 1992, today it is Crookall House, the HQ of the Department of Health and Social Care. Crookall was also instrumental in the erection of the

Douglas War Memorial The war memorial in Douglas, Isle of Man is dedicated to those who died during World War I and World War II. The rolls of names are segregated by service and year of death. The inscriptions on the memorial read: * ''Douglas commemorates the loy ...

, contributing the highest personal donation towards its construction.Mona's Herald, Wednesday, January 18, 1922; Page 10

Death

Crookall caught a cold which developed into

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

in early June 1935. He died in

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...

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, on Saturday 15 June 1935. He was survived by his second wife and children. His funeral was attended by every Manx senior dignitary. The Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir Montagu Butler, was joined by members of the Legislature, the

Attorney General of the Isle of Man The Attorney General ( gv, Yn Turneyr Theayagh or Yn Ard-Turneyr) of the Isle of Man is the government's top legal adviser and has an '' ex officio'' (non-voting) seat in the Legislative Council and in Tynwald Court. The Attorney General is a ...

, the Mayor of Douglas and a large number of

. Crookall's coffin was borne into the chapel by two Captains of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, two representatives of the

Company, and two from the Road Services. The funeral was conducted by the Reverend John Webster, a personal friend of Crookall's. Following the service, his body was buried in Douglas Borough Cemetery. Crookall's estate at the time of his death amounted to £130,000.Ramsey Courier, Friday, June 28, 1935; Page 4 Of this amount £10,000 was left in trust for the Jane Crookall Maternity Home. Additionally £2,000 was set aside out of the Residual Trust, the income on which continued to provide the poor children of Douglas with presents at Christmas. A collection of art was left to the Trustees of the

Manx Museum The Manx Museum (Thie Tashtee Vannin) in Douglas, Isle of Man is the national museum of the Isle of Man. It is run by Manx National Heritage. In general, the museum covers 10,000 years the history of the Isle of Man from the Stone Age to the modern ...

A.B. Crookall Trophy

The A.B. Crookall Trophy is awarded by the Manx Motorcycle Club to an individual for winning the Senior

. Crookall was a strong supporter of the establishment of a supplementary race meeting on the

to be held for amateur competitors, to be run over the existing

Snaefell Mountain Course The Isle of Man TT Mountain Course or ''TT Course'' is a street and public rural road circuit located in the Isle of Man, used for motorcycle racing. The motorcycle ''TT Course'' is used principally for the Isle of Man TT Races and also the sep ...

and to serve as a backup in case the Auto-Cycle Union decided to transfer the TT Races to England - which in the early 1920s was a distinct possibility. First awarded at the inaugural meeting in 1923, the trophy is presented to the winner of the Senior Manx Grand Prix race, the

finale Finale may refer to: Pieces of music * Finale (music), the last movement of a piece * ''Finale'' (album), a 1977 album by Loggins and Messina * "Finale B", a 1996 song from the rock opera ''Rent'' * "Finale", a song by Anthrax from ''State of Eu ...

to the racing programme.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crookall, Arthur Binns People from Blackpool Manx culture Manx politicians 1873 births 1935 deaths