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Henry Croft, Road Sweeper

August 20, 2018
by the gentle author

Henry Croft

Trafalgar Sq is famous for the man perched high above it on the column, but I recently discovered another man hidden underneath the square who hardly anybody knows about and he is just as interesting to me. I have no doubt that if you were to climb up Nelson’s Column, the great Naval Commander standing on the top would have impressive stories to tell of Great Sea Battles and how he conquered the French, though – equally – if you descend into the crypt of St Martin in the Fields, the celebrated Road Sweeper who resides down there has his stories too.

Yet as one who was born in a workhouse and died in a workhouse, Henry Croft’s tales would be of another timbre to those of Horatio Nelson and some might say that the altitude history has placed between the man on the pedestal and the man in the cellar reflects this difference. Unfortunately, it is not possible to climb up Nelson’s Column to explore his side of this notion but it is a simple matter for anyone to step down into the crypt and visit Henry, so I hope you will take the opportunity when you next pass through Trafalgar Sq.

Henry Croft stands in the furthest, most obscure, corner far away from the busy cafeteria, the giftshop, the bookshop, the brass rubbing centre and the art gallery, and I expect he is grateful for the peace and quiet. Of diminutive stature at just five feet, he stands patiently with an implacable expression waiting for eternity, the way that you or I might wait for a bus. Yet in the grand scheme of things, he has not been waiting here long. Only since since 2002, when his life-size marble statue was removed to St Martin in the Fields from St Pancras Cemetery after being vandalised several times and whitewashed to conceal the damage.

Born in Somers Town Workhouse in 1861 and raised there after the death of his father who was a musician, it seems Henry inherited his parent’s showmanship, decorating his suit with pearl buttons while working as a Road Sweeper from the age of fifteen. Father of twelve children and painfully aware of the insecurities of life, Henry launched his own personal system of social welfare by drawing attention with his ostentatious outfit and collecting money for charities including Public Hospitals and Temperance Societies.

As self-appointed ‘Pearlie King of Somers Town,’ Henry sewed seven different pearly outfits for himself and many suits for others too, so that by 1911 there were twenty-eight Pearly King & Queens spread across all the Metropolitan Boroughs of London. It is claimed Henry was awarded in excess of two thousand medals for his charitable work and his funeral cortege in 1930 was over half a mile long with more than four hundred pearlies in attendance.

Henry Croft has passed into myth now, residing at the very heart of London in Trafalgar Sq beneath the streets that he once swept, all toshed up in his pearly best and awaiting your visit.

Henry Croft, celebrated Road Sweeper

At Henry Croft’s funeral in St Pancras Cemetery in 1930

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At The Pearly Kings & Queens’ Harvest Festival

A Pearly Remembrance

Pearly Portraits

6 Responses leave one →
  1. mlaiuppa permalink
    August 20, 2018

    Wow. Just wow.

    Employed as a sweeper aged 15. Around that time he started sewing the buttons on his suit. How creative. I had no idea that the practice was called “Pearlies.” Rather the opposite of the Amish. And all for the sake of raising money for charity.

    What an admirable person, to work so hard and then harder still to raise money for charity. And what a wonderful tradition and history being part of the Pearlies must be. Quite the responsibility to live up to. That it continues today is a tribute to Mr. Croft.

    This is going on my list of “musts” should I ever manage to trip to London.

  2. Judi Jones permalink
    August 20, 2018

    Thank you for bringing our attention to Henry Croft.

    Surely the Pearly Kings & Queens legacy he left behind should award him a bigger pedestal don’t you think? I’ve always wondered why there isn’t more attention bestowed on this wonderful London tradition. They do such good work and deserve more appreciation from all us. It would be so sad if those fabulous pearly suits became a thing of the past.

    Long live Pearly Kings and Queens!

  3. Susan permalink
    August 20, 2018

    I just love this…

  4. Greg Tingey permalink
    August 20, 2018

    Takling, or at least mentioning the Pearlies …
    Their annual meet at The Guildhall takes place this year on Sunday 16th September.

  5. August 20, 2018

    There are video clips of Henry’s funeral procession and of the unveiling of his monument at https://studiedmonuments.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/henry-croft-the-original-pearly-king/?preview_id=494

  6. Jill Wilson permalink
    August 20, 2018

    Really interesting to read about the original Pearly King – especially as I am currently involved in a production of Me and My Girl featuring Pearly Kings and Queens doing the Lambeth Walk! What brilliant timing….

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