Clarence Henry Willcock
Encyclopedia
Clarence Henry Willcock, (23 January 1896 – 12 December 1952) a member of the Liberal Party
, was the last person in the UK to be prosecuted for refusing to produce an Identity Card
.
Compulsory identity cards had been re-introduced during World War II
under the National Registration Act 1939
. After the War the Labour government of Clement Attlee
decided to continue the scheme.
On 7 December 1950, Harry Willcock, 54 year old dry-cleaning manager was stopped while driving in Finchley
, London by police constable Harold Muckle who demanded that he present his identity card at a police station within 48 hours. He refused, reputedly saying "I am a Liberal and I am against this sort of thing". He was prosecuted under the National Registration Act 1939, convicted and fined 10 shillings. During his trial he argued that identity cards had no place in peace time.
In his subsequent appeal, Willcock vs. Muckle, the judgment of the lower court was upheld, though in summing up, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
, Lord Goddard
showed sympathy for the defence;
As a result of the court case, Willcock became well-known and he founded the Freedom Defence Association to campaign against ID cards. In a publicity event he tore up his own identity card in front of the National Liberal Club
, inspiring in April 1951 a similar action for the press outside Parliament by the British Housewives' League
.
After the defeat of the Labour Government in the general election of October 1951
the incoming Conservative administration of Winston Churchill
was pledged to get rid of the scheme, 'to set the people free', in the words of one minister. On 21 February 1952 the Minister for Health, Harry Crookshank, announced in the House of Commons that national identity cards were to be scrapped. This was a popular move, adopted against the wishes of the police and the security services.
When identity cards were abolished Willcock received hundreds of redundant cards through the post to auction for charity.
Willcock was the Liberal candidate in Barking
in 1945
and in 1950
. He came third in both contests, losing his deposit in 1950. He had previously been a councillor and magistrate
in Horsforth
, Leeds
.
Willcock was born in Alverthorpe
, Wakefield
, Yorkshire. He died suddenly while debating at a meeting of the Eighty Club
at the National Liberal Club. The last word on his lips before his death was reported to have been "freedom."
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, was the last person in the UK to be prosecuted for refusing to produce an Identity Card
British national identity card
The Identity Cards Act 2006 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provided for National Identity Cards, a personal identification document and European Union travel document, linked to a database known as the National Identity Register .The introduction of the scheme was much...
.
Compulsory identity cards had been re-introduced during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
under the National Registration Act 1939
National Registration Act 1939
The National Registration Act 1939 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It became law on 5 September 1939 as an emergency measure at the start of World War II...
. After the War the Labour government of Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
decided to continue the scheme.
On 7 December 1950, Harry Willcock, 54 year old dry-cleaning manager was stopped while driving in Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
, London by police constable Harold Muckle who demanded that he present his identity card at a police station within 48 hours. He refused, reputedly saying "I am a Liberal and I am against this sort of thing". He was prosecuted under the National Registration Act 1939, convicted and fined 10 shillings. During his trial he argued that identity cards had no place in peace time.
In his subsequent appeal, Willcock vs. Muckle, the judgment of the lower court was upheld, though in summing up, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
, Lord Goddard
Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard
Rayner Goddard, Baron Goddard was Lord Chief Justice of England from 1946 to 1958 and known for his strict sentencing and conservative views. He was nicknamed the 'Tiger' and "Justice-in-a-jiffy" for his no-nonsense manner...
showed sympathy for the defence;
- "This Act was passed for security purposes, and not for the purposes for which, apparently, it is now sought to be used. To use Acts of Parliament, passed for particular purposes during war, in times when the war is past, except that technically a state of war exists, tends to turn law-abiding subjects into lawbreakers, which is a most undesirable state of affairs. Further, in this country we have always prided ourselves on the good feeling that exists between the police and the public and such action tends to make the people resentful of the acts of the police and inclines them to obstruct the police instead of to assist them."
As a result of the court case, Willcock became well-known and he founded the Freedom Defence Association to campaign against ID cards. In a publicity event he tore up his own identity card in front of the National Liberal Club
National Liberal Club
The National Liberal Club, known to its members as the NLC, is a London gentlemen's club, now also open to women, which was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 for the purpose of providing club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly-enlarged electorate after the Third...
, inspiring in April 1951 a similar action for the press outside Parliament by the British Housewives' League
British Housewives' League
The British Housewives' League is a right-wing, non-party group that seeks to act as the voice of the British housewife, providing advice and encouraging active participation in society. The League seeks to defend the UK's independence and constitution, to promote Christian values, and to...
.
After the defeat of the Labour Government in the general election of October 1951
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
the incoming Conservative administration of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
was pledged to get rid of the scheme, 'to set the people free', in the words of one minister. On 21 February 1952 the Minister for Health, Harry Crookshank, announced in the House of Commons that national identity cards were to be scrapped. This was a popular move, adopted against the wishes of the police and the security services.
When identity cards were abolished Willcock received hundreds of redundant cards through the post to auction for charity.
Willcock was the Liberal candidate in Barking
Barking (UK Parliament constituency)
Barking is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It has elected Labour MPs since its creation in 1945, usually with strong majorities.- Boundaries :The...
in 1945
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
and in 1950
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
. He came third in both contests, losing his deposit in 1950. He had previously been a councillor and magistrate
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Horsforth
Horsforth
Horsforth is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, lying to the north west of Leeds. It has a population of 18,928....
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
Willcock was born in Alverthorpe
Alverthorpe
Alverthorpe is a suburb of, and former village in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.-History:After the start of the Industrial Revolution woollen and worsted yarns were spun and woollen and worsted cloth woven in...
, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, Yorkshire. He died suddenly while debating at a meeting of the Eighty Club
Eighty Club
The Eighty Club was a political London gentlemen's club named after the year it was founded, 1880 . It was strictly aligned to the Liberal party, with members having to pledge support to join...
at the National Liberal Club. The last word on his lips before his death was reported to have been "freedom."