Holytown
Encyclopedia
Holytown is a small village
outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire
, Scotland
.
One old description of the town from the 19th century from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland by Francis H Groome, 1885 is as follows:
Reports of living conditions showed that the residents of the town lived in tough conditions in the 19th century. In 1913, one report describing housing in Jerviston Square said that the housing "may be taken as an example of houses that are very near the border line of the habitable standard".
Working in mining was a dangerous life with long hours, and accidents resulting in multiple deaths were not uncommon in Lanarkshire. Life was harsh, but forged the character of the working class mining community in the face of hardship, especially the politics of Keir Hardie
, the founder of the Labour Party in the UK.
The Holytown Miners' Association was a local union formed in the 1840s. In 1847 the union attempted to restrict output, to combat a 1s (5p) per day wage reduction proposed by the owners. The owners imposed a 3 month 'lockout', which ended in defeat for the union. In 1855 the union merged with the Scottish Coal and Iron-stone Miners' Protective Association. According to the Board of Trade Reports there was another Association of the same name formed in the early 1890s. With an estimated membership of 200 for both 1894 and 1895 it became a branch of the Lanarkshire Miners' County Union in 1896.
Many have drifted away since the early 1990s due to the decline in the coal industries.
The bulk of people in the town are now employed in blue collar roles including manufacturing and retail roles. The local Euro Terminal set up in the 1990s has not materialised with a huge boom in jobs as hoped. Other well-known local employers include Honeywell
, a large electronics firm based in the Newhouse industrial estate.
Notable people from Holytown include the politicians Keir Hardie
and John Reid
and footballer Harry McShane
.
The main backbone of the town is Main Street, which stretches across the north of the town from east to west upon which are the numerous shops and pubs. The town has lost various services with the old bank (Clydesdale Bank) having moved out of the town (now a dentists) whilst certain other services such as the petrol station closed around the late 1970s. There is no longer a Post Office (with the premises now being occupied by a kiltmaker), the nearest Post Offices are located in New Stevenston and Bellshill. The video shops that were in the town closed in the mid-1990s.
Hairdressers and barber shops, and a vets still ply their trade in the town.
For general shopping most go to the nearest local towns, especially Bellshill
. Motherwell and Hamilton
are used for clothes and gifts shopping with their larger shopping centres, or for a big day out families head into Glasgow which is convenient to reach with the M8 motorway.
The community centre is used for various activities all year round, for dances and larger get-togethers. As of September 2009, the future of Holytown Community Centre is under threatened closure by North Lanarkshire Council although residents intend to fight for the Centre to remain open.
A halal butchers was opened in the late 1990s to help cater for the Muslims in the districts.
Holytown railway station
(which is actually located in New Stevenston) has a direct link into Glasgow
and Edinburgh
and the approximate time from Holytown to Glasgow
is 20–30 minutes by car or train, and 45 minutes to Edinburgh
. The station (opened in 1869) is not conveniently located, so buses into Motherwell or to Glasgow (or even a bus to Motherwell for the train to get to Glasgow) is more usual.
A sports centre was built in the early 1990s and named "The Keir Hardie Leisure Centre" in honour of local hero James Keir Hardie
. The Centre's gym (two rooms) and indoor 5-a-side football pitch are regularly used.
In 1976, the Michael Sherry Senior Citizen Centre was built for use by the senior citizens in the immediate area. It has been in continual use since, and is primarily used by the senior citizens but also by the community a like. Activities taking place include, lunch clubs, dance classes, craft classes, bowling clubs, bingo nights, church activities, community councils and MSP surgeries.
), and the character of the town remains so. On the far east of the town on Edinburgh Road stands Holytown Parish Church, possibly the oldest building in the town which is still used on a daily basis. The original church was founded in the 17th century which helped to set the roots of the town. The current building was built and opened in 1837.
There is also a thriving community of people of Irish Catholic
descent, who have long set up a Roman Catholic school with a church in the town, Christ the King Church. The church and the school are both on the main street. The church was founded and built in 1975.
A small number of Muslims began to move to Lanarkshire in the late 1960s, and a few families of Pakistanis moved to Holytown in the 1970s. For prayers, a room above one of the shops on the main street (across from the Christ the King Church) was used as a small makeshift mosque for Muslims throughout Lanarkshire during the early to mid 1980s (the mosque was the first in Lanarkshire) before it moved to Carfin
. In those days, for Eid
(Islam's holiest religious annual day), Christ the King Church on the main street used to help and provide their halls to the small Lankarkshire Muslim community for use for the day. In the mid 1980s, the initial group of people who formed the mosque (led by GS Siddiquie who was a long-time resident in Holytown) formed the Lanarkshire Muslim Welfare Society. Since the mid-1990s there has been a halal butchers to cater for the area.
One notable footballer from Holytown was Harry McShane
who won the First Division in England with Manchester United in 1951-52 and then played for various clubs in and around the north-west of England. He was the father of the British TV actor Ian McShane
.
John Reid
was a member of parliament for the local constituency. On 28 September 2007 it was announced that he would become Chairman of Celtic Football Club
. Reid is a lifelong supporter of the club and described the appointment as the next best thing to playing for his heroes.
Edward "Eddie" Pearson, who played for Celtic FC in their inaugural match on 28 May 1888, was born in Holytown in March 1863.
Nowadays, Holytown Colts are the only football team from Holytown, though they exist only at boys club and amateur levels.
At the start of the Main Street, on the far east just off the large roundabout, is the War Memorial statue. This was built to pay respect to those who died in World War I.
The inscription on the statue says:
"In Memory of the Men of Holytown District who fell in the Great War
1914 - 1918".
and on the lower plinth it says:
"Their name liveth for evermore".
The statue is made of granite, and is 16 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft, and is of a life-sized kilted soldier bearing full uniform, on a tapering plinth stepped base.
The statue was built by Scott & Rae (Sculptors) and James Paterson (Builder), and was unveiled by Alexander Whitelaw on 9 October 1921 with a dedication by Rev JD Dykes. The cost of the memorial was £1160 which was funded by public, private and corporate donations.
Currently (October 2009) building work is underway to restore the war memorial to its former glory. Plans include a new surrounding and properly landscaped memorial gardens.
Holytown's biggest claim in its history is undoubtably being the home of James Keir Hardie
(more commonly referred to as simply "Keir Hardie"), founder of the Labour Party
in Britain. He was born in the hamlet of Legbrannock in 1856, which is now in the Holytown area, and his old home/cottage has been preserved for future generations ("the Keir Hardie Cottage"). In honour of the great man, a street in the town is named after him ("Keir Hardie Avenue") as is the local sports centre ("The Keir Hardie Leisure Centre"). His name is still a focal point for pride and respect for the town and its people.
Since the time of Keir Hardie the town has been Labour Party
territory.
The town now lies in the Hamilton North and Bellshill
constituency for the House of Commons (Parliament) and Scottish Parliament
(previously in Motherwell and Wishaw), with Michael McMahon
as the local MSP (Member for Scottish Parliament) winning the seat with a 19.2% majority in 2007.
A previous MP for the town was John Reid MP
, who went on to serve in various high level positions in government including Home Secretary
and Leader of House of Commons. He supported the Iraq War.
Robert Crosser
was born in Holytown in 1874, and was a Congressman in the US government for 38 years. His family emigrated when he was still a child in 1881 to the USA, where he was educated and made his way through university, law and the US government. A Democrat
, he gained senior positions in government. Crosser suffered from arthritis, and used a wheelchair
from 1934 onwards. He died in Cleveland in 1957 and was buried in Highland Park Cemetery in the US.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
History
The area was born and grew on the back of the nearby coal mining industries in the 18th century, although the roots of the town stretch back to at least the 17th Century, where records show that a meeting house was used for prayer services for the community.One old description of the town from the 19th century from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland by Francis H Groome, 1885 is as follows:
Holytown, a town in BothwellBothwellBothwell is a small town in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, nine miles east-south-east of Glasgow city centre....
parish, Lanarkshire, 1 mile E by N of Holytown Junction on the Caledonian railway, 5½ miles SSE of Coatbridge, and 11 ESE of Glasgow. Surrounded by a well-worked part of the Lanarkshire mineral-field, and partaking largely in the industry and traffic connected with the working of the same, it experienced considerable increase of prosperity from the opening of the Cleland and Midcalder railway (1866), in result partly of through traffic on that line and partly of junction-communication with Motherwell.
It includes the suburb of New StevenstonNew StevenstonNew Stevenston is a small village situated outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.SchoolsThe village is served by two primary schools: St.Patrick's Primary School & New Stevenston Primary School which share a joint campus incorporating New Stevenston Library.Secondary education is...
, ½ mile SSW ; and has a post office, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments, a branch of the Clydesdale Bank, 3 insurance agencies, gasworks, a quoad sacra parish church, a Free church, and a public school. The quoad sacra parish is in the presbytery of Hamilton and synod of Glasgow and Ayr ; its minister's stipend is £120.
Pop. of town
(1836) 755,
(1861) 1135,
(1871) 2197,
(1881) 2480, of whom 1048 were in New Stevenston ;
of q. s. parish
(1871) 10,099,
(1881) 10,449.—Ord. Sur., sh. 31, 1867.
Reports of living conditions showed that the residents of the town lived in tough conditions in the 19th century. In 1913, one report describing housing in Jerviston Square said that the housing "may be taken as an example of houses that are very near the border line of the habitable standard".
Working in mining was a dangerous life with long hours, and accidents resulting in multiple deaths were not uncommon in Lanarkshire. Life was harsh, but forged the character of the working class mining community in the face of hardship, especially the politics of Keir Hardie
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, the founder of the Labour Party in the UK.
The Holytown Miners' Association was a local union formed in the 1840s. In 1847 the union attempted to restrict output, to combat a 1s (5p) per day wage reduction proposed by the owners. The owners imposed a 3 month 'lockout', which ended in defeat for the union. In 1855 the union merged with the Scottish Coal and Iron-stone Miners' Protective Association. According to the Board of Trade Reports there was another Association of the same name formed in the early 1890s. With an estimated membership of 200 for both 1894 and 1895 it became a branch of the Lanarkshire Miners' County Union in 1896.
Many have drifted away since the early 1990s due to the decline in the coal industries.
The bulk of people in the town are now employed in blue collar roles including manufacturing and retail roles. The local Euro Terminal set up in the 1990s has not materialised with a huge boom in jobs as hoped. Other well-known local employers include Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
, a large electronics firm based in the Newhouse industrial estate.
Notable people from Holytown include the politicians Keir Hardie
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
and John Reid
John Reid (politician)
John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary...
and footballer Harry McShane
Harry McShane (footballer)
Harold "Harry" McShane is a Scottish former football player, who played as a direct and speedy winger. He is the father of actor Ian McShane.-Playing career:...
.
Description
The population of Holytown is approximately 5483 (2001 Census), divided between the four main population areas. The town is approximately 422 hectares (2001 Census) in size. There are around 5-6 public houses ("pubs") and two primary schools as well as two main places of worship.Hairdressers and barber shops, and a vets still ply their trade in the town.
For general shopping most go to the nearest local towns, especially Bellshill
Bellshill
Bellshill is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, 10 miles south east of Glasgow city centre and 37 miles west of Edinburgh. Other nearby towns are Motherwell , Hamilton and Coatbridge . Since 1996, it has been situated in the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area...
. Motherwell and Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
are used for clothes and gifts shopping with their larger shopping centres, or for a big day out families head into Glasgow which is convenient to reach with the M8 motorway.
The community centre is used for various activities all year round, for dances and larger get-togethers. As of September 2009, the future of Holytown Community Centre is under threatened closure by North Lanarkshire Council although residents intend to fight for the Centre to remain open.
A halal butchers was opened in the late 1990s to help cater for the Muslims in the districts.
Holytown railway station
Holytown railway station
Holytown railway station is a railway station serving both Holytown and New Stevenston in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the Shotts Line, south east of towards and is also on the Argyle Line....
(which is actually located in New Stevenston) has a direct link into Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and the approximate time from Holytown to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
is 20–30 minutes by car or train, and 45 minutes to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The station (opened in 1869) is not conveniently located, so buses into Motherwell or to Glasgow (or even a bus to Motherwell for the train to get to Glasgow) is more usual.
A sports centre was built in the early 1990s and named "The Keir Hardie Leisure Centre" in honour of local hero James Keir Hardie
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. The Centre's gym (two rooms) and indoor 5-a-side football pitch are regularly used.
In 1976, the Michael Sherry Senior Citizen Centre was built for use by the senior citizens in the immediate area. It has been in continual use since, and is primarily used by the senior citizens but also by the community a like. Activities taking place include, lunch clubs, dance classes, craft classes, bowling clubs, bingo nights, church activities, community councils and MSP surgeries.
Religion
The town is historically Protestant (Presbyterian/Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
), and the character of the town remains so. On the far east of the town on Edinburgh Road stands Holytown Parish Church, possibly the oldest building in the town which is still used on a daily basis. The original church was founded in the 17th century which helped to set the roots of the town. The current building was built and opened in 1837.
There is also a thriving community of people of Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
descent, who have long set up a Roman Catholic school with a church in the town, Christ the King Church. The church and the school are both on the main street. The church was founded and built in 1975.
A small number of Muslims began to move to Lanarkshire in the late 1960s, and a few families of Pakistanis moved to Holytown in the 1970s. For prayers, a room above one of the shops on the main street (across from the Christ the King Church) was used as a small makeshift mosque for Muslims throughout Lanarkshire during the early to mid 1980s (the mosque was the first in Lanarkshire) before it moved to Carfin
Carfin
Carfin is a small village to the north-east of Motherwell, Scotland on the road to Newarthill.-Local facilities:The closest secondary school is Taylor High School in nearby New Stevenston...
. In those days, for Eid
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
(Islam's holiest religious annual day), Christ the King Church on the main street used to help and provide their halls to the small Lankarkshire Muslim community for use for the day. In the mid 1980s, the initial group of people who formed the mosque (led by GS Siddiquie who was a long-time resident in Holytown) formed the Lanarkshire Muslim Welfare Society. Since the mid-1990s there has been a halal butchers to cater for the area.
Football
The town has had its own teams representing the area, as listed below. There are still various small amateur teams playing in local regional leagues at all ages representing the community.| Team name | Formed | Disbanded | Notes | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holytown | 1888 | 1889 | ||
| Holytown Pilgrims | 1908 | 1911 | previously amateurs *-1909 | |
| Holytown Primrose | * | * | ||
| Holytown Thistle | 1889 | 1906 | Howden Park | |
| Holytown United | 1936 | 1953 | previously Juveniles *-1937 | Thankerton Park |
One notable footballer from Holytown was Harry McShane
Harry McShane (footballer)
Harold "Harry" McShane is a Scottish former football player, who played as a direct and speedy winger. He is the father of actor Ian McShane.-Playing career:...
who won the First Division in England with Manchester United in 1951-52 and then played for various clubs in and around the north-west of England. He was the father of the British TV actor Ian McShane
Ian McShane
Ian David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
.
John Reid
John Reid (politician)
John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary...
was a member of parliament for the local constituency. On 28 September 2007 it was announced that he would become Chairman of Celtic Football Club
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. Reid is a lifelong supporter of the club and described the appointment as the next best thing to playing for his heroes.
Edward "Eddie" Pearson, who played for Celtic FC in their inaugural match on 28 May 1888, was born in Holytown in March 1863.
Nowadays, Holytown Colts are the only football team from Holytown, though they exist only at boys club and amateur levels.
War memorial
The inscription on the statue says:
"In Memory of the Men of Holytown District who fell in the Great War
1914 - 1918".
and on the lower plinth it says:
"Their name liveth for evermore".
The statue is made of granite, and is 16 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft, and is of a life-sized kilted soldier bearing full uniform, on a tapering plinth stepped base.
The statue was built by Scott & Rae (Sculptors) and James Paterson (Builder), and was unveiled by Alexander Whitelaw on 9 October 1921 with a dedication by Rev JD Dykes. The cost of the memorial was £1160 which was funded by public, private and corporate donations.
Currently (October 2009) building work is underway to restore the war memorial to its former glory. Plans include a new surrounding and properly landscaped memorial gardens.
Politics
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
(more commonly referred to as simply "Keir Hardie"), founder of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in Britain. He was born in the hamlet of Legbrannock in 1856, which is now in the Holytown area, and his old home/cottage has been preserved for future generations ("the Keir Hardie Cottage"). In honour of the great man, a street in the town is named after him ("Keir Hardie Avenue") as is the local sports centre ("The Keir Hardie Leisure Centre"). His name is still a focal point for pride and respect for the town and its people.
Since the time of Keir Hardie the town has been Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
territory.
The town now lies in the Hamilton North and Bellshill
Hamilton North and Bellshill (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Hamilton North and Bellshill is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency for the House of Commons (Parliament) and Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
(previously in Motherwell and Wishaw), with Michael McMahon
Michael McMahon (Scottish politician)
Michael McMahon is a Scottish Labour politician and is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Uddingston and Bellshill since 2011. He was previously the member for the former seat of Hamilton North and Bellshill. McMahon has been the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government for Labour in...
as the local MSP (Member for Scottish Parliament) winning the seat with a 19.2% majority in 2007.
A previous MP for the town was John Reid MP
John Reid (politician)
John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary...
, who went on to serve in various high level positions in government including Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
and Leader of House of Commons. He supported the Iraq War.
Robert Crosser
Robert Crosser
Robert Crosser was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland, Crosser emigrated to the United States in 1881 with his parents and settled in Cleveland, Ohio....
was born in Holytown in 1874, and was a Congressman in the US government for 38 years. His family emigrated when he was still a child in 1881 to the USA, where he was educated and made his way through university, law and the US government. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he gained senior positions in government. Crosser suffered from arthritis, and used a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
from 1934 onwards. He died in Cleveland in 1957 and was buried in Highland Park Cemetery in the US.
External links
- Memorial to those who died in World War I & World War II from Holytown - Holytown War Memorial, Imperial War Museum
- Scottish Mining Villages
- Mining Dictionary - Holytown Miners Association definition
- The Scotch Railway Strike - NY Times story Dec 24 1980
- Robert Crosser - Biography