Cremer, Sir William Randal (1828-1908), a British politician, advocated a system of international arbitration that would enable countries to settle their differences peacefully. Arbitration is the settlement of a dispute by one or more impartial persons whose decision is binding. Cremer won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1903.
Cremer was born on March 18, 1828, in Fareham, in the county of Hampshire, England. He was a carpenter by trade. In 1858, Cremer was elected to a council that organized a campaign for a nine-hour work day. That same year, he was among the labor leaders who led 70,000 men in a protest against a labor lockout. Cremer helped form the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners and the International Working Men’s Association.
Cremer used his prestige as a labor leader to advocate for peace through arbitration. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Cremer founded the Workmen’s Peace Association (later renamed the International Arbitration League), with the aim of keeping Great Britain (now the United Kingdom) neutral during the war. He also worked for an arbitration treaty between Great Britain and the United States.
Cremer was elected to Parliament in 1885, 1886, and 1892. He was defeated in 1895 but reelected in 1900. Cremer was knighted in 1907 and became known as Sir William Randal Cremer. He remained a member of Parliament until his death on July 22, 1908.
