Crewe Offley facts for kids

Crewe Offley (born 1682, died 1739) was an important landowner from Wychnor Hall in Staffordshire, England. He was also a Whig politician who served in the English and later British Parliament for many years, from 1706 to 1734.

Early Life and Family

Crewe Offley was born on November 14, 1682. He was the second son of John Offley and Anne Crewe. His mother, Anne, was from a well-known family in Cheshire.

In 1698, when he was still young, Crewe Offley inherited Wychnor Hall from his mother. Later, in 1711, he also received some estates from his great-uncle, Sir John Crewe. In 1710, he married Margaret Lawrence.

Political Career in Parliament

The Offley family had a lot of influence in elections, especially in Cheshire. In 1705, Crewe Offley's older brother decided to run for a seat in Cheshire. This allowed Crewe Offley to run for Newcastle-under-Lyme.

He didn't win the first vote, but he later gained his seat in Parliament on February 27, 1706. This happened after it was shown that his opponents had used unfair practices. He joined Parliament as a Whig, which was a political group at the time.

In 1708, he ran for Newcastle-under-Lyme again and faced a similar situation. He lost the first vote but was given his seat in Parliament on February 1, 1709, after another review.

While in Parliament, he voted on several important issues. For example, in 1710, he voted to allow certain foreign people to become citizens. He also voted to put a religious leader, Dr. Sacheverell, on trial for his speeches. Because of public support for Dr. Sacheverell, Crewe Offley decided not to run in the 1710 election.

In 1714, he was appointed a "Gentleman of the privy chamber," which was a special helper role for the Queen. He kept this job for the rest of his life.

Crewe Offley ran for Newcastle-under-Lyme again in 1715 as a Whig. For the third time, he was given his seat in Parliament after a review on June 2, 1715. In 1716, he voted for a law that changed how often elections were held. He also voted against the government on some religious laws in 1719 but supported them on another important law about the peerage (titles of nobility).

In 1722, he became a Member of Parliament for Bewdley. He was re-elected for Bewdley in 1727. He generally supported the government until the 1734 election, where he was defeated and lost his seat.

Later Life and Legacy

Crewe Offley passed away on June 28, 1739. He had two sons. His son, John, inherited Wychnor Hall but later sold it in 1765.