Richard Crawley (MP) facts for kids

Richard Crawley (born August 29, 1666 – died March 21, 1713) was an English landowner and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wendover. He also held important legal roles, like Registrar of the Admiralty Court and the Court of Delegates.

Early Life and Family Background

Richard Crawley was born on August 29, 1666. He was the fourth son of Francis Crawley and Mary (Clutterbuck) Crawley. His father, Francis, was a Baron of the Exchequer, a type of judge.

Richard's family had lived in Bedfordshire since the 1400s. His grandfather, Sir Francis Crawley, was a judge appointed by the king in 1632.

Richard Crawley's Career in Law and Politics

As a younger son, Richard Crawley chose a career in law. He became a public notary, which is a legal official. He followed in the footsteps of his brother-in-law, Thomas Bedford.

Working in the Admiralty Court

Thomas Bedford was the Deputy Registrar of the Court of Admiralty. This court handled legal cases related to the sea and ships. When Bedford died in 1698, Richard Crawley took over his role. He served as Deputy Registrar until 1705. After that, he became the main Registrar of the Admiralty, a position he held until his death. He also worked as Registrar of the Court of Delegates from around 1700.

Serving as a Member of Parliament

In November 1701, Richard Crawley was elected as a Member of Parliament for Wendover. He was part of the Tory political group. In his first time in Parliament, he was very active. He helped create a bill to encourage privateers, who were private ship owners allowed to attack enemy ships. His legal work gave him good knowledge for this.

He also voted on important issues. For example, he voted against a bill about Worcester College, Oxford. He also voted on matters related to transport services and salt taxes.

Re-election and Later Political Efforts

Richard Crawley lost the next election to Sir Roger Hill. However, he was later given his seat back in November 1702 after a special review. During this time, he continued to vote with the Tories on key issues. He voted against a change to a bill about taking the abjuration oath, which was a promise of loyalty to the monarch.

In the 1705 election, Crawley ran again but was defeated. Even after losing, he sometimes visited the House of Commons. He would share information from the Admiralty Court. He did not run in the 1708 election or a special election in 1709. He tried again in the 1710 election but was not successful.

Personal Life and Family

On October 24, 1699, Richard Crawley married Sarah Dashwood. Sarah was the daughter of Sir Samuel Dashwood, who was a Lord Mayor of London and also an MP. Through his marriage, Richard gained property in Wendover. He also inherited half of his mother's estate around the same time.

Richard and Sarah had five daughters and two sons. Sadly, two of their daughters, Anne and Mary, died as babies. Their other daughters, Henrietta, Sarah, and Margaret, never married.

Their two sons were:

• John Crawley (1703–1767): He also became a Member of Parliament. He married Susannah Sambrooke.
• Samuel Crawley (1705–1762): He worked as a British consul in Smyrna. He married Maria Dunant.

Richard Crawley inherited most of his family's property from his brother. He passed away in Doctors' Commons, London, on March 21, 1713. He was buried near Luton. He left his family's estates, including the recently bought Stockwood estate, to his oldest son, John. His wife received the lands they bought in Wendover and a property in Northaw.