Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/256

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242

CRISP—CRISPIN—CRISPO—CRISWICK.

the Aimable 32, and Horatio 38; in the former of which vessels he served at the blockade of the Elbe, and assisted at the capture of L’Iris French national-ship, of 24 guns and 110 men, after a short running fight, 3 Feb. 1809. While in the Horatio, Mr. Crisp, who had attained the rating of Master’s Mate, routed, on 2 Aug. 1812, a party of small-arm men on the coast of Norway, and then distinguished himself, in command of one of four boats under Lieut. Abraham Mills Hawkins, at the capture of a Danish schooner and cutter, mounting 10 guns between them, which were not subdued until a sanguinary combat had occasioned a loss to the British of 9 men killed and 16 wounded, and to themselves of 10 killed and 13 wounded.[1] He was immediately [errata 1] afterwards appointed to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the same ship; and in that capacity he was present, in Dec. following [errata 2], at the reduction of the islands of Schouwen and Tholen. During his attachment to the Horatio, Mr. Crisp again visited the Cape of Good Hope. He was confirmed in his present rank 3 March, 1815; but has not since been afloat.



CRISP. (Lieut., 1823. f-p., 15; h-p., 23.)

John Crisp, born 17 Aug. 1796, is son of the late Robt. Crisp, Esq., of Alnwick, co. Northumberland, Adjutant of the Northumberland Militia.

This officer entered the Navy, 14 Nov. 1809, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board La Nymphe 36, Capt. Hon. Josceline Percy; with whom he continued to serve, the greater part of the time in the Hotspur 36, until Nov. 1815. While in the latter frigate, Mr. Crisp was present, as Midshipman, 8 Sept. 1811, in an attack made by Capt. Percy on seven of the enemy’s gun-brigs off Calvados, on which occasion the Hotspur, having grounded, lay exposed for four hours to a heavy fire from the vessels, a battery, and some field-pieces, which inflicted on her a loss of 5 men killed and 22 wounded. He also commanded a launch belonging to the same ship at the reduction, in the summer of 1813, of a strong fort, occupied by the French, on the north coast of Spain. On leaving the Hotspur, Mr. Crisp passed his examination, and then joined the Inconstant 36, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo on the coast of Africa, where he served nearly two years, and assisted, in the boats under Lieut. Geo. Harrison, at the cutting-out of a slaver from beneath the batteries of Prince’s Island. In March, 1818, he became Master’s Mate of the Iphigenia 36, Capt. Hyde Parker, in time to escort to Quebec the Duke of Richmond, the new Governor-General of Canada; after which he appears to have been employed (until confirmed in the rank he now holds, 21 May, 1823), as Admiralty-Midshipman and Acting-Lieutenant, on board the Severn 50, and Leander 60, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Chas. Richardson, on the Home station – Vigo 74, flag-ship at St. Helena of Rear-Admiral Robt. Lambert – Cyrené 20, Capt. Percy Grace – and Owen Glendower 36, Commodore Sir Robt. Mends, and Bann 20, Capt. Chas. Phillips, both on the coast of Africa. He subsequently served on the Coast Blockade as Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot, from Dec. 1825 to Feb. 1826; but was then superseded, in consequence of ill health contracted on the coast of Africa; and has since been on half-pay.

Lieut. Crisp has been in the enjoyment, since 20 Feb. 1842, of 20l. a year, as a pension for wounds received in the right leg and hand, during his attachments to the Hotspur and Ramillies. He is married. Agents – Pettet and Newton.



CRISPIN. (Commander, 1844.)

William Crispin, born 6 July, 1803, is son of Capt. Benj. Crispin, R.N. (1813), who served as Midshipman of the Orion 74, and Queen 98, in the actions of Howe and Bridport – was promoted to the rank of Commander for his conduct, as First-Lieutenant of the Caesar 80, on the occasion of Sir Rich. Strachan’s capture of the four line-of-battle ships escaped from Trafalgar, 4 Nov. 1805 – and died 7 March, 1836.

This officer entered the Navy, (from the Royal Naval College,) in Nov. 1818, as Midshipman, on board the Hyperion 42, Capt. Thos. Searle, in which frigate he proceeded to South America. We next find him serving, in the Channel and off Newfoundland, on board the Camelion 10, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, and Ranger 26, Capt. Peter Fisher; and afterwards in the West Indies, as Mate of the Gloucester 74, Capt. Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen, Lion schooner, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Hobson, and Rattlesnake 26, Capt. Hugh Patton. In consideration of his gallant services against the pirates of Cuba when in the Lion, Mr. Crispin was rewarded with a commission dated 4 Oct. 1825. After serving some time in the Icarus 10, Capt. John Geo. Graham, he was appointed to a station in the Coast Guard 4 April, 1829, and subsequently invested with the command – 22 March and 19 Sept. 1833, of the Rose and Swallow Revenue vessels – 30 July, 1835, again of a Coast Guard station – and, 25 March, 1837, of the Vulcan, a steam-cruizer. For services rendered to the Revenue during that period, Mr. Crispin was promoted to his present rank 5 Jan. 1844. He has been in command, since 1 Jan. 1845, of the Victoria and Albert steam-yacht, Capt. Lord Adolphus FitzClarence.

He married, 15 April, 1845, Caroline Busfeild Ferrand, daughter of the late C. F. Busfeild, Esq., of Cottinglay Bridge, co. York, and by that lady, who died 13 Feb. 1846, had issue. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



CRISPO. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 17; h-p., 22.)

John William Crispo entered the Navy, 20 April, 1808, as Midshipman, on board the Little Belt 18, Capt. John Crispo, and sailed for the coast of Africa. Between May, 1809, and Aug. 1814, he next served – on the Baltic, Halifax, and South American stations – in the Ruby 64, Capts. Robt. Hall and Robt. Williams, Little Belt again. Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Borlase Warren, and Aquilon 32, Capts. Hon. Wm. Pakenham, Wm. Bowles, and Jas. Boxer. He then joined the Chatham 74, Capt. David Lloyd, stationed in the Channel; obtained his commission 8 March, 1815; served on the Coast Blockade, from 20 Sept. 1825 until 1831, as a Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74, and Hyperion 42, Capts. Hugh Pigot and Wm. Jas. Mingaye; and was appointed to a station in the Coast Guard 5 April, 1831. He has been on half-pay since 1835.



CRISWICK. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 32.)

Charles Criswick entered the Navy, 17 March, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Dreadnought 98, Capt. Edw. Rotheram, bearing the flag off Cadiz of Vice-Admiral Collingwood; and, on accompanying those officers into the Royal Sovereign 100, took part in the battle of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805. In Nov. following he removed with Capt. Rotheram, as Midshipman, to the Bellerophon 74, commanded afterwards in the Baltic and North Sea by Capts. Sam. Warren, Wm. Henry Dillon, and John Halsted, with whom he continued until transferred, in Feb. 1811, to the Southampton, of 38 guns and 212 men, Capt. Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo. On 3 Feb. 1812, he assisted at the capture of the Haytian frigate Amthyste, of 44 guns and 700 men, at the close of a sharp contest, in which the enemy had 105 men killed and 120 wounded, and the British only 1 man killed and 10 wounded. The Southampton, after making prize of the United States brig Vixen 14, was eventually wrecked on a reef of rocks near Conception island, 27 Nov. 1812. From May, 1813, until Sept. 1814, Mr. Criswick appears to have been next employed on the Canadian lakes in the capacity of Acting-Lieutenant. In March of the latter year, while commanding a division of gun-boats under Capt. Dan. Pring, he co-operated with Major Handcock in the defence of La Cole Mill, by forwarding stores and landing guns, as also by effectually obstructing the passage of General Wilkinson’s army

  1. Correction: immediately should be amended to : detail
  2. Correction: following should be amended to 1813 : detail

  1. Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 1710.