written by some one who was ignorant of the subject, for Robert Crooke does not seem to have been a member of the family of Sir John Croke or Le Blount, the father of the judges (Croke, Genealogical History of the Croke Family). In 1648, when a scheme was drawn up for the ‘presbyterial government’ of Somerset, Crooke was one of the ministers appointed to superintend the united district of Bath and Wrington (The County of Somerset divided into Severall Classes, 1648). In this year also his name stands first to ‘The Attestation of the Ministers of the County of Somerset,’ which he probably drew up. This attestation is especially directed against ‘the removal of the covenant and the obligation to take the engagement.’ He died on 25 Dec. 1649, at the age of nearly seventy-five. His funeral, which took place on 3 Jan. following, was attended by an extraordinary number of people and by ‘multitudes of gentlemen and ministers.’ A commemoration sermon was preached in his memory on 12 Aug. 1652. After Crooke left Cambridge he presented some books to the university, to Pembroke Hall, and to Emmanuel College, writing in them Latin verses preserved in the ‘Life and Death of Mr. Samuel Crook.’ He also wrote ‘A Guide unto True Blessedness,’ 8vo, 1613, and in the same year a short epitome of the ‘Guide’ entitled a ‘Brief Direction to True Happiness for … Private Families and … the younger sort;’ a volume containing three sermons, 8vo, 1615; a sermon printed separately, and ‘Divine Character,’ published posthumously, 8vo, 1658. He also left ‘divers choice and sacred aphorisms and emblems,’ which have not been published, and Cole says that he had seen a copy of Latin verses by him on the death of D. Whitaker. Crooke left a widow but no children.
[ANΘΟΛΟΓΙΑ, or the Life and Death of Mr. S. Crook, by G. W.; Cooper's Athenæ Cantab. ii. 434; Brook's Lives of the Puritans, iii. 107; A Biographical Notice of Sam. Crooke, by E. Green, Bath Field Club Proc. III. i. 1; Hunt's Diocese of Bath and Wells, pp. 202, 206, 208, 214, 216; Mercurius Aulicus, p. 39; The County of Somerset divided; Attestation of the Ministers of Somerset; Cole's Athenæ Cantab. Addit. MS. 5865, fol. 27; Watt's Bibl. Brit. i. 272.]
CROOKE, THOMAS (fl. 1582), divine, matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge, in May 1560, where he was elected scholar 1562, and afterwards fellow, proceeded B.A. 1562–3, commenced M.A. 1566, proceeded B.D. 1573 and D.D. 1578, in which year he appears as a member of Pembroke Hall (Cooper, Athenæ Cantab. i. 434). In 1573–1574 he was rector of Great Waldingfield, Suffolk, and preacher to the society of Gray's Inn. When in 1582 it was proposed that conferences should be held between members of the church of England and Roman catholic priests and jesuits, Crooke was one of those nominated by the privy council to take part in these debates (Strype, Life of Whitgift, i. 194). He evidently held puritan opinions, for he urged Cartwright to publish his book on the Rhemish translation of the New Testament, though the archbishop had forbidden its appearance, and his name is among those subscribed to the Latin letter of approval prefixed to the work. In one matter at least, however, he was on the archbishop's side, for he wrote against the opinions expressed by Hugh Broughton [q. v.] in his ‘Concent of Scripture’ (ib. ii. 113–18). Even the title of this work seems to be lost. A letter of Crooke's to J. Foxe, written in Latin and dated 15 Sept. 1575, is among the Foxe MSS. in the British Museum (Harl. MS. 417, ff. 126–8). His son, Samuel Crooke [q. v.], was rector of Wrington, Somerset.
[Strype's Annals, iv. 106; Life of Whitgift, i. 194, 482, ii. 116, 8vo. edit.; Brook's Lives of the Puritans, iii. 107; Cooper's Athenæ Cantab. ii. 434.]
CROOKSHANKS, JOHN (1708–1795), captain in the navy, entered as a volunteer on board the Torbay with Captain Nicholas Haddock in the autumn of 1725. While serving in her he seems to have found favour with the Hon. John Byng [q. v.], whom he followed to the Gibraltar, Princess Louisa, and Falmouth. In August 1732 he passed his examination for the rank of lieutenant; was made lieutenant in March 1734, and in July 1742 was promoted to be captain of the Lowestoft frigate of 20 guns. On 17 Sept. 1742, being in company with the Medway of 60 guns, she fell in with a French ship in the Straits. In the chase, as night came on, the Lowestoft far outsailed the Medway, and came up with the enemy; but Crookshanks, preferring to wait till daylight, or till the Medway joined, or till the weather moderated, wrapped himself in his cloak and went to sleep. When he woke up the chase was not to be seen. The ship's company were, not unnaturally, indignant, but their murmurs, if they reached the admiralty, carried no weight, and Crookshanks's explanation was considered sufficient. In the course of 1743 he had again to write an explanatory letter, defending himself against a charge of carelessly performing his duty of protecting the trade in the Straits, so that several merchant ships were picked up by the enemy's privateers. It was said that instead of cruising in search of the
