Christopher Crabb Creeke
Encyclopedia
Christopher Crabb Creeke (11 March 1820 – 1886) was an architect
and surveyor
who was largely responsible for shaping the early development of Bournemouth
.
, the son of tailor
and robe maker Thomas Creeke and his first wife Elizabeth Rootham Crabb. By the time he was 20, Creeke looked set to follow his father’s trade as a tailor, however he moved to London
to train as an architectural draughtsman
. Whilst there, he married the recently widowed Elisabeth Norwood in 1845.
to convert a large property at Boscombe
into her seaside retreat. Shelley died before she could move in, but her son, Sir Percy Florence Shelley
, retained Creeke’s services.
Bournemouth at this time was a haphazard development, where properties had been built largely at the whim of untrained landowners. There was no coordination of effort, and in the case of the vast Branksome Estate, the promise of development potential had led to a tangled mass of mortgages
and the ruination of at least one owner. This was a situation crying out for a capable mind to solve.
) as by Creek’s appreciation of the beauty of Bournemouth. The varied problems of Bournemouth presented him with a challenge to which he showed himself the equal. One of his first tasks was to assist in a court case that was causing problems at Branksome. Creeke used his skills to draw up a map of the vast Branksome Estate, hundreds of acre
s in extent, which proved useful in sorting out the wrangles over the various mortgages and charges at the estate. As a result of Creeke’s work, the estate was soon up for sale and attracted some significant purchasers, such as the Talbot sisters and Charles William Packe.
Elsewhere in Bournemouth, William Clapcott Dean was on the verge of inheriting several hundred acres of land. Dean hailed from a local family of yeoman farmers. They too were suffering from crippling mortgages which were only cleared by a life insurance
payout when Dean’s mother died. This left Dean able to contemplate the development of his land, but he had none of the necessary training for the work and so turned to Creeke for advice.
, water supply
, roads and refuse collection
. None of the private estate offices were equal to the task and there was no forum in which to coordinate the necessary efforts. This situation was finally resolved in 1856, when Parliament
, following the due petition from the local property owners, allowed the establishment of the Bournemouth Commissioners, and empowered them to levy a local rate
for the improvement of the town and the construction of a pier
. Unsurprisingly, Creeke was appointed as the surveyor by the Commissioners, and so began a long period during which Creeke advised both the land owners and the local authority. What emerged was his conception of Bournemouth as a town of meandering roads and large villa
s in spacious plots that shaped the development of Bournemouth.
and secretary to her brother. Creeke lived in several houses that he had designed himself. His wife Elisabeth died early in 1881 in Fleet
, Lincolnshire
. Creeke survived her by five years, and died in 1886. He was buried in the Wimborne Road cemetery, which had been laid out according to his plans. His crusader type grave is close to the chapel that he designed for the cemetery, and which is now a listed building.
On 21 August 2009, a new Wetherspoons
pub, called "The Christopher Creeke", opened in the Lansdowne area of Bournemouth.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
who was largely responsible for shaping the early development of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
.
Early life
Christopher Crabb Creeke was born on 11 March 1820, in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, the son of tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
and robe maker Thomas Creeke and his first wife Elizabeth Rootham Crabb. By the time he was 20, Creeke looked set to follow his father’s trade as a tailor, however he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to train as an architectural draughtsman
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
. Whilst there, he married the recently widowed Elisabeth Norwood in 1845.
Arrival
Creeke seems to have arrived in Bournemouth in around 1850, on a commission from Mary ShelleyMary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
to convert a large property at Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
into her seaside retreat. Shelley died before she could move in, but her son, Sir Percy Florence Shelley
Percy Florence Shelley
Sir Percy Florence Shelley, 3rd Baronet was the son and only surviving child of Percy Bysshe Shelley and his second wife, Mary Shelley. He was thus the only grandchild of Mary Wollstonecraft...
, retained Creeke’s services.
Bournemouth at this time was a haphazard development, where properties had been built largely at the whim of untrained landowners. There was no coordination of effort, and in the case of the vast Branksome Estate, the promise of development potential had led to a tangled mass of mortgages
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
and the ruination of at least one owner. This was a situation crying out for a capable mind to solve.
Growth of reputation
Creeke, meanwhile, had decided not to return to London, a resolution determined as much perhaps by the delicate health of his wife (which had left her needing the constant care of an institutionHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
) as by Creek’s appreciation of the beauty of Bournemouth. The varied problems of Bournemouth presented him with a challenge to which he showed himself the equal. One of his first tasks was to assist in a court case that was causing problems at Branksome. Creeke used his skills to draw up a map of the vast Branksome Estate, hundreds of acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s in extent, which proved useful in sorting out the wrangles over the various mortgages and charges at the estate. As a result of Creeke’s work, the estate was soon up for sale and attracted some significant purchasers, such as the Talbot sisters and Charles William Packe.
Elsewhere in Bournemouth, William Clapcott Dean was on the verge of inheriting several hundred acres of land. Dean hailed from a local family of yeoman farmers. They too were suffering from crippling mortgages which were only cleared by a life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
payout when Dean’s mother died. This left Dean able to contemplate the development of his land, but he had none of the necessary training for the work and so turned to Creeke for advice.
Planning Bournemouth
Creeke was becoming invaluable to most of the major landowners in Bournemouth, but he was also aware that the ad hoc nature of the existing development had left the town in need of proper drainsDrainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
, water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
, roads and refuse collection
Waste collection
Waste collection is the component of waste management which results in the passage of a waste material from the source of production to either the point of treatment or final disposal...
. None of the private estate offices were equal to the task and there was no forum in which to coordinate the necessary efforts. This situation was finally resolved in 1856, when Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, following the due petition from the local property owners, allowed the establishment of the Bournemouth Commissioners, and empowered them to levy a local rate
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
for the improvement of the town and the construction of a pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
. Unsurprisingly, Creeke was appointed as the surveyor by the Commissioners, and so began a long period during which Creeke advised both the land owners and the local authority. What emerged was his conception of Bournemouth as a town of meandering roads and large villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s in spacious plots that shaped the development of Bournemouth.
Later life
By 1861, Creeke’s younger half-sister Anna had moved to Bournemouth where she appears to have acted as housekeeperHousekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
and secretary to her brother. Creeke lived in several houses that he had designed himself. His wife Elisabeth died early in 1881 in Fleet
Fleet, Lincolnshire
Fleet is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on Delph Bank, south-east from Holbeach.Fleet Grade I listed Anglican church, dating from the late 12th century, is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. The 120 foot high church tower with spire is...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Creeke survived her by five years, and died in 1886. He was buried in the Wimborne Road cemetery, which had been laid out according to his plans. His crusader type grave is close to the chapel that he designed for the cemetery, and which is now a listed building.
Legacy
For someone who contributed so singularly to Bournemouth, Creeke is somewhat forgotten these days. A bust of him that once had pride of place at the Town Hall, had been consigned to backroom oblivion in the storerooms of the town museum the Russell-Cotes until its retrieval was championed by local historian John Barker. It now graces the Mayor’s Parlour. There is one other carving of Creeke, commissioned by former mayor Keith Rawlings, and situated outside the conference hall where the major political parties hold their gatherings. It celebrates Creeke’s work as the surveyor of nuisances and master of the drains, and portrays him sitting on a toilet.On 21 August 2009, a new Wetherspoons
Wetherspoons
J D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford. Founded as a single pub in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company now owns 815 outlets. The chain champions cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The company also operates the Lloyds No...
pub, called "The Christopher Creeke", opened in the Lansdowne area of Bournemouth.