Robert Wigram Crawford
Encyclopedia
Robert Wigram Crawford was a British East India merchant and Governor of the Bank of England
and a Liberal Party
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1857 to 1874.
Crawford was the son of William Crawford
M.P. for London 1833-41 and his wife Dorothy Elizabeth Rees. He lived in Bombay
for several years, where he was a partner in the firm of Remington & Co. He then headed the firm of Crawford, Corvin, and Co., East India Merchants of London. He was chairman of the East Indian and the Mexican Railway Companies. In 1869, he became a Governor of the Bank of England
. He was also a Commissioner of Lieutenancy for London, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
.
Crawford stood for parliament at Harwich
in 1851, where he was elected Member of Parliament
when the sitting member was unseated on petition, but was himself displaced on petition because it was alleged that the poll had closed three minutes before the legal hour. In 1852 he was proposed for the City of London
, but declined to become a candidate although 3765 votes had been cast for him. At the 1857 general election
Crawford was elected MP for City of London
. He held the seat until 1874.
Crawford died at the age of 76.
Crawford married Margaret Urquhart Cruikshank, daughter of the Rev. John Cruickshank, of Turriff, Scotland in 1836.
Governor of the Bank of England
The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor...
and a Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1857 to 1874.
Crawford was the son of William Crawford
William Crawford (London MP)
Wiliam Crawford was a British Liberal Party politician who represented the City of London in the 19th century.Crawford was born in London the son of Andrew Crawford, formerly of Dunfermline, and his wife Mary Spink. He spent his early life with the Honourable East India Company and made a fortune...
M.P. for London 1833-41 and his wife Dorothy Elizabeth Rees. He lived in Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
for several years, where he was a partner in the firm of Remington & Co. He then headed the firm of Crawford, Corvin, and Co., East India Merchants of London. He was chairman of the East Indian and the Mexican Railway Companies. In 1869, he became a Governor of the Bank of England
Governor of the Bank of England
The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor...
. He was also a Commissioner of Lieutenancy for London, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
.
Crawford stood for parliament at Harwich
Harwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Harwich was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until its abolition for the 2010 general election it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in 1851, where he was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
when the sitting member was unseated on petition, but was himself displaced on petition because it was alleged that the poll had closed three minutes before the legal hour. In 1852 he was proposed for the City of London
City of London (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
, but declined to become a candidate although 3765 votes had been cast for him. At the 1857 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1857
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
Crawford was elected MP for City of London
City of London (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
. He held the seat until 1874.
Crawford died at the age of 76.
Crawford married Margaret Urquhart Cruikshank, daughter of the Rev. John Cruickshank, of Turriff, Scotland in 1836.