William Crowne
Encyclopedia
William Crowne had a varied career as an officer of arms
, a Member of Parliament
, a colonel during the English civil war
, and one of the early colonists of North America. He was also the father of the playwright John Crowne
.
As a young man he accompanied his master the Earl of Arundel to Germany and wrote a book about his travels called "A true relation of all the remarkable places and passages observed in the travels of the right honourable Thomas Lord Hovvard, Earle of Arundell and Surrey, Primer Earle, and Earle Marshall of England, ambassadour extraordinary to his sacred Majesty Ferdinando the second, emperour of Germanie, anno Domini 1636. By Wiliam Crowne Gentleman, London". As Earl Marshal, Howard controlled appointments to the College of Arms
; in 1638 he appointed Crowne Rouge Dragon Pursuivant
, one of the four junior officers of arms. Crowne continued to hold this office, even while in North America, until his resignation in 1661.
Between 1635 and 1640 Crowne married Agnes Watts (née Mackworth), widow of Richard Watts (the son of alderman
and Lord Mayor of London
John Watts) and sister of Humfrey Mackworth, later governor of Shrewsbury
and a member of Cromwell
's Council of State
. Crowne and his wife had 3 children, of whom the eldest, John
became a well-known dramatist.
Crowne declared for the Parliamentary cause. From 1641 to at least 1644 he was secretary to Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh
; by 1649 he was serving in the same capacity to his brother-in-law. On April 2, 1650 Crowne was granted a commission as captain, and just over two weeks later was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, again under his brother-in-law Humphrey Mackworth. In 1654 he was elected as MP
for Bridgnorth
. During the 1650s Crowne also served as a justice of the peace
.
, after buying out Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour
. The following year Crowne with his son John (but not his wife), Temple and a group of settlers moved to North America. Crown and Temple divided the province between them in February 1658, with Crowne taking the western part, and building a trading post at "Negu," or "Negu alias Cadascat", on the Penobscot River
. In September of that year he leased his territory to a Captain Corwin and Ensign Scottee, then in 1659 he leased it to Temple for a period of four years, at a rate of £
110 per annum. Temple did not pay the lease after the first year, but remained in possession of the territory. During this period he was living in Boston, Massachusetts, of which he was made a Freeman on May 30, 1660.
With the Restoration
in 1660 Crowne returned to England to participate in the coronation of Charles II
, and to defend his claim to Nova Scotia. The grant to Crowne and Temple had been made by Cromwell under the Commonwealth; now that Charles had ascended the throne there were a number of other claimants. These included Thomas Elliot (a groom of the bedchamber to Charles II), Sir Lewis Kirke and others (who had taken Acadia
in the expedition against Quebec in 1632), and heirs of Sir William Alexander (the original grantee, from whom Charles de la Tour's father had obtained the grant). In 1661 the French Ambassador claimed the territory for France. Temple returned to England in 1662 and was successful in obtaining a new grant as well as a commission as governor. He promised to restore Crowne's territory and make reparations, but did not. Crowne pursued this in the New England courts, but was unsuccessful, the courts eventually deciding they did not have jurisdiction.
From 1662 to 1667 Crowne lived in Boston and Roxbury
. In 1667 he moved to the recently-established town of Mendon, Massachusetts
, and was appointed as the town's first clerk and selectman. In that same year Charles II ceded Nova Scotia, and thus Crowne's property, to the French under the Treaty of Breda. Crowne's time in Mendon was marked by frequent disputes with his neighbours over financial matters.
In 1674 Crowne was living in Prudence Island
, near Newport, Rhode Island
. In that year he was ordered by the General Court of Massachusetts to return to his wife, who had not accompanied him to North America, or face a £20 fine. Her date of death in not known. By 1679 Crowne was living in Boston, where he died on December 24, 1682. Below is a copy of his will.
I William Crowne Esq. being very weak in body, but of sound mind and memory, and looking every day to be received to glory w'ch God hath given me some comfort of thinking fitting to set down how I would have my estate disposed of when I am dead:
As concerning w't his Maj'tie hath promised to give me concerning the delivery of my right up to the French in Nova Scotia, my son John being prosecuting of it of the King, Whatsoever his Maj'tie doth bestow on me, give him the one halfe; as also the bond of four hundred and forty pounds the halfe of that.
And for my son Henry I leave to him the money that is owing me from William Allen of Prudence Island by order of the Town Council at Portsmouth, and also the moiety of w'ch the town of Mendham ows me w'ch is near forty pounds, and alsothe moiety of w'ch" 500 acres (2 km²) "shall bee sould for lying near Sudbury and for the ten pounds w'ch the General Court hath ordered me shall bee to defray the charges of my burial if I dye suddenly; and as for my bedding with appurt thereunto I give to Sarah Covell if she continue with me till I dye, and for her babe Dorothy I give her ten shillings in money as also her daughter Sara the like.
All my wearing apparel I give to my son Henry and the remainder of my estate, the whole being to my sons John and Henry, I give to my children my daughter Agnes having a double part.
And this I do declare to bee my last will and testimony, revoking all former. As for the debts I do appoint my son Henry to be my exectutor unto w'ch I have put my hand this Twenty-Fourth day of December in the year 1682.
Officer of arms
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:*to control and initiate armorial matters*to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state...
, a 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,...
, a colonel during the English civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, and one of the early colonists of North America. He was also the father of the playwright John Crowne
John Crowne
John Crowne was a British dramatist and a native of Nova Scotia.His father "Colonel" William Crowne, accompanied the earl of Arundel on a diplomatic mission to Vienna in 1637, and wrote an account of his journey...
.
Early and personal life
Different sources have Crowne's birthdate as 1608, 1617 or as late as 1620, but little is known of his early life and education.As a young man he accompanied his master the Earl of Arundel to Germany and wrote a book about his travels called "A true relation of all the remarkable places and passages observed in the travels of the right honourable Thomas Lord Hovvard, Earle of Arundell and Surrey, Primer Earle, and Earle Marshall of England, ambassadour extraordinary to his sacred Majesty Ferdinando the second, emperour of Germanie, anno Domini 1636. By Wiliam Crowne Gentleman, London". As Earl Marshal, Howard controlled appointments to the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
; in 1638 he appointed Crowne Rouge Dragon Pursuivant
Rouge Dragon Pursuivant
Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms, named after the red dragon of Wales.The most recent Rouge Dragon Pursuivant was Clive Edwin Alexander Cheesman, whose replacement has yet to be announced....
, one of the four junior officers of arms. Crowne continued to hold this office, even while in North America, until his resignation in 1661.
Between 1635 and 1640 Crowne married Agnes Watts (née Mackworth), widow of Richard Watts (the son of alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
John Watts) and sister of Humfrey Mackworth, later governor of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and a member of Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's Council of State
English Council of State
The English Council of State, later also known as the Protector's Privy Council, was first appointed by the Rump Parliament on 14 February 1649 after the execution of King Charles I....
. Crowne and his wife had 3 children, of whom the eldest, John
John Crowne
John Crowne was a British dramatist and a native of Nova Scotia.His father "Colonel" William Crowne, accompanied the earl of Arundel on a diplomatic mission to Vienna in 1637, and wrote an account of his journey...
became a well-known dramatist.
In the Civil War
At the outbreak of the Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
Crowne declared for the Parliamentary cause. From 1641 to at least 1644 he was secretary to Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh
Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh
Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh was the eldest son of William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh.Like his father, the son was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He was summoned to the House of Lords as Baron Feilding in March 1629...
; by 1649 he was serving in the same capacity to his brother-in-law. On April 2, 1650 Crowne was granted a commission as captain, and just over two weeks later was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, again under his brother-in-law Humphrey Mackworth. In 1654 he was elected as MP
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,...
for Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridgnorth was a parliamentary borough in Shropshire which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1295 until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until its abolition in 1885.It...
. During the 1650s Crowne also served as a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
In North America
In 1656 Crowne and Colonel William Temple become joint proprietors of the province of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, after buying out Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour
Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour
Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour, the French King's appointed Governor of Acadia from 1631–1642 and again from 1653–1657, was born in France in 1593 and died at Cap de Sable in 1666...
. The following year Crowne with his son John (but not his wife), Temple and a group of settlers moved to North America. Crown and Temple divided the province between them in February 1658, with Crowne taking the western part, and building a trading post at "Negu," or "Negu alias Cadascat", on the Penobscot River
Penobscot River
The Penobscot River is a river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's West Branch and South Branch increases the Penobscot's length to , making it the second longest river system in Maine and the longest entirely in the state. Its drainage basin contains .It arises from four branches...
. In September of that year he leased his territory to a Captain Corwin and Ensign Scottee, then in 1659 he leased it to Temple for a period of four years, at a rate of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
110 per annum. Temple did not pay the lease after the first year, but remained in possession of the territory. During this period he was living in Boston, Massachusetts, of which he was made a Freeman on May 30, 1660.
With the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
in 1660 Crowne returned to England to participate in the coronation of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, and to defend his claim to Nova Scotia. The grant to Crowne and Temple had been made by Cromwell under the Commonwealth; now that Charles had ascended the throne there were a number of other claimants. These included Thomas Elliot (a groom of the bedchamber to Charles II), Sir Lewis Kirke and others (who had taken Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
in the expedition against Quebec in 1632), and heirs of Sir William Alexander (the original grantee, from whom Charles de la Tour's father had obtained the grant). In 1661 the French Ambassador claimed the territory for France. Temple returned to England in 1662 and was successful in obtaining a new grant as well as a commission as governor. He promised to restore Crowne's territory and make reparations, but did not. Crowne pursued this in the New England courts, but was unsuccessful, the courts eventually deciding they did not have jurisdiction.
From 1662 to 1667 Crowne lived in Boston and Roxbury
Roxbury
Roxbury may refer to:United States*Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts*Roxbury, Connecticut*Roxbury, Kansas*Roxbury, Maine*Roxbury, New Hampshire*Roxbury Township, New Jersey*Roxbury, New York...
. In 1667 he moved to the recently-established town of Mendon, Massachusetts
Mendon, Massachusetts
Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,839 at the 2010 census.Mendon is very historic and is now part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the oldest industrialized region in the United States.- Early history :The Nipmuc people...
, and was appointed as the town's first clerk and selectman. In that same year Charles II ceded Nova Scotia, and thus Crowne's property, to the French under the Treaty of Breda. Crowne's time in Mendon was marked by frequent disputes with his neighbours over financial matters.
In 1674 Crowne was living in Prudence Island
Prudence Island
Prudence Island is the third largest island in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island and part of the town of Portsmouth. It is located near the geographical center of the bay. It is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 3, Census Tract 401.03 of Newport County,...
, near Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. In that year he was ordered by the General Court of Massachusetts to return to his wife, who had not accompanied him to North America, or face a £20 fine. Her date of death in not known. By 1679 Crowne was living in Boston, where he died on December 24, 1682. Below is a copy of his will.
I William Crowne Esq. being very weak in body, but of sound mind and memory, and looking every day to be received to glory w'ch God hath given me some comfort of thinking fitting to set down how I would have my estate disposed of when I am dead:
As concerning w't his Maj'tie hath promised to give me concerning the delivery of my right up to the French in Nova Scotia, my son John being prosecuting of it of the King, Whatsoever his Maj'tie doth bestow on me, give him the one halfe; as also the bond of four hundred and forty pounds the halfe of that.
And for my son Henry I leave to him the money that is owing me from William Allen of Prudence Island by order of the Town Council at Portsmouth, and also the moiety of w'ch the town of Mendham ows me w'ch is near forty pounds, and alsothe moiety of w'ch" 500 acres (2 km²) "shall bee sould for lying near Sudbury and for the ten pounds w'ch the General Court hath ordered me shall bee to defray the charges of my burial if I dye suddenly; and as for my bedding with appurt thereunto I give to Sarah Covell if she continue with me till I dye, and for her babe Dorothy I give her ten shillings in money as also her daughter Sara the like.
All my wearing apparel I give to my son Henry and the remainder of my estate, the whole being to my sons John and Henry, I give to my children my daughter Agnes having a double part.
And this I do declare to bee my last will and testimony, revoking all former. As for the debts I do appoint my son Henry to be my exectutor unto w'ch I have put my hand this Twenty-Fourth day of December in the year 1682.