CROSSE, Andrew (elder son of Richard Crosse of Fyne court, Broomfield, Somerset). b. Fyne court 17 June 1784; ed. at Rev. Mr. Seyer’s school, The Fort, Bristol 1793–1802, caned on an average 3 times a day for 7 years; gentleman commoner at Brasenose coll. Ox. 1802, B.A. 1806; experimented on electro-crystallisation; observed appearance of insect life in metallic solutions supposed to be destructive to organic life 1837, the publication of this discovery gained him great notoriety. d. in the room in which he was born at Fyne Court 6 July 1855. Memorials scientific and literary of Andrew Crosse the electrician by C. A. H. Crosse 1857; H. M. Noad’s Manual of Electricity, 4 ed. (1855) 173–77, 256, 378–83, 390, 401; Letters of H. G. Atkinson to Harriet Martineau (1851) 361–67.
CROSSE, Thomas Bright (only son of Thomas Ikin). b. 1796; ed. at Trin. coll. Cam., B.A. 1817; assumed surname of Crosse 8 Sep. 1828; sheriff of Lancashire 1837; M.P. for Wigan 1 July 1841 to April 1842 when unseated on petition. d. 75 Cambridge terrace, Hyde park, London 21 March 1886.
CROSSLEY, Sir Francis, 1 Baronet (youngest son of John Crossley of Halifax, carpet manufacturer, who d. 17 Jany. 1837). b. Halifax 26 Oct. 1817; carpet manufacturer at Dean Clough mills, Halifax, the largest concern of the kind in the world; M.P. for Halifax 1852–59, for west riding of Yorkshire 1859–65, for north west riding 1865–68, for north division of west riding 1868 to death; mayor of Halifax 1849 and 1850; founded 21 almshouses at Halifax 1855; donor of the People’s park, Halifax at cost of £41,300, opened 14 Aug. 1857, where a statue of him was erected 14 Aug. 1860; created baronet 23 Jany. 1863; author of Canada and United States 1856. d. Belle Vue, Halifax 5 Jany. 1872, personalty sworn under £800,000, 27 May 1872. Thrift by S. Smiles (1875) 205–17; Enoch Mellor’s A true life 1872; Illust. news of the world iii (1859), portrait; Family Friend 1 March 1870 pp. 39–43, portrait; I.L.N. lx, 55, 57, 587 (1872), portrait.
CROSSLEY, James (son of James Crossley of Halifax, clothing merchant 1767–1831). b. The Mount, Halifax 31 March 1800; articled to Thomas Ainsworth of Manchester, attorney 1817; partner in firm of Ainsworth, Crossley and Sudlow at Manchester 1823–24 when Ainsworth died, partner in firm of Crossley and Sudlow 1824–60 when he retired; pres. of Incorporated Law Assoc. of Manchester 1840 and 1857; pres. of Manchester Athenæum 1847–50; pres. of Chetham Soc. Dec. 1847 to death, this society was mooted at his house in Booth st. Piccadilly early in 1843 and founded at the Chetham library 23 March 1843; F.S.A. 16 Dec. 1852; member of Surtees Soc. 1858, vice pres. 1861; pres. of Spencer Soc. 1866; the first pres. of Record Soc. 1878; one of chief contributors to Retrospective Review 1820; collected a library of 100,000 volumes, part of which was sold at Manchester, May 1884, and the remainder in London, July 1884 and June 1885; edited for the Chetham Soc. Potts’s Discovery of witches in the county of Lancaster 1845; The diary and correspondence of Dr. John Worthington 2 vols. 1847–55; author of Vade-Mecum to Hatton 1867 privately printed. d. the Stocks house, Cheetham hill road, Manchester 1 Aug. 1883. bur. Kersal church 6 Aug. Palatine note book iii, 221–29 (1883), portrait; J. Evans’s Lancashire authors and orators (1850) 67–72; W. Smith’s Old Yorkshire iii, 49, portrait; Antiquarian Mag. iv, 198–202 (1883); Bibliographer, Sep. 1883, pp. 97–9; Manchester Guardian 2 Aug. 1883, p. 6, cols. 1–5; Momus 11 March 1880, portrait.
Note.—He is described under the initial C in an article called The Theatre in W. H. Ainsworth’s “December Tales” 1823 pp. 165–79, the article was written by J. P. Aston author of Sir John Chiverton.
CROSSLEY, John (brother of Sir Francis Crossley 1817–72). b. Halifax 16 May 1812; mayor of Halifax 1849, 1850, 1861 and 1862; M.P. for Halifax 3 Feb. 1874 to Feb. 1877; built with his brothers Sir F. Crossley and Joseph Crossley (who d. 14 Sep. 1868) the Crossley Orphan house and school on Skircoat Moor about 1861. d. Broomfield, Halifax 16 April 1879. Weekly Welcome (1879) 357–8, portrait.
CROSSLEY, John Sydney. b. Loughborough 25 Dec. 1812; engineer to Leicester Canal company 1832; resident engineer to Midland Railway company 1857, engineer in chief 1858 to April 1875; M.I.C.E. 1 March 1859. d. Barrow upon Soar 10 June 1879. Min. of proc. of Instit. of C.E. lviii, 341–43 (1879).
CROWDER, Sir Richard Budden (eld. son of Wm. Henry Crowder of Montagu place, London). b. London 1796; ed. at Eton and Trin. coll. Cam.; barrister L.I. 25 May 1821; went Western circuit; Q.C. 1837; recorder of Bristol, Aug. 1846 to April 1854; counsel of the Admiralty and judge advocate of the Fleet, Aug. 1849 to March 1854; M.P. for Liskeard 3 Jany. 1849 to March 1854; justice of Court of Common Pleas, March 1854 to death; serjeant at law, March 1854; knighted at St. James’s palace 3 May 1854. d. 17 Carlton house terrace, London 5 Dec. 1859. Traits of character by a contemporary i, 251–82 (1860); Eton portrait gallery (1876) 445–47.
CROWDY, Charles (3 son of James Crowdy of Highworth, Wilts. solicitor). b. Highworth, March 1786; entered navy 7 Sep. 1799; captain 13 Jany. 1834; placed on retired list 1 July 1851; retired admiral 18 Oct. 1867. d. Pittville lawn, Cheltenham 17 May 1870.
CROWDY, John. b. Lewknor, Oxon. 6 Jany. 1834; foreign editor of the Guardian 1854 to death; editor successively of The Choirmaster, The Musician, The Musical Standard, and The Artist from its commencement 15 Jany. 1880; published The church choirmaster 1864; A free chant service 1865; A recitative service 1865; A short commentary on Handel’s The Messiah 1875; author of a system of recitative for psalms and canticles in Congregational worship called ‘Free Chant’, designed to provide for an undisturbed delivery of the words with suitable musical chords or cadences without necessity of signs. d. Addlestone, Surrey 12 Jany. 1883. The Artist 1 Feb. 1883 pp. 45, 48.