Sir George Crewe, 8th Baronet (1 February 1795 – 1 January 1844) was an English

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

politician who represented the constituency of

South Derbyshire South Derbyshire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Derbyshire, England. The district covers the towns of Melbourne, Derbyshire, Melbourne and Swadlincote as well as numerous villages and hamlets such as Hilton, Derbys ...

Biography

Crewe was the eldest surviving son of Sir Henry Harpur Crewe, 7th Baronet and his wife Ann Hawkins, daughter of Isaac Hawkins. His father took the name and arms of Crewe by royal sign manual in 1808. Crewe was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

. On 7 February 1818, at the age of 24, he succeeded his father, who died after falling from his coach box. He inherited the Baronetcy,

Calke Abbey Calke Abbey is a Grade I listed building, Grade I listed English country house, country house near Ticknall, Derbyshire, England, in the care of the charitable National Trust. The site was an Augustinians, Augustinian priory from the 12th centu ...

the family seat and extensive properties in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, and

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

. Crewe was called upon to serve as

High Sheriff of Derbyshire This is a list of Sheriffs of Derbyshire from 1567 until 1974 and High Sheriffs since. The ancient Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around ...

in 1821, and one of his first acts was to do away with the Assize Ball publishing a letter "showing how cruel and heartless it appeared that any person should be found engaged in worldly mirth and amusement on so solemn an occasion, when so many poor creatures were trembling on the eve of their trial, perhaps for their lives."Gentleman's Magazine 1844 After several years looking after his estates, he was persuaded to stand as Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire in 1835, and was returned again in 1837. His health was always poor and he retired in 1841. Crewe was a considerable philanthropist with strong Christian principles, and was considered "too conscientious for a member of Parliament". Shocked by the poor conditions in which his tenants lived and worked he built schools and rebuilt the churches at Ticknall and Calke, staffing them with well educated clergy. The Harpur Crewe family were great collectors, and Sir George collected paintings, stuffed birds and animals.The Birmingham Post (England), 14 August 2004 Harper Crewe became the President of the ''Derby Town and County Museum and Natural History Society'' in 1836. This organisation became

Derby Museum and Art Gallery Derby Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and art gallery in Derby, England. It was established in 1879, along with Derby Central Library, in a new building designed by Richard Knill Freeman and given to Derby by Michael Thomas Bass. The col ...

.Newsletter of the Geological Curators Club
, Vol 1, No. 8, 1976. Retrieved 26 February 2011. He died at his home at Calke Abbey aged 48. Crewe married in 1819 Jane Whitaker, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Whitaker, Vicar of Mendham, Norfolk. They had six children and he was succeeded by his son Sir John Harpur Crewe, 9th Baronet.

References

* ''Debrett's Baronetage of England'' 7th Edition (1839) pp 34/5 (Google Books) * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harpur Crewe, George, 8th Baronet 1795 births 1844 deaths People from South Derbyshire District People educated at Rugby School Baronets in the Baronetage of England Crewe, George Harpur, 8th Baronet UK MPs 1835–1837 UK MPs 1837–1841 Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies People associated with Derby Museum and Art Gallery High sheriffs of Derbyshire