CRESPIGNY, Thomas Champion (c.1762-99), of Ufford Park, Suff.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820, ed. R. Thorne, 1986
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1790 - 1796

Family and Education

b. c.1762, 2nd s. of Philip Champion Crespigny of Aldeburgh by 1st w. Sarah, da. and h. of Thomas Cocksedge of Thetford, Norf. educ. Trinity Hall, Camb. 1779, LLB 1785, LLD 1790. m. 26 Mar. 1798, Augusta Charlotte, da. of Peter Thellusson of Broadsworth Hall, Yorks., 1da.

Offices Held

Adv. Doctors’ Commons 1790.

Capt. E. Suff. militia 1787.

Biography

In 1790 Crespigny, a civil lawyer, revived his father’s interest at Sudbury in alliance with William Windham*. He and Windham’s nominee, Hippisley, defeated the ministerial candidates. He was listed a supporter of repeal of the Test Act in Scotland in April 1791. He voted with opposition on Pitt’s Russian policy, 12 Apr. 1791 and 1 Mar. 1792, meanwhile joining the Whig Club on 17 Jan. He was not considered a Portland Whig or potential ‘third party’ recruit and on 18 Feb. 1793 joined Fox in opposition to war with France. Subsequently he voted steadily against the war and its consequences. No speech is known until 1795. On 27 Nov. he presented the Castle Baynard ward petition against Pitt’s measures to curb sedition and on 3 Dec. his constituents’. He denied his colleague Hippisley’s allegations that the latter was obtained by misrepresentation and claimed that Hippisley had done all that he could to frustrate the petition.

Crespigny did not seek re-election in 1796 and the family interest at Sudbury lapsed. He died v.p. 2 Aug. 1799.

NLS mss 11137, f. 2; Gent. Mag. (1799), ii. 722.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: Winifred Stokes

Notes