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The Crisp Family
extract from A History of Rangoon
by B.R. Pearn
by B.R. Pearn
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There are several members of the family of Crisp in Burma during the first half of the nineteenth century. The head of the family was May Flower Crisp, who was born in England in December 1788 and became a sailor. For some years he was an impressed seaman on a naval vessel during the French Wars and after the conclusion of the wars he came to India as ship’s Captain and ultimately set up as a merchant in Burma. He had evidently traded to Rangoon before 1824 as in November 1823 he conveyed information to the Government at Calcutta about conditions in Rangoon and in 1824 was employed as a pilot by the Expeditionary Force.
After the first Anglo-Burmese War he entered into partnership with R.J. Trill so forming the firm of Trill & Crisp, dealers in timber and cotton piece-goods. Trill apparently survived till about 1840 and on his death the firm became the firm of Crisp & Co.
Crisp was joined by his son, Charles Malcolm Crisp, who came out from England in charge of one of his father’s ships and then settled down in Burma. Two of the elder Crisp’s brothers, Joseph and William, were also Commanders of ships and made periodic visits to Rangoon.
M.F. Crisp was a man of active mind. While in Moulmein during his exile from Burma proper, he formulated somewhat novel views on politics, a strictly religious man who was, what was rare in those days, a teetotaler, he held that religion should be the basis of Government, he was also an advocate of the elective principle in the making of official appointments and would have applied adult suffrage, not merely male suffrage, to this purpose.
The firm was hard hit by the war of 1852, their buildings in Rangoon had been destroyed and their property confiscated and the Governor-General’s refusal to permit any compensation (p. 180 – The claims of Messrs. Crisp & Co. were rejected in view of the assistance which they gave to the Burmese and for the same reason the claims of Moolah Cassim and Moolh Ibraham were also rejected.) left the firm in a bad way.
Crisp went to England and induced a member of Parliament to take up his grievances but without avail. He returned to Burma and died in Moulmein in 1866. Some years before his death he published locally a pamphlet attacking the economic policy of the government of British Burma.
His son, C.M. Crisp, born in England on 14th February 1814, predeceased his father. He died on the 20th May 1862 and was buried in the Pazundaung Cemetery. He held the post of Assessor of Income-Tax as well as that of Postmaster.
After the first Anglo-Burmese War he entered into partnership with R.J. Trill so forming the firm of Trill & Crisp, dealers in timber and cotton piece-goods. Trill apparently survived till about 1840 and on his death the firm became the firm of Crisp & Co.
Crisp was joined by his son, Charles Malcolm Crisp, who came out from England in charge of one of his father’s ships and then settled down in Burma. Two of the elder Crisp’s brothers, Joseph and William, were also Commanders of ships and made periodic visits to Rangoon.
M.F. Crisp was a man of active mind. While in Moulmein during his exile from Burma proper, he formulated somewhat novel views on politics, a strictly religious man who was, what was rare in those days, a teetotaler, he held that religion should be the basis of Government, he was also an advocate of the elective principle in the making of official appointments and would have applied adult suffrage, not merely male suffrage, to this purpose.
The firm was hard hit by the war of 1852, their buildings in Rangoon had been destroyed and their property confiscated and the Governor-General’s refusal to permit any compensation (p. 180 – The claims of Messrs. Crisp & Co. were rejected in view of the assistance which they gave to the Burmese and for the same reason the claims of Moolah Cassim and Moolh Ibraham were also rejected.) left the firm in a bad way.
Crisp went to England and induced a member of Parliament to take up his grievances but without avail. He returned to Burma and died in Moulmein in 1866. Some years before his death he published locally a pamphlet attacking the economic policy of the government of British Burma.
His son, C.M. Crisp, born in England on 14th February 1814, predeceased his father. He died on the 20th May 1862 and was buried in the Pazundaung Cemetery. He held the post of Assessor of Income-Tax as well as that of Postmaster.
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Other sons (p. 233...and in the same year (1890) a name famous in the history of old Rangoon, Crisp, reappears. The original firm of Crisp has ceased to exist on the death of Capt. May Flower Crisp in 1866, but in 1878 it was revived in Moulmein by one of his sons, A.B. Crisp, in conjunction with his nephew E.T. Low. They were later joined by two other sons of Capt. Crisp, M.F. Crisp, who had been in the employ of Messrs. Foucar at Moulmein and Edmund Crisp, who had been employed by the Aga Syed Company. In 1890 Messrs. Crisp & Co. who dealt in timber and rice, extended their activities once more to Rangoon.)
A number of members of the Crisp family and others connected with them were buried in the Old English cemetery, whose site is now marked by a memorial in 33rd Street, a little south of Montgomerie Street. The memorial bears the following inscription:-
A number of members of the Crisp family and others connected with them were buried in the Old English cemetery, whose site is now marked by a memorial in 33rd Street, a little south of Montgomerie Street. The memorial bears the following inscription:-
Sacred To The Memory of
Sarah Crisp born on the 22nd February 1842 and died on the 28th February 1842 Rangoon.
Susan Eliza Crisp born on the 12th May 1848 and died on the 12th July 1852 Rangoon.
Josephine Crisp born on the 22nd December 1849 and died on the 17th April 1851 Rangoon.
William Crisp born on the 22nd February 1854 and died on the 28th February 1854.
Malcolm Crisp son of the late Capt. May Flower Crisp died in 1840 age seven years.
Capt. William Crisp died in Rangoon age about 50 years.
Capt. Bidan died in Rangoon age about 55 years.
Mr Hugh Speirs died in Rangoon age about 60 years.
A Chief Officer of one of Messrs. Crisp & Co.’s vessels died in Rangoon age about 40 years.
Mr Trill of Messrs. Trill Crisp & Co. died in Rangoon age about 50 years.
Capt. Brown and Mr Brown Postmaster.
Mr Speirs Mate of the Navy.
Sarah Crisp born on the 22nd February 1842 and died on the 28th February 1842 Rangoon.
Susan Eliza Crisp born on the 12th May 1848 and died on the 12th July 1852 Rangoon.
Josephine Crisp born on the 22nd December 1849 and died on the 17th April 1851 Rangoon.
William Crisp born on the 22nd February 1854 and died on the 28th February 1854.
Malcolm Crisp son of the late Capt. May Flower Crisp died in 1840 age seven years.
Capt. William Crisp died in Rangoon age about 50 years.
Capt. Bidan died in Rangoon age about 55 years.
Mr Hugh Speirs died in Rangoon age about 60 years.
A Chief Officer of one of Messrs. Crisp & Co.’s vessels died in Rangoon age about 40 years.
Mr Trill of Messrs. Trill Crisp & Co. died in Rangoon age about 50 years.
Capt. Brown and Mr Brown Postmaster.
Mr Speirs Mate of the Navy.
This Monument has been erected in memory of the persons above named who are buried in 33rd Street Block E3 Rangoon, where now stands a memorial lamppost with their names recorded thereon.
Of the children named, Sarah, Susan Eliza, Josephine and William were the children of C.M. Crisp, who also had three other children whose births are recorded in the registers of the Cantonment Church, viz Julia Primrose, born 6th August 1852,
Of the children named, Sarah, Susan Eliza, Josephine and William were the children of C.M. Crisp, who also had three other children whose births are recorded in the registers of the Cantonment Church, viz Julia Primrose, born 6th August 1852,
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Godwin William, born 5th February 1855 and Edwin Henry, born 6th June 1856.
Malcolm Crisp, who is shown on the memorial as the son of May Flower Crisp, is said to have actually been the son of either Joseph or William Crisp and therefore the nephew of M.F. Crisp.
Capt. William Crisp, is doubtless one of these brothers of May Flower Crisp.
There is another member of the family in Rangoon also known as Capt. Crisp Junior, a cousin of C.M. Crisp and for a time a Commander of one of the firm’s vessels. After the war of 1852 he became a pilot and the Cantonment Church registers show the birth on the 2nd June 1861 of Amy Florence, daughter of William Crisp, Pilot, and Hosannah Crisp.
Mr Trill, the date of whose death is not specified on the memorial, was possibly R.J. Trill, the senior partner of the firm who was made a prisoner by the Burmese in 1824 (p. 113 R.J. Trill appears on the official list of prisoners found in the town.) “Mr Trill” is referred to in an official document of the ear 1839, but the absence of subsequent reference suggests that he must have died shortly after that date. The form of Trill is referred to by Symes in his account of his mission to Burma in 1802, thus unless some elder member of the family of Trill as in Rangoon in 1802, Trill must at his death have been considerably older than the fifty years with which the Memorial credits him. Possibly the Memorial refers to G.R. Trill, however, (p. 136 – G.R. Trill appears on a list of British Subjects in Rangoon.)
Mr Speirs Mate of the Navy was William Speirs or Spiers or Spears half pay naval Lieutenant, merchant of Rangoon, who owned a pukka house and godown which were destroyed in 1852. He made a claim for Rs. 10,000 compensation. He should not be confused
with Thomas Spears, Phayre’s correspondent at the Burmese Court. (p. 136 – William Spiers appears on the list of British subjects in Rangoon)
Mr High Speirs was possibly a connection of William Speirs. He is referred to in accounts of the period as “a British merchant from Umarapoora.”
Capt. Brown may have been the Captain Brown who commanded the Ayrshire, a ship built at Rangoon by Lt. Speirs.
Mr Brown Postmaster was John Brown (p. 148)
Capt. Bidan (p. 135, 146)
Malcolm Crisp, who is shown on the memorial as the son of May Flower Crisp, is said to have actually been the son of either Joseph or William Crisp and therefore the nephew of M.F. Crisp.
Capt. William Crisp, is doubtless one of these brothers of May Flower Crisp.
There is another member of the family in Rangoon also known as Capt. Crisp Junior, a cousin of C.M. Crisp and for a time a Commander of one of the firm’s vessels. After the war of 1852 he became a pilot and the Cantonment Church registers show the birth on the 2nd June 1861 of Amy Florence, daughter of William Crisp, Pilot, and Hosannah Crisp.
Mr Trill, the date of whose death is not specified on the memorial, was possibly R.J. Trill, the senior partner of the firm who was made a prisoner by the Burmese in 1824 (p. 113 R.J. Trill appears on the official list of prisoners found in the town.) “Mr Trill” is referred to in an official document of the ear 1839, but the absence of subsequent reference suggests that he must have died shortly after that date. The form of Trill is referred to by Symes in his account of his mission to Burma in 1802, thus unless some elder member of the family of Trill as in Rangoon in 1802, Trill must at his death have been considerably older than the fifty years with which the Memorial credits him. Possibly the Memorial refers to G.R. Trill, however, (p. 136 – G.R. Trill appears on a list of British Subjects in Rangoon.)
Mr Speirs Mate of the Navy was William Speirs or Spiers or Spears half pay naval Lieutenant, merchant of Rangoon, who owned a pukka house and godown which were destroyed in 1852. He made a claim for Rs. 10,000 compensation. He should not be confused
with Thomas Spears, Phayre’s correspondent at the Burmese Court. (p. 136 – William Spiers appears on the list of British subjects in Rangoon)
Mr High Speirs was possibly a connection of William Speirs. He is referred to in accounts of the period as “a British merchant from Umarapoora.”
Capt. Brown may have been the Captain Brown who commanded the Ayrshire, a ship built at Rangoon by Lt. Speirs.
Mr Brown Postmaster was John Brown (p. 148)
Capt. Bidan (p. 135, 146)
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The identity of the Chief Officer of one of Messrs. Crisp & Co.’s vessels remains unknown.
There are certain peculiarities about the memorial. It is odd that though the Cantonment Chaplain was able to record the birth of Julia Primrose crisp which occurred in 1852, yet he made no entry of the death of Susan Eliza which also occurred in 1852 and still more notably, no entry of the birth and death of William which took place as late as February 1854 by which date the registers were being regularly kept.
The coincidence of the dates of birth and death of Sarah and William, both of whom are given as being born on the 22nd February and having died on the 28th February in 1842 and 1854 respectively, is also remarkable.All these circumstances, together with the absence of details about some of the deaths recorded and the error in the parentage of Malcolm Crisp, tend to cast a measure of doubt on the accuracy of the information given in the Memorial.
The Memorial was evidently erected some considerable time after the deaths which it records, for the reference to M.F. Crisp as “the late” Captain Crisp shows that it was not erected till after his death in 1866, thus the dates were entered from memory of fairly remote events. While there is no reason to doubt that the burials occurred, the dates given must be accepted with caution.
The 33rd Street memorial is reproduced almost verbatim on a plaque in the Pazundaung cemetery, there is no variation at all in the wording except that the last two or three lines, consisting of the words “who are buried in 33st Street etc.” have been omitted. It is improbable that the remains of those whose deaths are so recorded were removed to Pazundaung, for the 33rd Street Memorial clearly states that they “are buried” there, while the Memorial in the cemetery omits any reference to actual burial. It is more probable that the Memorial was placed in the cemetery for the sake of vicinity to the grave of Charles Malcolm Crisp which is close by.
There are certain peculiarities about the memorial. It is odd that though the Cantonment Chaplain was able to record the birth of Julia Primrose crisp which occurred in 1852, yet he made no entry of the death of Susan Eliza which also occurred in 1852 and still more notably, no entry of the birth and death of William which took place as late as February 1854 by which date the registers were being regularly kept.
The coincidence of the dates of birth and death of Sarah and William, both of whom are given as being born on the 22nd February and having died on the 28th February in 1842 and 1854 respectively, is also remarkable.All these circumstances, together with the absence of details about some of the deaths recorded and the error in the parentage of Malcolm Crisp, tend to cast a measure of doubt on the accuracy of the information given in the Memorial.
The Memorial was evidently erected some considerable time after the deaths which it records, for the reference to M.F. Crisp as “the late” Captain Crisp shows that it was not erected till after his death in 1866, thus the dates were entered from memory of fairly remote events. While there is no reason to doubt that the burials occurred, the dates given must be accepted with caution.
The 33rd Street memorial is reproduced almost verbatim on a plaque in the Pazundaung cemetery, there is no variation at all in the wording except that the last two or three lines, consisting of the words “who are buried in 33st Street etc.” have been omitted. It is improbable that the remains of those whose deaths are so recorded were removed to Pazundaung, for the 33rd Street Memorial clearly states that they “are buried” there, while the Memorial in the cemetery omits any reference to actual burial. It is more probable that the Memorial was placed in the cemetery for the sake of vicinity to the grave of Charles Malcolm Crisp which is close by.