Philip Champion Crespigny

Philip Champion Crespigny (c. 1731–1803) was a British lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1790.

Crespigny was of Huguenot descent the son of Philip Champion de Crespigny, proctor of the court of Admiralty and his wife Anne Fonnereau, daughter of Claude Fonnereau of Christ Church, Ipswich. He was probably educated at Eton College in 1748. He was an avocate of Doctors Commons in 1759. He married firstly Sarah Cocksedge daughter of Thomas Cocksedge of Thetford, on 24 November 1762. In 1768 he became Advocate King’s proctor and held the post until 1784.^[1]

In 1774 Crespigny was returned Member of Parliament for Sudbury on the Fonnereau interest after a contest, but lost his seat on petition. He married as his second wife Clarissa Brooke daughter of James Brooke,on 1 July 1774. In 1780 he was returned unopposed at Aldeburgh on the Fonnereau interest, and also at Sudbury after a contest. He held both seats until 1781 when he lost Sudbury on petition, and continued to sit for Aldeburgh. The English Chronicle in 1781 wrote about him: “His hauteur is so distinguished, that he is generally characterised ... by the profane, though very applicable appellation, of God Almighty. His wife Clarissa died on 15 May 1782 and he married as his third wife Dorothy Scott, daughter of Richard Scott of Betton, Shropshire on 20 February 1783. He was returned unopposed at Aldeburgh in 1784 . He did not stand in 1790.^[1]

Crespigny died on 1 January 1803. His obituary in the Gentleman’s Magazine (1803, p. 89) described him as “very much a man of fashion in his person and demeanour, full of anecdote, and with a turn for satirical humour that rendered him a very amusing companion”. ^[1]

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