COI.UMBIA A N I) MONTOUR COUNTIKS ous documents o f difTcrent years during this long period show the continued existence of a gentle family of Crispins in Devonshire, to which our Capt. William Crispin undoubtedly belonged. WiTliam Crispin appears to have been bom about i6tO. In the British Calendar o f Stale Papers, Domestic Series, the name o f William Crispin occurs several times between 1634 and 1652, but it is only on the latter date that we can positively identify the name a s referring to ihe ancestor o f our family. In that year he commanded at the "H o|)c" for the Com monwealth; the "H ope” w as a certain portion of the harlior o f Portsmouth, devoted to the use of the navy, though, o f course, it is pos sible that there might have lieen also a vessel o f that name. In M ay, 1653, an expedition w as sent against the Dutch, under Col. Richard Deane and Col. George Monk, generals and admirals of the Parliament. The fleet consisted o f three squadrons, one o f which was commanded by V ice Adm iral (afterw ards Adm iral S ir) William Penn, Crispin 5 brother-in-law. Cap tain Crispin commanded the "A ssistance" frig ate, 180 men and 40 guns, in Penn’s squad ron. T his fleet on the 2d and 3d o f June, 1653, took or destroyed between twenty and thirty Dutch ships®of-war, look 1,350 prisoners, an^ pursued the Dutch to their own liarbors. The next year O liver Cromwell, who was then Protector, sent an expedition against the Sjianish West Indies, secretly because Knghn<l w as at peace with Spain. T he fleet o f thirty-eight ships, in three squadrons, was commanded by Adm iral Penn. Captain C ris pin commanded the " to u r c l," 160 seamen, 30 soldiers and 40 guns, in Penn's own squadron. They arrived in sight of Rarhadoes Jan . 29, 1654-5. A fte r a repulse at Hispaniola (now tho island o f H aiti) they eventtinlly captured Jam aica. On Ju n e 25th part of the fleet went txick to England, Penn with it. T his made a tcmjjorary promotion for the other admirals and Crispin became acting rear admiral. Capt. W illiam O isp in, Kichard Wadeson and Thomas Broughton were appointetl to take charge o f supplying the English forces in the island, and were called by the home au thorities "Commissioners for supplying Jam aica." Crispin w as back in England by A pril, 1656. Meanwhile Penn and others of the expedition had gotten into trouble with Cromwell and Penn was sent to the Tower. Crispin side<l with his brother-in-law and left the navy. A fte r Penn’s release he moved to Ireland. 34
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Crispin followed him and settled in or near Kinsalc, in County Cork. In September, 16 8 1, William Penn, son of the Adm iral, having obtained the grant of Pennsylvania, ap{>uinted his uncle by mar riage, William Crispin, one of three commis sioners to settle the colony there: he also in* tended him for Chief Justice, as ap|icars by a letter to f>cputy Governor Markham, dated 8 mo. (at that time October) 18, 16 8 1. Crispin started for l^ennsylvania in the ship “ Am itv" tiie same year, but after nearly reaching the capes of the Delaware was blown off by contrar}’ winds, and put into Barbadoes, where Captain Crispin died. Capt. William Crispin married, first, aliout 1650. Anne Jasper, sister o f M aigarct Jasjier, w ife u f Adm iral S ir William Penn, Their father, John Jasper, has until very recently been described in all accounts as a merchant in Rotterdam, Holland, though most of them say he w as o f English birth. Within a few years, however, it has hccn discovered that he lived in Ireland and proliably had never hccn in Rotterdam. H ie mistake is attributable 10 Samuel Pepys, wlio in his "D ia ry " described to d y Penn as a "well-looked, fat, short, old Dutchwoman." Pcpys’ mistake w as due to the fact that M argaret Jasp er had first m arried a Dutchman, who died soon after marriage, and later Margaret married S ir William Penn.* William and Anne (Ja sp e r) Crispin had issue: Ralph, probably eldest son, remained in Ire land. and no doubt inherited his faiher’s es tate there. By patent o f Ju ly 25, if)88. Wil liam Penn granted to his "loving cousin Ralph Crispin" 500 acres in Pennsylvania, as part of the purchase o f his father, ( apt. William C ris pin : this he sold in 1690. In the patent he is described as "R alph Crispin o f Cork in the Kingdom of Ireland, gentleman." H is will, dated 1730. was proliate<l in the Diocese u f Cork and R o ss: he w as then o f Kilcalia, County Cork. He left issue. Silas, sec lielow. Keheeea married first. Aug. 24, (688, at Ificld Friends’ Meeting in Sussex. Edward Black fan, son u f John I’ lackfan, o f Stcyning. County o f Su ssex. England. Her cousin, W il liam Penn, Proprietary* o f Pennsylvania, and some o f his family attended the wedding. The Black fans, father and son, liclongcd to the So ciety o f Friends, and came in for a share of the pcrsecutkm directed against that body. Kdward Hlackfan intended lo go to Pennsyl vania, but w as prevented hv death. His widow, with their only child. Willinm Blackfan. went there about 1700, and her relatives,
