Richard Crawley

Richard Crawley (bp 29 August 1666 – 21 March 1713) was an English landowner and politician who served as an MP for Wendover and Registrar of the Admiralty and Court of Delegates.

Early life Crawley was baptized on 29 August 1666. He was the fourth, but third surviving son born to Mary ( Clutterbuck) Crawley and Francis Crawley of Northaw, Baron of the Exchequer.

Crawley's family had been established in Bedfordshire since the 15th century. His paternal grandfather was Sir Francis Crawley, who was appointed Justice of the Common Pleas by the king in 1632, but was disabled by Parliament.

He was defeated by Sir Roger Hill at the next election, before being seated on petition in November 1702. During this session, he "acted as a teller against the Lords' amendment to the bill extending the time for taking the abjuration oath. This was a crucial political division and his name appeared on the subsequent list of those voting with the Tories." In the following session he again acted as a teller on two more occasions. and Sir Samuel Dashwood, Lord Mayor of London and MP for the City of London. Through his marriage, he acquired property in Wendover, around the same time he inherited a half-share in his mother's estate. Together, they were the parents of five daughters (of whom Anne and Mary died as infants, and Henrietta, Sarah and Margaret all died unmarried) Samuel Crawley (1705–1762), British consul in Smyrna; he married Maria Dunant, daughter of James Dunant of Constantinople. After his death, she married Daniel, Baron de Hochepied.

Under his brother's will, he inherited most of the family property. Crawley died in Doctors' Commons on 21 March 1713. He was buried at Someris Chapel, near Luton. He left the family estates in the Luton area, including the recently purchased Stockwood estate, to his eldest son, John. His widow received "the lands purchased since his marriage in the parish of Wendover and the 'copyhold tenement' at Northaw, Hertfordshire."