Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Crew, John
CREW, JOHN, first Baron Crew of Stene (1598–1679), eldest son of Sir Thomas Crew [q. v.], serjeant-at-law, by Temperance, daughter of Reginald Bray of Stene, Northamptonshire, was M.P. for Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in 1624 and 1625, for Brackley, Northamptonshire, in 1626, for Banbury in 1628, and for Northamptonshire in the first parliament of 1640. In the Long parliament he sat for Brackley. In May 1640 he was committed to the Tower for refusing to surrender papers in his possession as chairman of the committee on religion, but, making submission in the following month, was released. He voted against the attainder of Strafford in 1641, and spoke against the motion to commit Palmer for protesting against the publication of the Grand Remonstrance. On the outbreak of the civil war he subscribed 200l. in plate and engaged to maintain four horses for the parliament. He was one of the commissioners appointed by parliament for the treaty of Uxbridge in 1644–5. He subsequently supported the ‘self-denying ordinance’ by which it was proposed to disable members of parliament from holding places under government. He was one of the commissioners who conducted the negotiations with the king at Newcastle-on-Tyne and Holdenby in 1646, and in the Isle of Wight in 1648. As he disapproved of bringing Charles to justice, he was arrested among ‘the secluded members’ on 6 Dec. 1648. He was, however, released on the 29th. He was returned to parliament for Northamptonshire in 1654, and was a member of the committee for raising funds in aid of the Piedmontese protestants, and helped to draw up the new statutes for Durham College in 1656. In 1657 he received a peer's writ of summons to parliament, but does not appear to have taken his seat. On the secluded members usurping power he was nominated one of the council of state (23 Feb. 1659–60), and subsequently moved a resolution condemnatory of the execution of the king. At the general election which followed he was again returned for Northamptonshire. He was one of the deputation that met Charles II at the Hague. On 20 April 1661 he was created Baron Crew of Stene at Whitehall (Pepys). He is frequently referred to by Pepys, who seems to have entertained a very high respect for him. Clarendon describes him as a man of the ‘greatest moderation.’ He died on 12 Dec. 1679. By his wife Jemimah, daughter of Edward Waldegrave of Lawford, Essex, he had issue six sons and two daughters. He was succeeded in his title and estates by his eldest son, Thomas. His eldest daughter, Jemimah, married Sir Edward Montague, afterwards Lord Sandwich and lord high admiral. His fifth son was Nathaniel [q. v.]
[Official Return of Lists of Members of Parliament; Willis's Not. Parl. iii. 264; Rushworth's Hist. Coll. iii. 1167, vii. 1355, 1369; Cal. State Papers (Dom. 1649), pp. 142, 145, 308; Verney's Notes of Long Parl. (Camd. Soc.), pp. 24, 78, 127; Whitelocke's Mem. 124–5, 233, 238, 334, 665; Clarendon's Rebellion, v. 76, 90; Wood's Fasti Oxon. ii. 138; Commons' Journ. vii. 849; Ludlow's Mem. 359, 364; Pepys's Diary (Braybrooke), 26 April 1660, 2 Dec. 1667, 1 Jan. 1668; Hinchliffe's Barthomley.]