Brass Crosby
Encyclopedia
Brass Crosby was an English radical lawyer, Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London.
in 1725. He qualified in law and came to London
to practise his chosen profession. In 1758 he was elected to the City Council and elected 'lay' Sheriff
in 1764. In 1765 Crosby was elected an Alderman
and in 1768 he was elected as Member of Parliament
for Honiton
. In 1770 he was elected Lord Mayor of London
. Crosby was a supporter of radical politician John Wilkes
.
In February 1772 he married Mrs Mary Tattersall.
As Lord Mayor (and therefore chief magistrate for the City) one of his first acts was to refuse to enforce Admiralty
warrants to press gang
Londoners into the Royal Navy
and he ordered constables to be positioned "at all avenues" of the City to prevent the seizure of men.
Crosby engaged in a famous battle with the House of Commons over publishing Parliamentary debates. In 1771 he had brought before him a printer who dared publish reports of Parliamentary proceedings. He released the man, but was subsequently ordered to appear before the House to explain his actions. Crosby was committed to the Tower of London, but when brought to trial several judges refused to hear the case and after protests from the public Crosby was released. No further attempts had ever been made to prevent the publication of Parliamentary debates, facilitating the emergence of Hansard
, until May 2009 when Carter Ruck (a controversial law firm) attempted to stop The Guardian newspaper from reporting a question asked in the House by Paul Farrelly MP, or to report that it had received such an injunction. The outrage caused by this brought Brass Crosby's name to the public attention again. Crosby's actions are reputed to be the inspiration for the phrase "Bold as Brass"http://www.bbc.co.uk/tees/content/articles/2007/01/04/brass_crosby_feature.shtml.
In July 1771, the newly constructed obelisk at St George's Circus
in Southwark
was given an additional inscription. Below the text: ERECTED IN/ XIth Year/ OF THE REIGN/ OF KING GEORGE THE THIRD/ MDCCLXXI was added THE RIGHT HONOURABLE/BRASS CROSBY ESQUIRE/ LORD MAYOR. For many years, this somewhat squashed inscription was the only public commemoration of Crosby.
Crosby died in 1793 at Chelsfield
which was then a separate Kent
village outside London
. The London Borough of Bromley
has now erected a Blue Plaque to Crosby outside his former home, Court Lodge, in Church Road, Chelsfield.
Life
Brass Crosby was born in Stockton-on-TeesStockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
in 1725. He qualified in law and came to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to practise his chosen profession. In 1758 he was elected to the City Council and elected 'lay' Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
in 1764. In 1765 Crosby was elected an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and in 1768 he was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Honiton
Honiton (UK Parliament constituency)
Honiton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Honiton in east Devon, formerly represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It sent members intermittently from 1300, consistently from 1640. It elected two Members of Parliament until it was...
. In 1770 he was elected Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
. Crosby was a supporter of radical politician John Wilkes
John Wilkes
John Wilkes was an English radical, journalist and politician.He was first elected Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives...
.
In February 1772 he married Mrs Mary Tattersall.
As Lord Mayor (and therefore chief magistrate for the City) one of his first acts was to refuse to enforce Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
warrants to press gang
Impressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
Londoners into the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and he ordered constables to be positioned "at all avenues" of the City to prevent the seizure of men.
Crosby engaged in a famous battle with the House of Commons over publishing Parliamentary debates. In 1771 he had brought before him a printer who dared publish reports of Parliamentary proceedings. He released the man, but was subsequently ordered to appear before the House to explain his actions. Crosby was committed to the Tower of London, but when brought to trial several judges refused to hear the case and after protests from the public Crosby was released. No further attempts had ever been made to prevent the publication of Parliamentary debates, facilitating the emergence of Hansard
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
, until May 2009 when Carter Ruck (a controversial law firm) attempted to stop The Guardian newspaper from reporting a question asked in the House by Paul Farrelly MP, or to report that it had received such an injunction. The outrage caused by this brought Brass Crosby's name to the public attention again. Crosby's actions are reputed to be the inspiration for the phrase "Bold as Brass"http://www.bbc.co.uk/tees/content/articles/2007/01/04/brass_crosby_feature.shtml.
In July 1771, the newly constructed obelisk at St George's Circus
St George's Circus
St George's Circus is a road junction in Southwark, London, England. At its centre, which is now a traffic roundabout, is a historic obelisk, designed by Robert Mylne , in his role as surveyor and architect of Blackfriars Bridge.-History:...
in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
was given an additional inscription. Below the text: ERECTED IN/ XIth Year/ OF THE REIGN/ OF KING GEORGE THE THIRD/ MDCCLXXI was added THE RIGHT HONOURABLE/BRASS CROSBY ESQUIRE/ LORD MAYOR. For many years, this somewhat squashed inscription was the only public commemoration of Crosby.
Crosby died in 1793 at Chelsfield
Chelsfield
Chelsfield is a place in the London Borough of Bromley in London, England.The name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Cillesfelle, meaning land of a man called Cēol....
which was then a separate Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
village outside London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
has now erected a Blue Plaque to Crosby outside his former home, Court Lodge, in Church Road, Chelsfield.