Christopher Crowe (diplomat)
Christopher Crowe (c.1681 – 9 November 1749), was an English consul and landowner.
In 1705, aged 24, Crowe was appointed British Consul at Livorno, Italy.[1] He was awarded the "lucrative" contract to supply the British Mediterranean fleet with wine and olive oil during the War of the Spanish Succession, from 1703 to 1711.[1]
He also worked as a prize agent for captured enemy merchant ships, and acquired artworks on behalf of the English nobility, and grew rich.[1]
In 1707, he bought Woodford Hall, a large house and estate in Woodford, Essex, adjacent to Epping Forest from Sir Richard Child.[2]
In 1715, he married Charlotte Lee, Lady Baltimore who had been married to Benedict Leonard Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore, and they had four children.[1]
In 1728, he sold Woodford Hall to William Hunt in 1727, having obtained a private Act of Parliament (1 Geo. 2. St. 2. c. 8) to do so.[2][3]
References
- "The Crowes – Kiplin Hall". www.kiplinhall.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- "Woodford: Manors - British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- Archives, The National. "The Discovery Service". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2018.