Sir Ambrose Crowley III

Sir Ambrose Crowley III

From the tomb of Sir Ambrose and Dame Mary Crowley at Mitchum, Surrey

NEAR THIS PLACE ARE DEPOSITED THE REMAINS OF SIR AMBROSE CROWLEY KNIGHT, CITIZEN AND ALDERMAN OF LONDON, WHOSE NUMEROUS FAMILY AND GREAT ESTATE WERE THE PRESENT REWARDS OF AN IDEFATIGABLE INDUSTRY AND APPLICATION TO BUSINESS, AN UNBLEMISHED PROBITY, AND A SINCERE BELIEF AND PRACTICE OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY, AND PARTICULARLY A BOUNDLESS LIBERALITY TOWARDS THE POOR, MANY HUNDREDS OF WHOM HE CONTINUALLY EMPLOYED.  NEAR HIM LIES YE BODY OF DAME MARY HIS WIFE, YE DAUGHTER OF CHARLES OWEN ESQ. A YOUNGER SON OF YE FAMILY OF CONDOR.  SHE BURIED SEVEN CHILDREN INFANTS, AND SAW ONE SON, JOHN CROWLEY ESQ. AND FIVE DAUGHTERS MARRIED. JjOHN WAS MARRIED TO THEODOSIA GASCOIGN OF ENFIELD; MARY TO JAMES HALLETT ESQ. OF ESSEX; LETTICE TO SIR JOHN HIND COTTON OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE BART.; SARAH TO HUMPREY PARSONS ESQ. OF SURRY; ANNA TO RICHARD FLEMING ESQ. OF HANTS; AND ELIZABETH TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD ST JOHN OF BLETSOE.
SIR AMROSE DIED OCT. 11,1713, AGED 54 YEARS;
HIS LADY IN THE 63D YEAR  OF HER AGE, 1727.

FROM MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTION, ST PETER & ST PAULS

SIR AMBROSE CROWLEY
1658-1713
S/O AMBROSE CROWLEY II AND MARY HALL

MARRIED MARY OWEN
HAD THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN: MARY (JAMES HALLETT), JOHN I (THEODOSIA GASCOIGNE), LETTICE (SIR JOHN HIND COTTON), SARAH (HUMPHREY PARSONS), ANN (RICHARD FLEMING), ELIZABETH (LORD ST JOHN OF BLEDSOE) AND FIVE OTHER CHILDREN THAT DIED YOUNG.

"I AM SORRY TO HEAR YOU ARE FOR GOING TO SEA.  I WOULD ADVISE YOU, NOW YOU ARE AN APPRENTICE TO SERVE YOUR TIME FAITHFULLY AS A GOOD APPRENTICE OUGHT, AND AM SURE MY FATHER WILL NOT HEAR OF YOUR GOING TO SEA BEING HE HATH HAD SUCH A BAD ACCOT. FROM BROTHER SAMUELL..."
SIR AMBROSE CROWLEY TO HIS BROTHER JOHN CROWLEY 13 OCTOBER 1707

IT IS THIS PASSAGE ABOVE WHICH MAY HOLD THE CLUES TO THE HERITAGE OF JEFFREY CROWLEY IN VIRGINIA.  THIS BROTHER SAMUELL WHO IS MENTIONED, WAS THE ELDEST SON FROM AMBROSE CROWLEY II'S SECOND MARRIAGE.  HE WAS LIKELY NAMED AFTER HIS GRANDFATHER, SAMUEL MORRIS.  THERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO BELIEVE THAT THIS SAMUEL CROWLEY CAME TO VIRGINIA AND HAD A FAMILY OF HIS OWN.  THIS IS THE ONLY MENTION OF SAMUEL CROWLEY ASIDE FROM A LIST OF THE CHILDREN OF AMBROSE CROWLEY II DONE BY SAMPSON LLOYD. 

Called the Old Palace at Greenwich, this is the front of Sir Ambrose Crowley's great Jacobean Mansion

The drawing room of Sir Ambrose Crowley III's Jacobean Mansion

The Inigo Jones Staircase from the mansion

Crowley's Wharf at Greenwich, England. This was in front of the mansion.

A view showing the mansion and the wharf.

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