![[Header#^header-embed]] > [!summary] > Jeremiah’s father, Jeremiah (senior), had been a friend of [[1729-1758 owner Ralph Thrale MP|Ralph Thrale M.P.]] through their shared interest in brewing. Thrale was a successful brewer and Cruchley was a nearby coppersmith who specialised in brewing equipment. > > Ralph and his son [[Henry Thrale]] became Jeremiah's guardians after the death of Jeremiah’s father - when Jeremiah was aged 6 years and Henry aged 17 years. Ralph Thrale died when Jeremiah was aged 13 and thereafter Henry aged 24 became Jeremiah’s father figure. > > In 1776, with Henry Thrale, he co-founded the **Thrale & Crutchley Copper Company**, which manufactured brewing equipment. The company was a success and it helped to make Thrale one of the wealthiest brewers in England. ## Parents Jeremiah Crutchley, Sr., was married at St. Paul's Cathedral on 4 March 1742 to Alice Jackson, from Devon and Cumberland. Their children were: 1. Alice, born June 1744 but died a few days later; 2. Jeremiah, born 20 December 1745; 3. Elizabeth, born 8 October 1747 and died unmarried 5 November 1837; 4. John, born 8 October 1749 and died 4 April 1752; and 5. Alice, born July 1751, married Mr. Duffield and together had a son George who inhereited Sunninghilll Park in 1805. Alice died in 1883. ## Birth Jeremiah Crutchley was born on Sunday 20 Dec 1745 to father Jeremiah (senior) Crutchley and mother Alice Jackson, who married on 4 March 1742 at St. Paul's Cathedral London. ## Nicknames Jeremiah was sometimes known as "Joseph". ## Father's death When Jeremiah, Sr. died in 1752 at 43 years of age, Jeremiah, Jr., was six years old[^1]. Jeremiah, Sr. executors were: - Alice Crutchley, his widow; - Thomas Wimbush, his clerk; - [[1729-1758 owner Ralph Thrale MP|Ralph Thrale M.P.]]; and - [[Henry Thrale]]. In his will Jeremiah, Sr., who died on 29 March 1752 provided generously for his wife and all his children, and showed his _"dear son Jeremiah"_ the preference due to an elder son and heir. ## Thrale guardianship [[1729-1758 owner Ralph Thrale MP|Ralph Thrale MP]] and [[Henry Thrale]] acted as guardians with both receiving bequests, with Henry continuing in this protective capacity after Ralph Thrale died. The Crutchley family Bible at Mappercombe Manor names all the godparents, and Henry Thrale appears, not as Jeremiah's godfather, as has sometimes been said, but as godfather to the younger son, John, who lived only to the age of 2½ years, dying in 1752, just ten days after his father. When in his twenties, Jeremiah Crutchley, was to be a constant visitor to [[Streatham Park|Streatham Place]] and to [[Brewery House, Borough]]. Jeremiah (Junior) was: - godfather to [[Anna Maria Thrale]]; - an Executors to Henry Thrale's will; and - present when Henry Thrale died. [[Hester Thrale née Salusbury|Mrs. Thrale]] began to think that Jeremiah Crutchley might be her husband's natural son. However, every legal source sustains Jeremiah's legitimacy, and Henry's honourable care and oversight of Jeremiah as his guardian and replacement father figure. ### Thrale & Crutchley Copper Company Henry Thrale and Crutchley remained friends until Thrale died in 1781. Crutchley continued to operate the _Thrale & Crutchley Copper Company_ after Thrale's death and he remained a leading manufacturer of brewing equipment until he died in 1812. ## Characteristics > [!QUOTE] On 17 May 1781, [[Hester Thrale née Salusbury]] wrote of Jeremiah Crutchley (junior) in [[Thraliana]]… > Mr Crutcheley lives now a great deal with me; the Business of Executor to Mr Thrale's Will makes much of his Attendance necessary; and it begins to have its full Effect in seducing and attaching him to the house: Miss Burney's being always about me is probably another Reason for his close Attendance, & I believe it is so—what better could befall Miss Burney? or indeed what better Cd befall **him**, than to obtain a Woman of Honour; & character, & Reputation for superior Understanding—I would be glad however that he fell honestly in Love with her; & was not tricked or trapp'd into Marriage poor Fellow: he is no Match for the Arts of a Novel-writer. A mighty particular Character MrCrutcheley is: strangely mixed up of Meanness and Magnificence—liberal & splendid in large Sums, & on serious Occasions; narrow and confined in the common Occurrences of Life; warm & generous in some of his Notions, frigid & suspicious however for 18 Hours at least out of the 24. likely to be duped, though always expecting fraud; and easily disappointed in realities, though seldom flattered by Fancy. He is supposed by those that knew his Mother & her Connections, to be Mr Thrale's natural Son,& in many Things he resembles him, but not in Person; as he is both ugly & aukward. Mr Thrale certainly believed he was his Son, & once told me as much, when Sophy Streatfields affair was in question; but nobody could perswade him to court the S:S:[^2]. ## Marriage Jeremiah (Junior) never married. ### Courting It was said at different times that he was in love with: - [[Hester Maria Thrale|Queeney]]; and later - [[Fanny Burney]]. > [!QUOTE] On 26 September 1778 [[Fanny Burney]] wrote… > The present chief sport with Mrs. Thrale is disposing of me in the holy state of matrimony, and she offers me whoever comes to the house. This was begun by [Mrs. Montagu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Montagu), who, it seems, proposed a match for me in my absence, with Sir Joshua Reynolds!-no less a man, I assure you! > > When I was dressing for dinner, Mrs. Thrale told me that Mr. Crutchley was expected. > > "Who's he?" quoth I. > > "A young man of very large fortune, who was a ward of Mr. Thrale. [[Hester Maria Thrale|Queeney]], what do you say of him for Miss Burney?" > > "Him?" cried she; "no, indeed; what has Miss Burney done to have him?" > > "Nay, believe me, a man of his fortune may offer himself anywhere. However, I won't recommend him." > > "Why then, ma'am," cried I, with dignity, "I reject him!" > > This Mr. Crutchley stayed till after breakfast the next morning. I can't tell you anything, of him, because I neither like nor dislike him. Mr. Crutchley was scarce gone, ere Mr. Smith arrived. Mr. Smith is a second cousin to Mr. Thrale, and a modest pretty sort of young man. He stayed till Friday morning. When he was gone, > > "What say you to him, Miss Burney?" cried Mrs. Thrale; "I'm sure I offer you variety." > > "Why I like him better than Mr. Crutchley, but I don't think I shall pine for either of them." > > Dr. Johnson," said Mrs. Thrale, "don't you think Jerry Crutchley very much improved?" > > Dr. J.-Yes, madam, I think he is. > > Mrs. T.-Shall he have Miss Burney? > > Dr. J.-Why, I think not; at least I must know more about him; I Must inquire into his connections, his recreations, his employments, and his character, from his intimates, before I trust Miss Burney with him. And he must come down very handsomely with a settlement. I will not have him left to his generosity; for as he will marry her for her wit, and she him for his fortune, he ought to bid well, and let him come down with what he will, his price will never be equal to her worth. > > Mrs. T.-She says she likes Mr. Smith better. > > Dr. J.-Yes, but I won't have her like Mr. Smith without money, better than Mr. Crutchley with it. Besides, if she has Crutchley, he will use her well, to vindicate his choice. the world, madam, has a reasonable claim upon all mankind to account for their conduct; therefore, if with his great wealth, he marries a woman who has but little, he will be more attentive to display her merit, than if she was equally rich,—in order to show that the woman he has chosen deserves from the world all the respect and admiration it can bestow, or that else she would not have been his choice. > > Mrs. T.-I believe young Smith is the better man. > > F.B.-Well, I won't be rash in thinking of either; I will take some time for consideration before I fix. > [!QUOTE] On 17 September 1781 [[Hester Thrale née Salusbury|Hester]] wrote about Jeremiah Crutchley and Fanny Burney in [[Thraliana]]… > l begin to wish in good earnest that Miss Burney should make Impression on Mr Crutchley; I think She honestly loves the Man, in his Turn appears to be in Love with some one else—[[Hester Maria Thrale|Hester]] I fear! Oh that would indeed be unlucky! People have said so a long while, but I never thought it till now: Young Men & Women will always be serving one so to be sure, if live at all together; but I depended on Burney keeping him steady to herself. Queeney behaves like an Angel about it. ### Children None. ## Residence Jeremiah Crutchley (junior) bought [Sunninghill Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunninghill_Park) in Berkshire on 8 June 1769 from Thomas Draper Baber[^3]. ## Parliamentary career Crutchley was elected as Member of Parliament for… - [Horsham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsham_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29) in 1784; - [Grampound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grampound_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29) in 1790; and - [St. Mawes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mawes_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29) in October 1796. ## Death He died on Friday 28 Dec 1805 at 60 years of age. Because Crutchley never married, his estate was inherited George Henry Duffield, the eldest son of his second sister, Alice, who took the surname of Crutchley. ## Burial He was buried at Lee Old Churchyard, St Margaret's Church, Blackheath, London, the same cemetery[^4] as his father and his infant brother, John. ## See also ![[henry-thrale-1724-1781🔎#^henry-thrale-infoblock]] #history/person/BURNEY/frances-born-1752 #history/person/CRUTCHLEY/jeremiah-born-1745 #history/person/JOHNSON/samuel-born-1709 #history/person/SALUSBURY/hester-lynch-born-1741 #history/person/SMITH/Henry #history/person/STREATFEILD/sophy-born-1755 #history/person/THRALE/anna-maria-born-1768 #history/person/THRALE/henry-born-1724-1730 #history/place/england/berkshire/sunninghill-park #history/place/england/surrey/southwark/anchor-brewery/brewery-house #history/place/england/surrey/streatham/streatham-park ![[Footer#^footer-embed]] [^1]: Jeremiah was born in 1745. [^2]: Sophy Streatfield. [^3]: 'Parishes: Sunninghill', A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3 (1923), pp. 134-136. Date accessed: 28 December 2009. [^4]: [Tomb 210](https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101391998-monument-to-jeremiah-crutchley-lee-old-churchyard-blackheath-ward).