ASTONISHING PEOPLE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 292, 7 April 1941, Page 6

ASTONISHING PEOPLE

SIR NICHOLAS CRISP He was unfortunate. We may see Ms funeral helmet hanging in St. Mildred's Church in London, and he is remembered today as the faithful Royalist who was prepared, to lose everything —■ and very nearly did. A Gloucestershire man, he shared with five others Lhe privilege of exclusive trade with Africa and Guinea That was pleasant indeed, but there were soon complications, and according to a technical error Sir Nicholas and his friends were called upon to *pay a sum oi' £150,000 for a so-called infringement of the trading laws.

When Civil war broke out in Charles Stuart's unhappy days, Sir Nicholas remained in London, supplying the king with huge sums of money, but when this -was discovered by the Parliamentarians, he was ordered to lie arrested. He escaped, joining the king at Oxford, where he was welcomed. as the old and faithful farmer. He then raised a regiment of 500 horsemen, all at his own expense, but every man and horse was cafpturcd. He lied from England when the worst came to the worst. Parliament taking the £5000 left in "the Tower, his stock of Guinea bonds valued at £115,000, and his house in London. However, he was looking for two ships coming home from Guinea with £20,000 or. board—but thev were captured. Tn spite of all these misfortunes, lie kept his head above water, and when Charles the Second was welcomed. in Eiigland in 16(50, better times came for Sir Nicholas Crisp, who died content in l()(i(>.