Memorials of the Scripps Family
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,\x^ I >' - I cr. $ — *— \V^ '^\ to- W - t^ \ 3 VC ¦fa> "\ - k r* 5\ f ;C/V 1^ ;= f __L bE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. PRESENTER *BY 0 C V A UNITED STATES OP JOD \*ONLY ONE HUNDRED COPIES PRINTED, FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION, ALLOF WHICH ARE NUMBERED AND SIGNED. THIS COPY IS no. sy /£¦ </ " / « MEMORIALS OP THE SCRIPPS FAMILY A CENTENNIAL TRIBUTE cJAWES E^SCRIPPS u DETROIT: PRINTED POR PRIVATE CIRCULATION 1891 <=r» C&l* .Sf-'V }9<\\ PRINTED iV JOHN F. EBV A CO., oentorr. 4 Si PREFACE. Over nine years ago Ipublished in a pamphlet of 28 pages a History of the Scripps Family. Ithad scarcely appeared before a mass of fresh information on the sub ject came to my hands, and this has continued steadily to accumulate up to the present date. This new light does not materially alter the facts as related in the publication of 1882, nor does it carry the history at all further back, but it clears up many points of uncertainty and supplies much interesting detail. After having for nine years industriously collected all Ipossibly could regarding the family, Inow, in the centennial year of the emigration of the major portion to America, proceed to edit my collec tions and reduce them to print. With due respect, Iherewith dedicate my little volume to the memory of Williamand Grace Scripps, who, in 1791, planted the family on this continent. This worthy couple came to America just a century ago this month with five young children, their eldest being left inEngland. To-day their lineal descendants number not fewer than 226 souls, of whom 136 are residents of the United States, 80 of England, and the remainder are scat tered through Asia, Africa and South America. VI PREFACE. If not of noble descent, the Scripps family can at least look back upon a record of respectability running through the long period of nearly three centuries. In all this time no member has dishonored the name by entering the ranks either ofpauperism or crime, while many have hon ored itas able mechanicians, men of large business capac ity,hardy pioneers, brave soldiers, and men and women of exemplary piety. With no crusader's scutcheon to rest our pride upon and tolimitour aspirations, but with ahigh percentage of intelligence, energy, and all the sturdier vir tues, we may welladopt as our motto, Aspiciens inFuturum —"Looking Forward." If this littlevolume shall inany degree enhance among its members a pride in the family name, and if any shall be stimulated by itto deeds and lives that shall add to its record of usefulness and honor, the prime object of the author willhave been attained. It willbe observed that Ihave treated of Rev. John Scripps's history before that of his elder brother, William A. Scripps. This is because Rev. John Scripps's career followed more naturally that of his father, while William A. Scripps's came in more appropriately in connection with his diary and letters, which most largely centre about a period some time subsequent to his father's death. The name Parrotte will be found sometimes spelled without the finalc. This is because up to a late period it was universally so spelled. In the case of those members of the family, therefore, who died before the change PREFACE. VII became common, Ihave retained the old orthography, while in the case of living members the modern spelling is adopted. To many members of the family Iam indebted for val uable assistance, and for the loan or presentation of pre cious manuscripts. Tomy cousin Charles F. Scripps lam especially indebted formuch time given topatient research in the Heralds' College and BritishMuseum, as a result of which Ihave been enabled to clear up in large measure some notable obscurities. No doubt many of myreaders willcriticise me for insert ing matters which, in their opinion, might as well have been left out. Others may regret that Ihave omitted as much as Ihave. Ican only assure all that Ihave used my best judgment in the premises, arid ask their kind forbear ance as to anything that may possibly offend. The book is not sent out in permanent binding, as many willno doubt findpleasure inadditionally illustrating their copies with photographs, sketches, autographs and con tinued family records. Detroit, July, 1891. J. E. S. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page I. Antiquity ofthe Name i 11. The Scripps Familyat Ely 5 111. The Removal toLondon 21 IV. The Emigration to America 31 V. The Removal toMissouri 66 VI.Rev. John Scripps 84 VII.WilliamArmiger Scripps 93 VIII.George Henry Scripps 134 IX.The Grandchildren of William Scripps 136 X. The Family's War Record 144 XI.The Journalistic Record 165 XII. The Family Arms 168 Appendix 171 Index 183 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. General View of Ely from the Ouse Frontispiece The Name Scripps in the Caligraphy of the 17th Century 7 Viewof Ely Cathedral withTrinityParish Church .facing 13 Map of Ely 14 Fac-simile of the Handwriting of WilliamScripps of Ely 19 Fac-simile of the Autograph of Benjamin Scripps 71 Fac-simile of the Autograph of WilliamScripps of Morgantown, 81 The Scripps Graves at Cape Girardeau 82 Portrait ofRev. John Scripps .facing 89 Portrait of WilliamArmiger Scripps facing 97 Viewof St. Catherine's Hall,Niton 134 Sketch inSouthmolton street, London 137 Proposed Family Coat of Arms 170 MEMORIALS OF THE SCRIPPS FAMILY. I. ANTIQUITY OF THE NAME. The surname Scripps originated about 1634 ina corrup tion of the more common name Cripps. The latter was, inits turn, a corruption of Crispe, which,under the forms of Crespin and Crispin, appears to have been introduced into England at the time of the Norman conquest. Going stillfurther back, under the form of Crispus or Crispin, the* name had its originina remote Latin antiquity. Crispus was the name of the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, who was converted to Christianity under St. Paul's preach ing, and was one of the very few baptized by that apostle (see Acts xviii,8; 1Cor. i, 14). According to tradition he was afterwards bishop of iEgina. Another Crispus, abrother of the Emperor Claudius Gothicus, was the great-grandfather of Constantine the Great. s\ Saints Crispin and Crispinian were missionaries from Rome to heathen Gaul in the 3d century. Theylocated themselves at Sois sons, where they suffered martyrdom A.D. 287.* St. Crispina was a rich and noble lady of Proconsular Africa, who suffered martyrdom for the faith December 5, 304. Flavius Julius Crispus was the eldest son of theEmperor Constan tine the Great, an amiable and accomplished youth, whose genius accomplished the capture of Byzantium in 323, but who was put to death by his father in A.D. 326 at the instance of his jealous step mother Fausta. At the beginning of the 7th century a Roman patrician named Crispus- married the daughter of the Emperor Phocas, whom he betrayed to his rivalHeraclius. The latter rewarded his treachery by condemning him to embrace monastic life. *Camden (Britannia, Vol.I,p. 333) says: "Among the pebbles near Stone- end (Kent) is an heap of larger stones, which the neighbors call the tomb of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, who, they pretend, were shipwrecked here and called to heaven." 2 MEMORIALS OF THE Gilbert de Crespin was the friend and counselor of Robert, Duke of Normandy, father of William the Conqueror. Upon Robert's death inthe Holy Land he fella victimto his fidelity to his youthful son William,in the violence of the times. Osberne de Crespin, at one time the seneschal and governor of the town of Theroulde, was dispatched inhis bed by a brother of the celebrated Roger de Mont gomery. These assassinations occurred about or soon after A. D. 1035. About twenty years later the French King Henry I.attempted the annexation of the Dukedom of Normandy tothe French crown. In the war which ensued, Count de Crespin distinguished himself. Roscoe, inhis Lifeof William the Conqueror, tells us that at the battle of Hastings the grand banner consecrated by the Pope was intrusted to the hands of Toustain dv Blanc, lordofBee Crespin. The name Guillaume Crespin appears in John Foxe's listof those who participated in the conquest of England by Williamof Nor mandy in1066. He found the list ina very ancient MS. copy of the Annals of Normandy. That this was not the only Crespin who followed the fortunes of William of Normandy appears from Thierry's History of the" Con quest of England by the Normans (London, 1847, p. 205): This castle (Rougemont, at Exeter) was then confided to the keeping of Baldwin, son of GilbertCrespin, also called Baldwinde Brionne, who received as his share as conqueror and for his salary as Viscount of Devonshire twenty houses inExeter and one hundred and fifty-nine manors inthe county." ¦ Again in Catnden (Britannia, Vol. 11, p. 50) we read that "the principal landholders inthis county (Bedfordshire)* * at the Domesday survey were the King, MiloCrispin, * *"etc.* * " We learn more of this Milo Crispin in Vol.Iof Camden's Britannia (p. 2x5): Wallingford (Bedfordshire) owned for its lord Wigod, an Englishman, who had an onlydaughter married toRobert D'oyley, by whom he had Matilda, his sole heir, who was first married to Milo Crispin, and on his death given by Henry I.to Brient FitzCount. This nobleman, trained to the field and follow ing the interests of the Empress Matilda, bravely defended this castle against Stephen, who raised a fort opposite to itat Craumesh, till the peace so much desired bythe whole kingdom was concluded here, and that destructive dispute for the crown between Stephen and Henry n.