William Wood Crump (November 25, 1819 – February 27, 1897) was an American lawyer and politician from Virginia. He briefly served as a judge, later became assistant Secretary of the Treasury for the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

and twice briefly represented the

City of Richmond The City of Richmond was a local government area about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994. History Richmond was incorporated as a municipality on 24 ...

in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

as well as served at times on Richmond's City Council.

Early and family life

Born to Richmond merchant Sterling Jamieson Crump (1782-1847) and his wife Elizabeth Richardson Wood (1729-1855) in Henrico County on November 25, 1819, Crump received a private education in his home town from Dr. Gwathmey, then was sent to the Amherst Institute (later

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educati ...

) in

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (although the county seat ...

. He had a younger brother John R. Crump (1830-1874?) and several sisters. They were descended from the

First Families of Virginia First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsbur ...

, ancestor William Crump having emigrated from England to

York County, Virginia York County (formerly Charles River County) is a county in the eastern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in the Tidewater. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,045. The county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown. L ...

and many intervening generations having lived and operated plantations in

New Kent County, Virginia New Kent County is a county in the eastern part the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 22,945. Its county seat is New Kent. New Kent County is included in the Greater Richmond Region. History ...

after it was split from York County. Crump entered the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William ...

in 1835 and graduated three years later, having studied law under Professor N. Beverley Tucker. He married Mary Susan Tabb (1824-1891), daughter of Philip E. Tabb (1786-1851) of

Gloucester County, Virginia Gloucester County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,711. Its county seat is Gloucester Courthouse. The county was founded in 1651 in the Virginia Colony and is named for Henry Stuart, ...

on New Year's Day, 1846 and they remained married 45 years until her death. Four children survived him: Emmaline Allmand Crump Lightfoot (1847-1937), Fanny Crump Tucker (1849-1937), Edward Tabb Crump (1851-1919) and Beverley Tucker Crump (1854-1930). Several others died as children, including Mary Tabb Crump (1856-1861) and William Wood (1858-1862) and Randolph Tabb Crump, who died in wartime Richmond. His son B. T. Crump also became his law partner, as well as represented Richmond in the Virginia House of Delegates for one term (1893-1894).

Career

After graduating from the College of William & Mary, Crump was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1840. A Democrat, he often delivered speeches on the subject of "States Rights" and supported

John C. Calhoun John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina who held many important positions including being the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. He ...

for president in 1844, as well as the annexation of Texas. He later supported

James Polk James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

and

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was an American military officer, politician, and statesman. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He w ...

. The

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...

in 1851 elected Crump Judge of the Circuit Court of Richmond to succeed John S. Caskie, who had resigned. However, the new Virginia Constitution of 1851 changed the judicial system to permit popular election of judges the following year, and his position was terminated. Although Crump only served a short time, he was thereafter referred to as "Judge Crump". Crump also served many years on the board of trustees of his alma mater, beginning in 1853, and eventually became President of its Board of Visitors. In the 1850 U.S. Federal census for Henrico County, Crump owned 13 slaves: five children, 6 adult men and two women. In the 1860 Federal census for Henrico County, Crump's name appears on several different pages, suggesting that he hired out his slaves. During and after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, Crump supported slavery and the

. He served as a civilian Judge Advocate, and became assistant Secretary of the Treasury and administered day-to-day functions of the Treasury, During the evacuation of Richmond, Crump was responsible or taking a small amount of money into Washington, some of which he later provided to Mrs.

Varina Davis Varina Anne Banks Howell Davis (May 7, 1826 – October 16, 1906) was the only First Lady of the Confederate States of America, and the longtime second wife of President Jefferson Davis. She moved to a house in Richmond, Virginia, in mid- ...

when fleeing Union patrols. President Andrew Johnson granted him amnesty on June 26, 1865. After the war, upon the resignation of fellow lawyer Peachy R. Grattan as one of the City's representatives (part-time) in the

, Crump succeeded to the position. He was not, however, re-elected, but resumed his law practice full-time. He also was elected in 1875, but like Grattan years earlier, only served one of the sessions. Crump was among 20 prominent men who posted the bond for former Confederate President

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as ...

in 1867 after he was indicted for treason. He also was among the prominent speakers on April 29, 1870 at the memorial following the disastrous balcony collapse at the Virginia Supreme Court, and the following year helped gather funds for survivors of the Great Chicago Fire. Crump also participated in several sensational trials: defending former Confederate soldier Jeter Phillips who was accused of murdering his wife in Hanover, Thomas Judson Cluverius for the murder of his cousin in Richmond, and litigation concerning John Randolph's will.Enc.Va.Bio. 1915

Final years, death and legacy

Judge Crump died in Richmond on February 27, 1897, nearly six years after his wife.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crump, William W. 1819 births 1897 deaths People from Henrico County, Virginia Confederate States Department of the Treasury officials Virginia lawyers College of William & Mary alumni Members of the Virginia House of Delegates People of Virginia in the American Civil War 19th-century American legislators Richmond, Virginia City Council members