Ralph Creffeild JP (often incorrectly Creffield; 1687 – 12 December 1723 in Colchester) was a barrister and dignitary in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

, Essex, England, from a family of wealthy

drapers Draper was originally a term for a retailer or wholesaler of cloth that was mainly for clothing. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. History Drapers were an important trade guild during the medieval period, ...

and landowners. Creffeild was born in 1687, the second son of Sir Ralph Creffeild, and the only one of his children to survive into adulthood, though he did not outlive his father. Educated at the Merchant Taylor's School, in 1711 he married Sarah Webster, the daughter of John Webster of Cornhill and later

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

. Creffeild's marriage settlement described him as being of the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

, and thus it can be surmised that he was at that time already employed as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

. In 1717/18 the couple moved to a new house in the centre of Colchester, Hollytrees, which had recently been constructed for Sarah's aunt. It was, at that time, known as "Esqr Creffield's ". At some point he also purchased Mose Hall in Ardleigh, where his father already had a substantial estate. Creffeild soon became a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for the county of

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

and an

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

. It is likely the couple also had a home in West Mersea, since two of their children were baptised there. Creffeild died on 12 December 1723 and was buried at St. James' Church in Colchester. Sarah married again after his death to Charles Gray, but, since they had no children, the estates reverted through Ralph's surviving children, Peter, Hannah (later married to George Wegg, another wealthy landowner at that time), and Sarah. Eight other children had died in infancy, including two Ralphs and a Joseph.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creffeild, Ralph 1687 births 1723 deaths People from Colchester Members of the Inner Temple Councillors in Essex People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood People from West Mersea