MS 743

Papers of Christopher Crisp



Scope and Content Note

Correspondence

1866-1916

3 inches

MS 743

Available for reference

The collection consists chiefly of letters from various correspondents, including James Service, Alfred Deakin George Higinbotham.There are also newspaper cuttings and printed material.

There is a name index covering the correspondence.


Biographical Note

1844 May 20th Born in Islington, London.
1857 Emigrated with his family to Victoria, and was employed in a Melbourne newspaper office for several years. Was recommended as a journeyman printer for the newly established Bacchus Marsh Express.
1866 Became editor of the Express.
1873 Married Grace Lane, daughter of his partner, George Lane. During the 49 years of his editorship, he corresponded with many political and literary men and maintained a very active interest in Australian.
1915 December 25th Died.

Series List

Item No. Title
1-42 C. Crisp Correspondence and press cuttings 1879-1916
43-112 C. Crisp Correspondence 1881-1911
113-236 C. Crisp Correspondence 1877-1911
237-268 C. Crisp Correspondence 1884-1896
269-318 Letters from A. Deakin to C, Crisp 1880-1911
319-349 C. Crisp Correspondence and printed material 1889-1910
350-361 Letters by and concerning George Higinbotham 1879-1894
362-499 C. Crisp correspondence 1883-1911
500-530 C. Crisp correspondence 1879-1910

Series Description

Item nos.

1-42 C. Crisp correspondence and press cuttings 1879- 1916

Personal correspondence describes the genealogy of the Crisp family, and contains comments on Crisp's editorial policies. The 1916 letters are official and personal congratulations to the Crisp family on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Bacchus Marsh Express. Series also includes obituary notices from various newspapers on Crisp's life and work.

43-112 C. Crisp Correspondence 1881-1911

Private and official correspondence to Crisp and others on Bacchus Marsh and Victorian public and local affairs, concerning railways, water supplies and irrigation drainage, agriculture, income tax and the establishment of a population register. Undated notes by Crisp or matters of local government. 1866 lecture by James Young on Irrigation

113-236 C. Crisp correspondence 1877-1911

Letters from various correspondents, mainly on affairs of Victorian and Australian politics, and also including comments on leading articles of the Bacchus Marsh Express. Subjects include Federation; State Socialism; the Labour movement; Trade Unionism and the Trades Hall Council; the current constituencies; the proposed Bacchus Marsh direct railway line, and other local council affairs and proceedings, and theories of government. Included is a letter to the editor by Crisp on the Braddon clause of the Federal Constitution.

237-268 C. Crisp Correspondence 1884-1896

17 letters, mainly from James Service, discussing political moves and opinions in relation to the unity of the colonies, State Socialism, industrial disputes and Trade Unionism, the Labour party, the annexation of New Guinea, the New Hebrides Paper and the policies of various Victorian newspapers on party government.

269-318 Letters from A. Deakin to C. Crisp 1880-1911

23 letters, main coverage 1880-1897 Correspondence covers Victorian party politics, religion in State schools, education, Free Trade, irrigation, Customs and Tariff Bills and the development of Bacchus Marsh The 1897 letters discuss the Federation Bill, Deakin also comments briefly on European Parliamentary systems, and there are some letters of a personal mature. (of Appendix I for detailed list).

319-349 C. Crisp correspondence and printed material 1889-1910

Material is largely letters from various correspondents, mainly on the subject of Imperial Federation, discussing the movements of the Australasian Federation League, and the Imperial Federation League of Victoria and the spread of its branches. Other subjects include the spread of Republican tendencies. Australian and British defence and the State management of banks. Printed material includes addresses on Imperial Federation and on colonial policy.

350-361 Letters by and concerning George Higinbotham 1879-1894

3 letters by George Higinbotham, commenting briefly on the state of Australian politics, with reference to Federation and the growth of republicanism, and congratulations Crisp on the standards of his political leading articles. 3 letters relating to the preparation of Higinbotham’s biography

362-499 C. Crisp correspondence 1883-1911

Mainly personal letters and printed material including an article written by Crisp in 1895 -"Wanted: a Cosmology". Letters are criticisms and discussions on social philosophy, which includes ideas on cosmology theology, agnosticism, atheism, spiritualism, heredity and environment, theories of government, State Socialism and women's rights.

500-530 C. Crisp correspondence 1879-1910

Miscellaneous correspondence, mainly acknowledgements of receipt of literature, and congratulations to Crisp on newspaper articles. Information on domestic and mining affairs.


Name Index of Correspondence

The numbers referred to are item numbers. Underlined entries denote authorship; non-underlined indicate receipt of a letter.

A'BECKETT, W. A

25, 27, 29

ALLAROYCE,

347, 349

ALLEN, H. B.

98

ANDERSON, G. F.

23

ARCHER, W. H

446. 448. 449

BEATTIE. H.

220

BIGGS, S. W.

412

BLAIR, James

523

BLIGHT, H. H.

22

BOWSER, J.

206

BRYCE, J.

333

CAMPBELL, James

129, 135, 138, 139, 140

CHAMPION, H. H.

191, 193

CITY OF BALLAARAT

526

COOPER, S.

14

CRISP. C.

1, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 18, 69, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 87, 89, 90, 91, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 103, 105, 107, 108, 111, 113, 121, 125, 129, 135, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 144, 150, 152, 158, 159, 161, 163, 165, 167, 169, 171, 173, 174 177, 179, 181, 182, 184, 186, 189, 190, 191, 193, 194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 213, 214, 215, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 223, 225, 227, 229, 230, 231, 232, 234, 235, 237, 239, 241, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, 249, 251, 255, 257, 258, 259, 261, 263, 264, 266, 268, 269, 272, 274, 276, 278, 280, 281, 284, 286, 287, 289, 291, 292, 294, 296, 298,300, 302, 304, 309, 311, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 322, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 330, 331, 332, 347, 349, 350, 352, 354, 356, 358, 360, 362, 367, 369, 371, 373, 375, 376, 381, 385, 389, 397, 399, 403, 405, 406, 408, 412, 413, 415, 416, 417, 419, 421, 423, 424, 425, 426, 428, 430, 432, 436, 438, 442, 444, 446, 448, 449, 450, 452, 454, 455, 461, 463, 465, 467, 472, 473, 475, 476, 477, 479, 481, 482, 483, 485, 486, 488, 489, 490, 492, 494, 495, 496, 498, 500, 501, 503, 505, 507, 509, 510, 511, 512, 513, 515, 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 526, 527, 528, 530.

CROUCH, R. A.

207, 208

DEAKIN. Alfred

72, 73, 269, 272, 274, 276, 278, 280, 281, 284, 286, 287, 269, 291, 292, 294, 296, 298, 300, 302, 304, 309, 311, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318

DOBSON, Stanley

161, 163, 165, 167

EMBLING (?) W. H.

190

FERGUSON, James

16

FITCHETT, .V. H.

518-519

FORD, W. C.

452

GAUNT, T

81

GAY, W.

522

GRANT, T. A.

96

GREENE, Molesworth

184, 186, 189

GRIFFITH, S. W.

223

HARDESS, G. M.

1, 4

HARPER, Robert

141, 144, 150, 152, 158, 159

HEAD, J.

198

HEAGNEY, P.

202

HIGGINS, H.B.

227, 229, 231, 232

HIGINBOTHAM, George

350, 352, 354

HOMEWOOD, A.

528

HOWATSON, G. T.

527

HUTCHINSON, M.

194, 196

JOHNSON, H. A

472. 473, 475, 476, 477, 479

481, 482, 483, 485, 486, 488

489, 490, 492, 494, 495, 496

498

JUDKINS, W. H.

520

KNIBBS, G. H.

111

LANG, James

512

LANGTREE, C. W.

19-20, 22, 72, 73, 76

LAURIE, H.

406

LYLE, Marshall

331

LYON, C. H.

91

MACDONALD, A. C.

521

MACKAY, J. M.

107

MACKENZIE, A. C.

108

MACLAURIN, H.

214

MACPHERSON, D.

74

MADDEN, John

113, 121, 125

MALONEY, W.

209

MARSHALL, M.

442

McGREGOR, A.

18

MEND, E.

103, 105

MILLER, E. Morris

328, 330

MORRIS, A. E.

524

MORRIS, E. E.

356, 358. 360

MOORE, J. W.

505

MURRAY, R. A.

503

MURPHY, H. V.

69

O’REILLY, P.

367, 369, 371, 373. 375

PAIXER, T.

200

PALMER, V.

8, 10

PARKES, George

432, 436

PATERSON, G. G.

94

PATTERSON, J. B.

234

PATTERSON, J. S.

500

PEARSON, A. N.

428, 430

POLLOCK, F.

530

RALL, W. R.

(Theosophical Society)

467

REID, G. H.

204, 205

RIBB, M. 11.

100

RIORDAN, H. K.

438

ROBERTSON, Wm.

376, 381. 365. 389, 397, 399,

403, 405

ROGERS, R.

221

ROGERS, J. W. Foster

225

ROSEBERY, Earl of

341

RUSSELL, H.

511

SELLAR, G. Craig

215

SERVICE, James

110-124, 237, 244, 246, 247,

 

248, 249, 251, 255, 257, 258,

 

259, 261, 263, 264., 266, 268

SHIELDS, J. N.

450

SMITH, J.

413, 415, 416, 417, 421, 423,

424, 425, 426

SMITH, Orme

217

SMITH, C. J.

210

SMITH, Robert

235

SMITH, R. Murray

169, 171, 173, 174, 177

STAUGHTON, S. T.

18, 23-4, 25, 34, 241, 70, 77

 

79, 80, 93, 507

SUTTOR, C D.

465

SWINBURNE, G.

84, 86, 87, 89, 90

TAYLOR, H. D.

(Hon. Sec. Imperial Federation League)

319, 320, 322, 324. 325, 326, 327

THOMAS, E. J.

239, 241, 243

TIMM, E. G.

517

TOPPING, J.

82

TUCKER, Horace F. Rev

454. 455, 461, 463

TURNER, H. G.

513

VICTORIA, Premier of

93

VICT0RIAN Railways, Secretary

70

WARD, M.

510

WATSON, S.

501

WEBB, T. F.

102

WEBSTER, P. S.

218

WENTWORTH, H.

515

WILLIAMS, B.

24

WILLOUGHBY, H.

219

WILSON, J. N.

509

WISE, J. H.

211

WRIXON, H. J.

179, 181, 182

YOUNG, C. H.

444

YOUNG, James

43