Chapter Covert-baron to Crawley of C by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Crawford (Lindsay earl of), the young earl-marshal of Scotland.—Sir W. Scott: Fair Maid of Perth (time, Henry IV.).

Crawford (Lord), captain of the Scottish guard at Plessis lés Tours, in the pay of Louis XI.—Sir W. Scott: Quentin Durward (time, Edward IV.).

Crawley (Sir Pitt), of Great Gaunt Street, and of Queen’s Crawley, Hants. A sharp, miserly, litigious, vulgar, ignorant baronet, very rich, desperately mean, “a philosopher with a taste for low life,” and intoxicated every night. Becky Sharp was engaged by him to teach his two daughters. On the death of his second wife, sir Pitt asked her to become lady Crawley, but Becky had already married his son, captain Rawdon Crawley. This “aristocrat” spoke of “brass fardens,” and was unable to spell the simplest words, as the following specimen will show:—“Sir Pitt Crawley begs Miss Sharp and baggidge may be hear on Tuesday, as I leaf…to-morrow erly.” “The whole baronetage, peerage, and commonage of England did not contain a more cunning, mean, foolish, disreputable old rogue than sir Pitt Crawley.” He died at the age of fourscore, “lamented and beloved, regretted and honoured,” if we can believe his monumental tablet.

Lady Crawley. Sir Pitt’s first wife was “a confounded, quarrelsome, high-bred jade.” So he chose for his second wife the daughter of Mr. Dawson, ironmonger, of Mudbury, who gave up her sweetheart, Peter Butt, for the gilded vanity of Crawleyism. This ironmonger’s daughter had “pink cheeks and a white skin, but no distinctive character, no opinions, no occupation, no amusements, no vigour of mind, no temper; she was a mere female machine.” Being a “blonde, she wore draggled sea-green or slatternly sky-blue dresses,” went about slip-shod and in curl-papers all day till dinner-time. She died and left sir Pitt for the second time a widower, “to-morrow to fresh woods and pastures new.”

Mr. Pitt Crawley, eldest son of sir Pitt, and at the death of his father inheritor of the title and estates. Mr. Pitt was a most proper gentleman. He would rather starve than dine without a dress-coat and white neckcloth. The whole house bowed down to him; even sir Pitt himself threw off his muddy gaiters in his son’s presence. Mr. Pitt always addressed his mother-in-law with “most powerful respect,” and strongly impressed her with his high aristocratic breeding. At Eton he was called “Miss Crawley.” His religious opinions were offensively aggressive and of the “evangelical type.” He even built a meeting-house close by his uncle’s church. Mr. Pitt Crawley came into the large fortune of his aunt, Miss Crawley, married lady Jane Sheepshanks, daughter of the countess of Southdown, became an M.P., grew money-loving and mean, but less and less “evangelical” as he grew great and wealthy.

Captain Rawdon Crawley, younger brother of Mr. Pitt Crawley. He was in the Dragoon Guards, a “blood about town,” and an adept in boxing, rat-hunting, the fives-court, and four-in-hand driving. He was a young dandy, six feet high, with a great voice, but few brains. He could swear a great deal, but could not spell. He ordered about the servants, who nevertheless adored him; was generous, but did not pay his tradesmen; a Lothario, free and easy. His style of talk was, “Aw, aw; Javeaw; Gad-aw; it’s a confounded fine segaw-aw—confounded as I ever smoked. Gad-aw.” This military exquisite was the adopted heir of Miss Crawley; but as he chose to marry Becky Sharp, was set aside for his brother Pitt. For a time Becky enabled him to live in splendour “upon nothing a year.” But a great scandal got wind of gross improprieties between lord Steyne and Becky; so that Rawdon separated from his wife, and was given the governorship of Coventry Isle by lord Steyne. “His excellency colonel Rawdon Crawley died in his island of yellow fever, most deeply beloved and deplored,” and his son Rawdon inherited his uncle’s title and the family estates.

The Rev. Bute Crawley, brother of sir Pitt. He was a “tall, stately, jolly, shovel-hatted rector.” “He pulled strokeoar in the Christ Church boat, and had thrashed the best bruisers of the town. The Rev. Bute loved boxing-matches, races, hunting, coursing, balls, elections, regattas, and good dinners; had a fine singing voice, and was very popular.” His wife wrote his sermons for him.