Crashaw, William (1572 -1626)

William Crashaw was the son of Richard Crashaw of Handsworth near Sheffield in Yorkshire, and Helen, daughter of John Routh, of Waleswood, and was the father of the poet Richard Crashaw. William went to St John's College, Cambridge, where he matriculated as a sizar at Easter 1588, took his B.A. in 1592, was made Fellow in 1594 on the nomination of the Queen, took his M.A. in 1595, and his B.D. in 1603. He became a noted puritan divine and was himself a minor poet. He married twice, the name of his first wife, the mother of Richard Crashaw the poet, is not known. She died when her son was very young. His second wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Skinner of Barking. Crashaw collected popish books in order to study and publish the errors and abuses of the Church of Rome. The Earl of Southampton bought the larger part of his library for St John's College, Cambridge, where it remains. He presented the printed books in 1634, reserving the manuscripts, which he presented to the College, as a joint gift from himself and his wife in 1635. There is a catalogue of the printed books in St John's MS.U.4 and of the 162 Mss in MS.U.3 fols.56 7. Many of his books and manuscripts have his motto “Servire Deo regnare est”.