Janette Davies (janette @t daviesp1.freeserve.co.uk) of Devon writes:  Daniel Crespin was vicar of St. Stephens church from 27th September 1746 until 1749 when he died. I have a photograph of a plaque (presumably from the church) which lists all of the vicars of that church. On this it states that Daniel was also vicar of St. Michaels church where he succeeded his father. From this I deduce that he must have been vicar of St.Michaels until 1746. What I would like to know is this; how can I find out when he became vicar of this church and what was the name of his father who he succeeded? I should add that Daniel was my 5x greatgrandfather, hence my interest in finding his parentage.

Most churches have a list of their ministers displayed, and the lists are included in the Hertfordshire Family History Society monumental inscriptions for the parishes. In particular they confirm that the information you have is displayed in St Stephen's Church. 

For more information a good published source is Cussans' History of Hertfordshire. The relevant information on the date of institution, and the patrons for St. Michaels is:

The equivalent information for St. Stephens is:

Cussans probably got his information from Clutterbuck's History of Hertfordshire (which is harder to find) - and I have checked and the two are identical.

The more detailed records in Cussans tell a different story to the one on the wall in St. Stephens Church. Daniel Crespin senior was at St. Michaels from 1726 until 1746, when he transferred to St Stephens, dying before April 1849. Daniel Crespin junior (probably his son) succeeded him at St. Michaels.

I suspect that the note on the list in the church has muddled the generations and should read "also Vicar at St Michaels where he was succeeded by his father son."

I can find little additional information about either Daniel Crespin apart from an entry in the book A Fair Field which says:

"William Marston died in 1726 at the age of 51. At St Michael's he was followed by two vicars having the same name, Daniel Crespin; these may well have been father and son. The first Daniel Crespin's incumbency saw the end of the old bells, which in 1739 ... were recast as a ring of six. ..."

It goes on to say:

"It is through the same Daniel that our story links up with the "Forty Five", the second and last Jacobite rebellion. ... In Hertfordshire there was organised "An Association of the Noblemen, Gentlemen, Clergy, Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County ..."   Daniel Crespin subscribed £10.

It is almost certain that Daniel Crespin went to either Oxford or Cambridge University, and lists of their graduates are available. I have used the list in the Society of Genealogists Library - but they may also be available to order on microfilm at your nearest LDS Family History Centre (see familysearch for details).

February, 2006

Doreen Coghlin (dandor @t tiscali.co.uk) writes: I have just read your reply to my second cousin Janette re Daniel Crespin. Thank you for all the information that you have supplied Since visiting  St Stephens I have always thought that the list of Vicars was wrong and should have read 'was' succeeded. Daniel was also my 5x great Grandfather. 

There is a web page for St Michaels

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

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