Anthony Crossley

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Anthony Crommelin Crossley

|image =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1903|08|13|df=yes}}

|birth_place =

|birth_name =

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1939|8|15|1903|08|13|df=yes}}

|death_place = Off the coast of Denmark

|death_cause = Air crash

|alma_mater = Magdalen College, Oxford

|party = Conservative Party

|constituency_MP1 = Oldham

| predecessor1 = James Wilson
Gordon Lang

| successor1 = Leslie Hale
Frank Fairhurst|parliamen1 =

|majority1 =

|alongside1 = Hamilton Kerr

|term_start1 = 27 October 1931

|term_end1 = 25 October 1935

|constituency_MP2 = Stretford

|predecessor2 = Gustav Renwick

|successor2 = Ralph Etherton

|parliament2 =

|majority2 =

|term_start2 = 14 November 1935

|term_end2 = 15 August 1939

}}

Anthony Crommelin Crossley (13 August 1903 – 15 August 1939) was a British writer, publisher and Conservative politician.

Early life

Crossley was born on 13 August 1903, the only son of Sir Kenneth Irwin Crossley, 2nd Baronet. His father was chairman of Crossley Brothers Limited and Crossley Motors Limited. He eventually became a director of the company.

In 1916 Crossley enrolled at Eton College, completing his education at Magdalen College, Oxford. His flair for writing both poetry and prose led to his becoming a partner in the publishing house of Christopher's from 1928 to 1935.

In 1927 he married Clare Thomson, a painter,{{Cite news|date=6 November 1935|title=Going Out to Goings-On|page=10|work=The Bystander|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001851/19351106/009/0010?browse=true|access-date=2021-07-09}} daughter of Brigadier A F Thomson, and had two daughters and one son.

Political career

In 1931 Crossley was elected one of two Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) for the two-seat Oldham borough constituency.The General Election: First Returns, Polling in the Boroughs, The Times, 28 October 1931; p. 6 At the next election in 1935 he was elected as MP for Stretford in south east Lancashire.The General Election, The Times, 15 November 1935 p. 10 He remained MP for the area until his death in 1939.

Sports

Crossley was noted as an enthusiast for fishing and had written a book on the subject.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Mr A.C. Crossley, MP |date=1939-08-19 |page=15 |issue=48388 }} As a tennis player, he had competed in The Championships, Wimbledon in 1931.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Sporting News, Lawn Tennis, The Championships |date=1931-06-27 |page=4 |issue=45860 }} and 1932.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Sporting News, Lawn Tennis, The Championships |date=1932-06-27 |page=5 |issue=46170 }}

Death

On 15 August 1939, Crossley was one of four passengers on-board Lockheed Model 10 Electra, G-AESY. The aircraft was operated by British Airways Ltd and flying from Hendon Aerodrome to Copenhagen Airport.

At around 13.20, the aircraft was around {{convert|80|km|mi}} from its destination. The pilot radioed a report of a fire on board and soon after made an emergency water-landing in the Storstrømmen, not far from the Storstrøm Bridge. The aircraft quickly sank. The co-pilot was the only one of the six on board who managed to escape and was rescued by a bridge worker.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=British Airways Liner Lost: M.P. Drowned With Four Others, Crash Off Danish Coast |date=1939-08-16 |page=10 |issue=48385 }}

The next day, the aircraft was raised and it was established that all the victims had likely succumbed to smoke inhalation; two had died because of the fire, three had drowned after the aircraft ditched.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The British Air Liner Disaster |date=1939-08-17 |page=19 |issue=48386 }} The fire was later attributed to leaking fuel caused by the fuel tanks being over-filled; the cause of ignition was not established.{{Cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=203547 |title=Accident Lockheed 10A Electra G-AESY, 15 Aug 1939 |last=Ranter |first=Harro |website=aviation-safety.net |access-date=2020-04-20}}

As a Member of Parliament, Crossley's death resulted in the 1939 Stretford by-election, which was won by Conservative Ralph Etherton.

Publications

Crossley published three books of poetry: Aucassin and Nicolette and Other Poems, Prophets, Gods and Witches and Tragedy under Lucifer. His prose works showed his other interests: The History of Eton College Hunt (1922), Chin Wag: The War Records of the Eton Manor Club and The Floating Line for Salmon and Sea Trout (1939, with illustrations by Roy Beddington) .{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Mr A.C. Crossley, MP |date=1939-08-16 |page=12 |issue=48385 }}

References

External links

[https://archive.org/details/etoncollegehunts00cros The Eton College Hunt : A Short History of Beagling at Eton], by A.C. Crossley. The Internet Archive
{{Hansard-contribs | mr-anthony-crossley | Anthony Crossley }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033306/http://www.combermereabbey.co.uk/news/blog/follow-a-wimbledon-veteran-onto-the-court-at-combermere Article on Anthony Crossley]

{{succession box

| title = Member of Parliament for Oldham

| with = Hamilton William Kerr

| years = 1931 – 1935

| before = James Wilson
Gordon Lang

| after = Hamilton William Kerr
John Samuel Dodd

}}

{{succession box

| title = Member of Parliament for Stretford

| years = 1935 – 1939

| before = Gustav Renwick

| after = Ralph Etherton