William Crump (Texas politician)

American politician

William Edmund Crump

1st and 4th Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
In office
February 16, 1846 – March 3, 1846
Preceded by| None
Succeeded by| John Brown
In office
March 16, 1846 – May 1, 1846
Preceded by| Edward Thomas Branch
Succeeded by| William H. Bourland
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the Austin County district
In office
February 16, 1846 – November 5, 1849
Preceded by| District created
Succeeded by| Charles Railey
Personal details
Born| 1809-1810
North Carolina, U.S.
Died| January 3, 1889

William Edmund Crump (1809 or 1810 – January 3, 1889) was the first Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives following statehood. A representative from Austin County, Crump was a novice in political circles, having held no previous public office in Texas either in the Republic or at the local level. Despite his lack of experience, he was elected Speaker on the first ballot without any substantial opposition.

## Life[edit]

Crump was born in North Carolina. Nothing is known of his early life, until his marriage to an Rosa C. Ballantine in North Carolina in 1836. Subsequently, he moved his family to Vicksburg, Mississippi and in the early 1830s moved his family to Texas. Settling his family along the Brazos River east of Bellville, and established Crump"s Ferry, which can be seen on Texas Maps of 1836. Crump's Ferry was not far north of San Felipe, where Stephen F. Austin had earlier founded the headquarters of his first colony, Crump established a plantation, Crump's Ferry. Both of them had 1 child together, William Edmund Crump Jr.

In Texas, Crump became involved in one brief military venture, the Vasques Campaign that countered a Mexican raid on San Antonio in 1842. Crump remained in Austin County for the rest of his life, at one point becoming County Judge. He died in Bellville on January 3, 1889.

## Politics[edit]

Crump was reelected state representative twice. He served in the 2nd Legislature and part of the 3rd Legislature, then resigned and vacated legislative office completely and returned to his home near Bellville. A large landholder, Crump eventually became one of the wealthiest men in the region.

Elected to the Texas House of Representatives following statehood, he presided as Speaker for most of the 1st Legislature. His tenure was punctuated by a leave of absence from March 3 to March 16, 1846 and by his subsequent resignation on May 1, 1846, 12 days before the 1st Texas Legislature adjourned. Among its other accomplishments, the 1st Legislature created over 30 counties, organized a set of courts, established a militia, authorized a state penitentiary, and provided for a regular census and a system of taxation.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "The Texas Democrat (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 20, ed. 1, Wednesday, May 20, 1846". 20 May 1846.

* Research Division of the Texas Legislative Council (February 2002). Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846–2002 (PDF) (Revised 2002 ed.). Austin, Texas: The Council. Retrieved 2006-09-02.

Preceded by

None

|  Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
February 16, 1846–March 3, 1846  | Succeeded by

John Brown

|
|

Preceded by

Edward Thomas Branch

|  Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
March 16, 1846–May 1, 1846  | Succeeded by

William H. Bourland

Preceded by

District created

|  Texas House of Representatives, Austin district
February 14, 1846-November 5, 1849  | Succeeded by

Charles Railey

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* t
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Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives

* Crump
* Brown
* Branch
* Crump
* Bourland
* Perkins
* Henderson
* Keenan
* Dickson
* Runnels
* Bee
* W. Taylor
* Locke
* M. Taylor
* Buckley
* Darnell
* Buckley
* M. Taylor
* Burford
* Evans
* Sinclair
* M. Taylor
* Bryan
* Bonner
* Cochran
* Reeves
* Gibson
* Foster
* Pendleton
* Alexander
* Milner
* Cochran
* Smith
* Dashiell
* Sherrill
* Prince
* Neff
* Seabury
* Love
* Kennedy
* Marshall
* Rayburn
* Terrell
* Woods
* Fuller
* Thomason
* Thomas
* Seagler
* Satterwhite
* Bobbitt
* Barron
* Minor
* Stevenson
* Calvert
* Morse
* Leonard
* Daniel
* Gilmer
* Reed
* Manford
* Senterfitt
* Lindsey
* Carr
* Turman
* Tunnell
* Barnes
* Mutscher
* Price
* Daniel Jr.
* Clayton
* Lewis
* Laney
* Craddick
* Straus
* Bonnen
* Phelan

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