John Branscombe Crews

Our Parliamentary Representatives

J.B. Crew M.L.A. Member for South Bourke 1868 - 1877

At the time of the formation of the Shire of Bulleen, the district was represented in parliament by John Branscombe Crews. "King" Crews, as he was often called, had led a varied and active life as a businessman, councillor for Prahran, politician and leader in various public positions.

Crews was born at St. John's Newfoundland in 1815. As a boy, he went to England and became a printer for the Chartist Movement. His association with the forward thinking ideas of the Chartists, gave Crews the inspiration and broadminded approach that later led to his life of public service. In 1852, John Crews arrived in Melbourne and obtained work at the government printing office. Then began a varied life. After five years as a baker and confectioner, Crews set up as an auctioneer. In 1856, he was elected to the Prahran Council, where he served four terms and had the distinction of being the first Mayor of Prahran. Crews' work with the Land Convention led to his election as M.L.A. for St. Kilda in 1864. Four years later, he was elected for the seat of South Bourke as a supporter of Premier Sir James McCullock.



John Crews' generous nature led him to take an extensive part in public life. He was Captain of the Prahran Fire Brigade, member of the Central Board of Health, President of the Permanent Building Society, a magistrate, an active Orangeman, member of the Independent Order of Rechabites, Independent Order of Oddfellows. He was appointed to the royal commission on friendly societies, a prominent Wesleyan and an active worker for total abstinence.

His business interests were as diverse as his public activities and, at times, were dangerously close. During his term in parliament, Crews took an active interest in Bulleen. He was often asked to assist on local matters. In 1871 he laid the foundation stone of the Doncaster Athenaeum and obtained a government grant for the formation of the library. John Crews died at Prahran in 1905 at the age of 89 and is buried in the St. Kilda Cemetery.

1975 05 DTHS Newsletter

John Branscombe Crews




John Branscombe Crews
Born - 13 November 1815 (St John's, Newfoundland)
Died - 29 September 1905 (Prahran)
Parents - Charles and Mary, nee Branscombe
Marriage (1) - 1839 Newton Abbot, Sarah Weatherdon; 1d.;
(2) 1891 Melbourne, Mrs Sarah Stone
Occupation - Auctioneer and estate agent
Religion - Methodist
Education - Learnt printing trade
Career - Went to England as a child; learnt printing trade and was Chartist printer. Arrived Melbourne 1852; employed briefly in Government Printing Office; became baker and confectioner, finally an auctioneer. President Vic. Permanent Building Society 1866-1884. Orangeman, Rechabite, Oddfellor.; Prahran municipal councillor from 1856-1857 and first mayor; held other public positions.

http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/details/311-crews-john-branscombe

Crews, John Branscombe (1815–1905)

Born: 1815 St John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Died: 29 September 1905 Prahran, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Cultural Heritage English
Religious Influence Methodist
Occupation:
temperance advocate (1852-1905) Victoria, Australia
baker (1853-1857) Victoria, Australia
confectioner (1853-1857) Victoria, Australia
magistrate (1853-1905) Victoria, Australia
local government councillor (1856-1860) Victoria, Australia
auctioneer (1857-1905) Victoria, Australia
real estate agent (1857-1905) Victoria, Australia
Member of Lower House (1858-1859) Victoria, Australia
local government councillor (1862-1869) Victoria, Australia
local government head (1863-1887) Victoria, Australia
Member of Lower House (1864-1865) Victoria, Australia
Member of Lower House (1868-1877) Victoria, Australia
local government councillor (1873-1876) Victoria, Australia
local government councillor (1884-1887) Victoria, Australia

John Branscombe Crews, first mayor of the Borough, 1863/4  ID: 11369 Photographer/Creator: Yeoman & Co., 47 Chapel Street, Prahran.  Stonnington Local History Archives. Org ID: 6201 http://www.picturevictoria.vic.gov.au/site/stonnington/miscellaneous/11369.html
John Branscombe Crews (1815-1905), politician and businessman, was born at St John's, Newfoundland, the second son of Charles Crews and his wife Mary, née Branscombe. At 3 he went with his family to Newton Abbot, Devon. From his father he learnt the printing trade, a skill he later employed in the Chartist cause. He migrated to Victoria in 1852. After a year with the government printer he became a baker and confectioner for five years and then set up as an auctioneer and estate agent. He took a prominent part in the Land Convention of 1857. Early in 1858 he was returned to the Legislative Assembly at a by-election in St Kilda and soon became a leading spokesman for the democratic 'Convention' group of members. He was defeated at the 1859 election and several times later, but represented St Kilda and South Bourke in 1864-65 and 1868-77. For most of this time he was a follower of (Sir) James McCulloch.

'King' Crews sat on the Prahran Council in 1856-60, 1862-69, 1873-76 and 1884-87; he was the first mayor in 1863 and was said to have had as many retirements as a prima donna. The building of Prahran Town Hall and the division of the city into wards were largely the result of his efforts. He was also captain of the Prahran Fire Brigade and active for twenty years on the Central Board of Health. As president of the Victorian Permanent Building Society in 1866-84 he lost over £4500, although he managed to keep the society from bankruptcy. He was a magistrate, an active Orangeman and a member of the Independent Order of Rechabites and of the Independent Order of Oddfellows; in 1875 he was appointed to the royal commission on friendly societies. He was a prominent Wesleyan and his support of total abstinence was reflected in his interest in several suburban 'coffee-houses' in the 1880s.

Crews married Sarah Weatherdon at Newton Abbot in 1839; they had one daughter. After his wife's death in 1890 he married in 1891 a widow, Sarah Stone of Melbourne. Although reputed to have been charitable and generous he was criticized at times for combining private and public business too keenly. He died at his home in Prahran on 29 September 1905, aged 89, and was buried at St Kilda.

His portrait is at the Prahran Town Hall.

Select Bibliography
T. W. H. Leavitt and W. D. Lilburn (eds), The Jubilee History of Victoria and Melbourne, vol 1 (Melb, 1888)
A. Sutherland et al, Victoria and Its Metropolis, vol 2 (Melb, 1888)
J. B. Cooper, The History of Prahran (Melb, 1913)
G. Serle, The Golden Age (Melb, 1963)
Parliamentary Debates (Victoria), 1856-59, 1864-65, 1868-77
Table Talk, 22 May 1896
Argus (Melbourne), 2 Oct 1905
L. C. Duly, Land Selection Acts in Victoria 1859-69 (M.A. thesis, University of Melbourne, 1959)
A. Mitchell, Temperance and the Liquor Question in Late 19th Century Victoria (M.A. thesis, University of Melbourne, 1966).
Citation details
Deirdre Exell, 'Crews, John Branscombe (1815–1905)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/crews-john-branscombe-3288/text4995, published first in hardcopy 1969, accessed online 23 July 2017.

Deirdre Exell writing in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3, (MUP), 1969
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/crews-john-branscombe-3288

Mr. J. B. Crews. South Bourke / by E. Gilks.

  • Author / Creator: Edward Gilks 1822?- artist.
  • Date: 1874 
  • Description: 1 print with drawing ; engraving with pen and ink drawing : 16.7 x 10.3 cm. on sheet 28.8 x 22 cm. 

  • Copyright status: This work is out of copyright 
  • Terms of use: No copyright restrictions apply. 
  • Identifier(s): Accession no:H31555/29 
  • Subjects: Crews, John Branscombe, 1815-1905, -- Portraits; Legislators -- Victoria -- Pictorial works; Politicians -- Victoria -- Pictorial works; Prints; Portraits; Ink drawings
  • Index terms: Victoria; parliamentarians; portraits; Members of Parliament; Australia; original art; picture; Australian artists; South Bourke; Member of the Legislative Assembly 
  • Notes: Title printed below engraving. 
  • Date taken from inscription on cover of the "Scrap Album." 
  • "38" inscribed in red pencil on engraving lower right. 
  • Contents / Summary: Leaf from the "Scrap Album" on which Gilks has drawn a full-length portrait in the style of a caricature, in ink, below the portrait (bust, full face) engraving; born St. John's, Newfoundland; auctioneer and estate agent; went to England as a child; learnt printing trade and was Chartist printer. Arrived Melbourne 1852; employed briefly in Government Printing Office; became a baker and confectioner, finally an auctioneer. President Victorian Permanent Building Society 1866-1884. Orangeman, Rechabite, Oddfellor. Prahran municipal councillor from 1856-1857 and first mayor; held other public positions. MLA St. Kilda 1858-1859 and 1864-1865; MLA South Bourke 1868-1877. 
  • Source / Donor: Donated to Public Library, 1905. 
  • Series / Collection: Edward Gilks' Scrap Album of Members of the Victorian Parliament for 1874
  • Is part of: In collection: 76 pen & ink portraits of the Members of the Victorian Parliament for 1874 
  • Link to online item: http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/246086 
  • Link to this record: http://search.slv.vic.gov.au/MAIN:Everything:SLV_VOYAGER2515146 
  • http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/246086
17. Illuminated Address and photograph: John Branscombe Crews


Crews-illuminated-addressIlluminated address presented to John Branscombe Crews on 3 September 1880, by members of the Victorian Permanent Property Investment and Building Society. The address is signed by eight members of the Society. J.B. Crews was a printer, baker, estate agent and Member of Parliament. He served on the Prahran Council at various times from 1856 to 1887; he was Chairman of the Municipal District of Prahran in 1862 to 1863, and its first mayor (from 1863 to 1865).
http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/Discover/History/Stonnington-History-Centre/Events/History-Matters-exhibition

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