Claude Crespigny of the South Sea House

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Claude Crespigny of the South Sea House
[This post first published in December 2011. Revised May 2013]
❧ Armorial bookplate, signature, crest, cipher, inscription. ❧
Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny (1706-1782). At death, he left his library to his great nephew, Hugh Reveley (1772-1851) whose signature is in pencil on recto of the free endpaper. ❧ On spine is Crespigny’s cipher (interlaced C’s) and crest (On a chapeau, gules, turned up, ermine, a enhit arm erect, holding a broad sword, proper). ❧ Inscribed on pastedown: “This book was given me by the Hon.ble John Spencer Esq.r A.o 1745.”
❧ Johann Heinrich Cohausen (1665-1750). Hermippus redivivus : or, The sage’s triumph over old age and the grave. Wherein, a method is laid down for prolonging the life and vigour of man. Including a commentary upon an antient inscription, in which this great secret is revealed; supported by numerous authorities. The whole interspersed with a great variety of remarkable, and well attested relations. London : Printed for J. Nourse, 1744. Call number: (Ex)3437.93.345.6
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About Stephen Ferguson

Stephen Ferguson is Librarian Emeritus, Princeton University Library. He came to Princeton in 1975 to be Curator of Rare Books, after several years of professional work at the John Carter Brown Library (Brown University) and the National Heritage Museum (Lexington, Mass.). Between 2014 and 2026, he held various posts as an Associate University Librarian at Princeton. He has degrees from Bowdoin (A.B.) and Rutgers (M.L.S.). His scholarly interests include book history, provenance research, and the history of collecting. He has taught at Drew University on the latter topic.