John Offley Crewe
| Offley's Name Act 1708 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to enable Anne Crewe (late Offley) Widow, and John Crewe (late Offley) her Son and Heir Apparent, to change their Surnames from Offley to Crewe, according to the Settlement of John Crewe Esquire, deceased. |
| Citation | 7 Ann. c. 3 Pr. (Ruffhead: 7 Ann. c. 7 Pr.) |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 23 March 1709 |
John Offley Crewe (also known as John Offley-Crewe, 20 September 1681 - 25 August 1749) was an English politician who was MP for Cheshire and other constituencies, the eldest son of John Offley of Madeley. He married Sarah Price, daughter of Morgan Price of Nantgwared, Breconshire, in 1707. The couple had four sons and three daughters. Offley inherited the family estate at Madeley in 1688 upon the death of his father, and in 1711, he also inherited Crewe Hall and other estates from his great-uncle, Sir John Crewe of Utkinton. In 1709, by a private act of Parliament, Offley's Name Act 1708 (7 Ann. c. 3 Pr.), he assumed the surname Crewe to honour the Crewe inheritance.
The Offley family was an established name in Staffordshire, originating with Sir Thomas Offley, a Merchant Taylor who purchased the manor of Madeley in the mid-16th century. John Crewe Offley's father was a noted Whig, serving as Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1679-80 and being involved in a legal incident in 1685 with Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet.
John Crewe Offley followed in his father's political footsteps. In 1703, he was appointed as a deputy-lieutenant, marking the start of his significant involvement in county affairs.