Crisp, Charles (Frederick) (1845-1896)

US Democratic representative. Elected to Congress for Georgia 1883-96), he became Democratic leader and Speaker of the House 1891-95.

He was born in Sheffield, England to actor parents who were visiting England at the time of his birth. They raised their son in Georgia which he left at age 16 to join the 10th Virginia Infantry. After three years of service and one year in Morris Island prison, he returned to Georgia in 1865 to study law. Appointed solicitor general of the southwestern superior court region from Americus, Georgia, in 1872, he also served as judge there for five years. He supported the introduction of silver currency, running for the Senate against Hoke Smith, President Grover Cleveland's secretary of the interior, who advocated maintaining the gold standard. Although Georgia voters supported Crisp, he died before the election.