Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/690

* CKCEStJS. 596 CROFTS. to save him from the flames now raging about fcini. A merciful rain fell, and Cnesus, given a residence near Kcbatana, was taken into his conqueror's favor, and later into that of Cam- hj-ses. To both monarchs he is said to have I'endered valuable service as a counselor, and both he survived. Just what his end was is not known. CROF'FUT, William Augustus (1836—). An Anieric.Tn journalist and author, born at licdding, Conn. During the Civil War he was iii-st a .M)ldier and then a correspondent in the field for the New York Tribune. Afterwards he became editorially connected with various jour- nals, and was executive officer of the United States Geological Survey, whose j^ublications he ■edited for some time. He is the author of The Mar History of Connecticut (1807) ; A Helping Hand for American Homes (1868) ; A Midnum- mcr Lark (1882); The Vanderbilts (1880); Folks ^'cxt Door (1802): The I'ycphecy and Other I'oems (1893) ; a volume of poems, Bour- bon Ballads (1880); the opening ode for the World's Columbian Exhibition (1803) ; and Dcs- eret, the libretto for the opera by Dudley Buck. CROFT (.-VS., small licld). A piece of land connected with a himible kind of dwelling, whose inhabitant, the renter of the land, is called a 'crofter,' and this method of letting small pieces of land, either for tillage or the rearing of cat- tle, is known as 'the crofting system.' This kind of petty farming was formerly common in Scot- land, more particularly in the Highlands. CROFT, krOft, Sir Herbert (1751-1816). An English writer. He was educated at University College, O.xford : took orders, and was appointed to the living of Prittlewell, in Essex, which he retained till his death, passing, however, much of his time abroad. He wrote extensively, but is mainly remembered by his Life of the poet Young, which he contributed to .Johnson's Lires of the Poets (1770-81). He succeeded capi- tally in imitating Johnson's style. A novel in letter form called Love and Madness (1780) be- came notorious on account of the insertion of certain letters of Chatterton obtained under false pretense. CROFT, or CROFTS, William (1678-1727T. An English nuisician. He was born at Nether Eatington, Warwickshire, and studied nnisic in the choir of the Eoyal Chapel, then under the direction of Dr. .Tohn Blow. He was organist of Saint . ne's, Westminster, from 1700 to 1711. In 1707 he was also appointed organist at the Chapel Royal, and it was in this capacity that he produced the beautiful anthems which have perpetiated his fame. Vn 1724 he published his Mnsiea fiaera (2 vols.), containing a collection of thirty anthems and a burial service. Accord- ing to the preface of the composer, this was the first attempt made in England to print the score of .a sacred composition from engravings on plates. Among the best anthems of Dr. Croft are the following: / Will Give Thanks (1704), for the thanksgiving after the battle of Blen- heim: The Hoi'l of the Rifjhteous (1714). for Oueen Anne's funeral: The Lord is a Sun and Shield (1714). for the coronation of George I.; O Gii'C Thanks (1715), for the suppression of the rebellion. CROFT'ANGRY, Chrtst.^l. The imaginary editor of Scott's Chronicles of the Canongate. He is said to have been intended for Scott's father. CROFTER. A terra designating a class of small tenants of the Scottish Highlands and is- lands who hold arable land in severalty, and usually certain rights of pasture in common. 'I'he crofter is for the most part a descendant ol the lowest class under the earl}' elan system; and the rights of common pasturage are trace- able to the communal proprietorship of the clan. After the breaking up of the clans, the legal status of the crofter became that of a tenant at will ; by custom, however, he was usually ac- corded certain fixity of tenure. During the first half of the eighteenth century the chieftain of the clan, while losing his political h!adersliip, came to be regarded as the proprietor of the soil. In some districts the chieftains who had been at war with the royal power were dis- ])laced, and the land granted to supporters of the King. In either case the followers of the chief- tain became tenants, owing rent for their land instead of personal services and dues, as for- merly. Nevertheless, their economic position was fairly satisfactory, especially in the islands. But with the expansion of the woolen industry it be- came profitable for the landlord to turn his estate into sheep-runs ; accordingly, wholesale evictions of the crofters took place in many of the High- land districts. Moreover, natural increase of population had necessitated a reduction in the size of the individual holdings; so that at the end of the eighteenth century the whole class of crofters had been reduced to a condition of abject poverty. In the early part of the nineteenth century emigration of the crofters to America and the British colonies was officially encour- aged ; work-houses were established and extensive measures for relief in time of famine were ira- dertaken : but no permanent improvement was thus secured. In 1S83 a Parliamentary commis- sion was appointed to investigate the conditions of life of the crofters. As a result of the inves- tigation, the Crofters' Act of 1886 was passed. By this act the crofter is granted permanence of tenure, so long as he does not violate the specified conditions of his tenure; rents are fixed by a com- mission ; compen.sation is allowed for improve- ment s which the tenant may make, and the ten- ant has a right to demand the assistance Of the landlord in making other permanent improve- ments. In order to remedy the evil effects of the excessive subdivision of holdings, the crofter is empowered to call upon the landlord to rent him additional land when the original holding is deemed by the commission to be insufficient. Since the passage of this act the position of the crofter has materially improved. Rents have l>een lowered : and the crofter, assured that im- provements which he may make will not have the effect of raising his rents, and will not be taken from him through eviction, has advanced appreciably in methods of agriculture and in- industry. Consult: Dalriad. The Crofter in History (Edinburgh, 1888) ; Guemier, Les crofters ccos- sais (Paris. 1897). CROFTS, krofts, Ernest (1847—). An Eng- lish painter, bom at Leeds. He studied under A. B. Clay in London, where he afterwards came to live, and with E. J. Hunten in Diisseldorf. .mong his chief works are "Cromwell at ^lar- ston iSfoor" (1877); "At the Farm of Mont