6 Dec 2020

infocus #60 December 2020 The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp

Throughout its history, the RMS has seen its fair share of colourful and multi-faceted characters - perhaps none more so than Sir Francis Crisp, the lawyer and amateur microscopist who went on to inspire a Beatle.

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.198

It is interesting to note that many of the early members of the Royal Microscopical Society were not scientists, but included medical doctors, clergy and other assorted professions.Francis Crisp (1843 – 1919) was a wealthy, London-based lawyer. Qualifying as a solicitor in 1869 he quickly became a partner in the firm Ashurst, Morris, Crisp & Co., where his interests lay primarily in company law. His clients included many foreign railway companies, as well as the Imperial Japanese Navy - for which he brokered the purchase of its first British-built battleship.

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