Born 1745

Died 21 Jan 1795

(Andrew Crosse's uncle)

Jasper was the eldest child of three and would have expected to inherit most of his father's estate. When he discovered it had been left to his younger sister, Susanna, he was furious, and for the rest of his life carried a grudge against his father and sister.

In 1784, three years after their father's death, he wrote to his brother Thomas trying to get his support. As far as we know, Thomas took very little notice of this letter. Jasper later became a Doctor and in his own will he left his property to the two sons of his housekeeper Ann Smith. The two boys subsequently changed their names to Smith Porter.

But Jasper's most remarkable legacy was to the poor of the village of Enmore where he had been born, but only on condition that they burn effigies of his father and sister every November 5th! Should the overseer of the poor for Enmore not want to organise this annual event, it was to be offered to the poor of Spaxton! There seems to be no record that the ceremony was actually carried out by either parish!

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