Crisp Harridge was the youngest son of Thomas Harridge (1740-1827) who was a Wine Merchant, a Magistrate and deputy Lieutenant of Essex. Crisp was baptised at St Clements, Leigh on Sea on the 3rd August in 1788 to Thomas Harridge and his wife Susanna (nee Gurnett) who Thomas married on the 17th October 1765 also at St Clements. The Harridge family can be found in the St Clements Registers back to the mid 1600's with the family also having connections to Rayleigh.

At the age of 17 Crisp joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman on HMS Sandwich, followed by stints on Pompie and finally HMS Victory where he served from Feb 1808 to Feb 1810.

After his discharge from the Royal Navy he married Mary Ann Witham on the 25 November 1816 at St Leonards, Shoreditch, Middlesex. Their first child, also called Crisp, was born in 1818 and baptised in Rayleigh on the 25 January 1818. He unfortunately died a few months later, Jun 1823, by which time the family were living in Billericay where Crisp to become the Licensee at the Sun Inn. Crisp jnr is buried at Holy Trinity Church, Rayleigh.

It was in 1827 that his father, Thomas, died leaving his son part of his estate along with his brother David and his sisters. Two years later he was one of the defendants again along with his siblings when other members of the family brought a Suit in the Court of Chancery contesting the execution of his father's will.

Crisp resided at the Sun, Billericay until 1840 when he made the move to the Sluice Inn (Lobster Smack Inn), Canvey Island where he can first be found in the 1841 census having taken over from William Finch.

Perhaps the old sailor longed for the smell of the sea again and Canvey was probably the nearest he could get. How long he was actually the licensee at Sluice Inn is not entirely clear. He was recorded there in the 1851 census but I have not been able to find the family anywhere in the 1861 census, which could mean the census record may have been lost, unreadable or transcribed incorrectly. What is certain is that Charles Beckwith had not taken over as he was still in resident in Milton, Gravesend at that time. It is possible Crisp was still at Sluice Inn in 1861. His son George Dennis (1828-1861 who also cannot be found) died in August 1861, his death certificate states he was an 'Innkeeper at South Benfleet'. Crisp himself died a couple of years later in September 1863 with his death certificate stating he was a 'farmer and Innkeeper at South Benfleet'.

At this time different parts of Canvey Island belonged to different Parishes on the mainland and when the census was done it was recorded in each of the individual parish's returns. The Sluice Inn and surrounding area came within the Parish of South Benfleet, as is shown in the 1851 census below, so therefore it would not be incorrect to state they died in South Benfleet, as it does on the death certificates, even if it was actually on Canvey Island. So until further evidence comes to light we will assume that Crisp Harridge was probably the Licensee of the Sluice Inn (Lobster Smack Inn) until the time that the Beckwith family took over around 1862.

Crisp Harridge was the youngest son of Thomas Harridge (1740-1827) who was a Wine Merchant, a Magistrate and deputy Lieutenant of Essex. Crisp was baptised at St Clements, Leigh on Sea on the 3rd August in 1788 to Thomas Harridge and his wife Susanna (nee Gurnett) who Thomas married on the 17th October 1765 also at St Clements. The Harridge family can be found in the St Clements Registers back to the mid 1600's with the family also having connections to Rayleigh.

At the age of 17 Crisp joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman on HMS Sandwich, followed by stints on Pompie and finally HMS Victory where he served from Feb 1808 to Feb 1810.

After his discharge from the Royal Navy he married Mary Ann Witham on the 25 November 1816 at St Leonards, Shoreditch, Middlesex. Their first child, also called Crisp, was born in 1818 and baptised in Rayleigh on the 25 January 1818. He unfortunately died a few months later, Jun 1823, by which time the family were living in Billericay where Crisp to become the Licensee at the Sun Inn. Crisp jnr is buried at Holy Trinity Church, Rayleigh.

It was in 1827 that his father, Thomas, died leaving his son part of his estate along with his brother David and his sisters. Two years later he was one of the defendants again along with his siblings when other members of the family brought a Suit in the Court of Chancery contesting the execution of his father's will.

Crisp resided at the Sun, Billericay until 1840 when he made the move to the Sluice Inn (Lobster Smack Inn), Canvey Island where he can first be found in the 1841 census having taken over from William Finch.

Perhaps the old sailor longed for the smell of the sea again and Canvey was probably the nearest he could get. How long he was actually the licensee at Sluice Inn is not entirely clear. He was recorded there in the 1851 census but I have not been able to find the family anywhere in the 1861 census, which could mean the census record may have been lost, unreadable or transcribed incorrectly. What is certain is that Charles Beckwith had not taken over as he was still in resident in Milton, Gravesend at that time. It is possible Crisp was still at Sluice Inn in 1861. His son George Dennis (1828-1861 who also cannot be found) died in August 1861, his death certificate states he was an 'Innkeeper at South Benfleet'. Crisp himself died a couple of years later in September 1863 with his death certificate stating he was a 'farmer and Innkeeper at South Benfleet'.

At this time different parts of Canvey Island belonged to different Parishes on the mainland and when the census was done it was recorded in each of the individual parish's returns. The Sluice Inn and surrounding area came within the Parish of South Benfleet, as is shown in the 1851 census below, so therefore it would not be incorrect to state they died in South Benfleet, as it does on the death certificates, even if it was actually on Canvey Island. So until further evidence comes to light we will assume that Crisp Harridge was probably the Licensee of the Sluice Inn (Lobster Smack Inn) until the time that the Beckwith family took over around 1862.