Early Life
He was born in Plymouth, November 14, 1847. From his earliest youth he was fond of Dartmoor, his early associations centring around the neighbourhood of Sheepstor, Walkhampton, Meavy, and Yannadon. He acquired a taste for antiquities from his mother. Later on, Crossing explored Tavistock, Coryton, Lydford, Okehampton, and the northern borders of the Moor, as well as South Brent, on its southern verge.
After leaving school at Plymouth, he went to the Independent College at Taunton, and then returned to finish his education at the Mannamead School (Later called Plymouth College).
His earliest literary efforts were in the direction of fiction - 'thrilling romances,' composed for the delectation of his school-fellows. His first essay in poetry was at the age of fourteen, when a poem written by him appeared in the pages of Young England, December, 1861.
In 1863 he went for a short coastal voyage to Wales, and gained a liking for the sea; and in 1864 he joined a vessel bound for Canada, and had a narrow escape, nearly being crushed by an iceberg during the night. Returning from this voyage, he took to business pursuits in Plymouth, and then recommenced his Dartmoor explorations.
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