Nicholas Cresswell (1750-1804) was born Derbyshire, England. In 1774, at the age of 24, he immigrated to America. Unfortunately, Cresswell arrived at a time when relations between Great Britain and the colonies were deteriorating. As a recent immigrant, Cresswell made no secret of the fact that his sympathies were with the King. Because he maintained his allegiance to King George III, American patriots suspected he was a spy. Cresswell returned to England in 1777.