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                                                                    EXHIBIT 24.7

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the undersigned director or
officer, or both, of CRAWFORD & COMPANY, a Georgia corporation (the
"Corporation"), hereby constitutes and appoints JUDD F. OSTEN and DONALD R.
CHAPMAN, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and
agent to sign (1) the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1996; (2) the Registration Statement on Form S-8 covering
2,500,000 shares of the Class A Common Stock of the Corporation related to the
1997 Key Employee Stock Option Plan, and any and all amendments to, and
supplements to any prospectus contained in, such Registration Statement and any
and all instruments and documents filed as a part of or in connection with such
amendments or supplements; (3) the Registration Statement on Form S-8 covering
300,000 shares of the Class A Common Stock of the Corporation related to the
1997 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan, and any and all amendments to,
and supplements to any prospectus contained in, such Registration Statement and
any and all instruments and documents filed as a part of or in connection with
such amendments or supplements; and (4) any other reports or registration
statements to be filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and/or any national securities exchange under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any and all amendments thereto, and any
and all instruments and documents filed as part of or in connection with any
such reports or registration statements or reports or amendments thereto; and
in connection with the foregoing, to do any and all acts and things and execute
any and all instrument which such attorneys-in-fact and agents may deem
necessary or advisable to enable this Corporation to comply with the securities
laws of the United States and of any State or other political subdivision
thereof; hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact and
agents, or any one of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has subscribed these presents this
4th day of February, 1997.

                                           /s/ LINDA K. CRAWFORD