NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people and the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.



CRANE



Transcribed by Coralynn Brown
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The emigrant Cranes were descended from the Cranes of Chilton Hall, a moated manor of some distinction near Sudbury, Suffolk, England, fifty miles from London, and twenty miles from Coggeshall, Essex, England. They were lords of the manor, and the direct descendants of Lord Arundel's family, who inherit the blood of Charlesmagne and Hugh Capet.

Dame Arundel's will was recorded and proved in 1521 at Sudbury, and is a curious old document. She bequeathed money for wax tapers for the day of her burying, and afterward to use at mass; also money for bills to ring dirges at her obsequies. "Her best blue velvet gown to Chilton Church to make vestments for a deacon." "Her best black velvet gown, furred with marten and lined with velvet," fell to a lot of relatives.

In Chilton Church is an elaborate marble monument to the memory of Sir Robert Crane, who was knighted by James I. This monument represents Sir Robert in armor, kneeling with clasped hands; his two wives are represented beside him. They, too, are kneeling in devotional attitude, with clapsed hands. The inscription mentions Dorothy, the first wife, who lived with her husband "in great love and amity, and willingly yielded up this life in expectation of a better, April eleventh, 1624."

"If thee readest with eles (eyes) dry Thou of marble, art, not I."



Susan is the name of the second wife, but she has no poetry dedicated to her.
John Crane, a brother of Sir Robert, was clerk of the kitchen to James I., a position of much honor. A Robert Crane, of Suffolk, was chosen by King Charles II, 1666, to be made Knight of the Royal Oak.

The Cranes of England have borne five coats-of-arms, whether all of one family is uncertain. The amorial bearings of the emigrant ancestor of the Cranes are described in heraldry as Argent, a fesse or bar between thr3ee crosses, gules; crest, a crane. Only one coat-of-arms has a motto, that being: "Qui pascet carvos non obliviscitur grus,"...which was inspired by a neighbor's motto: "Deus pascil corvus."

Samuel and Jasper Crane emigrated to this country during the time of Winthrop's call to colonization. They lived at first at Braintree, Massachusetts, Jasper removing to the New Haven colony, and afterward to Newark colony, then called Milton. Samuel remained at Braintree, or Mt. Wallaston, now Quincy, Mass. His son, Henry Crane, was born in England, in 1621, and came with his father to Braintree, where he was selectman in 1640 on the same board with Samuel Kinsley, who in 1654 was living at Dorchester on a farm adjoining the homestead of his two sons-in-law, Henry Crane and Anthony Cullivan.

Jasper Crane was one of the prominent men of New Haven colony in 1637, and one of the original settlers of Newark, New Jersey. He was one of the committee of safety to protect the New Haven colony against DeRuyter, the Dutch admiral who cruised in Long Island Sound and threatened the settlers. During the revolutionary war the Connecticut colony, to increase the facilities for coast defense, put into service three boats, one named "The Crane," in honor of the family who stood so loyally by the colony. It was sent to New York to assist in her defense under General Washington. Even the exact cost of "The Crane" has been recorded, 1,013 pounds six shillings ten pence.

Of Samuel's family who remained in Braintree, Elizabeth Crane, supposedly his wife, was a member of the Dorchester church in 1641.

(I) It may be assumed that from 1641 until 1654 Henry Crane was living in Dorchester with his parents or relatives. He bought a farm of one hundred twenty acres in Dorchester, Sept. 1654, or earlier, and a road was laid out to his house over Milton Hill from Braintree to Roxbury through Dorchester on that date. The road ws to the soutwest of his house, and followed the "old beaten ways." The house was on what is now Adams street, on the north side, at East Milton, at the rear and between the houses of William G. Baxter and E. B. Andrews. The Pierce house was built in front of it. That section has been known as "Crane's Plain." He was part owner of the ironworks of Braintree and one of the workers. When the general court prohibited the holding of Indians as servants or slaves, he had a man, woman and child in his service, and an autograph letter from him to the general court is to be seen in the state archives (vol. 30, p. 239) in reply to an order for him to send away the three Indians. It is well phrased and written, asking for more time to carry out the will of the court. The births of his first two children are not recorded at Dorchester. He was a farmer most of his life. In 1685 he bought land of Moses Payn, innholder, of South Boston, and bought and sold various other lots of land. He was a prominent citizen of Milton, selectman in 1679-80-81; and one of the committee in charge of the meeting house.
He married (first) 1665, Tabitha, daughter of Stephen Kinsley. She died in 1681, and he married (second), 1683, Elizabeth _____. He died March 21, 1709, at Milton.
Children:
1. Benjamin, born 1656; removed to Connecticut colony; was one who opposed Edmond Andros when he demanded the surrender of the charter of Connecticut, and showed his great independence by not marrying until thirty years of age, which was against the order of the general court of the colony. He was at the age of eighteen years in Captain Johnson's company in King Philip's war, and was wounded at the Narragansett Swamp, Sept. 19, 1675.
2. Stephen, born 1657.
3. Henry Jr.
4. John, born at Dorchester, Jan. 30, 1658-59; married Dec. 13, 1658-59; married, Dec. 13, 1686; residing at Taunton.
5. Elizabeth, born Aug. 14, 1663; married (first) at Milton, May 23, 1682, Eleazer Gilbert of Taunton; he died March 29, 1701, and she married (second) George Townsend of Taunton, Mass.
6. Ebenezer, mentioned below.
7. Mary, born Nov. 22, 1666; married, March 28. 1690, Samuel Hackett, of Taunton.
8. Mercy, born Jan. 1, 1668.
9. Samuel, born June 8, 1669, died Sept. 14, 1669.
10. Anna, born about 1670, resided at Taunton.

(II) Ebenezer, son of Henry Crane, was born Aug. 6, 1665, and died in 1725. he enlisted with the company which went with Sir William Phipp's expedition to Quebec in August, 1690, under Col. john Withington, and was one of the twenty-nine men who returned of the seventy-five who went from Dorchester. For his service in Canada he had a grant of Dorchster lands, now Ashburnham, Mass., and many descendants have lived there. He remained in that part of Braintree, now the city of Quincy.
He married, Nov. 13, 1689, Mary Tolman, born Nov. 26, 1671, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Johnson) Tolman, granddaughter of Thomas Tolman, who came from England in 1635, and was one of the first settlers of Dorchester.
Children, born at Braintree:
1. Ebenezer, Nov. 12, 1692.
2. Ezekiel, Nov 28, 1694.
3. Daniel, Feb. 1696.
4. Tabitha, Dec. 27, 1697.
5. Mary, July 11, 1699.
6. Elizabeth, Jan. 17, 1702.
7. Lydia, April 2, 1703.
8. Edward, Aug. 12, 1705.
9. Henry, Feb. 29, 1708, mentioned below.
10. Thomas, May 12, 1710.
11. Benjamin, Oct. 22, 1712.
12. Abijah, Nov. 2, 1714.

(III) Henry, son of Ebenezer Crane, was born at Braintree. He married Melatiah Vose, born 1710, died Nov. 29, 1778, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Vose (3); Edward Vose (2); Robert Vose (1). Wife of Captain Nathaniel Vose was Mary Belcher (3); Samuel Belcher (2); Gregory Belcher (1).
Children, born at Milton and Canton:
1. Elijah, born at Milton, Jan. 29, 1727; mentioned below.
2. Melatiah, May 6, 1728, at Canton.
3. Vose, Feb. 15, 1730.
4. Henry, born at Milton, Feb. 18, 1737.
5. Mary, Feb. 16, 1748.

(IV) Elijah, son of Henry Crane, was born at Milton, Jan. 29, 1728. He lived at Milton and Canton. He married, in 1756, Sarah Houghton, born Sept. 28, 1733, died 1819, daughter of Ebenezer Houghton (3); Joseph (2); Joseph (1), and Susan Evans of Dorchester.
Children:
1. Ebenezer, solider in the revolution in Captain James Endicott's company, of Stoughton, Col. Lemuel Robinson's regiment on the Lexington Alarm; also in Captain Peter Talbot's company, Col. Robinson's regiment, April, 1775; also in Captain Simeon Leach's company, Colonel Benjamin Gill's regiment in March 1776, and in Captain Robert Swan's company.
2. Sarah.

Children of Elijah and Sarah (Houghton) Crane:
1. Lemuel, born at Milton, March 18, 1757.
2. Sarah, born at Canton, April 16, 1761.
3. Elisha, July 8, 1765.
4. Elijah, mentioned below.

(V) Elijah (2), son of Elijah (1) Crane, was born at Canton, 1769; married Dec. 6, 1787, Mary Fisher, of Stoughton, born 1772, daughter of Ezekiel (4); Elizur (3); Anthony (2); Anthony Fisher (1).
Ezekiel Fisher Jr. married May (5); Nathaniel (4); Elizur (3); Eleazur (2); Samuel May (1).

(VI) Allen Benjamin, son of Elijah (2) Crane, was born 1790, and settled in Edington, Maine. He married Mary Coggeshall, born April 1, 1793, at Taunton, Mass., died 1875 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was a farmer of means and infuence and a senator of Maine.
The descendants of two noble English families, one of Chilton Manor near Sudbury, one of Codham Hall, Coggeshall, in the adjoining shires of Suffolk and Essex, only twenty miles from one another, whose lines had been continued in America and had been isntrumental in the settlement and development of the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey, and had been among the lading founders of Boston, Newport, New Haven and Newark, were united by this marriage.
Mary Coggeshall was a direct descendant of the Coggehshalls of Little Coggleshall, Essex, England. The manor in time of King Stephen, A.D. 1135-53, was in possession of Thomas de Coggeshall, whose estates in the count of Essex, England, consisted of: Hoo Hall, Rivershall; New Hall in Boreham; Sandon, Shem Hall in Shaldford; Alresford Hall, Packelsham, Banfleet Hall, Hackwell; Sutremere Hall; and their chief seat at Codham Hall, Weathersfield, two and a half miles from the town of Coggeshall.

Ralph Coggeshall, a monk, was at the siege of Jerusalem when captured by the Saladin, A.D. 1187. He remained at Jerusalem until after the arrival of Richard Coeur de Lion, 1190, which turned the tide of war against the great Saracen chief. After his return home he wrote the "Siege of Jerusalem, or a Chronicle of the Holy Land." This work was published in London in 1729, and there are at least two copies in this country. King Stephen and his Queen, Mary de Boulogne, A.D. 1142, endowed the monastery founded at Coggeshall on the Black Water, county Essex, endowed it with all the lands belonging to the queen and her son Eustis, situated both in France and England. A portion of the monastery still remains.

The Coggeshalls possess three coats-of-arms. The armorial beatings belonging directly to the U.S. Coggeshalls are described in heraldry as: Argent, a cross with four escallops, sable; the crest, an ancient helmet with a dexter arm louped, holding a sword. The cross, sable, indicates that they were Crusaders; the escallops that they made foreign voyages; the crest, a helmet and arms, indicate knighthood. They not only engaged in the Crusades, but in numerous wars on the Scottish border, and in our own War of Independence, and especially on many a hard gought field in the late War of the Rebellion.

John Coggeshall and Mary his wife came to New England on the ship "Lyon," Captain William Pierce, which brought a part of Governor Winthrop's family, Sept. 16, 1632. Coggeshall, a man of means and distinguished consideration, was a member on the first board of selectmen of Botson, a body, wihich continued until the adoption of the city charter in 1822, a period of 188 years. He was deacon of Boston Church under Cotton and Wilson, and a member of the first general court of Massachusetts, that of May 14, 1634, and of several other general courts until the departure of Sir Harry Vane. Coggeshall was a favorite of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, and, on the condemnation of that lady, with some of the most distinguished and eminent members of the colony, he was disarmed, disfranchised, and "had no leave to depart." Once exiled from his native land for freedom to worship God, not finding it in Massachusetts, he must prepare to move on again. With Coddington, then the richest merchant in the colony, and sixteen others, he purchsed the Isle of Aquidneck of the Narragansett sachems, and removed thither in the spring of 1638, and the following year founded the city of Newport. Upon the organization of the govenment under the first charter, May, 1647, he was elected first president of the colony, with Roger Williams, William Coddington and others for assistants. He thus stood at the head of the party of religious freedom in this and all lands. He died in office, Nov. 27, 1647, aged 56 years, and was buried on his estate on what is now Coggeshall avenue, about two miles below the city of Newport. here also sleep many of his descendants, distinguished in the annals of Rhode Island.
Children:
1. John, inheirted his father's estate and was in office a large protion of his life; died Oct. 1, 1708, in the ninetieth year of his age. This estate, with the exception of the cemetery, passed out of the family in 1802.
2. Joshua, had a large property on the west road, partly in Newport, now Middleton, and partly in Portsmouth. he was one of the founders of Quakerism in the United States. He was a member of the Society of Friends, at least as early as 1660, when, going into Plymouth Colony, he was arrested, thrown into ajil, and his horse taken from him, which was sold for twelve pounds. He died March 1, 1689, and his large, landed estate now after the lapse of 225 years, is yet in the possession of his descendants. It is situated nearly opposite the house from which Colonel Barton took General Prescott on the night of July 9, 1777.
3. Anne Coggeshall, married Peter Easton, son of Governor Nicholas Easton, and brother of Governor John Easton, Nov. 15, 1643.
4. Wait, born in Boston, Sept. 11, 1636; married Daniel Gould, minister of the Society of Friends, Dec. 8, 1651.

Mary Coggeshall, wife of Allen Benjamin Crane, was a direct descendant of John Coggeshall, member of the first board of selectmen, Boston, deacon of Boston Church, member of general court of Mass., first president of Newport Colony. (For further data of Coggehall consult: Guillims Banner Displayed, Boutelle's English Heraldry, Edmonston's Heraldry, Encyclopedia of Heraldry, Burke's Armory, Wright's History of the County Essex, vol. 2, Massachusetts Records, vol. 1, Rhode Island, vol. 1, and rfor the Norman branch of the family, see Gentlemen's Magazine, vol 53, page 50).

Children of Allen Benjamin Crane and Mary Coggeshall:
1. Timothy Elijah.
2. Samuel Coggeshall.
3. Franklin.
4. Allen Benjamin.
5. Celia.
6. Mary.
7-10. also three girls who died in infancy.

(VII) Samuel Coggeshall, son of Allen Benjamin Crane, was born in Edington, Maine, May 16, 1822, and died in Potsdam, New York, May 20, 1904. He was educated in the public schools of his native place, and at Foxcroft Academy, Foxcroft, Maine. He went to California in 1849, and remained a year. Upon his return he removed with his brothers, Timothy and Allen, to northern New York, where they lumbered in the Adirondacks and cleared a lot of land, called the Crane farm, now known as Gale's. For some time he was in charge of the Hewitville mill, near Potsdam, where he lived. He then removed to Potsdam, and there conducted a chair factory for some years. He was justice of the peace and member of the town board of Potsdam; a thirty-second degree Mason, member of Racquette Lodge of Free Masons, and Commandery No. 24, Knights Templar. He was a constant student of the Bible, Bible history, and history of religions and philosophy. For many years he conducted a Bible class for men in the Universalist Church of Potsdam.
He married (first) Mary Cummings; (second) Harriet K. Bissell, born at Cole Brook, New Hampshire, July 16, 1830, died at Potsdam, Feb. 6, 1893, daughter of Emery H. Bissell, born Sept. 29, 1803, at Cole Brook, N.H., and Anne Johnson, born Oct. 27, 1807, at Stratford, N.H.; died Jan. 4, 1864; granddaughter of David Bissell (2), Mercy Bissell (3), Emery Bissell (4), Morgan Bissell (5), Olive Bissell; David Bissell (6), descendant of old Connecticut family. Anne Johnson was descendant of Edward Johnson, 1699-1672, Colonial official and historical writer from Kent, England.
Child of first wife;
Louise, born May 1850, married, 1870, Edward Hughes, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; children: Mary, Harriet, and a son.
Children of second wife:
1. Julia Ettie, mentioned below.
2. Jessie Maria, married Frank Willard Moore, of Old De Kalb, N.Y., in the lumber business with A. Sherman Co., children: i. Barbara Crane, married John Lloyd, with "Morgan Sash, Door and Blind Co.", Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
ii. Mabel Jessie; iii. Willis Merton.
3. Jerome Allen, of Brooklyn, N.Y., geneal manager of Manhattan drug stores of William D. Riker, and advertising manager of the entire Riker business; married Alice Whittaker, of Clinton, Mass. Children: i. Mary Alice Whittaker; ii. Allen Jerome. iii. Edward Samuel Coggeshall; iv. Donald Francis.
4. Anne, married Charles Hamilton Sisson, son of George Wing Sisson, Potsdam, N.Y. Children: i. Marjorie Crane; ii. Dorothy Hamilton; iii. Jerome Crane; iv. Sara Hamilton; v. Patricia Coggeshall; vi. Bessie, died in third year of her age.

(VIII) Julia Etta Crane, daughter of Samuel Coggeshall Crane, born at Potsdam, May 19, 1855, educated in the public schools and the State Normal School of Potsdam; in vocal music, a pupil of Harry Wheeler of Boston, Mass., Manuel Garcia, the elder, of London, England, Madame Luisa Cappiani, Frank G. Dossert, and Oscar Saengar, of New York. Miss Crane studied school music methods with Luther Whiting Mason and H. E. Holt, of Boston, and taught music in conenction with regular grade work in the public schools of Potsdam. From this work she went to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, where she taught vocal music and mathematics in the State Normal School, and later was given charge of all the music both vocal and instrumental in the same instituttion. After one year abroad, and two years of private voice teaching, she was elected to the position of teacher of music in the State Normal School of Potsdam, a position which at this date (1910) she still holds.

Finding the state appropriations of both time and money indequate for the equipment of supervisors of music for the schools, Miss Crane added to the prescribed course of study private lessons as she felt were needed by teachers who were to introduce music into the public schools. This led to the establishment of what was called "The Special Music Teacher's Course," form which have been graduated several hundred teachers who were located in many states of the Union. The success of these teachers brought to the Normal School students from various parts of the country, and the advance of public school music led to the constant broadening of the course of study. These two forces soon increased the number taking the special music course beyond the capacity of the rooms allowed for it in the Normal school building, and Miss Crane purchsed a building next to the Normal School, and named her private school now with a home of its own: "The Crane Normal Institute of Music." The class work of the school is still continued within the walls of the Normal School, the voice lessons and the business of private school being carried on in the Institute buiding. This arrangement enables Miss Crane to supervise the work of her own school while carrying on the teaching of the music methods in the State Normal School. Many advantages come to the regular Normal students through the connection between the State School and the Institute of Music, as teachers of experience are always in attendance who are glad of the opportunity to test the new methods they are learning by instructing classes of students in sight singing, ear training, or musical theory. Through this possibility of additional practice in music, Normal students have, free of expense, a course of study which fits them for the music of the grades, and enables the more musical ones to do department work in music, and even to teach all the music of the smaller schools.

The Crane Normal Institute of Music sends out yearly from twelve to twenty-five graduates who are well fitted to teach or supervise the music in the colleges, normal and city schools. The music in many of the best schools of the United States is now taught by graduates of this school. The present faculty is: Miss Julia E. Crane, Director; Mrs. Harriet Crane Bryant, Voice; Miss Edith M. Austin, Theory and History; Mr. R. M. Tunnicliffe, Supervisor of Teaching in the Public Schools; Miss N. Cora Williams, Assistant; Miss Elva M. Haywood, Secretary.
The students of this school have their Psychology and History of Education in the regular Normal classes, with the Normal School instructors.

(VIII) Mrs. Harriet May Crane Bryant, daughter of Samuel Coggeshall Crane, was born at Potsdam, May 19, 1863, educated in the public schools, the State Normal School, and the Crane Normal Institute of Potsdam. In vocal music she was a pupil of Madame Cappini, New York City, Sarah Hershey Eddy, of Chicago, Illinois, Madame Frida de Gabelle Ashforth, New York City, Dr. Frank G. Dossert (now director of the International Opera School, Paris), and Oscar Saenger, New York City.
Mrs. Bryant taught in the public schools of Potsdam, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, West Bay City, Michigan, Wheaton College, Illinois, and Chicago. She sang in concert and church in Chicago and surroundings; in quartet in First Presbyterian Church, under Clarence Eddy, in quartet in the Memorial Baptist Church, Oakwood Boulevard, Chicago. Mrs. Bryant is now teacher of Voice Culture in the Crane Normal Institute of Music, Postdam.

She married Willis Merton Bryant, of Chicago, Illinois, born at Sycamore, Illoinois, 1863; died in Chicago, Illinois, 1892, son of Dr. William Bryant, physician in Sycamore; born in North Adams, Mass., cousin of William Cullen Bryant.
Mrs. Bryant has one adopted son, Howard Duane Bryant, educated in the public schools of Potsdam, studied voice at the Crane Normal Institute of Potsdam, and with Dr. Frank G. Dossert, in New York City and Paris; now following his profession in Richmond, Virginia.
Howard Duane married Celeste Kerr, daughter of Rev. George Kerr, of Bloomville, N.Y.

For further data of the Crane family see "Memorials of Cranes of Chilton," "Genealogiy of the Crane Family," both in the public library of Syracuse, New York, and other public libraries; "History of Old Braintree," "Records of Massachusetts colony," "Records of Connecticut Colony," and "Records of the Settlement of Newark, New Jersey."

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