Difference between revisions of "GMCrane"

Revision as of 18:11, 10 August 2013

ELIJAH CRANE 1754-1834

• MM 1804, WM 1809-1811 Rising Star
• DDGM, District 4, 1820
• Junior Grand Warden 1821-1822
• Senior Grand Warden, 1823
• Grand Master 1833
• Signed Declaration of 1831

TERM

1833

NOTES

MEMORIAL

From Proceedings, Page IV-362:

Our highly esteemed and worthy brother Gen. Elijah Crane, late our Most Worshipful Grand Master having departed this life at his residence in Canton on the 21st day of March last in the 80th year of his age;

Be it therefore resolved that we hold in grateful remembrance his many and excellent personal social and Masonic virtues, and the services which he hath rendered the fraternity, and that we respectfully sympathise with his afflicted family in their bereavement and loss of so valued and lamented a friend.

BIOGRAPHY

(From 1916 Proceedings)

Major General Elijah Crane was born in Milton, Mass., August 29, 1754, and died in 1834. He was a descendant in the fifth generation from Henry Crane, who was one of the colony which emigrated from Great Britain under John Winthrop and settled in Dorchester in 1630.

He was a man of large and erect stature, well developed frame, and graceful carriage. At the period of the American Revolution he was one of the men raised to protect the country from the British who occupied Boston. He always took a deep interest in military affairs and attained the high position of Major General of the First Division of the Militia of Massachusetts.

General Crane's regular business was that of a farmer, but his time was mostly devoted to public life. He was Sheriff of the County of Norfolk, Mass., for more than twenty years, with the exception of one year in which he was removed by Governor Gerry, who gave the name to the famous Gerry-mander. He was reinstated as Sheriff by Gerry's successor. He was always an active politician in the ranks of the old Federalist party. In consequence of his sound judgment, rigid adherence to what he believed to be right, and his acknowledged impartiality, he was often called upon to act on boards of reference and to settle points of difference between parties who would otherwise have been engaged in long and expensive lawsuits.

General Crane was often employed. as contractor for building public works, especially structures of stone. He was one of the first to utilize our granite quarries, which are now used so generally for material for our most elegant and enduring edifices.

On the subject of religion his views were of a liberal character and he was always free in his contributions for building churches and promoting the good of society.

From an apprentice to the high position of Grand Master through the palmy years of Freemasonry and the dark and perilous days of Anti-masonry, General Crane's character and conduct exhibited the unblemished traits of a true and accepted Mason. He was Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge in 1821 and 1822, Senior Grand Warden in 1823 and Grand Master in 1833.

Diligent search, often repeated, has failed to discover any portrait.

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XXXII, No. 1, January 1873, Page 8:

Major General Elijah Crane was born in Milton, Mass., August 29, 1754, and died in 1834. He was a descendant in the fifth generation from Henry Crane, who was one of the colony which emigrated from
 Great Britain under John Winthrop and settled in Dorchester in 1630.


He was a man of large and erect stature, well developed frame and graceful carriage. At the period of the American Revolution he was
one of the men raised to protect the country from the British who occupied Boston. He always took a deep interest in military affairs and attained the high position of Major General of the First Division of
 the Militia of Massachusetts.

General Crane's regular business was that of a farmer, but his time
was mostly devoted to public life. He was Sheriff of the County of
Norfolk, Mass., for more than twenty years, with the exception of one
 year in which he was removed by Gov. Gerry, who gave the name to 
the famous Gerry-Mander. He was reinstated as Sheriff by Gerry's successor. He was always an active politician in the ranks of the old Federalist party. In consequence of his sound judgment, rigid adher
ence to what he believed to be right, and his acknowledged impartiality, 
he was often called upon to act on boards of reference and to settle
points of difference between parties who would otherwise have been
 engaged in long and expensive lawsuits.

General Crane was often employed as contractor for building public works, especially structures of stone. He was one of the first to utilize our granite quarries, which are now made so generally to form our most elegant and enduring edifices.

On the subject of religion his views were of a liberal character and he was always free in his contributions for building churches and promoting the good of society.

From an apprentice to the high position of Grand Master (which position he held in 1832), through the palmy years of Freemasonry and the dark and perilous days of Anti-masonry, General Crane's character and conduct exhibited the unblemished traits of a true and accepted Mason. He was Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge in 1820-1, Senior Grand Warden in 1822, and Grand Master in 1832.

CHARTERS GRANTED

None.

Grand Masters