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Descendants of Jasper Crane

Generation No. 1

1. JASPER¹ CRANE^1,^2,^3,^4,^5,⁶ was born Abt. July 18, 1605 in Hampshire Co., England, and died October 19, 1680 in Newark, NJ. He married ALICE LEAVE in England.

Notes for JASPER CRANE:
Jasper Crane (abt 1605-1681) of New Haven & Newark

Excerpts from "CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY BIOGRAPHY" (1923, American
Historical Society)

JASPER CRANE, FOUNDER OF AN IMPORTANT FAMILY

Jasper Crane, the first of his name so far as we know to set foot in the
new world, was born probably about 1605, somewhere near Bradley Plain,
Hampshire, England, died in Newark, New Jersey, in 1681. His aunt was
Margaret Crane who married Samuel Huntington, whose child, Jasper's
cousin, Margaret Huntington, married, May 2, 1592, John, son of Edward
and Margaret (Wilson) Ogden, and whose daughter, Elizabeth Huntington,
Margaret's sister, married Richard Ogden, the brother of John Ogden, who
married Margaret, and the father of John Ogden, the emigrant to
Southhampton and Elizabethtown. Jasper Crane's own daughter, Hannah,
married Thomas, son of Margaret and Simon Huntington, a brother of Samuel
and Margaret (Crane) Huntington.

June 4, 1639, Jasper Crane, who was one of the original settlers of the
New Haven Colony, was present at the meeting held at Mr. Newman's barn,
and signed the first agreement of all the free planters. He took the oath
of fidelity at the organization of the government, together with
Campfield, Pennington, Governor Eaton, and others; and in 1644 he was
"freed from watching and trayning in his own person because of his
weakness, but to find some one for his turn." With Robert Treat he was a
member of the general court, and for many years he was a magistrate. In
1651 he was interested in a bog ore furnace at East Haven; and in 1652 he
removed to Branford, where he was elected a magistrate in 1658, having
held the office of deputy for some years previous to that date.

A tradition with regard to Jasper is that he came to Massachusetts Bay in
the ship "Arabella," with Governor Winthrop, etc. etc. etc. (This
biography is same wording as the Ellery B. Bicknell's Genealogy of the
Crane Family below)

From "DIRECTORY OF THE ANCESTRAL HEADS OF NEW ENGLAND FAMILIES
(1620-1700)"
compiled by Frank R. Holmes, publ. by Genealogical Publishing Co., 1974

The name dates back to the Hundred Rolls in the 13th century, when on the
records William de Crane's name appears in 1272. The name is derived from
town of Crannes, in Maine, a province in northern France; its root is
from the Gaelic Cran, meaning water.

CRANE, JASPER, came to New Haven, Conn., 1639, removed to Branford,
Conn., 1668.

from "ROCKAWAY RECORDS OF MORRIS CO., NJ", by Joseph Percy Crayon 1902

Gen. (maybe gentleman?) Josiah Crane, whose son Jasper emigrated with his
family from London to America at an early date, and was one of the
founders of Newark, NJ, in 1666, was related to William Crane, who
married, Margaret, daughter and co-heir of Sir Andrew Butler, Knight.
There were several branches of the Crane family, the Cheshire and Chilton
branches, became most noted and numerous, who settled in the several
counties of England, and who were originally Franks, freemen, and related
to, and holding high positions under the long line of Pharamond Kings.
The motto of the Cheshire branch was Quipascet corvus non oblivis citus
grus (He that feeds the crows will not forget the Crane.)

The home lot that fell to Jasper Crane at Newark was directly north of
the Essex county court house, and is now the site of St. Paul's Episcopal
church. The meeting house was nearby and surrounded by a palisade, and in
the cupola a guard of settlers kept watch for hostile Indians, while the
worship was in progress.

Excerpts from "THE NEW HAVEN COLONY", by Isabell MacBeath Calder,
published by Yale Univ. Press in 1934

In the seventeenth century Coleman Street was "a faire and large street,
on both sides builded with diuerse faire houses." John Davenport was the
son of Henry and Winifred (Barneby) Davenport. In 1624 he was
elected as Vicar of St. Stephens on Coleman St. in London, but before he
could begin his duties, he was charged with Puritanism by King James I,
which he denied. About 1630 Theophilus Eaton (son of Richard Eaton) took
over the house vacated by Sir Richard Saltonstall in Swanne Alley (off
Coleman St.) He had served as Deputy Gov. of the Eastland Co. at Elbing.
The group received a grant of territory from the Council for New England
and as "the Gov. and Co. of the Mass. Bay in New England" on March 4 1629
received a charter from the crown.

In Nov. of 1633, Davenport fled to Amsterdam to escape increasing
disapproval of the Crown where the group organized their move to the New
World. The group included Jasper Crane. The group chartered the "Hector" of London. On June 26, 1637, John Winthrop recorded the arrival of the group from London at Boston.

In Aug. of 1637, Eaton and several others traveled south to view the area
around the Long Island Sound. They left members of their party there over
the winter to retain possession. Many from the Bay Colony chose to leave
for New Haven with Eaton and Davenport. Another company headed by Peter Pruden in 1637 with fifteen Hertfordshire families went with Davenport's group to
Connecticut in March of 1638.

Staying behind in Massachusetts was Nathaniel Eaton, Nathaniel Rowe,
Edward and Anne (Yale) Hopkins and John Cotton. Eaton became the "cruel"
master of a new college in Newtown. Later he and Anne migrated to
Hartford, CT.

In 1641 a 3-year mortgage was given to George Fenwick of Saybrook, John
Haynes, Samuel Wyllys and Edward Hopkins of Connecticut and Theophilus
Eaton, Stephen Goodyear and Thomas Gregson of New Haven for much of Long
Island.

IRONWORKS IN NEW HAVEN & SOUTHOLD

Long interested in the production of bog iron in New England, John
Winthrop, Jr. (metallurgist & physician) visited the New Haven Colony on
a prospecting tour in the spring of 1655. Discovering a convenient place
for an ironworks and a furnace between New Haven and Branford, he
succeeded in interesting John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton and Stephen
Goodyear of New Haven and Jasper CRANE of Branford in the project. On
February 13, 1656, John Winthrop, Jr., Stephen Goodyear, undertakers of
New Haven with John Cooper as their agent, and undertakers of Branford
with Jasper CRANE as their agent, organized an ironworks company. New
Haven and Branford granted the undertakers permission to procure wood,
water, ironstone, ore, shells for lime, and other neccessaries within
their limits, five-eighths from New Haven and three-eighths from
Branford. New Haven had long tried to induce John Winthrop, Jr. to
settled there. In order to direct the ironworks from a nearby location,
Winthrop bought the Malbon house and paid for it in "goats". By spring of
1657 the ironworks were in operation, but Winthrop left to become
Governor of the Connecticut colony. Interest in the ironworks lagged.
Winthrop leased his interest in the undertaking to Thomas Clarke and
William Paine of Boston.

After more than six years of endeavor, the founder of the New Haven
Colony was able to inform Winthrop that they were finally ready to
manufacture pots. The colony suffered more than it gained from the
enterprise, however, for not only were the neighboring lands, highways
and fences injured by the dam at the works, but a group of turbulent,
disorderly, non-assimilable workers was introduced into the colony and
remained there long after the jurisdiction of New Haven had come to an
end.

THE PHANTOM SHIP OF NEW HAVEN HARBOR

More daring than the ironworks was the attempt to build transatlantic
vessels on Long Island Sound. As early as 1644 Theophilus Eaton, Stephen
Goodyear, Richard Malbon, Thomas Gregston and perhaps other merchants at
New Haven entrusted the construction of an ocean-going vessel to John
Wakeman, Joshua Atwater, Jasper CRANE and Richard Miles. Though ill built
and very "walt-side," in due course the ship was completed. Entrusted
with a cargo of wheat, peas, hides, beaver and peltry and manuscript
writings of John Davenport at New Haven and Thomas Hooker at Hartford,
about the middle of January, 1646, the vessel ploughed its way through
three miles of ice in New Haven harbor and tackled the stormy Atlantic.
On board were Thomas Gregson, Nathaniel Turner, George Lamberton, the
wife of Stephen Goodyear, and Francis Austin. After many months, a mirage
of the ship was said to have appeared over the harbor at New Haven, but
the vessel itself neither reached its destination nor returned to its
port of departure. Despite this initial setback, on October 7, 1646, a
second vessel was about to be launched at New Haven; in the summer of
1648 a third vessel was under construction; and in the spring of 1661
Charles Glover laid a fifty-foot keel at Southold.

From REMINISCENCES OF MONTCLAIR
by Peter Doremus

Jasper Crane, whose name heads the list of the first twenty-three
Colonists from Branford, Conn., emigrated from England and is named as
one of the New Haven Colony, June 4th, 1639. He is mentioned as one of
the most influential and active men in the new Newark Colony. His name is
the first of the list of signatures for the original church in Newark
dated January 20th, 1667. This church building, in size thirty-six feet
by thirty-six feet, was located on the west side of Broad Street, south
of Market Street, on a six-acre lot set apart by the Colony for a church
and burying ground. This church building of frame was superseded about
1708 by a much larger one of stone with steeple and bell. The present
church edifice, the First Presbyterian Church of Newark, locate nearly
opposite the original buildings, was a bold undertaking for those early
days, but was carried through with heroic energy at great personal
sacrifice, a building of such proportions and architectural taste that it
is at this day an ornament to the city of Newark. It was dedicated under
the pastorate of Dr. MacWhorter, January 1st, 1791.

Jasper Crane died in 1681. His will, dated 1678, mentioned his children
John, Azariah, Jasper and Hannah Huntington. He bequeathed to his son
John a silver bowl, which afterward was inherited by his brother Azariah,
who gave it to the First Church of Newark and which is still in use in
this old church as a baptismal font. Azariah Crane, son of Jasper,
married Mary, daughter of Robert Treat, and is later mentioned as living
at his home place at the Mountain (that is, now Montclair) in 1715. He
was interested and active in town and church development; a deacon in the
Newark church till his death.

A deed conveying land to his son Azariah, Jr., dated "in the 26th year of
the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God,"
may be seen hanging in the public library of this town. He, with his
brother Jasper were evidently the first white settlers at the foot of the
Mountain. He died November 5th, 1730, in his eighty-third year. His
children were Hannah, Mariah, Nathaniel, Azariah, Jr., Robert, Jane, Mary
and John. Historic records state that Nathaniel, oldest son of Azariah,
was born in 1680 and settled near a spring at the foot of the Mountain.
The old house, about which I played in childhood, was located on the
Orange Road near to the present Myrtle Avenue, about two hundred feet
west from the road. It was a two-story house with double pitched roof,
large hall in the center with rooms each side. At the rear of the house
stood a small building occupied in the early days by slaves and by their
descendants as family servants through several generations. At the south
end of the house stood the cut stone milk house built over the spring
mentioned above. On the shelves of this cool milk room, I remember seeing
the large pans of milk and rolls of new-made butter. The clear stream
flowing from this spring was one of the heads of the brook now running
across Church Street and Bloomfield Avenue near Park Street.

Ref#168:
From NJ Colonial Documents, Calendar of Wills
pg. xxxiv
November 15, 1781 \\
And the next day the Governor Phillip Carteret granted letters of \\
administration on the estate of Jasper Crane, late of Newark, to John
Crane, his son, executor.
pg. 115
1678 Oct. 1. Craine, Jasper, of Newark, aged in years; will of.
Sons--John, Azeriah, Jasper; daughter Huntington; granddaughter
Hanah Huntington; children of dec'd daugher Bell, son (?-in-law) Hunt-
ington. Real and personal estate (a silver "bole" and cup). Executors--
son John and son Thomas Huntington. Witnesses--John Ward senior
and Michell Tompkins.
N.J. Archives, XXI., p. 45, and Essex Wills.
pg 116
1681 Nov. 15. Crane, Jasper, of Newark. Letters of administra-
tion on the estate of, granted to his son John Grane and son-in-law
Thomas Huntington.
1681 Oct. 28. Inventory of the estate (�200.-.- real, 83.14.6 per
sonal); made by John Ward and Thomas Pierson.
Essex Wills

Excerpts from THE CRANE FAMILY OF MONTCLAIR, by G. Vance Moser, Jr.

The origins of Jasper Crane and his wife, Alice, are not certainly known.
In fact, there are no clues at all for Alice except that she was the wife
of Jasper, and therefore of the same geographical area. With respect to
Jasper there is a tradition that he came from London or vicinity. Amos
Crane's Trigonometry Book, now in the possession of the Montclair
Historical Society, includes a handwritten page of the male descendants
of Jasper and repeats the phrase that Jasper came from London in 1637-8.
Ellery B. Crane, the Crane family genealogist of the late 19th century,
added that Jasper may have been the brother of John Crane who was
recorded in Boston by January 1637. As an aside there has also been
speculation that Stephen Crane of Elizabeth was a son of Jasper, since
both were in New Jersey and they used some common family names. There is
no supporting evidence to any of the above, except to say that Jasper, as
a man of affairs, had many normal business contacts in London.

What we do know suggests that Jasper's origins may be found in Hampshire
County, England. The Ogden Family in America by William Ogden Wheeler,
published in 1906, brings to light the marriage of Samuel Huntington and
Margaret Crane. Their daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth, married John
Ogden of Bradley Plain, Hampshire and Richard Ogden of Wiltshire. John
Ogden was the progenitor of the Elizabeth, N.J. Ogdens and his cousin
Richard the progenitor of the Fairfield, Connecticut and southern New
Jersey Ogdens. Margaret Crane, wife of Samuel Huntington, was according
to Wheeler, the Aunt of Jasper Crane and he quotes an unreferenced
document as follows: "Margaret Crane's nephew Jasper Crane, emigrated to
Newark, NJ and his daughter Hannah married Thomas Huntington, son of
Simon, who emigrated to Massachusetts, but died on the passage from
England to Boston in 1633." Wheeler does reference the Berry Visitation
of Hants, 1634 and a New York genealogist, Gustave Anjou, as confirmation
of the Ogden data from Hampshire. With respect to the quote, we know that
Jasper did not emigrate directly to Newark and was certainly in
Connecticut long enough for his relations to be aware of his standing in
New Haven. It is true about the marriage of Hannah and Thomas Huntington
the nephew of Samuel and Margaret Crane Huntington. It may also be
significant that the records of Hampshire contain old Crane references;
particularly to a 14th century Sheriff named Hugo de Crane. Unfortunately
there were enough Cranes spread around England in Jasper's day to make
this lead inconclusive.

The first factual item we have concerning Jasper Crane is his signature
on the compact founding the Colony of New Haven signed June 4, 1639 in
the barn of a Mr. Newman. Even though New Haven was founded by Puritans
from the congregation of Rev. Davenport of London this does not mean that
Jasper was associated with them previously or had emigrated with them.
However, Jasper is said to have been the steward of the Rev. John
Davenport's property in 1639.

We have considerable record of Jasper's public life which shows him to be
a well respected leader of the community in which he lived. The record
reads as follows:

1653 -- represented Branford at the General Court in New Haven
1658 -- elected a Magistrate of the New Haven Colony and served for 5
years.
1664-5 -- chosen Justice of the County Court at New Haven. Served as
a Magistrate to the Connecticut Colony from New Haven.
1665-7 -- continued as assistant or Magistrate for the Connecticut
Colony.
1668-9 -- Elected with Robert Treat as first Magistrates of Newark.
1668-70 -- represented Newark in the New Jersey General Assembly
1673 -- chosen a Magistrate under the short resumption of Dutch rule
1675 -- again chosen as a Deputy to the Assembly and a Magistrate in
Newark

Jasper Crane's personal and private life is as obscure as his public life
is open. Likely he was a sober, industrious and devout Puritan, typical
of his day. We can have some assurance of his strong religious beliefs as
religious control of political affairs was a part of the Newark colonists
desire to break away form the Connecticut Colony.

Jasper was a surveyor and a merchant or trader. He and a Mr. Myles were
responsible for the layout of New Haven. In March 1641 he was granted 100
acres of land in the East Meadow, and in 1643 his tax valuation was 480
pounds, a comfortable sum for those days. In 1644 we find he was excused
from "watching and trayning" due to weakness, but he was required to
furnish a substitute. 1644-5 he was granted 16 acres of upland in East
Haven where he removed. In 1651 he was known to have an interest in a bog
furnace in East Haven. Jasper sold the house and land in East Haven
September 7, 1652 and moved to Branford where he joined with about 20
families from Southhampton, Long Island under the leadership of Rev.
Pierson, and a group of families from Wethersfield led by Samuel Swaine.
Both groups had come to the area to escape the more liberal religious
policy of the Connecticut Colony. When New Haven was united with
Connecticut in 1662 many leaders were dismayed that their pure government
by the church would be corrupted. Through the leadership of Robert Treat
and some Elizabethtown settlers, many who had come from Southampton, Long
Island, a site was found for a new settlement. In the Spring of 1666, 41
families, led by Robert Treat took up the area now known as Newark.
Included in this group was Azariah Crane, son of Jasper. Jasper Crane,
Rev. Pierson, Samuel Swaine and 20 more families followed the next
Spring. A total of 64 families in all. The settlement was first named New
Milford, but soon changed to Newark in honor of Rev. Pierson's former
home in England.

In Newark, besides his public duties, Jasper was a merchant, and had
obtained permission to make and sell spirits in 1673. At the drawing of
home lots, February 6, 1667, Jasper was assigned lot #49, located near
the present Court House. May 26, 1673 he drew lot #10 of 100 acres.
August 25, 1675 Jasper received 168 acres in 13 parcels including 20
acres at the head of Second River which I believe is Toney's Brook.

Jasper made his will dated October 1, 1678, and died in 1681. He may have
been buried in the "old Burial Ground" of Newark, which was taken over
for business use in 1888, however on Dr. Condit's list of 1847 there was
no record of his stone or marker. Nothing is known of his wife Alice's
history. They had seven children.

From "THE GENEALOGY OF THE CRANE FAMILY", by Ellery Bicknell Crane, 1900

JASPER CRANE OF NEW HAVEN, CONN., ALSO, NEWARK, NJ

JASPER CRANE was one of the original settlers of the New Haven Colony,
June 4, 1639, and signed the first agreement at a general meeting of all
the free planters held in Mr. Newman's barn. He took the oath of fidelity
at the organization of the government, with Campfield, Pennington, Gov.
Eaton and others. In 1644 he was "freed from watching and trayning in his
own person because of his weakness, but to find one for his turn." Was a
member (with Treat) of the General Court, and many years a magistrate.
Was interested in a bog-ore furnace at East Haven in 1651. He removed to
Branford in 1652. He was elected a magistrate in 1658, and held the
office of deputy for some years previous to that date.

In a note-book kept by Thomas Lechford, Esq., a lawyer in Boston,
Massachusetts Bay, from June 27, 1638, to July 29, 1641, we find the
following: "Samuel Searle of Quinapeage Planter in behalfe of Jasper
Crane of the same, Agent or Attorney for Mr. Roe Citizen of London
Demiseth unto Henry Dawson and John Search of the Same one house and
house lott and three acres of land lying in Boston wherein William
Herricke now dwelleth from 29 Sept. next for five years four pounds ten
shillings rent half yearly, to fence to the value four pounds ten
shillings, to repaire 21-6-1640."

This transaction, showing his connection with a gentleman of London,
England, would lead one to think that he certainly was known there, and
might have lived there. Whether or not the above record furnished the
foundation for the tradition that he came from London to America, we do
not know. But such a tradition has been cherished by some of his
descendants. Extensive research among the record offices in London has
thus far failed however of finding any trace of him there. It is also
said that he came over from England with Winthrop in the ship Arabella.

But the date of Jasper Crane's birth, or the place in which he was born,
have not been fixed. Whether he came from parents occupying high or
middle stations in life can as yet only be determined by the records
revealed to us. He assuredly was one of the staunch and active men among
the first settlers of the New Haven Colony as well as one of the fathers
of the new settlement in New Jersey. He, with Capt. Robert Treat, seemed
to have a large share of the weight of responsibility of that young
colony upon their shoulders, and its success at heart. Mr. Crane did not
go, it is said, with the first company to "Milford," as the first
settlement at Newark, NJ, was called, but signed, with twenty-two others,
the first contract in 1665. Jan. 20, 1667, he headed the list of signers
and church members of the first Church at Newark, and became one of the
most influential and active men of the new colony. Jasper Crane and
Robert Treat were the first magistrates in Newark. It is said that Mr.
Crane was dissatisfied at the New Haven Colony becoming united with the
Connecticut Colony; he preferred to have the New Haven Colony remain
separate.

He was a surveyor and merchant, as well as a magistrate, and with Mr.
Myles laid out the most of the New Haven town plot, located grants,
established division lines, and settled disputed titles. It is said that
he was steward of Rev. John Davenport's property in 1639. In March, 1641,
he received a grant of 100 acres of land in the East Meadow. He was one
of the New Haven Company concerned in the settlement on the Delaware
River in 1642, who were so roughly handled by the Dutch. In 1643 his
estate was voted at L480, with three persons in his family, -- self, wife
and son John. In 1644-45 he received a grant of 16 acres of upland,
situated in East Haven, upon which he built a house, in which his son
Joseph was born. While residing at this place he was in trade as a
merchant, but not being satisfied with the location he sold this place
Sept. 7, 1652, and became one of the first planters of Branford, Conn., a
new settlement then just being instituted by families from Wethersfield,
Conn., under the leadership of Mr. Swayne, and a few from Southampton,
L.I.

More About JASPER CRANE:
Baptism: July 18, 1602, Christened Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England
Emigration: 1639, Ship Arabella to New Haven Colony
Individual Note: June 04, 1639, Signed Compact founding Colony of New Haven
Nationality: English
Occupation: Bet. 1664 - 1675, Magistrate and Representative
Property: February 06, 1666/67, Drew lot #49 for home in Newark located near present Court House
Religion: Presbyterian
Will: October 01, 1678, named Alice, John, Azariah, Jasper and Hannah

Children of JASPER CRANE and ALICE LEAVE are:

JOHN² CRANE, b. Abt. 1635; d. Abt. 1694; m. ELIZABETH FOOTE.

More About JOHN CRANE:
Property: February 06, 1666/67, Drew lot #62 for home in Newark

2.	ii.		HANNAH CRANE.
	iii.		DELIVERANCE CRANE, b. Aft. 1636.

More About DELIVERANCE CRANE:
Property: February 06, 1666/67, Drew lot #40 for home in Newark

3.	iv.	MARY MERCY CRANE, b. 1645, East Haven; d. 1671.
	v.	MICAH CRANE.
4.	vi.	AZARRIAH CRANE, b. Abt. 1653; d. November 05, 1730.
5.	vii.	JASPER CRANE, b. April 02, 1651, East Haven, Connecticut; d. March 06, 1711/12, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.
	viii.	JOSEPH CRANE, b. Aft. 1644.

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