Benjamin Crane, of Wethersfield

• Fifty Puritan ancestors, 1628-1660 : genealogical notes, 1560-1900 (1902)
• https://archive.org/details/fiftypuritanance00nash
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  • THE CRANE FAMILY
• JOHN CRANE came from Suffolk County, England, to America, and by 1637 he was living at Muddy Brook (now Brookline, Mass.). In 1642 is recorded as having land at Roxbury, was "Deputy to the Great General Court" in 1649. He had two sons: Benjamin, born 1630, and Henry.
  • Second Generation.
• Benjamin Crane, son of John, born 1630, went to Wethersfield by 1658, and in 1662 was one of the petitioners to set out a plantation in Wapaquasset County (now Woodstock, Conn.), Juror in 1664.(1)
• Henry and Benjamin engaged in the tannery business in Wethersfield as early as 1665 or earlier.
• Benjamin Crane married Mary Backus, daughter of William Backus, of Saybrook, April 23, 1655.(2)
• Benjamin Crane's son, Jonathan, took charge of his father's business after his death and settled with the aid of his uncle, Henry Crane, the estate. He owned over five hundred and fifty acres of land and estate, valued at £640.(3) Mary Backus Crane died July 8, 1717.
• CHILDREN.
  • BENJAMIN, b. March 1, 1656.
  • JONATHAN, b. Dec. 1658; rem. to Windham; d. 1697.
  • JOSE, b. April 1, 1661.
  • JOHN. b. April, 1663; d. 1694.
  • ISREAL, b. Nov. 1, 1671.(4)
  • Third Generation.
• Lieut. Jonathan Crane, born in Wethersfield, December 1, 1658, received seventy-six acres in the land division in Wethersfield in 1670.(5) Was one of the first planters of Windham, Conn., in 1692. ....etc.
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• He married Deborah Griswold, daughter of Francis Griswold, December 19, 1678, at Norwich, Connecticut. That Mr. Crane .... etc.
• CHILDREN.
  • SARAH, b. Nov. 16, 1680.
  • JONATHAN, b. Feb. 2, 1684.
  • JOHN, b. Oct. 1, 1687.
  • MARY, b. Oct. 20, 1689.
  • JOSEPH, b. May 17, 1696.(9)
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  • Fourth Generation.
• Joseph Crane, son of Jonathan and Deborah Griswold Crane, born at Windham, Conn., May 17, 1696, went to Southeast, Putnam Co., N. Y., about 1730. Settled on the north side of Joe's Hill, one and a half miles east of Sodom Corners, where .... etc.
• Joseph Crane married Mary Couch, daughter of Capt. Samuel Couch; born December 15, 1695; died January 9, 1766. Joseph Crane died August 20, 1781.
• _____________________________

Genealogy of the Crane Family, by Ellery Bicknell Crane (1900), Volume II, which can be found at https://archive.org/details/genealogyofcrane02cran , pages 11-12:

Benjamin Crane, was in Wethersfleld, Conn., as early as 1655, and may have been there a few years earlier. According to the Records of the Particular Court, held at Hartford, March, 1655, he is defendant in a civil suit with John Sadler, pltf. ; also in June, 1656, he is defendant in another suit with Richard Montague. He was born about 1630; was made freeman May 12, 1658, at Wethersfleld. It is not positively known from whence he came to Wethersfleld, 'but Hinman in his " History of Connecticut Settlers " seems to think that he came from Massachusetts, which statement all investigations thus far seem to warrant. February 24, 1656, the town gave him a home lot of 2 1/2 acres, more or less, bounded by the Common N. W., a brook and the home lot of John Graves N. E., the Common S. E., the highway S. W. He also bought John Dixon's or Dickenson's land in the West Field, Sept. 14, 1664. The latter is said to have removed to Hadley 1659 or 1660. It appears that this last mentioned tract of land was that on which the late home of Sam'l Coleman, deceased, stands, on Mud Lane. It was there when Mr. Crane built his dwelling-house and tanneries. The house was one of the six houses fortified by vote of the town in 1704. The town also gave him three acres of land on Beaver, now Tando's, Brook, in 1660; served as juror 1664 : drew land in the allotment of 1670, and purchased land of Daniel Rose, Dec. 8, 1671. Jauuary 15, 1673, he is rated among inhabitants of Wethersfleld to pay the town 0-4-5 1/2; acquires more land next south of Job Whitcomb's, February 22, 1680, March 25, 1680, July 13, 1680; under latter date the land is located on the Connecticut River on road to Middletown and road to Rocky Hill.

May, 1682, Benjamin Crane with others petitioned the General Court for liberty to " erect a plantation in the Wabaynassit country" (Windham County). It was proposed to have a " Town Grant " ten miles square. He married Mary Backus, daughter of William and Sarah (Charles) Backus, April 23, 1655, and carried on the tanning business about a mile below the village on the Middletown road. The spot for many years has been known as "Old Crane's Tannery Place." At his death. May 31, 1691, his son John succeeded to the business. She died July 8, 1717.

Children:

• 1 Benjamin, born March 1, 1656; drowned June 20, 1693.
• 2 Jonathan, bom December 1, 1653.
• 3 Joseph, born April 1, 1661.
• 4 John, born April 30, 1663.
• 5 Elijah, born 1665.
• 6. Abraham, born 1668.
• 7 Jacob, born 1670.
• 8 Israel, born November I, 1671.
• 9 Mary, born 1673.
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: May 23 2023, 21:42:45 UTC