For Descendants of Christopher (Doc) Cranston & Bess Melby
Born in Woodstock, Ohio; Married Jennie Elizabeth Fulton 20 Mar 1866 in Urbana, Illinois; Died in Parsons, Kansas. Son of Christopher Cranston and Irene Ward Nott Cranston. He was the brother of Charles Edward Cranston – Doc’s father. Therefore, William Wallace Cranston was Doc’s uncle. Nov 20, 1838 – Dec 7, 1907 Cranston was a Civil War Captain […]
Read More…This is an interesting letter and I’m not sure why it is in the collection except that one of those signing the letter is a Mr. “S. Parke” or “S. Parker.” May this be related to the “Parke” in Katurah Taylor Parke’s family? I don’t know. The letter discusses the conviction of a Mr. William […]
Read More…This letter is from Christopher Cranston to Josephine Cranston. Christopher had three children, Charles Edward, Josephine and Mary. The date of this letter, 1843, leads me to believe that this Josephine was not his daughter but most likely his sister because Christopher married his first wife, Lora Park, in 1832 which would make his daughter, Josephine, […]
Read More…This letter is from an obvious relative of Lucretia Parke – Katurah Taylor Parke Cranston’s Grandmother. Who Abigail Dunham was exactly and what the relationship was, I do not know. Most likely a cousin because it appears that Abigail Dunham was in the same generation as John Cranston (1755-1825). The letter clearly shows how deeply […]
Read More…This letter is from Rebecca Tracy to her cousin Lucretia Parke who I think was Keturah Taylor Parke Cranston’s grandmother. Lucretia would then be Christopher (Doc) Cranston’s great-grandmother. Rebecca and Lucretia must have been of the same generation as John Cranston who is the one who emigrated from Rhode Island to Ohio in the early […]
Read More…This is a letter from Congressional Medal of Honor recipient William Wallace Cranston to his sister Mary. The letter was sent on September 7, 1907. In it he describes his failing health and the rough weather that they had experienced in Kansas. He lived in the small town of Parsons, Kansas, about 150 miles south […]
Read More…This is an article edited by Ellie Henkle and Josephine Cranston – the sister of Charles Edward Cranston’s father, Christopher Cranston. It was written in 1850 but their thoughts are eternal. Images of the actual letter in Josie’s own handwriting are below and a transcription of the letter is as follows – something we all […]
Read More…This letter was written on December 17, 1858 by one of the children (I assume a daughter) to a “Mary” and details the death of Christopher Cranston, Charles Edward Cranston and Josephine Park Cranston’s father and Chris (Doc) Cranston’s grandfather. He died of internal injuries suffered in a fall from the loft in his barn one […]
Read More…This letter was written by Christopher Cranston, son of John Cranston and father of Charles Edward Cranston, to his sister (name unknown). Apparently she lived in Dayton, Ohio and the letter is intended to introduce a friend, Miss Charlotte T. Fermer who would be moving to Dayton. He asks his sister to assist her in […]
Read More…This is a letter written by Charles Edward Cranston’s wife, Keturah Taylor Parke, to her friend Josephine Topham in 1854. She describes the day beautifully and expresses her wishes that Josie does well in her studies. This letter was written BEFORE her marriage to Charles Edward Cranston. I can’t be certain, but I think that […]
Read More…This letter was written to Josephine Park Cranston by her father, Christopher Cranston, from Woodstock, Ohio on October 17, 1858 about three weeks before he died on November 8, 1858. Josephine’s mother was Irene W. (Nott) Cranston – Christopher’s second wife. His first wife, Lora, was the mother of Charles Edward Cranston – Josephine’s half […]
Read More…This is a newsy letter from Josephine Park Cranston who lived in Woodstock, Ohio to her brother, Stephen Charles Cranston who had moved to Galesburg, Illinois. In the letter, she talks about purchasing a suit for Stephen – the price? $6.00
Read More…George Cranston of Edinburgh, Scotland writes to Josephine Park Cranston on December 17, 1872. He expresses his frustration with his relatives in Scotland for not responding quickly to Josephine’s requests. He points out that there was an Abbot Thomas Cranston at the Gedburg Abby in the year 1490. The letter makes George’s frustration clear.
Read More…Josephine Cranston writes a newsy letter about her studies to a friend, Emily. The year is 1851. This Josephine was most likely John Cranston’s sister.
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston received a letter from K (can’t read the name) Park of Worthington, OH about studies.
Read More…This is fun. Josephine P. Cranston received a letter from George Cranston of Glascow, Scotland seeking Ralph Waldo Emerson’s autograph. Josephine sent it on to Emerson – I don’t know if she (or George) ever received the autograph. But at least Josephine had the enthusiasm to try. She lived in Knoxville, Illinois at the time […]
Read More…This is a very sad letter. Christopher Cranston (Charles Edward Cranston’s father) married Lora Park in 1832 in Rhode Island and Lora died in March of 1835 in Ohio. He expresses his grief and frustration – and describes his last moments with her. So sad. Christopher later married Irene W. Nott. Lora was Charles Edward […]
Read More…This letter is in very bad shape, but it is from Charles Edward Cranston to his brother, sister and daughter. He laments the fact that they are apart and worries about Josephine’s health.
Read More…Josephine P. Cranston’s relative, LHB Park, writes a letter to his mother (Charles’s aunt) about his loneliness as a soldier in the Union Army in Virginia and asks her to write. He composes two poems – “The Potomac” and “Spring.” He was the son of the brother of Charles’s mother and therefore a second cousin […]
Read More…This is a “Description of the Character of Josephine P. Cranston” written by Dr. James P. Jackson of Danville, New York. March 1866. Josephine never married and was Christopher (Doc) Cranston’s aunt and daughter of Christopher Cranston (Chris’s grandfather) of Woodstock, Ohio and sister of Charles Edward Cranston (Chris’s father).
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