“James Crandall of Westerly, Rhode Island” by Judith Crandall Harbold, CFA #3
(http://www.cfa.net/cfa/jamesc.html)


James Crandall probably was born about 1651 in the town of Newport, Colony of Rhode Island, the second son of John Crandall and his first wife{1} . If that birth date is correct, he would be "of age" 21 in 1672. There apparently was no other James Crandall born until 1690 and 1692. Savage claims that James Crandall was in Westerly 1675 or before{2}.

Not much is known about James Crandall, but a review of primary records casts doubt on a widely held belief that he left Rhode Island at an early age. The published account contends that “James became dissatisfied with the settlement of his father's estate (leaving all to the eldest son which was the old English custom); left home when he became 21, going down the Pawcatuck River which runs into the ocean near the end of Fisher's Island and made his home almost opposite Watch Hill on Long Island …. [the family] removed to Cape May Co., N. J. where the exodus of whalers on Long Island had found new fields to explore{3}.

The records of the Westerly are scanty between its incorporation in 1669 and 1679, a time of turmoil and Indian wars, however there is sufficient data to show that James Crandall was in Westerly for many more years than John Cortland Crandall reported.


Westerly and Rhode Island Colony Records


James Crandall appears on the list of the Free Inhabitants of the Town of Westerle May the 18th 1669, in the part of the list that was dated 1679{4}. With his name there is no lot designation, which was a notation added to the list subsequent to the 1692 lottery in which free inhabitants received grants of land. His name also does not appear on the list of those who did not come in to draw their lot. This supports the theory that he was gone from Westerly by 1692 or earlier.

On 17 September 1679, James Crandall and Peter Crandall appeared before the Court held at the town of Westerly, in the King's Province, with the other inhabitants who were called to do so. Thirty-three inhabitants appeared and gave the oath of allegiance to King Charles and of fidelity to his Majesty's authority{5} . The entire pledge, which is printed in the Colonial Records, specifically disavows any authority by the Pope in Rome.

On 22 September of the same year, at a town meeting of the inhabitants ... James Crandall was voted town sergeant for the year{6} . It was his responsibility to warn the free inhabitants of the day and time of the town meetings and other events. In the early records, it was the town constable who warned people out of town, or specially elected committees who were sent to give the bad news that someone’s fence was on the common land and had to be moved. The sergeant often read the warrant at the beginning of a town meeting, notified inhabitants of the day set for road mending or of the need to register themselves or their livestock. Crandall’s pay was not mentioned in 1679, but when James Case was elected town sergeant in 1669, Case was allowed 12 pence per year for every freeman of the town for warning them of the town meeting{7}.

At town meetings each year officers were chosen, however no mention is made of an election of any sergeant from 1679 to 1686, though the “sergeant” was mentioned in 1683 and 1684 when he was to notify every inhabitant to bring to the council a true list of their neat cattle [cows, oxen] to the rate makers [tax assessors] within the month.

On 3 May 1681, at the Generall Assembly of the Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations held at Newport, Peter Crandall, James Crandall and Gershom Crandall of the town of Westerly were admitted freemen to the Colony{8}.

On 22 March 1683, at a town meeting held at Westerle, it was voted that “every inhabitant in this town shall cause the artificial mark they putt upone thire cattle hogs and horseis botth eare marks and brand marks to be recorded in the town book{9}. James Crandall’s marks were recorded near the beginning of a five page list, after the date May the 13th 1683. “The marks of James Crandall are A crope one the right eare and A halfepenny Cute out of the under side of the same eare{10}.

On 13 March 1684, at a town meeting it was voted that James Crandall, the town sergeant, shall give notice to the inhabitants to bring in a list of their neat cattle [cows, oxen] over a year old by the end of the month in order that a proportional [tax] rate could be set. The same order had been given the previous August, but it had been ignored by many of the people{11}.

At a town meeting held at Haversham{12} August the 30th 1686 … "Voated: that James Crandall chossen towne serjant for the present yeare" and that “the town serjant shall have twelve pence of each freeman or inhabitant” for his year of service{13}. This is the last mention of James Crandall by name in the sequential town meetings although the town sergeant, with no name attached, is mentioned until John Phillips was elected on 13 February 1690. The rate of pay in 1686 was the same as it had been in 1669.

In conclusion, James Crandall could not have left Rhode Island at age 21, since he took the oath of allegiance in 1679 at age 28 and was made a freeman of the colony in 1681 at age 30. He certainly was in Westerly when he was elected to the office of town sergeant in 1679 and 1686, at age 35. He may have served continuously from 1679 to nearly February 1690 at a yearly salary of 12 pence per freeman resident. It is possible that he lived in Westerly until shortly before 1692 when the free inhabitants were granted land.

The Westerly estate of his father, the elder John Crandall, had been deeded to James’ older brother John long before, in 1671, and then to his youngest half-brothers Jeremiah and Eber in 1678. The land was sold to Nicholas Cottrell in 1689 which could have caused some resentment, as claimed by the earlier researcher.

The next step is to look for James Crandall at the places where he was to have moved. We are unaware of research on Long Island and would like to hear if it exists. A CFA member has volunteered to research the records in Cape May, N.J.


Footnotes:
1 John Cortland Crandall, Elder John Crandall of Rhode Island and his decendants(Woodstock, N.Y.: by the author, 1949), p. 5.

2 James Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England … , (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1860) p. 471. Savage does not give his source for this fact and some other Crandall information in this compilation has proven incorrect.

3 John Cortland Crandall attributes this information to the research of Howard Stillman Crandall of Westerly.

4 Westerly Town Records [hereafter WTR,] Book 1, 1661-1706/7, p. 1.

5 John Russell Bartlett, Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England, Vol. III, 1678-1706, [hereafter Bartlett RICR] p. 68.

6 WTR, Book 1, 1661-1706/7, p. 6.

7 WTR, Book 1, 1661-1706/7, p. 5*.

8 Bartlett RICR, Vol. III, p. 98. I believe it is likely that this Gershom is Gershom Cottrell who is mentioned in other records. I don't find any other evidence of a Gershom Crandall.

9 WTR, Book 1, 1661-1706/7, p. 7/12.

10 WTR, Book 1, 1661-1706/7, p. 25/44.

11 WTR, Book 1, 1661-1706/7, p. 8.

12 During the Andros administration of New England, Westerly was temporarily renamed Haversham.

13 WTR, Book 1, 1661-1706/7, p. 10*/9.