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Jonathan Townley Crane (June 18, 1819 – February 16, 1880) was an American clergyman, author and
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
. He was born in Connecticut Farms, in Union Township, New Jersey, and is most widely known as the father of writer
Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...
.


Early years

Crane was the son of William Crane (1778-1830) and Sarah Townley (1776-1830), who both died when he was 13 years old. He was subsequently apprenticed to a trunk maker in Newark. Although raised in the
Congregational church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
, he rejected its deterministic teachings. Accidentally, in 1838, he wandered into a
Revival meeting A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held to inspire active members of a church body to gain new converts and to call sinners to repent. Those who lead revival services are known as revivalists (or evangelists). Nineteent ...
, and was converted to
Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
.


Education

He graduated from the
Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a Private university, private seminary, school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Establish ...
in
Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...
in 1843 and in 1844 was licensed to preach, after which he was admitted to the New Jersey Annual conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...
in 1845.
Dickinson College Dickinson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, ...
conferred upon him the Doctorate of Divinity in 1856.Wertheim, p. 72.


Career

Throughout his career as an educator, pastor and writer, Crane was active in local temperance movements, and strongly supported abolitionist causes.


Ministry

In 1846, he was stationed as pastor at Hope Township,
Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. According to the 2020 census, the county was the state's 19th-most populous county,Belvidere, New Jersey Belvidere is a town and the county seat of Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New ...
. In 1848–49, he was the pastor at
Orange, New Jersey The City of Orange (known simply as Orange) is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 34,447, an increase o ...
, and in June 1849, was elected principal of the Conference school and seminary at Pennington, New Jersey, the post from which he resigned in 1858 to become pastor of Trinity Church in
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous
. From 1863 to 1865, he was the pastor of another large and important church, the Methodist Episcopal Church in
Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
. In 1868–72, he was the presiding elder of the
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
district, during which time his son Stephen was born. Crane was a delegate to the General conferences of 1860, 1864, 1868, and 1872 while he was the elder of the Newark (1868-1872) and Elizabeth districts (1872–76). He rejected the mid-19th century
Holiness Movement The Holiness movement is a Christianity, Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent influenced other traditions such as Quakers, Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. Churches aligned with ...
of
Christian perfection Within many denominations of Christianity, Christian perfection is the theological concept of the process or the event of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by pure lov ...
as unattainable and unreasonable; Crane's opposition subsequently limited his advancement as an administrator in the Methodist Episcopal denomination and drew the wrath of his father-in-law, Bishop George Peck. After his administrative career ended, he returned to parish work, serving at Cross Street Church in
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Port Jervis, New York.


Writer

As a religious writer, his contributions appeared largely in the periodical literature of his denomination. Most notably, he wrote "Essay on Dancing" (1848) in which he expounded its evils; despite his own personal lack of experience with dancing, he claimed he understood its evils. His books, ''The Right Way, or Practical Lectures on the Decalogue'' (1853) and ''Popular Amusements'' (1869), in which he described how even the most apparently innocent amusements led people into sin were aimed at juvenile audiences. In ''Arts of Intoxication'' (1870), he wrote against alcoholic beverages of any kind and advocated temperance. He also wrote theological tracts ''Holiness, the Birthright of all God's Children'' (1874) and ''Methodism and its Methods'' (1875). Crane's literary works traditionally have been used as a foil for his son's urban grittiness, but more recent scholarship posits his writing as a critique of nineteenth century social failures to address problems of poverty, disease, education, and employment. In his "Christ and the Painters", which was published in the '' Sunday School Times'' in 1877, he criticized the sentimental piety of contemporary painters who depicted Jesus blessing a clutch of rosy cheeked children; such "specimens of infantile innocence and grace" as were portrayed in these paintings were "perhaps just such a lot of little wretches as the modern traveler in that same region sees crawling out of their mud huts, dirty, unkempt, ragged, or without even a rag, to stare at him with their sore eyes." He rejected his contemporaries overly simplistic sentimentality that desensitized people to the real and abject problems of their fellow beings. The poison of sectionalism, he further explained in ''Methodism and its Methods'', had distracted Christians from the real work of the Gospel, which was the Word.


Educator

While presiding elder of the Newark District, Crane helped to found the Centenary Collegiate Institute, now known as
Centenary University Centenary University is a private university in Hackettstown, New Jersey, United States. Founded as a College-preparatory school, preparatory school by the Newark Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1867, Centenary evolved into a Jun ...
, in
Hackettstown, New Jersey Hackettstown is a Town (New Jersey), town in Warren County, New Jersey, Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is perhaps best known as the home to the US headquarters of Mars Inc., Mars, Inc.. As of the 2020 United States census, t ...
, in 1867, which was originally a coeducational preparatory school for girls. Both of his daughters attended the school, and his son Edmund was a librarian there. He also founded a school in Port Jervis to serve the African American population; one of his daughters taught there for several years. He was also involved in the founding of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in 1869. Crane died in Port Jervis on February 16, 1880, and was buried at Evergreen Cemetery.


Family

* Mary Helen Peck (1827-1891), wife; married 1848. She was the daughter of an itinerant Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania clergyman, George Peck, who, at the time, was also the editor of the ''Methodist Quarterly Review''. Like her husband, Mary Helen Peck was an ardent abolitionist and an even more ardent member of the
temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
. They had fourteen children, although only nine survived into adulthood. After her husband's death, she moved to the predominantly Methodist Episcopal community at
Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a decr ...
, where she bought a small cottage, Arbutus Cottage. *William Crane (1778-1830), father *Sarah Townley mother; descendant of Colonel Richard Townley *Joseph Crane; grandfather, brother of General William Crane who was the father of
Ichabod Crane Ichabod Crane is a fictional character and the protagonist in Washington Irving's short story " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Crane is portrayed in the original work, and in most adaptations, as a tall, lanky individual. He is the local schoo ...
. *
Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...
(1709-1780), great-grandfather. Member of
First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates of twelve of the Thirteen Colonies held from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia at the beginning of the American Revolution. The meeting was organized b ...
.


Children

#Mary Helen Crane (1849–1933), wrote children stories for '' Frank Leslie's Illustrated Gazette'' #George Peck Crane (1850–1903), Postal Service employee, railroad employee. #Jonathan Townley Crane, Jr. (1853–1908), known as "Townley". Reporter in
Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a decr ...
. # William Howe Crane (1854–1926), attended Centenary, graduated from Albany Law, had an independent law practice in Port Jervis, New York. #Agnes Elizabeth Crane (1856–1884), teacher. #Edmund Brian Crane (1857–1922). #Wilbur Fiske Crane (1858–1918), known as "Burt". #Luther Peck Crane (1863–1886), flagman and brakeman for Erie Railroad; fell under the wheels of an ongoing train when a round rock turned and threw him down on the rails. #
Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...
(1871–1900), journalist, poet, novelist, author of '' The Red Badge of Courage''.


Crane's contemporary published work

*''The Art of Intoxication: Its Aims and Results,'' University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor, MI 2006, *''Popular Amusements,'' University of Michigan Library, Ann Arbor, MI 2006,


Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crane, Jonathan Townley 1819 births 1880 deaths 19th-century American clergy 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American non-fiction writers 19th-century Methodists American evangelicals American male non-fiction writers American Methodist clergy American religious writers Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Hillside, New Jersey) Crane family (New Jersey) Methodist abolitionists Methodist writers People from Union Township, Union County, New Jersey People from Warren County, New Jersey Princeton Theological Seminary alumni