Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Cranch, Richard (1726-1811) to Henry Knox

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03134 Author/Creator: Cranch, Richard (1726-1811) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 30 April 1785 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket ; 32.2 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Recommends his nephew Joseph Cranch for appointment by Knox, Secretary at War. Relates the details of Joseph's life, including the loss of both of his parents at an early age. Joseph sold his land in England and opened up a shop in Boston that was seized by the British during the Revolutionary War. Recommends his nephew as a worthy gunsmith, and asks if Knox can "procure an Employment for him in the Armourer's Department that might enable him to gain a decent Livelyhood after his great sufferings, in the common cause..."

Apparently from Cranch, a watchmaker, legislator, and a jurist who lived in Massachusetts. Records of the Massachusetts Historical Society suggest that Joseph was Richard's cousin, not his nephew.

Cranch, Richard, 1726-1811
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Cranch, Joseph, 1769-1791

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources