History of Leicester, (Worcester County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

William H. Crane, actor, was born in Leicester, Mass., April 30, 1845; son of Amaziah Baits and Mary Sophia Crane; grandson of Abner Crane, and a descendant of one of three brothers by the name of Crane, who came to America in the seventeenth century. He first appeared on the professional stage, July 13, 1863, at Utica, N.Y., his engagement being with the Holman opera company, where he took the part of the orator in "Child of the Regiment." He was with the company seven years playing in" Fra Diavolo" as Beppe; in "Faust" as Mephisto; in "Ours" as Hugh Challoner, and in the "Elixir of Love" as Dr. Dalemara. He afterward created the part of Le Blanc in "Evangeline" while leading comedian in the Alice Oates opera company. In 1874 he became a member of a stock company and played at Hooley's theatre, Chicago, Ill.. Niblo's garden, New York city, 1876, and at the Park theatre, New York city, in 1877, where he appeared with Stuart Robson in "Our Boarding House." The intimacy thus formed lasted twelve years and "Crane and Robson" appeared on the same bill, their greatest success artistically and financially being the "Henrietta." In 1389 they dissolved the partnership, making their last appearance together, April 13, 1389, at the Chicago opera house. On Sept. 17, 1389, Mr. Crane appeared at the same house in the title role in "The Senator," in which he made the greatest success of his professional career and established his reputation as a comedian. He also appeared as Col. Winfield Farragut in "For Money"; as Jonathan Silsbee in "On Probation"; as John Hackett in "Brother John"; as Hon. Benjamin Franklyn Lawton in "The American Minister"; as Sylvanus Urben in "The Pacific Mail" in 1892; as Major Fairfax in "A Virginia Courtship" in 1898; as Col. Amory West in" Worth a Million" in 1898-99, and as Professor Thomas Holden in "The Head of the Family" the same seasen. In his "stock days" Crane appeared in all of the standard and classical comedies. With Mr. Robson he made elaborate revivals of "Twelfth Night," "She Stoops to Conquer," "Comedy of Errors," and "The Merry Wives of Windsor," appearing in the last-named play as the obese knight, Sir John Falstaff. As a star Crane had in 1899 presented twelve plays, all by American authors, and it is claimed for him that he did more for the native author than any other actor in the United States. His latest success is as "David Harum."

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Ralph Earle, painter, was born in Leicester, Mass., May 11, 1751; son of Ralph and Phebe (Whittemore) Earle; grandson of William and Anna (Howard) Earle; great-grandson of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle; great-great-grandson of William and Mary (Walker) Earle; and great-great-great-grandson of Ralph and Joan Earle, who came from England about 1634. His father served as a captain in the American army during nearly the whole of the Revolutionary war. He was educated as an artist and was known to have painted portraits in Connecticut as early as 1771. In 1777 he pointed two full-length portraits of Timothy Dwight, afterward president of Yale college. He executed, from sketches taken upon the spot, four historical paintings, believed to be the first historical paintings by an American artist. The subjects were: "The Battle of Lexington "; "A View of Concord, with the Royal troops destroying the stores"; "The Battle of the North Bridge, Concord"; and "A View of the South Part of Lexington, where the First Detachment was joined by Lord Percy." In 1776 he went to England and studied under Sir Benjamin West. He was elected a member of the Royal academy in London and painted in London until 1786, when he returned to America and lived at various times in Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. His brother James, 1761-98, was a portrait painter in Charleston, S.C. , and James's son, Augustus, born in 1793, also a painter, travelled all over the world. Ralph Earle (4th) was married about 1773 to Sarah Gates, and one of his sons, Ralph, became an artist, studied in London, was married to a niece of Gen. Andrew Jackson, and during a considerable part of the latter's term as President was a member of his household at Washington. He painted a full-length picture of Jackson which was highly commended. Ralph Earle (4th) died in Bolton, Conn., Aug. 16, 1801.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

David Henshaw, cabinet officer, was born in Leicester, Mass., April 2, 1791; son of David and Mary (Sargent) Henshaw; grandson of Daniel and Elizabeth (Bass) Henshaw; great grandson of Joshua and Mary (Hay) Webster Henshaw, and great2 grandson of Joshua Henshaw, who came from England to New England with his brother, Daniel, and married Elizabeth Sumner, of Dorchester. David Henshaw was engaged in the drug business in Boston, Mass., as apprentice and proprietor, 1807-29. He was a Democrat, an advocate of free trade, and a political writer of note. He was a state senator, 1827-29; collector of the port of Boston, 1829-37, and state representative, 1839. President Tyler, on July 24, 1843, appointed him to his cabinet as secretary of the navy and he served until the appointment of his successor on Feb. 15, 1844. The U.S. senate refused to confirm the appointment for political reasons and President Tyler named Thomas W. Gilman as his successor. He took part in the earlier railroad enterprises of the state and was a projector of the Boston & Worcester and of the Boston & Providence railroads. He published numerous pamphlets and articles in current reviews, including Letters on Internal Improvement and Commerce of the West (1839). He died in Leicester, Mass., Nov. 11, 1852.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Pliny Earle, inventor, was born in Leicester, Mass., Dec. 17, 1762; son of Robert and Sarah (Hunt) Earle; grandson of Robert and Mary (Newhall) Earle; great-grandson of Ralph and Mary (Hicks) Earle; great-great-grandson of William and Mary (Walker) Earle; and great-great-great-grandson of Ralph Earle, who with his wife Joan came from England about 1634, and was one of the original twenty colonists of Rhode Island who successfully petitioned Charles I for a charter in 1638. Pliny Earle in 1785, in company with Edmund Snow, engaged in the manufacture of wool and cotton handcards. In 1786 he established himself alone in business and in 1790 he made for Samuel Sister the first effective cards for use on his newly constructed spinning frames. Their manufacture led to his invention of a machine for pricking "twilled" cards which greatly facilitated their construction and advanced the manufacture of cotton yarn. He was married in 1793 to Patience, a daughter of William and Lydia (Arnold) Buffum of Smithfield, R.I., and had two sons, Thomas, a Philadelphia, Pa., lawyer, and Pliny, a physician expert in the treatment of the insane. He died in Leicester, Mass, Nov. 19, 1832.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor