Cranbrook: timeline and bibliography

 (Narrative here)

James Cranbrook

Source, unless stated otherwise: Kathleen Chater, The Congregational History Society Magazine, Volume 7, No. 4 Autumn 2014. Here

181    Grandfather: William Gregory Cranbrook, (who worked for Bank of England in 1812) m. Rebecca

                They had three children: 1) John, m. Jane Sprott.  2) William 3) ) James: bap Clapham 1793, m. Jemima Piper 1817. d. 1821 aged 28, Father to our James & Jemima, baptised 1820

James

1819 Baptised

            He was of black Caribbean descent. Chater says “Nowhere in the newspaper reports or other sources that document his career is his ancestry mentioned.” I found a single reference.

1836-1840 Trained for ministry at Highbury College, London,

1840-1842 First post in Wickham Market, Suffolk

Mar. Charlotte Frost. They had two boys & girl

November 1843 Second post in Soham, Cambridgeshire

1847 to Ireland, where “he was not attached to any particular church. Here he seems to have made a great impact but it was where the first intimations of his less than orthodox beliefs surface”

 “In 1847, two years after the beginning of the Irish potato famine, with another looming harvest failure, Cranbrook preached three discourses on the efficacy of prayer. He denied that God intervened directly.”

 He argued that God was not acting directly but events were unfolding in accordance with a pre-determined plan, which he termed natural providence. He said that it was for men to try to understand the laws of nature which God has put in place, and to work with and act upon them, not just pray.

?date Newhall Hill Unitarian church in Birmingham to be their first minister

2yrs then back to Congregationalism

  “His time in Belfast may have made him more politically radical: his next three sons were called William Wallace (born c. 1846 in Cork), John Hampden (b. 1848), and Thomas Wentworth (b. 1852). The first William Wallace was a Scot who fought for Scottish independence against Edward I; John Hampden was a parliamentarian who challenged the authority of King Charles I, and Thomas Wentworth, a governor of Ireland, was an advisor to Charles I, attempting to strengthen the royal position against Parliament. Wentworth was impeached and condemned to death by Parliament and Charles I reluctantly signed his death warrant. 

  This choice of names suggests Cranbrook was beginning to be impatient of authority which claimed divine authority but also that he was aware of there being at least two sides to most questions.” (Chater, p.164)

Cranbrooks had 5 sons & 6 daughters

1848-49

Minister, Newhall Hill Unitarian Church, Birmingham.

1850

Minister, Stratford-upon-Avon “where the relationship between minister and congregation had been tense for some time”

1851

Minister, Liscard, Cheshire “perhaps the most successful time of his life. The printed history of this church praises him as “one of the most remarkable ministers in this Church’s history” and a “keen, profound and fearless thinker of great power of expression and strong personal attractiveness.” 

 

Jan 1 1865, moved to Edinburgh

Minister, Albany Street Independent Chapel, Edinburgh (notes on the chapel)

February 1867

Left Albany Street Chapel and split the congregation. “... he then commenced to minister without any formally constituted congregation in the Hopetoun Rooms.”

Died 6 June 1869  In Edinburgh aged 50. 

  Death of the Rev. James Cranbrook. From an obituary notice in The Scotsman, Monday June 7, 1869, p2 col4

“In February last he removed to the Freemason’s Hall, where he continued his ministrations up to the third Sunday in April, when he preached for the last time. His services were conducted morning and evening each Sunday, the morning service being entirely devotional and the evening’s being devoted to scientific lectures. 

“Mr Cranbrook’s purpose in leaving the Albany Street Chapel was that by freeing himself from all Church systems, which he found oppressive, he might have freer scope to preach the doctrines held by him. 

Mr Cranbrook's health has been failing for more than eighteen months past. In the spring of 1868. he was so ill as to be prevented from undertaking his duties for about three months, part of which time he spent in Liverpool. . 

Renewed illness caused him again to abandon his labours in February last. For two or three Sundays he was unable to meet his congregation, and although he afterwards resumed his duties, it was only for a brief period, his last effort, as stated above, being made on the third Sunday in April. He died from disease of the lungs . During his illness the services in the Freemasons' Hall have been conducted by a committee of the congregation, but as the evening meetings had been suspended, no announcement of Mr Cranbrook's death could be made to the congregation yesterday .. 

  Mrs Cranbrook, we understand, has been left with a large family. 

During his few years' residence in Edinburgh Mr Cranbrook issued several works . The first was a series of lectures given to his congregation in Albany Street Chapel; and he afterwards published “The Founders of Christianity," a course of lectures delivered before his congregation in the Hopetoun Rooms; and several pamphlets.” 

 

Bibliography

1. Works by James Cranbrook

Cranbrook, J., & Praed, L. (1834). The Christian Pioneer. Glasgow, Edinburgh: J. Hedderwick and Son.

Cranbrook, J. (1847). Divine Providence considered in its relation to the state of the country, and the efficacy of prayer ... Three discourses delivered in the Independent Meeting-House, Belfast. Belfast: A. Lewis. (Review and correspondence, (Second edition, Edinburgh : A. Fullarton & Co, [1868])

Cranbrook, J. (1849). The Christian Sabbath and the post-office: A discourse occasioned by the new postal arrangements. London: E.T. Whitfield, 2, Essex Street, Strand.

Cranbrook, J. (1857). The theory of human progress. London. (Inaugural lecture, Liverpool Ladies’ College)

Cranbrook, J. (1857). The science of literature. London.

Cranbrook, J. (1858). Christianity in relation to Society. A sermon preached in anticipation of the second annual meeting of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science.

Cranbrook, J. (1859). Hymns collected and adapted for rational worship. Edinburgh: publisher not identified.

Cranbrook, J. (1860). Political economy for working men. Tract I. On wages in relation to trade unions and strikes. Edinburgh.

Cranbrook, J. (1864) The Old and New Testaments in Relation to Moral Life A discourse suggested by the case of Rev. Walter C. Smith, Glasgow. 

Cranbrook, J. (1864) Positive religion: Its basis and characteristics, 

Cranbrook, J. (1865). The church of the future, as indicated by the tendencies of modern thought and feeling. Edinburgh: Fullarton. (See, Mr. Cranbook on the Tendencies of Modern Religious Thought, The Scotsman, Feb 24, 1868)

Cranbrook, J. (1866). Divine providence in its relations to prayer and plagues; two sermons. Edinburgh. Second edn. 1868 (One sentence review in the Christian Remembrancer, Vol 51, 1869 p. 249)

Cranbrook, J. (1867). The doctrine of the correlation of forces: Its development and evidence. Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas. (described as “An essay to support Grove  and extend his influence beyond the normal audience of the British Association.” Sevier, The founding of the Cavendish Library, 1974)

Edmonston & Douglas., Matthews, B., Playfair, L. P., Buist, R., & Cranbrook, J. (1867). Odds and ends. Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas.

Cranbrook, J. (1867). The sabbath question: A discourse delivered in the Hopetoun Rooms, on Sunday evening, September 22nd, 1867. London: Williams and Norgate.

Cranbrook, J. (1867). The Rev. James Cranbrook on creeds and churches. Ramsgate: T. Scott.

Cranbrook, J., & Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. (1868). Credibilia, or, Discourses on questions of Christian faith. London: Trubner & Co.

Cranbrook, J., & Thin, J. (1868). A manual of devout song for common worship. Edinburgh: Published for use in the Hopetoun Rooms.

Cranbrook, J. (1869). On wages in relation to trade unions and strikes. Edinburgh: A. Fullarton & Co.

Cranbrook, J. (January 01, 1870). Sacred history as a branch of elementary education: Part I. Its influence on the intellect.

Cranbrook, J. (1874). On the Existence of Evil.

Cranbrook, J. (1874). On Responsibility. (and 1880)

Cranbrook, J. (n.d. 1874?). Positive religion: Its basis and characteristics. London: Thomas Scott.(“among the best which have appeared” (and nothing more; The Foreign Quarterly Review, Vol. 104, p482.) Lecture1 (of 4?)  Cranbrook, J. (1880). Positive religion: Its basis and characteristics. Lectures I-IV. London. In Scott’s Ramsgates Tracts v. 2, 35-38

Cranbrook, J. (1871). On the Hindrances to Progress in Theology. Thomas Scott: Ramsgate.

Cranbrook, J. (1877). The Sabbath question. London &c: publisher not identified.

Cranbrook, J. (1880). On the formation of religious opinions. Ramsgate. (Republished as one of Scott’s Ramsgate Tracts)

Cranbrook, J. (1880). God's method of government. A dialogue. London.

Cranbrook, J. (1880). Human depravity. London. (2019 blogpost)

Cranbrook, J.. (1880). The tendencies of modern religious thought. Ramsgate.

Cranbrook, J.. (1904). The founders of Christianity: Discourses upon the origin of the christian religion. London: Watts & Co. (&1902). Brief and tepid notice in The Theological Review,  Vol. 5, 1896 p596. 

Cranbrook, J., & Rationalist Press Association. (1908). The religious education of children. London: Watts & Co..

2. Secondary works

History of congregational independency in Scotland. (2012). Place of publication not identified: Nabu Press.

Chater, Kathleen James Cranbrook The Congregational History Society magazine, Volume 7 No. 4, Autumn 2014

Escott, H. (1960). A history of Scottish Congregationalism. Glasgow: Congregational Union of Scotland.

McNaughton, W. D., & Congregational Federation in Scotland. (2000). A few historical notes on early congregational independency in Scotland. Kirkcaldy?: Congregational Federation in Scotland.

McNaughton, W. D., & Congregational Federation. (2005). Early congregational independency in Lowland Scotland. Glasgow: Congregational Federation in Scotland.

McNaughton, William D. The Scottish Congregational Ministry 1794-1993 (Glasgow, Congregational Union of Scotland, 1993) p.30 

Scottish Congregational Magazine 1866