64 KINGSBRIDGE 



12th October, 1751. Having made extraordinary progress 

 as a boy, in writing, music, and drawing, he was invited 

 by John Knight, of Axminster, Esq., to accept the situation 

 of a writer in his office, at a salary of £15 a year. Whilst 

 at Axminster, the Catholic Priest, the Rev. William Sutton, 

 took pleasure in teaching him Latin, &c. At the end of 

 three years, Cranch engaged himself with a Mr. Bunter, 

 an attorney of the town, who gave him his clerkship, and 

 by his will left him £2,000, and even appointed him his 

 executor and trustee. With this property, Cranch settled 

 in London, where he published a book on the 'Economy 

 of Testaments,' painted pictures, and became one of the 

 Fellows of the American Society of Arts and Sciences. 

 He died at Bath, 24th January, 1820 or 21, unmarried. 

 (The foregoing is derived from information afforded by 

 the late Dr. Oliver, of Exeter). 



It further appears, from other sources, that Cranch's 

 best picture, on the 'Death of Chatterton,' was formerly 

 in the possession of Sir James Winter Lake, Bart.; and 

 that a story is current in the town of Axminster, to the 

 effect that, on one occasion, during the absence of his 

 employer (Mr. Knight) from his office on a winter's 

 day, Cranch amused himself in front of the fire-place 

 by executing a design on the panels of a large oaken 

 chimney piece, with the end of a red-hot poker, producing 

 an effect of boldness of style and execution which was 

 generally admired. This drawing is believed to be still 

 in existence somewhere in the neighbourhood of Axminster." 



JOHN CRANCH, NUMBER TWO. 

 In a paper on ancient Exeter, and its trade, read by 

 the late Sir John Bowring, in Exeter, July, 1872, he 



