Christopher Pearse Cranch
Christopher Pearse Cranch (1813-1892) was an American writer, artist, and Unitarian minister known for his contributions to Transcendentalism. Born in Alexandria, Virginia, he pursued higher education at Columbian College and Harvard University, where he was influenced by the Transcendentalist movement. Cranch began his career as a minister and also edited the Western Messenger, a key Transcendentalist publication, while producing poetry and essays centered on nature and his Unitarian beliefs.
He married Elizabeth De Windt in 1843, and together they traveled to Italy, where Cranch honed his artistic skills and interacted with notable intellectuals like Robert Browning. After returning to the United States, he settled in Paris for a decade to focus on painting and children's literature, creating works such as "The Last of the Huggermuggers." Cranch eventually moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he mingled with prominent literary figures and produced several notable translations and poetry collections.
Recognized as a significant Transcendental poet, Cranch's work is celebrated for its insights into the movement and its lasting impact on children's literature, influencing authors like Howard Pyle. He passed away in 1892, leaving behind a legacy that resonates with scholars and readers alike.
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Christopher Pearse Cranch
Writer
- Born: March 8, 1813
- Birthplace: Alexandria (now Alexandria, Virginia)
- Died: January 20, 1892
- Place of death: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Biography
Christopher Pearse Cranch was born on March 8, 1813, at Alexandria, District of Columbia (now in Virginia), to William Cranch and Nancy Greenleaf Cranch. His father was the District of Columbia’s chief judge. Cranch enrolled at Columbian College (now George Washington University) in the District of Columbia, earning a degree in 1832. He then studied at Harvard University’s divinity school, graduating in 1835. While at Harvard, Cranch met New England Transcendentalists in the Boston, Massachusetts, area.
Cranch became a Unitarian minister, securing temporary positions in Virginia and the District of Columbia. During his preaching career, he also served congregations as far north as Maine and in Missouri, Illinois, and Ohio. Starting in 1836, Cranch edited the Western Messenger, a Transcendentalist newspaper based in Louisville, Kentucky, until 1839. He wrote poems, mostly about nature and Unitarian beliefs, and essays and created humorous drawings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose book, Nature (1836), influenced Cranch.
By 1840, Cranch had moved to Boston, where he preached in the South Boston Church. Emerson printed several of Cranch’s poems in his periodical, the Dial. Cranch frequently went to the Transcendentalists’ Brook Farm.
On October 10, 1843, Cranch married Elizabeth De Windt. The couple had one daughter and two sons. They initially lived in New York City, renting rooms to boarders. Cranch’s wife urged him to pursue his artistic aspirations, and he created landscape paintings to earn income. He collected his poetry into the volume Poems, released in 1844.
In 1846, Cranch and his wife traveled to Italy. They stayed in Rome and then visited other cities, accompanied by writer George William Curtis, to focus on enhancing Cranch’s literary and painting skills. Cranch remained in Italy for three years, meeting poet Robert Browning and other influential intellectuals.
Cranch returned to the United States in 1850, selling his paintings from his New York City studio. Relatives and patrons assisted Cranch financially. He settled in Paris, France, from 1853 to 1863 to concentrate on his painting. While overseas, Cranch applied his writing talents to create stories for children, producing The Last of the Huggermuggers: A Giant Story and Kobboltozo: A Sequel to The Last of the Huggermuggers.
He returned to New York City, where he lived for a decade before moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1873. Here, he interacted with poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and other significant literary figures and belonged to the Radical Club, whose members included many Transcendentalists. During the 1870’s, Cranch write and published The Aeneid of Virgil Translated into English Blank Verse by Christopher Pearse Cranch and a poetry collection, The Bird and the Bell, with Other Poems.
Cranch lived in Europe from 1880 to 1882, helping his daughter improve her art. He continued writing into the 1880’s and early 1890’s, producing Ariel and Caliban, with Other Poems and reminiscences of his Transcendentalist friends. Cranch died on January 20, 1892, at Cambridge.
Many scholars considered Cranch a notable Transcendental poet, on a par with Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They praised Cranch’s translation of the Aeneid and credited his poetry for providing insights into Transcendentalism. Cranch’s fantastical children’s literature retained public appeal for several decades, influencing Howard Pyle and other writers.