None of the clues as to possible dates and places of birth and death that often appear in AOWV are present in this case. Even with no first name but with an uncommon last name, finding information about Capt. Cranskie seemed at the beginning would be a difficult but not impossible challenge. The author was surprised to find that Family Search concluded “there were no results for Cranskie”, and the same search in Ancestry.com. resulted in only one name, clearly not Capt. Cranskie. As noted below, a search of online newspaper sites produced three references to Capt. Cranskie, but no pertinent information about him and his family. Absent further data about him, hewill remain a mystery.
AOWV provides limited information about Capt. Cranskie as a master. He served as a replacement master for part of one voyage on one ship, home port New London:
COREA (AS1152), (ship, 360 tons, length 116’, built in Duxbury MA in1834, became part of Stone Fleet 1). It sailed in 1852 to the No. Pacific, returned on April 19, 1853. There is no crew list and no reference to Dennis Wood Abstracts. Frink & Prentis was the agent. AV03342.
AOWV and secondary sources provide confusing information about the master for this voyage. AOWV shows Benjamin Hempstead (AM2556) as the master on departure from New London and Capt. Cranskie as a replacement master. Decker and Starbuck show only Capt. Cranskie as a master with no reference to Benjamin. Colby does not reference Capt. Cranskie and shows Benjamin as master of COREA only for its 1845 voyage.
Fortunately, two 1853 articles, one in the New London Daily Chronicle and one in the New York Daily Herald, provide clarity to the issue. The New London paper (1/18/1853): “A letter from Capt. Hempstead, dated Honolulu, Nov. 29th, states ship Corea sailed for this port on the 17th, in charge of Capt. Cranskie”. The New York paper (1/21/1853): “Sld [sailed] from Honolulu, Nov. 17, by letter from Capt. Hemstead, Corea, of and from NL, in charge of Capt. Cranskie;…”. Thus, the information in AOWV is correct: Benjamin was the master until its last stop in Honolulu when Capt. Cranskiebecame replacement master for the return trip to New London.
Unknown is why Capt. Cranskie happened to be in Honolulu and what his experience was as a master or crew member, adding more mystery about him
Sources used: see sidebar and sources cited in text.
George Shaw
American Institute for Maritime Studies
Mystic Seaport Museum
February 2025