The other 7 children are still living. Elizabeth married Rufus Dawes, a son of the late Judge Dawes of Boston. Abby Adams married the Rev. William G. Eliot of St. Louis, Missouri, where they reside and have a number of children. William has been a clerk in the Patent Office. He was two years at Harvard University; but his delicate health and feeble constitution obliged him to leave his studies in his Junior year. The other sons were educated at the Columbian College in the District of Columbia. John spent three or four years in Italy, in drawing and painting, to perfect his knowledge of these branches, and now resides in Boston, where he pursues the employment of drawing and painting. Edward Pope is settled in Cincinnati as a lawyer. Christopher Pearse has been a preacher of the Gospel, but has lately turned his attention to portrait painting, and is now in Italy. Mrs. Cranch deceased Sept. 17, 1843.
In the year 1800, Judge Cranch was appointed one of the Commissioners of the City of Washington, which office he resigned in 1801, when he was, by President Adams, appointed the junior assistant Judge of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, under the act of Congress of Feb. 27, 1801; the late Governor Thomas Johnson of Maryland, who had been one of the Commissioners of the City of Washington, having been appointed Chief Judge; and Mr. James Marshall, brother of the late Chief Justice Marshall, having been appointed elder assistant Judge. Gov. Johnson refused to accept the office; and Mr. Jefferson appointed William Kitty, Esq., Chief Judge. Mr. Marshall resigned in 1803, and Nicholas Fitzhugh, Esq., of Virginia, was appointed in his place.
In 1805, Mr. Kitty having been appointed Chancellor of Maryland, Judge Cranch was appointed by Mr. Jefferson to the office of Chief Justice, which office he now holds; and by virtue of that office is sole Judge of the District Court of the United States, for the District of Columbia, which has the same jurisdiction as the other District Courts of the United States have.
He has published nine volumes of Reports of cases in the Supreme Court of the United States, a Memoir of the life, character, and writings of President John Adams, (70 pages,) read before the Columbian Institute, March 16, 1827, and an Address upon the subject of Temperance, in 1831, a small pamphlet.
Judge Cranch is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of the American Antiquarian Society. He has received also the degree of Doctor of Laws from Harvard College.
PROFESSOR EBENEZER ADAMS OF HANOVER, N. H.
Professor Adams was the son of Ephraim Adams of New Ipswich, N. H., who was a highly respectable man, having been a magistrate, an officer in the church, and a representative of the town. He was born in that place, Oct. 2, 1765. The father was a native of Ipswich, Ms., born in that part of the town which is now Hamilton. He was brought up on the farm which was first occupied by his ancestor, one of the eight sons of Henry Adams, who came to this country from Devonshire, England, and settled in that part of Braintree now called Quincy, about the year 1630. The father of Dea. Adams, whose baptismal name was Thomas, was either the grandson or great-grandson of this ancestor. The first wife of Dea. Adams was Rebecca, daughter of James Locke, who was a native of Woburn, Ms., and died in Ashby, Ms. The name of his second wife is not known. The children of Dea. Adams were fifteen in number.
The subject of this sketch fitted for college at the Academy in New Ipswich, under the care of Hon. John Hubbard, who was afterwards Professor in Dartmouth College. Having graduated at that institution in 1791, with high reputation as a scholar, especially in mathematics and philosophy, he went immediately into the Academy at Leicester, Ms., where he spent fifteen years, fourteen of which he was the Principal. In 1806, he took charge of the Academy at Portland, Me., which he left after a year and a half, having accepted the Professorship of Mathematics in Phillips Academy, Exeter. In 1809 he was appointed Professor of the Languages in Dartmouth College, and in 1810, upon the death of Professor Hubbard, he was transferred to the department of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and continued in that office until 1833—twenty-three years—when he was induced by advancing age and infirmities to resign all active and responsible service in the College; his connection with it since being simply that of Professor Emeritus, which continued until his death.
Professor Adams possessed great constitutional energies, both physical and mental. These he carried into active life. As an instructor he was able and accurate. No one surpassed him in faithfulness, and hence it was proverbial that he made thorough scholars. In the Languages he was good, but in Mathematics and Philosophy he excelled as a teacher.