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Starkey, who was early in Boston. They
were the parents of four sons.
(VII) Albert Crane, third son of
Thomas (3) and Clarissa L. (Starkey)
Crane, was born December 30, 1842, in
New York City, and died at his beautiful
home in Stamford, Connecticut, September
21, 1918.
The early education of Mr. Crane was
obtained in the schools of his native city
and he prepared for entrance to Tufts
College, Medford, from which he was
graduated in the class of 1863. Mr.
Crane had previously decided to take up
the profession of law for his career and
with that aim in view entered Columbia
Law School, graduating three years later,
and was admitted to practice at the New
York bar the same year, 1866. The love
of fine arts and literature was inborn in
Mr. Crane, and in a few years the sordid-
ness of the city conceived in him a desire
to live in the atmosphere of country life.
Accordingly, he gave up his practice and
retired to the peacefulness of his country
home, "Rock Acre." He was fortunately
blessed in that he was able to gratify his
tastes and desires. He had traveled extensively,
and at least two score times
Mr. Crane had voyaged across the At-
lantic ;
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
his journeyings were over the en-
tire European continent, as well as into
other countries. Mr. Crane seemed to
have an especial fondness for England, as
one writer has said, "an ancestral inheri-
tance perhaps." He spent one entire
season in London, maintaining a home
there, and was presented at Court. While
there he also became a member of the
Thatched House Club, on St. James
street. Many of his English and American
friends were entertained at his English
home.
Mr. Crane's love of music was equally
as great as his love of travel and the arts.
He was a life member of the New York
286
Oratorio Society, and was a director of
the New York Symphony Society.
Among his warm, personal friends in the
world of music was Theodore Thomas.
In 1876, when the first performance of
Wagner's music-drama, "The Niebelungenlied,"
took place at Bayreuth, Mr.
Crane made a special trip there, and also,
in 1882, was at the first hearing of "Par-
sifal."
Many institutions were recipients of
Mr. Crane's benefactions. The Crane
Theological School of Tufts College was
endowed by him with a gift of one hundred
thousand dollars. This was to commemorate
his father's adherence to the
Universalist faith. The Stamford Hospital
stands on a site which was purchased
by a fund donated by Mr. Crane.
By virtue of his descent from Major
Simon Willard, of Concord, Massachusetts,
and John Starkey, of Boston, Mr.
Crane was a life member of the Society
of Colonial Wars. As a great-grandson
of Sergeant Joseph Crane, he was a member
of the Sons of the American Revolution
; was a member of the New York
Historic Genealogical Society ; the Stamford
Historical Society ; Stamford Hospital
Corporation ; New York Historical
Society; the Blue Anchor Society; American
Geographical Society ; and the Union
Club of New York. For seven years,
from 1863 to 1870, Mr. Crane was a member
of the New York National Guard.
On January 24, 1884, Mr. Crane married
(first) Ellen Mansfield Davies, daughter
of Colonel J. Mansfield and Martha M.
(Brooks) Davies, of Fishkill-on-the-Hudson,
and she died January 5, 1893. He
married (second) February 10, 1902,
Fanny Starkey, daughter of George Lyman
and Elizabeth Neal (Ames) Starkey,
of Boston. George Lyman Starkey was
a descendant of John Starkey, the immi-
grant. He married, July 9, 1843, Eliza-