William Cranch
| William Cranch | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Chief Judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia | |
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In office February 24, 1806 – September 1, 1855 |
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| Appointed by | Thomas Jefferson |
| Preceded by | William Kilty |
| Succeeded by | James Dunlop |
| Judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia | |
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In office March 3, 1801 – February 24, 1806 |
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| Appointed by | John Adams |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Allen Duckett |
| Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
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In office 1801–1815 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Dallas |
| Succeeded by | Henry Wheaton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 17, 1769 Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay, British America |
| Died | September 1, 1855 (aged 86) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Congressional Cemetery |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
William Cranch (July 17, 1769 – September 1, 1855) was an American judge and the second reporter of decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, he was a nephew of Abigail Adams. His father was Richard Cranch, an English-born clockmaker and Massachusetts legislator and his mother was Mary Smith, the elder sister of Abigail Smith Adams. His uncle by marriage was John Adams, the second President of the United States. His first cousin was John Quincy Adams, the sixth President. William Cranch graduated from Harvard College with honors in 1787 and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1790. From 1791 to 1800, Cranch worked as a legal agent for a real estate firm in Washington.
When land speculation bankrupted him, his uncle John Adams rescued him by appointing him to be Inspector of Public Buildings in 1800. Then, in 1801, Cranch was selected as one of the two associate justices for the District of Columbia Circuit Court. Cranch, like William Marbury, was one of the "Midnight Judges" appointed under the Judiciary Act of 1801 that led to the Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison. The nomination was put forth on February 28, 1801, and Cranch was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 3, 1801, receiving his commission the same day.
In 1805, Cranch became a member of the first board of Trustees for Public Schools and served on that board for 7 years.
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