He was probably born in Shopshire, England near the Welsh border He came to Boston 1n 1634, was associated with the Congreational Church in 1635 and was in Providence, R.I. in 1637 He went to R.I. because of Baptist principles. He was a close friend of Roger Williams. He was one of four men who went to England in 1663 and had the King declare Rhode Island a free State and given political and religious freedom. The original charter can be found in the Rhode Island Historical Library. Also proof is in the Colonial records and Callander's history of Rhode Island. He, along with six others including his wife and his daughter Rachael Langsworthy, formed the Seventh Day Baptist Church. Rhode Island was formed by Baptists.He was the first elder in the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Westerly R.I. He,along with Obediah Holmes, John Clark and Roger Williams should be looked upon as the first pioneers of Religious and Political freedom in America. He settled along with others at Westerly, R.I. and immediately Mass. and Conn. claimed the land. He spent 2 years in the Conn. jail until the King gave Westerly to R.I. Mary A, Best wrote a book " The Town that Saved a State- Westerly " and gave John Crandall a lot of the credit. In the book " Elder John Crandall of Rhode Island " in was claimed that he was the son of Sir John Crandall but was disowned because he left the Church of England to become a Baptist. The name of his first wife is not known but she died in 1670 and buried in Westerly, R.I. He headed the list of FREE Inhabitants of Westerly in 1639. He was one of the original purchasers of land from Chief Sosoa of Narragansett of the Misquamicutt tribe. The land held the settlement of Westerly. Mormon F H L says that he was born in Newport R.I. but there is no records of his father being in the Americas and he was active in the church in Boston in 1634. This would have been impossible at the age of 5. The reason that he died in Newport is that he had been driven from his home by the King Philip War. ---------------------------------------------------------------- In the Compendium of American Genealogy he was a commissioner in 1658, 1662 1n 1663 and was a Deputy from Westerly in 1670/71 ----------------------------------------------------------------- From Gaffney/Heffeneb Family History John Crandall Sr. on 21 Jul 1651 with John Clarke and Obadiah Holmes were arrested in Lynn, Mass by a constable for preaching Baptist thought and taken to Boston. Ten days later, on July 31, he was sentenced to pay a fine of 5 pounds and be publicly whipped. He was later released from prison on his promise of appearing at the next court. In 1655 he became a freeman at Weserly, R.!. and in 1658-59-62-64 he served as a commissioner. On Sept1 1667 he received a half share at Westerly, R.!.. Also in the same year he served as a Deputy to the R.!. Assembly. On 17 Oct 1667 Conn. issued a complaint that he had trespassed to the west side of Pawcatuck River and laid out one square for his son. On May 14 May 1669 he and Jospeh Torrey were appointed commissioners to treat with Connecticut over land disputes. The R.!. Colony borrowd money to pay for their expenses. On 18 Nov 1669 the Conn. government wrote a letter to R.!. authorities complaining that John Crandall and others had appropriated a large portion of Stonington Twp. and demanded compensation. Crandall and Tobias Sanders answered on the part of Westerly denying guilt but complained of the rough treatment by Conn. On 19 Jun 1670 John Crandall Sr. as Conservator of the Pease reported to the R.!. Governor that men from Conn. had intruded into R.!. and carried away some of the inhabitants as prisoners. On 2 Aug 1670 personal tragity struck with the death of his wife. On 30 Oct. 1670 he deeded everything he owned to his son of Newport. On 30 Jan 1671 as a R.!. deputy the assemly gave him money to hire a horse and go to Hartford Conn.. Conn. authorities seized and held him prisoner and the R.!. Assembly advised him not to give bond and if imprisoned the R.!. Colony would bear his charges and try to justify his acts. A few days later the Assembly paid his charges. In 1675 he was ailing as of 23 Jan 1675 a letter from Ruth Burdick of Westerly to her father, Samuel Hubbard, saying that brother Crandall hath the ague and fever for most of the year. In 1676 he and family fled the Wampanoag Indians during the King Philip's War to Newport where he died ----------------------------------------------------------------- From The First Hundred Years Pawcatuck Seventh Day Baptist Church 1840-1940 The Rev. John Crandall worked diligently in expounding the Sabbath truth in and around New London, Conn. the first believers to be baptized by Elder Crandall were John and James Rogers and an Indian named Japheth. Conneticut, in all purposes, had congregationalism as a state religion and efforts were made to compel everyone to observe the first day of the week. This, of Course, caused severe friction and ultimately Rev. John Crandall was imprisoned in Hartford and later John Rogers, James Rogers and the latter's three sons for working on the first day of the week. However, with the aid of brothern from Newport, the work continued and spiritual and lineal descendants of Seventh Day Baptists in the efforts in New London formed the Waterford Church. An Unbroken line of Seventh Day Baptists in Waterford for practically three hundred years as been the results. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From Records of the Colony of Rhode Island. In 1671 he signed a document in court saying that he was loyal to his magesties and this colony. In 1671 Mr John Crandall and Tobiah Sanders we appointed Conservators of the peace. Since all men had signed allegence to the king and Rhode Island, they were to see that no one from Conn. would come and try to change their loyalty ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fron A Crandall Heritage and Legacy - by Julian Titsworth Crandall 1651 July 21 - He, with John Clarke and Obediah Holmes being the representatives of the Church or Newport, upon the request of William Witter, of Lynn, arrived there, he being a brother of the Church who be reason of his age could not visit the Church. William Witter lived two miles from Lynn and the next day being Sunday they spent in religious services at his house and were apprehended by two constables at the instance of Mass. authorities , while Mr. Clare was preaching and the next morning they were sent to prison in Boston For the dire offence of holding this little meeting and on other frivolous pretexts, Obehiah Holmes was fined and imprisoned and whipped. ---------------------------------------------------------------- From GENEALOGY OF ELDER JOHN CRANDALL AND HIS DESCENDANTS by A.P.Crandall 1651 JULY 31 He was sentanced to pay a fine of 5 pounds or be publically whipped. He was released from prison upon his promise of appearing in next court. 1661 Aug 27 He and eight others signed a letter of the Court of Commissioners of Rhode Island concerning a tract of land at Westerly that they and others desired approbation and assistance of Rhone Islend in settling upon. 1661 September 9 He had a half share at Westerly assigned him. 1667 Oct 17 Westerly. he was complained of in a letter from Conn. to R.I. authorities for having come on the west side of Pawcatuck River and laid out about a square mile of land for his son. 1669 May 14 He and Joseph Torry were appointed commissioners to treat with Conn. relative to jurisdiction of land. The sum of 35 shillings was lent to the Colony of R.I. by individuals for John Crandall's visit to Conn. 1669 May 18 His name was on the list of inhabitants of Westerly. 1669 Nov. 18 A letter was sent to him by Governor and assistants of Conneticut complaing that he and others had appropriated a great parcel of Stonington Township and seeking for satisfaction. 1670 March 11 He and Tobias Saunders answered on behalf of Westerly denying any guilt in the matter complained of. 1670 June 19 He, as Conservator of the Peace of Westerly wrote a letter a little prior to this date to the Governor of R.I. inform him of an entrance made into our jurisdiction by some of Conneticut and of their carrying away some of our inhabitants prisoners. 1670 Aug 2 his first wife was buried. 1670 Oct. 3 He deeded his eldest son, John of Newport, for love & all my goods, Chattels, debts, household untensils, and all other personal estate, moveable or immoveable quick or dead - putting him in quiet and peaceable possession by payment of 1 s in silver, by his son. 1670 - 71 Deputy from Westerly. 1671 Jan.30 Bills were allowed by Assembly for the hire of a boat to go to Narragansett with Mr. John Crandall Sr. in the year 1670 and for the hire of Sarah Reape's horse for use by John Crandall to go to Hartford. 1671 May 2 He having been apprehended and now is in durance by the Colony of Conn. and having desired the advice of the Governor of R.I. whether to give bond or abide imprisonment, the Colony will bear his charges and endeavor to justify his actings therein. 1671 May 6 He was allowed 20 shillings to bear his charge in Conn. 1675 Jan 23 In a letter from Ruth Burdick to her father, Samuel Hubbard, of Newport she says " Brother Crandall hath the ague and fever still, and have been but little amongst us in winter. Sister Crandall is brought to bed with a son and is in a hoeful way HE DIED IN NEWPORT HAVING MOVED THERE ON ACCOUNT OF THE INDIAN WAR. Samuel Hubbbard wrote "My dear brother, John Crandall of Squamicut is dead and his wife, a Sabboth keeper, the first that dies in tha blessed faith in New England. Relying on the charter the settlers hoped to live among the Red Men in peace. They soon found that they had a stiff fight ahead with white neighbors to keep the land that they had bought and cleared. John Crandall and Tobias Saunderswere appointed Conservators of His Magesty's Peace, a job that was no sinecure. Hardly had the settlers taken shelter in their dougouts and cabins found it necessary to use clubs to adjust some differences in opinions with neighbors across the river. John Clarke, John Crandall, Obediah Holmes and Roger Williams went to England in the year 1663 and obtained from King Charles the second, a charter which secured the Colony of Rhode Island as a free state, where there was guarantee, forever, from the King and all his successors, that all the inhabitants of Rhode Island Colony would be given political and Religious Freedpm, no matter what country they came from. Obediah Holmes, John Clarke, John Crandall and Roger Williams should really be looked upon as the first pioneers of Religious and Political Freedom in America. His early history in clouded , some say that he was associated with the Congregational Church in Salem in 1635. Also that he and Roger Williams were among the founders of Providence. He definitely was in Providence as early as 1637. We do know that he was active in the Baptist Church in Newport, R.I. July 21, 1651. He next is listed as Freeman in Newport in 1655. He was the first Baptist Elder at Westerly John Crandall was a minister of the Salem church but he adopted the opinions of the Baptists which were very obnoxious to the Congregationalists and in the Autum of 1635 he was dismissed as pastor. At this time there was much opposition to all dissenters from the authorized senets of the Puritans. He was active in public offices at various times. In 1658, 1659, 1662 and 1663 he was a commissioner and a deputy to the General Court in 1667, 1670 and 1671 repesenting Westerly during the latter two terms. ----------------------------------------------------------------F From "Crandall One branch of the tree." The material about Elder John Crandall is a repeat of much of above but there is a few additions.His mother was supposed to be a Scottish lady and he was born on the line between England and Wales. The colonies of Rhode Island and Penn., one founded by the Baptists and the other by the Quakers were the only two Colonies that guaranteed absolute liberty It is interesting that the growth of Democracy came from the struggle for Liberty and Independence in the Revolutionary War and that the Colony of Rhode Island and the men who started it namely Obediah Holmes, John Clark, Joh Crandall and William Rogers should really be looked up as the first pioneers of Religiou and Political Freedom in America. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From Crandall Genealogy by A.R. Crandall of Milton College, Wisc. Most of the materials back up the above materials. One interesting note that Governor Endicutt of Mass. was the one who fined him and his associated from ten to twenty pounds each and imprisonment till paid. This was for holding that religious meeting near Lynn, Mass. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From REPRESENTATIVE MEN AND OLD FAMILIES OF RHODE ISLAND Reverand John Crandall the first American ancestor of the Crandalls came from Wales to Boston, Mass in 1634/35. He was a baptist minister and was among those that were persecuted in the Boston Colony and so fled to Rhode Island to find the freedom of thought denied them in Mass. He settled first in Providence in 1637 and later in Westerly, R. I. where he became the first elder On July 21 , 1651 he and John Clarke and Obediah Holmes were thrown into prison in Boston for preaching and on July 31 he was sentenced to pay a pound s or be publicly whipped. He and his followers were instrumental in the settlement of Westerly but later he and his family moved to Portsmouth to escape the Indians and there died in 1676. He was one of the first preachers of the old Seventh Day Baptist Church. Twice married , his second wife's name was Hannah Gaylord and his children were John, Jane, Sarah, Peter, Jseph, Samuel Jeremiah and Eber. From this source came all the early families of the name in Rhode Island and Conn. as well as those that settled in New York. Pg 1115 of same book John Crandall appears at Newport R.I. as early as the year 1651 where he was associated with the Baptists. He subsequently became became the first elder of that denomation at Westerly. He was a freeman in 1655, was commissioner several years 1658 - 1662 inclusive. He had a half a square assigned to him at Westerly in 1661, was deputy in 1667 and again in 1670-71, He died in Newport having moved there on account of the Indian War. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From GENEALOGY DICTIONARY OF RHODE ISLAND by John O.Austin The materials in this book are exactly the same as in A CRANDALL HERITAGE AND LEGACY above. One must have copied the other. ----------------------------------------------------------------- From ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ALLIED FAMILIES by John O.Austin The same material as in preceeding two books -----------------------------------------------------------------

From RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF RHODE ISLAND-The courts at Westerly. R.I. in 1671 called John Crandall to see how he stood on loyalty to his magesty