William Cranch
William Cranch | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia | |
| In office February 24, 1806 – September 1, 1855 | |
| Appointed by | Thomas Jefferson |
| Preceded by | William Kilty |
| Succeeded by | James Dunlop |
| Judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia | |
| In office March 3, 1801 – February 24, 1806 | |
| Appointed by | John Adams |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 2 Stat. 103 |
| Succeeded by | Allen Bowie Duckett |
| 2nd Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| In office 1801–1815 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander J. Dallas |
| Succeeded by | Henry Wheaton |
| 7th Commissioner of the Federal City | |
| In office January 14, 1801 – March 3, 1801 | |
| Preceded by | Gustavus Scott |
| Succeeded by | Tristram Dalton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1769 |
| Died | September 1, 1855 (aged 86) |
| Resting place | Congressional Cemetery Washington, D.C. |
| Party | Federalist |
| Spouse | Nancy Greenleaf (m. 1795) |
| Children | 4 (including Christopher Pearse Cranch and John Cranch) |
| Parent(s) | Richard Cranch Mary Smith |
| Relatives | Quincy political family |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Signature | |
William Cranch (July 17, 1769 – September 1, 1855) was a United States circuit judge and chief judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia. A staunch Federalist and nephew of First Lady Abigail Adams, Cranch moved his legal practice from Massachusetts to the new national capital, where he became one of three city land commissioners for Washington, D.C., and during his judicial service also was the 2nd Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States and a professor of law at Columbian College (which later became George Washington University).