Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/56

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num and Anna (Watson) Cresson. He enj^aKfil in nuTcantile business and amassetl a fortune, from wliieh he gave liberally to various charita- ble institutions. lie devoted much money antl time to the plan of establishing colonies of American negroes in Africa, and was president of the colonizjition society for a time, and the agent of that society in New England, 1838-39; in the south, 1839—10; and in Great Britain in 1840— i2 and 18r)0-")3. He divided among various charitable objects Sl'20,000, and gave land valued at .i!3.(KK) to provide a " Home for superannuated mcn-hants and gentlemen.'' He died in Phila- d.di.liia. Pa.. Fob. -JO. is.-,}.

CRESSON, John Chapman, educator, was born in Philadelphia. Pa., March 16, 1806; son of Joseph and Mercy (Chapman), grandson of the Rev James and Sarah (Hooton) Cresson, and of Dr. John Chapman, representative in the 4.*)tli congre.s.s; great-grandson of John and Re- becca and great^ grandson of Solomon and Anna (Watson) Cres.son who came from France to America early in the 17th century. On his mother's side he descended from John Chapman who settled in Pennsylvania in 1684 and was one i>f the principal surveyors for William Penn. He attended the Friends' academy, Philadeljdiia, and Ijegan the .study of medicine which he aban- doned to become an agriculturist. He attended lectures on the subject at the University of Pennsylvania, and also studied practical agricul- ture. He was married in May, 1827, to Letitia Loui-sa, daughter of Charles Massey, and engaged in farming in Cheltenham, Pa., until 1834, when he removed to Philadelphia. He was elected superintendent of the Philadelphia gas works in 1836, and engineer soon after. He became a memljer of the Franklin institute in 1831, was profe.ssor of mechanics and natural philosophy in the Institute, 1837-05, and president from 18")5. He was also professor of mechanics and natural philosophy in the City high school for two years. He was for several years manager of the Schuylkill navigation company; was pre.si- dent of the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven railroad company, 1847-76; an original commis- sioner and later chief engineer of Fairmount jiark; a trustee of the University of Pennsylva- nia, 18">2-76; a manager and vice-president of the Penn.sylvania institution for the instruction of the blind ; a manager of the Episcopal hospital, and prominently identified with many charita- ble, religious and educational institutions. He was elected a member of the American philo- s<^)phical society in 1839, and was a vice-president, ls.')7-76. He received the degree of A.M. from tlie University of Pennsylvania in 1844, and that of PhD from the University of Lewisburg in 1H46. He died in Philadelphia. Jan 27. 1876.

CRESWELL, John Angel James, senator, was born in Port Deposit, Md., Nov. 18, 1828. He was graduated at Dickinson college in 184& with the highest honors of his cla.ss and was ad- mitted to the Baltimore bar in 18r)0. He was a member of the Wliig party and on its dissolution he acted with the Democrats and was a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1856. When the issue arose between the free and slave states he became a pronounced Union man and u.sed his influence in his state to prevent its se- cession. In November, 1861, he was elected a representative from Cecil county in the Mary- land legislature, and in 1862-63 was adjutant- general of the state. He represented Maryland in the 38th U.S. congress, 1863-65, and in an eloquent speech before that body advocated the abolition of slavery. In 1865 the legislature of Maryland elected him a United States senator to fill the unexpired term of Thomas H. Hicks, de- ceased. In the senate he was appointed to deliver the eulogy upon the life of Henry Winter Davis who had been his colleague in the 38th congress. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Baltimore in 1864; in 1866 was a member of the Loyalists' convention at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1867 of the Border States convention at Baltimore, and in 1868 of the Republican national convention at Chicago. He opposed the administration of President Johnson and was one of the first in congress to advocate the impeachment measures. In 1868 he was- elected secretary of the U.S. senate but declined, the office. Upon the accession of Gen. U. S. Grant to the presidencj-, March 4, 1869, he ap- pointed Mr. Creswell postmaster-general. On June 22, 1874, the President appointed him counsel for the United States in the court of commissioners sitting on the Alabama claims and thereupon he resigned his jwrtfolio in the cabinet to accept the position and served as coun.sel until Dec. 21, 1876. When disaster over- took the Freedman's saving and trust company, Mr. Creswell was appointed one of the commis- sioners to close up the business of the concern. He was president of the Citizens' national bank of Washington, D.C., and vice-pre.sident of the National bank of Elkton. Dickinson college gave him the honorary degree of LL. D. in 1871. He died in Elkton. Md., Dec. 23, 1891.

CRETIN, Joseph, R.C. bishop, was born in Montluel, department I'Ain, France, Dec. 10, 1799. He made his theological studies in the seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris, where he received tonsure in 1820, minor orders Nov. 24, 1821, was made deacon, May 1, 1823, and was ordained, Dec. 20, 1H23, by Mgr. Devie. On July 1, 1S31, he was nominated Cure de Ferney. He decided to devote himself to foreign mission work, and: