Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/125

 office as Secretary for Lands, surrendered the Premiership to Mr. Cowper, who held it till Oct. 1863, when the Martin Ministry came in, but was in turn defeated in Feb. 1865, when Mr. Cowper became Premier and Colonial Secretary for the third time in a period of great financial difficulty, and he resorted to ad valorem duties to tide the colony over the crisis. In Jan. 1866 Mr. Martin again came into power; and the Robertson Ministry having intervened, Mr. Cowper became Premier and Colonial Secretary for the fifth time in Jan. 1870. He, however, resigned in December following, to become Agent-General for New South Wales in London. As a mark of appreciation of his public services the estate of Wivenhoe was purchased by public subscription, and settled on Lady Cowper. Mr. Cowper was created K.C.M.G., and died on Oct. 19th, 1875, in London, having resigned the AgentGeneralship some time previously.

Cowper, Charles, Sheriff of New South Wales, is the son of the late, K.C.M.G. (q.v.); and having been appointed clerk of the Executive Council of New South Wales, was a member of his father's Ministry, without a seat in the Cabinet, from Jan. 1861 to Oct. 1863. He is now sheriff of that colony.

'''Cowper, Ven. Archdeacon William''', D.D., was born at Whittington, in Lancashire, on Dec. 28th, 1780, and ordained in 1808, when he was for a short time curate of Bawdon, near Leeds. He commenced his career in Sydney in August of the following year as assistant colonial chaplain, and was incumbent of St. Philip's. He was made Archdeacon of Cumberland and Camden in 1848, and was Commissary during Bishop Broughton's absence in 1852. Archdeacon Cowper died in Sydney on July 6th, 1858.

'''Cowper, Very Rev. and Ven. William Macquarie', M.A., Dean of Sydney, is the son of the late (q.v.'') and was born in Sydney on July 3rd, 1810. Dean Cowper was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1833 and M.A. in 1835. He was ordained deacon in 1833 and priest in the following year, and was curate of St. Petrox, Dartmouth, from 1833 to 1836, when he was appointed chaplain to the Australian Agricultural Company at Port Stephens, a post which he held for twenty years, when he became Principal of Moore College. In 1858 he was appointed Dean and Archdeacon of Sydney, and Vicar-General in 1866.

Cox, Alfred, youngest son of William Cox, of the 102nd Regiment, was born in Sydney in 1825, where his father, who had accompanied his regiment thither, had settled. He was educated at King's School, Parramatta, and in 1844 visited England, but returned to the colonies two years later. In 1854 he paid a visit to Canterbury, N.Z., and after another trip to England in the following year settled finally in the south of Canterbury, in 1857. In 1861 he represented Geraldine in the Provincial Council. After an attempt to establish himself in the Waikato, which was frustrated by the Te Kooti raid, Mr. Cox returned to Canterbury, where, for the most part, he has since lived. Mr. Cox is the author of "Recollections," 1884, and "Men of Mark of New Zealand," 1886.

Cracknell, Edward Charles, Superintendent of Electric Telegraphs, N.S.W., was born at Rochester, England, in 1831, and educated at Oxford. He came to Adelaide as Assistant Superintendent of Telegraphs in Nov. 1855, and became Assistant Superintendent of Telegraphs, N.S.W., in Jan. 1858, opening the first telegraph line to Liverpool on the 26th of that month. In 1861 he became Superintendent of Telegraphs. In 1876 he studied torpedo warfare, and is lieut.-colonel commanding the N.S.W. Torpedo and Signalling Corps. His younger brother, Mr. William John Cracknell, was for many years Superintendent of Telegraphs in Queensland.

Crane, Right Rev. Martin, D.D., O.S.A., Roman Catholic Bishop of Sandhurst, Victoria, was born in the county of Wexford, Ireland, in 1818. After spending his novitiate as an Augustinian at Grantstown, Wexford, and studying at Perugia, in Italy, he returned to Ireland in 1849, and was twice Provincial of the Augustinian Order. On Sept. 21st, 1874, he was consecrated first Bishop of Sandhurst in the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, by Cardinal Cullen. In 1882 Dr. Crane visited Rome, and his sight having become impaired, he did not return to his diocese till Feb. 1886, Dr. Reville having in the meantime acted as administrator of the diocese, and subsequently as coadjutor, a position he still holds. 109