John Cranke

John Cranke
Born	1746
Died	September 6, 1816
Residence	England
Nationality	English
Fields	Mathematician
Institutions	Trinity College, Cambridge
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge
Notable students	Thomas Jones
Notes
He is the son of the notable artist James Cranke.

John Cranke (/kræŋk/; 1746–1816) was an English scientific thinker and clergyman. Cranke was admitted as a sizar at the age of 21 into Trinity College, University of Cambridge on July 1, 1767, after graduating from Sedbergh School. His father was James Cranke, a notable artist who has an entry in Redgrave's Century of English Painters.

Biography

At the University of Cambridge, John Cranke obtained a BA in 1771, an MA in 1774, and a BD (Bachelor of Divinity) in 1792. He became a Fellow of Trinity College in 1772. At Trinity he acted as a tutor in mathematics and is notable as the mentor of Thomas Jones. In 1774, he became the curate of the Chesterton parish, in Cambridgeshire, and the parish curate of Great St Mary's, Cambridgeshire, 1784–1792. He was vicar of the Shudy Camps parish, Cambridgeshire, 1792–1798, then Vicar of Gainford, Durham, during 1798–1816. He died September 6, 1816.

Scientific genealogy

Cranke is notable as the tutor and academic advisor of Thomas Jones resulting in a scientific genealogy containing a significant number of Nobel Prize winners (see Academic genealogy of theoretical physicists).

References

• J. Venn and J.A. Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 1922–1954.