WILLIAM CRAMP (b.1807 - d.1879)

The Cramp family immigrated to America from Germany in the mid-18th century. Their name was originally spelled Krampf, (K-R-A-M-P-F), but was soon Anglicized to Cramp upon their immigration. The family was one of a number of 18th century German families who settled in Kensington and made their living through fishing. The families of Reiss, later Rice, Baker (Backer), Beideman (Beidemann), Collar (Kohler), Gosser, Hill (Huhl), Hoffman, Mood (Mude), Pote (Poth), and Shibe, were all German immigrants who started out as fishermen. Starting a fishing business was inexpensive and an easy step up for the German immigrants. These German families would eventually prosper well beyond anyone's belief and went on to control all the fishing rights on both sides of the Delaware River from Trenton to Cape May. These families put the name "Fish" in "Fishtown."

William Cramp was born on Otis Street, today's Susquehanna Avenue, in September of 1807, and he died at Atlantic City, NJ, July 6th, 1879. Most of his life he lived in Fishtown, on Vienna (Berks) above Queen (Richmond), Queen (Richmond) below Wood (Susquehanna), the rear of Palmer above Queen (Richmond), then at 65 Palmer, and finally at 1033 and 1120 Palmer Street. When he was in his last years of his life he finally moved out of the neighborhood and lived in the 19th Century "new money" neighborhood, on 15th Street, near Master.

Cramp started to study for the ministry under the Rev. George Chandler, another Stainglass window honoree, but due to poor health it was recommended that he take up an outdoor occupation. He decided to go into shipbuilding, the other plentiful occupation in the neighborhood along with fishing which his family was already involved in. One can only imagine what type of preacher Cramp would have been, since his "second love," that of shipbuilding, only became one of the most famous shipyards in the history of the world.

It was through marriage that William Cramp entered the shipbuilding occupation. He had married into a well-known family of shipbuilders. His wife was Sophia Miller, the daughter of Henry Miller, an early Kensington shipwright, who at 21 years old "invested his small fortune in an interest in the cargo of a vessel in one of the earliest voyages after the Revolution from the port of Philadelphia to the East, taking in China, the Indies, and the Philippines." Cramp's mother-in-law, was Elizabeth Byerly, the sister of Kensington shipbuilder John Byerly and one of Sophia's aunts was married to William Sutton, another noted shipbuilder of the day. Another of Cramp's wife's aunts was married to the shipbuilder John Bennett, who went to Bordentown while engaged with his sons at Hoboken as shipwright and shipbuilder for the well known Stevens family.

Through his marriage, Cramp laid the foundation to enter into the shipbuilding business, which traditionally in Philadelphia was dominated by Americans of English decent. In the fishing off-season, Cramp would pick up work as a shipwright. Through his uncle he secured an apprenticeship with William Grice's firm, at Grice's local Kensington shipyard in 1823. Several years later, in 1830, William Cramp opened his first shipyard at the foot of Palmer Street and the Delaware River, building wooden ships. In 1857 he took in his two sons as partners (Charles H. & William M.), and then in 1863 he took in his three other sons (Samuel H., Jacob C., and Theodore). The firm became known as "William Cramp and Sons." By 1870 the shipyard expanded and Cramp rented his Norris street yard. Eventually he bought the property and expanded it. By the 1920's, William Cramp and Sons covered the entire waterfront from Norris Street to Cumberland Street, with support service buildings lining York Street from the river to Almond Street.

William Cramp's health began to decline about 1877. He died in the summer of 1879 and the firm was taken over by his sons. By the 1920's the business was incorporated and the Cramp family was out of the picture. With the depression of the economy coming along, and government contracts drying up after World War One, William Cramp and Sons eventually closed by 1927. The yard opened briefly during the period of World War II (1940-1945), but soon closed at the end of those hostilities.

William Cramp built approximately 225 ships in his time. For several years he was one of the commissioners of the Old Kensington District when it was a self-governing district, as well as a member of the Board of Port Wardens. He was one of the originators of the Union League and a liberal supporter of the Federal & State Governments during the Civil War. Cramp was also an officer and benefactor of the local Kensington Soup Society.

William Cramp with Samuel Hall, Esq., donated the ornate wooden pulpit which once "adored the alter of this church." This pulpit "which had open work on its front panels showing the crimson cloth through its finely carved scrolls, had a dove with an olive leaf immediately over the head of the preacher above." He was a "sincere Christian, a regular attendant at worship," and for twenty years or more a Trustee of the church of the First Presbyterian Church of Kensington. Cramp also was on the building committee of the new church and he is honored for his service to the church with this stainglass window.