Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cramp, John Mockett
CRAMP, JOHN MOCKETT, D.D. (1791–1881), baptist minister, son of Rev. Thomas Cramp, founder of the baptist church at St. Peter's in the Isle of Thanet, and its pastor for many years, who died 17 Nov. 1851, aged 82, was born at St. Peter's 25 July 1791, and educated at Stepney College, London. In 1818 he was ordained pastor of the baptist chapel in Dean Street, Southwark, and from 1827 to 1842 assisted his father in the pastorate of St. Peter's. The baptist chapel at Hastings had the benefit of his services from 1842 to 1844, when he removed to Montreal, Canada, having the appointment of president of the baptist college in that city. During part of his tenure of that post he was associated with Dr. Benjamin Davis, the distinguished Semitic scholar. Cramp settled at Accadia College, Nova Scotia, in June 1851, as its president, and did much by his exertions to increase the utility and insure the success of that institution. He originated the endowment scheme and threw himself vigorously into the work of placing the college on a sure financial basis by helping to raise forty-eight thousand dollars during eight months in 1857. After his resignation in 1869 he devoted himself to theological literature, and besides his printed works left in manuscript a ‘System of Christian Theology.’ He edited the ‘Register,’ a Montreal weekly religious journal, from 1844 to 1849, when it ceased to exist. In conjunction with the Rev. W. Taylor, D.D., he conducted the ‘Colonial Protestant,’ a monthly magazine, from 1848 to 1849, when it was discontinued, and he was general editor of the ‘Pilot’ newspaper from 1849 until he removed to Nova Scotia. In the ‘Christian Messenger’ of Halifax he published ‘A History of the Baptists of Nova Scotia,’ and contributed to a large extent to various other religious and secular journals.
He died at Wolfville, Nova Scotia, 6 Dec. 1881, undoubtedly the most learned man of the baptist denomination who ever resided in the lower province of Canada.
Cramp was the author or editor of the following works: 1. ‘Bartholomew Day Commemorated,’ a sermon, 1818. 2. ‘Sermon on Day of Interment of George III,’ 1820. 3. ‘An Essay on the Obligations of Christians to observe the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day,’ 1824. 4. ‘On the Signs of the Times,’ 1829. 5. ‘The Inspiration of the Scriptures.’ 6. ‘Sermon on Death of George IV,’ 1830. 7. ‘A Text-book of Popery, comprising a history of the Council of Trent,’ 1831, several editions. 8. ‘Sermon on Death of William IV,’ 1837. 9. ‘Lectures on Church Rates,’ 1837. 10. ‘The Scripture Doctrine of the Person of Christ.’ 11. ‘The Reformation in Europe,’ 1844. 12. ‘Lectures for these Times,’ 1844. 13. ‘Inaugural Address and Introductory Lecture to the Theological Course at Accadia College,’ 1851. 14. ‘Scriptures and Tradition.’ 15. ‘A Portraiture from life, by a Bereaved Husband,’ 1862. 16. ‘The Great Ejectment of 1662,’ 1862. 17. ‘A Catechism of Christian Baptism,’ 1865. 18. ‘Baptist History from the Foundation of the Christian Church to the Eighteenth Century,’ 1868, several editions. 19. ‘The Lamb of God,’ 1871. 20. ‘Paul and Christ,’ a portraiture, 1873. 21. ‘Memoir of Madame Feller, with an account of the origin of the Grande Ligne Mission,’ 1876. 22. ‘Memoir of Dr. Coté.’
[Morgan's Bibliotheca Canadensis (1867), p. 84; Morgan's Dominion Annual Register, 1880–1881, p. 403; Times, 26 Dec. 1881, p. 7.]