T206 Southern Leaguer Bill Cranston

[T206Collector]

There are 20 players I cannot find a signature example for in the T206 set. Bill Cranston is one of them, and he is the only one of the 20 who is confirmed to have lived beyond 1944 -- he lived until 1970, which would have had him living to 89 or 90 depending on the source. So a copy of his signature should be available someplace.

The closest I have come is a World War I draft record showing a Bill Cranston, born on August 9 (or 1), 1880, who had a wife named Grace. I have Bill and Grace in several Census records, and even found an old pic of them together. For what it's worth, his 1908 marriage license shows August 22, 1885 as his birthdate.

Census and marriage records show his profession as baseball player. In fact, his 1920 Census report shows him as a professional baseball player living in Nanticoke, PA (which cemetery he was ultimately buried in 50 years later). But the closest WWI draft registration form (which must have been signed two years prior in 1917 or 1918) that I can find shows a Bill and Grace living in Baltimore, where Bill worked as a foreman at Barlett Hayward, a metalworking company.

So I have meaningful doubt that the WWI registration -- the only document that features Bill Cranston's signature -- is the same Bill & Grace Cranston as the one that is obviously him in the 1920 Census or on his marriage license. Pics attached for reference. Anyone have any thoughts as to whether these each show the same couple? Or whether there's a better exemplar for T206 subject Bill Cranston? Help please.










List of 20 Unknown T206 Subject Signatures

Adkins Doc
Barry Shad
Burch Al
Carey Scoops
Cranston Bill
Davidson Paul
Donahue Jiggs
King Frank
McCauley Pat
Miller Molly
Nichols Simon
O'Brien Pete
Phelan Jimmy
Poland Phil
Powers Doc
Reagan Ed
Ryan Ray
Smith Carlos
Violat Juan
White Foley

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I've dealt extensively with the WWI cards. To find a player working such a job, and even far from his usual home, was not unusual at the time. In fact, he could very well have only been employed there to be a ringer on the company baseball team! Most of these jobs were classified as contributing to the war effort and consequently kept the player from having to fight in the war. Many players managed to snag such comfortable gigs. Cranston! Trim those sideburns!

The first thing you need to research is the company. Hopefully, you might find evidence of a baseball team associated with them.

I rarely deal with career minor leaguers, so this is a fellow I've never looked into. All I can say is that it's never a good idea to quickly dismiss any of these WWI cards just because a bit of info might seem off. You wouldn't believe all the differences to accepted "facts" that I unearthed years ago. Some of the information would be true, some false. It would be a huge job to go through every morsel of info gleaned from the cards to separate fact from error. I have a master list of all my notes from back then with regard to information that didn't jive with what we see from various online sources and hard copy encyclopedias. A veritable ton of differing DOBs, heights, middle names, etc.

[T206Collector]

Thank you. This is helpful information. I also just realized he crossed the space for a middle name out on his draft card — he never used a middle name on any of the other documents I have found for him, so that lines up as well.

I also very much appreciate the Simpson’s reference. If Monty Burns had his way, his starting pitcher on the company softball team would have been Mordecai Brown!

I’ll see what I can find out about Bartlett Hayward, and if they had a company baseball team. Preliminarily your guidance on stashing himself there to avoid going to war makes sense — during World War I, the company made munitions, ship propellers, and other material for the United States and its allies. It made millions of artillery shells and the artillery fuzes for them (9.6 million shells in World War I). It designed new fuze models and designed improved processes for making those shells. In short, it would’ve been the best place for Bill to work to avoid fighting in the war!

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

So many players were working in shipyards at the time. It's remarkable. Many of which were actually in Baltimore.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

So many players were working in shipyards at the time. It's remarkable. Many of which were actually in Baltimore.

You’re not kidding! Check out this link about the Bethlehem Steel League during World War I…..

https://sabr.org/bioproj/topic/bethlehem-steel-league/



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[Leon]

Someone contacted me, today via email, and said


"Read where someone was looking for Signature of William Cranston , he is my Great Grandfather and I’m looking at his daughters birth certificate which has his name and his wife’s name on certificate which is Grace Weir Bevridge His Daughter was Ethel May"

.

[T206Collector]

That's awesome. If his last name is Cranston I'd ask him to sign his great grandfather's T206 card, which is what I did with my Ossee Schrek!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

That's awesome. If his last name is Cranston I'd ask him to sign his great grandfather's T206 card, which is what I did with my Ossee Schrek!

His email address says a different last name but I will email and see what he says.

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[Kevin]

This is the greatest site on the internet! I love this stuff…