From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 

Typed by Laurie Birks Dean

pp. 460-461

Hon. Gibson Lamb CRANMER, whose name authenticates the journals of 
the important convention that met June 11, 1861, in Wheeling, as its 
clerk, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, February 20, 1826.  His father 
was Dr. John Cranmer, who at the time of his death, during the 
cholera epidemic of 1833, was the oldest practicing physician in 
Cincinnati, - his death resulted from overwork during that scourge.
	Judge Cranmer came to Wheeling at the age of seventeen years 
and began the study of law with his relative, Daniel Lamb, Esq.  He 
remained in this city for eighteen months and then removed to 
Springfield, Illinois, where he formed a partnership with Antrim 
Campbell, Esq.  He later entered into a partnership with James C. 
Conkling in the law and real estate business.  He returned to 
Wheeling in 1850, a few months after his marriage, owing to the ill 
health of his wife.  He was a member of the General Assembly of 
Virginia from Ohio county during the session of 1855-1856; was a 
delegate to the preliminary convention that met early in 1861 to 
consider the political situation in West Virginia, and was secretary 
of the same.  He was made clerk of the subsequent convention that 
formally began restorative legislation, and was clerk of the House of 
Delegates under the "Restored Government of Virginia."  He was 
president of the Antietam National Cemetery Association at the time 
that burial ground was turned over to the national government.  He 
was judge of the Municipal Court of Wheeling for eight years, and 
practices in all the courts of Wheeling.  Judge Cranmer possesses 
superior literary taste, and has written a large number of historical 
sketches and other newspaper and magazine articles that possess a 
high degree of merit both for the matter they contain and the 
excellence of their composition.
	May 22, 1849, Judge Cranmer was married to Oella Zane, a 
daughter of Daniel Zane, of Wheeling.  Religiously, he is a member 
and ruling elder of the First Presbyterian church.  A portrait of 
Judge Cranmer appears on page 12 of this volume.