Hiram Cronk

{{Short description|Last surviving U.S. veteran of the War of 1812}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Hiram Cronk

| image = Hiram Cronk.jpg

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1800|4|19}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1905|5|13|1800|5|13}}

| birth_place = Frankfort, New York, U.S.

| death_place = Dunn Brook, Oneida County, New York, U.S.

| burial_place = Cypress Hills National Cemetery

| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Thornton|1824|June 18, 1885|end=her death}}

| occupation = Farmer, shoemaker

| children = 7

| module = {{Infobox military person

| embed = yes

| embed_title = Military service

| allegiance= {{flag|United States|1795}}

| branch = New York Militia

| branch_label = Branch

| serviceyears = 1814

| rank = Private

| unit = Captain Edmund Fuller's Company

| battles = War of 1812

| battles_label = Wars}}

}}

Hiram Cronk (April 19, 1800 – May 13, 1905) was the last surviving U.S. veteran of the War of 1812.

Early life and military service

Hiram Cronk was born in Frankfort, New York, on April 19, 1800. He was mustered into federal service as a private in Captain Edmund Fuller's Company (detached from the New York Militia) on October 8, 1814. Having served five weeks in defense of Sackett's Harbor, he was mustered out on November 16, 1814.{{cite book|author=|date=1908|title=The Constitution and Register of Membership of the General Society of the War of 1812|url=https://archive.org/details/constitutionregi00soci|location=Philadelphia, Pa.|page=[https://archive.org/details/constitutionregi00soci/page/266/mode/2up 267]|lccn=09014021|ol=23290761M|via=Internet Archive}}

The Cronk family was of Dutch descent.{{cite book |author=Jerome Wiltsee Sr. |date=1908 |title=A Genealogical and Psychological Memoir of Philippe Maton Wiltsee and his Descendants |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RaVbAAAAMAAJ&q=hiram%20cronk%20 |page=77 |via=Google Books }}

Later life and death

File:Funeral of Hiram Cronk.ogg

Cronk spent most of his life working as a shoemaker. For his wartime service, he received a pension of $12 per month. In 1903, Congress increased it to $25 per month. He also received a special pension of $72 per month from the State of New York. He died in Dunn Brook, Oneida County, New York, on May 13, 1905, at the age of 105.

After his death, Cronk's body was displayed in the main lobby of New York City Hall. An estimated 925,000 people paid their respects. He is interred in the Mount of Victory, Cypress Hills National Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York.

Personal life

Cronk married Mary Thornton in 1825, with whom he had seven children. At the time of his death, he had 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren (his great-granddaughter Jane lived to over 100 years of age, making the two "serial centenarians").