Crane, Charles Paston (1857–1939), RIC officer, resident magistrate, and soldier, was born at Holden Clough, Holden, Yorks. (now Lancs.), son of William Crane (d. 1903), anglican curate, and was educated at home and Exeter College, Oxford (BA 1878). Without previous knowledge of Ireland – at the end of his life his comments on Ireland, based on long, perceptive experience, remained those of an outsider – he gained an RIC cadetship, and served as an officer in Kerry (1879–88), Donegal (1889), and the south-eastern division (1890–94), at the Dublin depot (1894–5), and as private secretary (1895–7) to the inspector-general, Sir Andrew Reed (qv). Crane's experience of agrarian agitation and disturbance led to his giving evidence (1888–9) for The Times against C. S. Parnell (qv), and he later took charge in such episodes as the aftermath of District Inspector Martin's murder (1889) and the founding of ‘New Tipperary’ (1890). None the less, he could later recall only one instance of firing by a policeman – in self-defence – and never had to order police to fire. He was appointed an RM in 1897, and served in Donegal (1897–1900) and Sligo (1901) before returning to Kerry (1901–20). He was also allowed to take two periods of military service: as a yeomanry officer in South Africa (1900–01), and commanding infantry battalions training in England (1914–16). Crane – who always enjoyed hunting, shooting, fishing, and travel – was a vigorous and efficient CO, but by 1916 he was too old for the Western Front and his exertions left him needing extended sick leave before resuming RM duty (1918). He also received an OBE in 1918. He retired after two years, leaving Ireland (where he had had many friends among gentry families) in July 1920.
Crane represented Wandsworth on the London county council (1920–25), and sat on Chelsea borough council (1925–30). He was a keen watercolourist, a founder member (1907–20) of the Kerry Archaeological Society, and a trustee and chairman of Gardner's Trust for the Blind. He died 18 January 1939 and is buried at Heversham, Westmorland (Cumbria). He married (July 1908) Mary Alice Caroline, daughter of Henry Mills Skrine and Lady Mary Skrine of Warleigh Manor, Somerset; she was also a niece of the 4th Earl Temple of Stowe, and great-grand-daughter of the 2nd duke of Buckingham and Chandos. Crane's Kerry (1907) was ninety years later ‘still one of the best guides to Kerry’ (McMorran), and his Memories is a useful record of police and magisterial work and Irish life in a critical period. His brother Hubert William Crane also served as an RIC officer.