 James Cranke taught one of his sons, James Cranke Jr (1746–1826), to follow him as a portrait painter.The success of James Cranke and his son as portrait painters helped their family to become important local landowners.Steelworks
In 1854 the Furness Railway persuaded their descendants to sell their rural estate at Hindpool, and this enabled the development of Barrow as a town to begin in earnest.