Cresson married a Sephardic Jewish woman, Rachel Moledano, shortly after his return to Jerusalem in 1852. They had three children, Abigail, Ruth and David Ben-Zion, all of whom died young. He lived the life of a pious Oriental Jew, dressed as a native Sephardi, and became a prominent leader of the community. He was buried on the Mount of Olives. In 2013 Cresson's lost gravesite was rediscovered.