Draft:Peter Wood Crain

Peter Wood Crain (1806 – April 6, 1892) was a justice of the Maryland Court of Appeals in 1867.

"Ex-Judge Peter W. Crain, died at the Howard House, in Baltimore, on Wednesday morning last. Death resulted from a general failure of his vital powers, due to his great age. Judge Crain was 86 years old, having been born in Charles county. He received his early education in the public schools of Charles county, and his more advanced studies were pursued at Charlotte Hall. He read law with the late John T. Stoddard and graduated from a law school in Winchester, Va., 1827. The year following, he commenced the practice of his profession in Port Tobacco, and soon gained for himself an enviable reputation as a lawyer. In 1841, he was elected to the legislature and was returned several times. He was appointed by the Governor in 1840 Chief Justice on the bench in the Southern Maryland judicial circuit, and served until 1851, when a new constitution made the judiciary elective, when he was elected for ten years to serve as judge of the judicial circuit, comprising Charles, St. Mary's and Prince George's counties. At the expiration of his term, he removed to Baltimore and commenced the practice of his profession in the city. He was in 1867, appointed to a seat on the bench of the Court of Appeals to a vacancy caused by the death of Judge Cochrane, and at the expiration of that term he again resumed practice, retiring in 1878. Judge Crain's wife was Miss Elizabeth Fowler, whose death occurred six years ago."