Swain, Elisha Ransom

Collection — Box: Multi-collection Box 27

Identifier: RG-1171

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with family members some of which detail theological and biblical concerns, details of life in Western New York State and Michigan in the early nineteenth century.

Dates

Creation: 1833-1841, undated

Biographical / Historical

Rev. Elisha Ransom Swain was born Feb. 16, 1801 to John F. Swain and Hannah Ransom Swain. Father John F. Swain died May 3, 1811, and Hannah remarried Elijah Morton. Rev. Elisha had four siblings: Hannah Swain (b. Aug 30, 1802), a baby boy (b. May 24, 1807, d. May 26, 1807), Oliver Swain (b. Aug 31, 1808), and John F. Swain (b. May 6, 1810).

On Dec. 27, 1821, Elisha married Laura Mead (b. Dec. 27, 1803). They had six children before her death on Nov. 2, 1837. One died during their marriage and two more children died within two months of Laura. Elisha converted and joined the North Norwich Baptist Church (N.Y.) in 1827. In 1833 he was ordained at the Clymer Church, Harmony Association, NY. Elisha married his second wife, Betsy Kinne on May 8, 1839. They had a son born in May 1841, and Betsy died two weeks later. Rev. Swain married a third time on Nov. 8, 1841, to Emma Sophrona Winn.

From 1840 to 1846, Rev. Swain served as pastor for the church in Busti, NY (Chautaqua Co.). In 1846 he moved to Wisconsin and organized Windsor Baptist Church. He preached there and in the surrounding area until he moved to Iowa, organizing several churches, including People’s Baptist Church, of which he was a member when he died suddenly on April 7, 1886. Rev. Swain was survived by his five youngest children, all from his marriage to his third wife Emma.

A listing of his wives and children:

Dec. 27, 1821 m. Laura Mead Swain (b. Dec. 27, 1803 d. Nov. 2, 1837)

(1) Mary Swain b. Jan 18, 1823 d. Dec. 31, 1837 (2) Caroline Swain b. Dec. 1, 1826 (d. before June 1882) (3) Eliza Swain d. age 2 (4) Clarissa Swain b. ca. 1834 (d. bet. June 1850 and June 1882) (5) Hellen Eliza Swain b. ca. 1835 (d. bet. June 1860 and June 1882) (6) Ransom Swain b. May 17, 1837 d. Nov. 17, 1837

May 8, 1839 m. Betsy R. Kinne (d. May 23, 1841)

(7) Dwight Kinne Swain b. May 7, 1841 d. June 22, 1842

Nov. 8, 1841 m. Emma Saphrona Winn (b. c. 1804 d. June 5, 1880)

(8) James Ransom Swain b. May 25, 1843 (m. Mary Almira Lewis) (9) John Bunyan Swain b. Sept. 17, 1844 (m. Frances Julia Wheaton) (10) Delia Maria Swain b. Jan. 9, 1847 (m. William Ringland) (11) Ira Joy Swain b. Mar. 8, 1849 (m. Hannah Sumers) (12) Aaron Cady Swain b. Oct. 25, 1851 (m. Elfie Fenson)