When was he born?
"Elias their Son was born February ye 17th 1736/7".
- Birth record in Colchester VR 1:52, meaning 1736 "Old Style" and 1737 "New Style" with respect to calendars. In modern usage the year would be 1737.
When did he die?
"On the old road, east side of the river, Elias Ransom, from Colchester, Connecticut, located in 1770, apparently having his domicile near the south end of the Little Mountain, north easterly from the Leavitt mansion. But Mr. Ransom died in 1773, and his widow afterwards married Ichabod Hopkins and remained upon the premises."
- Charles J. Taylor, History of Great Barrington, Massachusetts (1882), p. 219.
His gravestone still exists at Water Street Cemetery, but it is only barely legible today (see photo taken in 2014). It is one of the oldest stones in the cemetery. Recent transcripts of Water Street inscriptions record his year of death as 1774 or 1775. The earliest published transcription of his stone was made in the 1930s and records the year as 1770, which suggests the last digit of the year was not very legible even then:
"Mr. Elias Ransom. Died Mar. 21, 1770 [sic]. Aged 37. (old stone.)"
- Tombstone Inscriptions, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Volume I (Berkshire Collection, Vol. 10) (1935-1938). The transcriptions in this work are semi-verbatim and markers are grouped by location (he doesn't have any relatives near him). The stated age agrees well with his known date of birth, and death in 1773.
March 21st is a reasonable date, as that allows nine days before the estate administration and guardianship documents were signed on March 30, 1773. In Amasa Ransom's estate administration accounts, his earliest charge against the estate is for activities beginning on March 22, 1773, "tending on the Estate Business Eight Days and expenses".
Elias died intestate (without a will) and administration of his estate was granted to his widow Sarah and brother Amasa of Colchester, CT. His actual date of death is not mentioned in any of his probate records (Berkshire Co. probate files can be viewed online at americanancestors.org).
His Ransom lineage is Elias5 (James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Elias' father James also died in 1773 at about the same time. The distribution of James' estate in 1778 includes "the Heirs of Elias Ransom Deceasd Son to Lieut James Ransom Deceasd" (Colchester District probate file 2534).
The 1794 distribution of the estate of Elias' mother Sarah (Treadway) Ransom included "the heirs of Elias Ransom Deceased," viz, Elias Ransom, Asa Ransom, Amasa Ransom 2d, Lydia Sprage [sic], Sarah Ann Whiting and Louis [sic] Ransom (Colchester Probate District file 2536).
This Elias is not the Elias Ransom who died on 3 Dec 1799. See here. That Elias Ransom, who died on 3 Dec 1799 (at the age of three), was his brother's grandson, Elias7 Ransom (James6, James5, James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Many many ancestry.com trees mix up the death date for this Elias. Original source of the confusion:
Wyllys C. Ransom in his Historical Outline of the Ransom Family in America (1903) erroneously recorded Elias' date of death as 3 Dec 1799 on pp. 75, 84 and 85. In his narrative paragraph about Elias on p. 85, WCR said (1) that Elias died "Dec. 3d, 1799 at Great Barrington, Mass." and also (2) that he "died intestate and his widow and brother Amasa were, March 30, 1773, appointed administrators of his estate." The latter is correct. On p. 109, WCR recorded Dec. 3, 1799 as the date of death of the correct Elias.
The Elias Ransom with Revolutionary War service was his son Elias Ransom (1762-1842).
In addition to the six children who grew into adulthood, there were two other known children who presumably died young:
1) Jonathan, born 13 Sep 1767 per Colchester records, but no guardianship papers, and no further record.
2) Otis, baptized 26 Jan 1772 in Colchester, guardianship papers issued on 30 Mar 1773, but no further record.
The births of children Elias, Lydia and Jonathan are recorded in Colchester town records; Louise's date of birth is on her grave marker. Comments on Lydia and the four others:
1) Sarah Ann b. c1767. There is no known birth or baptism record for Sarah Ann. Her year of birth is estimated from her age at death on her gravestone.
2) Lydia was baptized in Colchester on 15 Apr 1764, but published town records record her birth as on 2 Dec 1765 (transcription error for 1763?). GBH* (1890) p. 72 reports 3 Dec 1763 and WCR* (1903) p. 84 reports 2 Dec 1763, which would be compatible with the baptism date. WCR also reports her birth as 7 Apr 1764 on p. 103, and on p. 84 reports "Her son's, Silas, Bible has it April 17, 1764" (which is after the baptism date, however).
3) Asa b. 2 Dec 1765 per WCR both pp. 83 & 104 (no town record - in fact, that is the town record date for Lydia). He was baptized on 15 Dec 1765 per Colchester Congregational Church records.
4) Amasa b. 7 Jul 1769. The only record of this date is WCR p. 107 (and just July 1769 on p. 84). Amasa was baptized 22 Oct 1769 in Colchester.
5) Otis. Just his baptism date.
*GBH = Gilman Bigelow Howe, Genealogy of the Bigelow Family of America (1890).
*WCR = Wyllys C. Ransom, Historical Outline of the Ransom Family of America (1903).
On 30 Mar 1773, widow Sarah Ransom was made guardian of Amasa, Asa, Elias, Lydia, Otis, and Sarah Ann, all "under the age of fourteen years". Louise is not mentioned as she was born posthumously in July 1773.
Elias m. Sarah Bigelow on 19 Nov 1761, in Colchester, per Colchester town and church records. After Elias died, Sarah married Ichabod Hopkins, by whom she had 6 sons and 1 daughter. In her will, Sarah named 13 of her 15 children (all except Jonathan and Otis) as then alive. Her 9 surviving sons (3 Ransom and 6 Hopkins) were pioneers of what became Erie Co., NY. Asa Ransom was the first "white" (European) settler to bring his family into that part of NY west of the Genesee River (1796), with his brothers Elias and Amasa following soon afterwards.
"Elias their Son was born February ye 17th 1736/7".
- Birth record in Colchester VR 1:52, meaning 1736 "Old Style" and 1737 "New Style" with respect to calendars. In modern usage the year would be 1737.
When did he die?
"On the old road, east side of the river, Elias Ransom, from Colchester, Connecticut, located in 1770, apparently having his domicile near the south end of the Little Mountain, north easterly from the Leavitt mansion. But Mr. Ransom died in 1773, and his widow afterwards married Ichabod Hopkins and remained upon the premises."
- Charles J. Taylor, History of Great Barrington, Massachusetts (1882), p. 219.
His gravestone still exists at Water Street Cemetery, but it is only barely legible today (see photo taken in 2014). It is one of the oldest stones in the cemetery. Recent transcripts of Water Street inscriptions record his year of death as 1774 or 1775. The earliest published transcription of his stone was made in the 1930s and records the year as 1770, which suggests the last digit of the year was not very legible even then:
"Mr. Elias Ransom. Died Mar. 21, 1770 [sic]. Aged 37. (old stone.)"
- Tombstone Inscriptions, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Volume I (Berkshire Collection, Vol. 10) (1935-1938). The transcriptions in this work are semi-verbatim and markers are grouped by location (he doesn't have any relatives near him). The stated age agrees well with his known date of birth, and death in 1773.
March 21st is a reasonable date, as that allows nine days before the estate administration and guardianship documents were signed on March 30, 1773. In Amasa Ransom's estate administration accounts, his earliest charge against the estate is for activities beginning on March 22, 1773, "tending on the Estate Business Eight Days and expenses".
Elias died intestate (without a will) and administration of his estate was granted to his widow Sarah and brother Amasa of Colchester, CT. His actual date of death is not mentioned in any of his probate records (Berkshire Co. probate files can be viewed online at americanancestors.org).
His Ransom lineage is Elias5 (James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Elias' father James also died in 1773 at about the same time. The distribution of James' estate in 1778 includes "the Heirs of Elias Ransom Deceasd Son to Lieut James Ransom Deceasd" (Colchester District probate file 2534).
The 1794 distribution of the estate of Elias' mother Sarah (Treadway) Ransom included "the heirs of Elias Ransom Deceased," viz, Elias Ransom, Asa Ransom, Amasa Ransom 2d, Lydia Sprage [sic], Sarah Ann Whiting and Louis [sic] Ransom (Colchester Probate District file 2536).
This Elias is not the Elias Ransom who died on 3 Dec 1799. See here. That Elias Ransom, who died on 3 Dec 1799 (at the age of three), was his brother's grandson, Elias7 Ransom (James6, James5, James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Many many ancestry.com trees mix up the death date for this Elias. Original source of the confusion:
Wyllys C. Ransom in his Historical Outline of the Ransom Family in America (1903) erroneously recorded Elias' date of death as 3 Dec 1799 on pp. 75, 84 and 85. In his narrative paragraph about Elias on p. 85, WCR said (1) that Elias died "Dec. 3d, 1799 at Great Barrington, Mass." and also (2) that he "died intestate and his widow and brother Amasa were, March 30, 1773, appointed administrators of his estate." The latter is correct. On p. 109, WCR recorded Dec. 3, 1799 as the date of death of the correct Elias.
The Elias Ransom with Revolutionary War service was his son Elias Ransom (1762-1842).
In addition to the six children who grew into adulthood, there were two other known children who presumably died young:
1) Jonathan, born 13 Sep 1767 per Colchester records, but no guardianship papers, and no further record.
2) Otis, baptized 26 Jan 1772 in Colchester, guardianship papers issued on 30 Mar 1773, but no further record.
The births of children Elias, Lydia and Jonathan are recorded in Colchester town records; Louise's date of birth is on her grave marker. Comments on Lydia and the four others:
1) Sarah Ann b. c1767. There is no known birth or baptism record for Sarah Ann. Her year of birth is estimated from her age at death on her gravestone.
2) Lydia was baptized in Colchester on 15 Apr 1764, but published town records record her birth as on 2 Dec 1765 (transcription error for 1763?). GBH* (1890) p. 72 reports 3 Dec 1763 and WCR* (1903) p. 84 reports 2 Dec 1763, which would be compatible with the baptism date. WCR also reports her birth as 7 Apr 1764 on p. 103, and on p. 84 reports "Her son's, Silas, Bible has it April 17, 1764" (which is after the baptism date, however).
3) Asa b. 2 Dec 1765 per WCR both pp. 83 & 104 (no town record - in fact, that is the town record date for Lydia). He was baptized on 15 Dec 1765 per Colchester Congregational Church records.
4) Amasa b. 7 Jul 1769. The only record of this date is WCR p. 107 (and just July 1769 on p. 84). Amasa was baptized 22 Oct 1769 in Colchester.
5) Otis. Just his baptism date.
*GBH = Gilman Bigelow Howe, Genealogy of the Bigelow Family of America (1890).
*WCR = Wyllys C. Ransom, Historical Outline of the Ransom Family of America (1903).
On 30 Mar 1773, widow Sarah Ransom was made guardian of Amasa, Asa, Elias, Lydia, Otis, and Sarah Ann, all "under the age of fourteen years". Louise is not mentioned as she was born posthumously in July 1773.
Elias m. Sarah Bigelow on 19 Nov 1761, in Colchester, per Colchester town and church records. After Elias died, Sarah married Ichabod Hopkins, by whom she had 6 sons and 1 daughter. In her will, Sarah named 13 of her 15 children (all except Jonathan and Otis) as then alive. Her 9 surviving sons (3 Ransom and 6 Hopkins) were pioneers of what became Erie Co., NY. Asa Ransom was the first "white" (European) settler to bring his family into that part of NY west of the Genesee River (1796), with his brothers Elias and Amasa following soon afterwards.
When was he born?
"Elias their Son was born February ye 17th 1736/7".
- Birth record in Colchester VR 1:52, meaning 1736 "Old Style" and 1737 "New Style" with respect to calendars. In modern usage the year would be 1737.
When did he die?
"On the old road, east side of the river, Elias Ransom, from Colchester, Connecticut, located in 1770, apparently having his domicile near the south end of the Little Mountain, north easterly from the Leavitt mansion. But Mr. Ransom died in 1773, and his widow afterwards married Ichabod Hopkins and remained upon the premises."
- Charles J. Taylor, History of Great Barrington, Massachusetts (1882), p. 219.
His gravestone still exists at Water Street Cemetery, but it is only barely legible today (see photo taken in 2014). It is one of the oldest stones in the cemetery. Recent transcripts of Water Street inscriptions record his year of death as 1774 or 1775. The earliest published transcription of his stone was made in the 1930s and records the year as 1770, which suggests the last digit of the year was not very legible even then:
"Mr. Elias Ransom. Died Mar. 21, 1770 [sic]. Aged 37. (old stone.)"
- Tombstone Inscriptions, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Volume I (Berkshire Collection, Vol. 10) (1935-1938). The transcriptions in this work are semi-verbatim and markers are grouped by location (he doesn't have any relatives near him). The stated age agrees well with his known date of birth, and death in 1773.
March 21st is a reasonable date, as that allows nine days before the estate administration and guardianship documents were signed on March 30, 1773. In Amasa Ransom's estate administration accounts, his earliest charge against the estate is for activities beginning on March 22, 1773, "tending on the Estate Business Eight Days and expenses".
Elias died intestate (without a will) and administration of his estate was granted to his widow Sarah and brother Amasa of Colchester, CT. His actual date of death is not mentioned in any of his probate records (Berkshire Co. probate files can be viewed online at americanancestors.org).
His Ransom lineage is Elias5 (James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Elias' father James also died in 1773 at about the same time. The distribution of James' estate in 1778 includes "the Heirs of Elias Ransom Deceasd Son to Lieut James Ransom Deceasd" (Colchester District probate file 2534).
The 1794 distribution of the estate of Elias' mother Sarah (Treadway) Ransom included "the heirs of Elias Ransom Deceased," viz, Elias Ransom, Asa Ransom, Amasa Ransom 2d, Lydia Sprage [sic], Sarah Ann Whiting and Louis [sic] Ransom (Colchester Probate District file 2536).
This Elias is not the Elias Ransom who died on 3 Dec 1799. See here. That Elias Ransom, who died on 3 Dec 1799 (at the age of three), was his brother's grandson, Elias7 Ransom (James6, James5, James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Many many ancestry.com trees mix up the death date for this Elias. Original source of the confusion:
Wyllys C. Ransom in his Historical Outline of the Ransom Family in America (1903) erroneously recorded Elias' date of death as 3 Dec 1799 on pp. 75, 84 and 85. In his narrative paragraph about Elias on p. 85, WCR said (1) that Elias died "Dec. 3d, 1799 at Great Barrington, Mass." and also (2) that he "died intestate and his widow and brother Amasa were, March 30, 1773, appointed administrators of his estate." The latter is correct. On p. 109, WCR recorded Dec. 3, 1799 as the date of death of the correct Elias.
The Elias Ransom with Revolutionary War service was his son Elias Ransom (1762-1842).
In addition to the six children who grew into adulthood, there were two other known children who presumably died young:
1) Jonathan, born 13 Sep 1767 per Colchester records, but no guardianship papers, and no further record.
2) Otis, baptized 26 Jan 1772 in Colchester, guardianship papers issued on 30 Mar 1773, but no further record.
The births of children Elias, Lydia and Jonathan are recorded in Colchester town records; Louise's date of birth is on her grave marker. Comments on Lydia and the four others:
1) Sarah Ann b. c1767. There is no known birth or baptism record for Sarah Ann. Her year of birth is estimated from her age at death on her gravestone.
2) Lydia was baptized in Colchester on 15 Apr 1764, but published town records record her birth as on 2 Dec 1765 (transcription error for 1763?). GBH* (1890) p. 72 reports 3 Dec 1763 and WCR* (1903) p. 84 reports 2 Dec 1763, which would be compatible with the baptism date. WCR also reports her birth as 7 Apr 1764 on p. 103, and on p. 84 reports "Her son's, Silas, Bible has it April 17, 1764" (which is after the baptism date, however).
3) Asa b. 2 Dec 1765 per WCR both pp. 83 & 104 (no town record - in fact, that is the town record date for Lydia). He was baptized on 15 Dec 1765 per Colchester Congregational Church records.
4) Amasa b. 7 Jul 1769. The only record of this date is WCR p. 107 (and just July 1769 on p. 84). Amasa was baptized 22 Oct 1769 in Colchester.
5) Otis. Just his baptism date.
*GBH = Gilman Bigelow Howe, Genealogy of the Bigelow Family of America (1890).
*WCR = Wyllys C. Ransom, Historical Outline of the Ransom Family of America (1903).
On 30 Mar 1773, widow Sarah Ransom was made guardian of Amasa, Asa, Elias, Lydia, Otis, and Sarah Ann, all "under the age of fourteen years". Louise is not mentioned as she was born posthumously in July 1773.
Elias m. Sarah Bigelow on 19 Nov 1761, in Colchester, per Colchester town and church records. After Elias died, Sarah married Ichabod Hopkins, by whom she had 6 sons and 1 daughter. In her will, Sarah named 13 of her 15 children (all except Jonathan and Otis) as then alive. Her 9 surviving sons (3 Ransom and 6 Hopkins) were pioneers of what became Erie Co., NY. Asa Ransom was the first "white" (European) settler to bring his family into that part of NY west of the Genesee River (1796), with his brothers Elias and Amasa following soon afterwards.
"Elias their Son was born February ye 17th 1736/7".
- Birth record in Colchester VR 1:52, meaning 1736 "Old Style" and 1737 "New Style" with respect to calendars. In modern usage the year would be 1737.
When did he die?
"On the old road, east side of the river, Elias Ransom, from Colchester, Connecticut, located in 1770, apparently having his domicile near the south end of the Little Mountain, north easterly from the Leavitt mansion. But Mr. Ransom died in 1773, and his widow afterwards married Ichabod Hopkins and remained upon the premises."
- Charles J. Taylor, History of Great Barrington, Massachusetts (1882), p. 219.
His gravestone still exists at Water Street Cemetery, but it is only barely legible today (see photo taken in 2014). It is one of the oldest stones in the cemetery. Recent transcripts of Water Street inscriptions record his year of death as 1774 or 1775. The earliest published transcription of his stone was made in the 1930s and records the year as 1770, which suggests the last digit of the year was not very legible even then:
"Mr. Elias Ransom. Died Mar. 21, 1770 [sic]. Aged 37. (old stone.)"
- Tombstone Inscriptions, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Volume I (Berkshire Collection, Vol. 10) (1935-1938). The transcriptions in this work are semi-verbatim and markers are grouped by location (he doesn't have any relatives near him). The stated age agrees well with his known date of birth, and death in 1773.
March 21st is a reasonable date, as that allows nine days before the estate administration and guardianship documents were signed on March 30, 1773. In Amasa Ransom's estate administration accounts, his earliest charge against the estate is for activities beginning on March 22, 1773, "tending on the Estate Business Eight Days and expenses".
Elias died intestate (without a will) and administration of his estate was granted to his widow Sarah and brother Amasa of Colchester, CT. His actual date of death is not mentioned in any of his probate records (Berkshire Co. probate files can be viewed online at americanancestors.org).
His Ransom lineage is Elias5 (James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Elias' father James also died in 1773 at about the same time. The distribution of James' estate in 1778 includes "the Heirs of Elias Ransom Deceasd Son to Lieut James Ransom Deceasd" (Colchester District probate file 2534).
The 1794 distribution of the estate of Elias' mother Sarah (Treadway) Ransom included "the heirs of Elias Ransom Deceased," viz, Elias Ransom, Asa Ransom, Amasa Ransom 2d, Lydia Sprage [sic], Sarah Ann Whiting and Louis [sic] Ransom (Colchester Probate District file 2536).
This Elias is not the Elias Ransom who died on 3 Dec 1799. See here. That Elias Ransom, who died on 3 Dec 1799 (at the age of three), was his brother's grandson, Elias7 Ransom (James6, James5, James4, Robert3, Joshua2, Robert1).
Many many ancestry.com trees mix up the death date for this Elias. Original source of the confusion:
Wyllys C. Ransom in his Historical Outline of the Ransom Family in America (1903) erroneously recorded Elias' date of death as 3 Dec 1799 on pp. 75, 84 and 85. In his narrative paragraph about Elias on p. 85, WCR said (1) that Elias died "Dec. 3d, 1799 at Great Barrington, Mass." and also (2) that he "died intestate and his widow and brother Amasa were, March 30, 1773, appointed administrators of his estate." The latter is correct. On p. 109, WCR recorded Dec. 3, 1799 as the date of death of the correct Elias.
The Elias Ransom with Revolutionary War service was his son Elias Ransom (1762-1842).
In addition to the six children who grew into adulthood, there were two other known children who presumably died young:
1) Jonathan, born 13 Sep 1767 per Colchester records, but no guardianship papers, and no further record.
2) Otis, baptized 26 Jan 1772 in Colchester, guardianship papers issued on 30 Mar 1773, but no further record.
The births of children Elias, Lydia and Jonathan are recorded in Colchester town records; Louise's date of birth is on her grave marker. Comments on Lydia and the four others:
1) Sarah Ann b. c1767. There is no known birth or baptism record for Sarah Ann. Her year of birth is estimated from her age at death on her gravestone.
2) Lydia was baptized in Colchester on 15 Apr 1764, but published town records record her birth as on 2 Dec 1765 (transcription error for 1763?). GBH* (1890) p. 72 reports 3 Dec 1763 and WCR* (1903) p. 84 reports 2 Dec 1763, which would be compatible with the baptism date. WCR also reports her birth as 7 Apr 1764 on p. 103, and on p. 84 reports "Her son's, Silas, Bible has it April 17, 1764" (which is after the baptism date, however).
3) Asa b. 2 Dec 1765 per WCR both pp. 83 & 104 (no town record - in fact, that is the town record date for Lydia). He was baptized on 15 Dec 1765 per Colchester Congregational Church records.
4) Amasa b. 7 Jul 1769. The only record of this date is WCR p. 107 (and just July 1769 on p. 84). Amasa was baptized 22 Oct 1769 in Colchester.
5) Otis. Just his baptism date.
*GBH = Gilman Bigelow Howe, Genealogy of the Bigelow Family of America (1890).
*WCR = Wyllys C. Ransom, Historical Outline of the Ransom Family of America (1903).
On 30 Mar 1773, widow Sarah Ransom was made guardian of Amasa, Asa, Elias, Lydia, Otis, and Sarah Ann, all "under the age of fourteen years". Louise is not mentioned as she was born posthumously in July 1773.
Elias m. Sarah Bigelow on 19 Nov 1761, in Colchester, per Colchester town and church records. After Elias died, Sarah married Ichabod Hopkins, by whom she had 6 sons and 1 daughter. In her will, Sarah named 13 of her 15 children (all except Jonathan and Otis) as then alive. Her 9 surviving sons (3 Ransom and 6 Hopkins) were pioneers of what became Erie Co., NY. Asa Ransom was the first "white" (European) settler to bring his family into that part of NY west of the Genesee River (1796), with his brothers Elias and Amasa following soon afterwards.
Inscription
Mr. Elias Ransom. / Who Died 21st March / AD 1773. [Aged 37 Years.]
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