ERIE COUNTY MCELWAIN FAMILIES
LINKS IN THE MCELWAIN WEBSITE
INDEX TO THE MCELWAIN WEBSITE
JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN (1831 - 1883)
RALPH MCELWAIN
FRANK MCELWAIN
MCELWAIN CENSUS MA & NY
LORENZO MCELWAIN
MCELWAIN FAMILY IN MA
TIMOTHY MCELWAIN
nfarmilo@litestream.net
The purpose of going through the census thoroughly is to try to determine which MCELWAIN'S were in Wales, Erie Co, New York. Specifically, I'm trying to determine whether JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN b. 1831 was most probably the son of LORENZO MCELWAIN but RALPH MCELWAIN is not yet ruled out. Both RALPH and LORENZO are sons of ROGER MCELWAIN.
ROGER MCELWAIN'S half brother and his half brothers' son were both JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN, the father from MA and the son from Warsaw NY.
It would appear from the census that he is the son of LORENZO but I never actually placed him in LORENZO'S household. He was next door in the John Bush household, with his wife CLARA BUSH MCELWAIN. I am still trying to get wills for ROGER MCELWAIN, RALPH MCELWAIN, & LORENZO MCELWAIN to try to find more information.
If you have any information please write to me: nfarmilo@litestream.net
The 1820 Census shows DELINA HILL MCELWAIN, widow of ROGER MCELWAIN in Niagara County NY in the city of Wales #203. Later Wales is in Erie County. I don't know what age category she was in at that time. I did not get the actual census record. This is from the index.
DELINA HILL of Brimfield MA m. 11/25/1790 in Palmer MA to ROGER MCELWAIN (TIMOTHY, JAMES) b. 8/23/1759 Palmer MA d. bef. 1820.
ROGER MCELWAIN'S parents are TIMOTHY MCELWAIN, SR and his second wife SUSANNAH THOMPSON.
The 1790 Federal Census for New York shows no MCELWAIN'S. The 1800 Census also shows no MCELWAIN'S in New York.
The 1810 Census shows the following:
1) A. (ANDREW?) MCELWAIN of Otse. 117 (11110-12)
2) JOHN MCELWAIN of Jeff. 007 (2002-00)
3) R.(ROGER?) MCELWAIN of Otse. 117 (11110-12)
4) SAMUEL MCELWAIN of Jeff. 007 (00011-20)
I'm assuming until I know otherwise that R. MCELWAIN is ROGER MCELWAIN. Also Otse. is Otsego Co NY and Jeff. is Jefferson Co NY.
The 1830 Census for New York shows both LORENZO MCELWAIN (ROGER, TIMOTHY, JAMES) b. 11/30/1801 d. aft 1870 perhaps in IA and his brother RALPH MCELWAIN (ROGER, TIMOTHY, JAMES) b. 1/10/1793 Palmer, MA d. 7/26/1837 probably in Holland, Erie Co., New York.
LORENZO MCELWAIN (1830) shows 1 male under 5, 1 male 20-30, 1 female under 5, 1 female 20-30.
RALPH MCELWAIN (1830) shows 1 male under 5, 1 male 30-40, 1 female 60-70. I'm assuming that RALPH MCELWAIN'S mother, DELINA HILL MCELWAIN is living with him. Also the child could not be our JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN because he was born in November 1831.
Later I found LORENZO MCELWAIN with a corrupted spelling of MCELWAIN which has become common. I found a LORENZO MCELORWAIN. He now has a male child under 5.
This very possible could be our JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN.
In 1840 ___ MCELWAIN has 1 male 5/10, 1 male 10/15, 1 male 30/40, 1 female under 5, 1 female 5/10, 1 female 30/40, 1 female 50/60, 1 female 70/80. He was still in Holland, Erie, NY lives next door to Lorenzo.
LORENZO MCELWAIN'S wife is LOUISE b. ca. 1802. His know children are:
1) WILLIAM D MCELWAIN (farmer) b. abt 1832
2) LUEMIA (sp?) MCELWAIN b. abt 1835
3) MARY MCELWAIN b. abt 1839
4) CHARLOTTE MCELWAIN b. abt 1842
It would seem that LORENZO MCELWAIN is the father of JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN b. 11/29/1831 in New York.
In 1850 there is a GEORGE MCELWAIN in Erie 111 Wales. This is probably GEORGE RALPH MCELWAIN (1837-1917). There is no RALPH MCELWAIN. He died in 1837 the year his son GEORGE RALPH was born.
JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN is now 18 1/2 (1850) and is not in the household of LORENZO MCELWAIN or in Erie Co. JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN could be at College, in service, or out working in 1850.
In the 1850 census LORENZO MCELWAIN'S household consists of LORENZO 48, LOUISA 44, WILLIAM D MCELWAIN 19, LUOINA MCELWAIN 11, & CHARLOTTE MCELWAIN 8. LORENZO now has $1200 in real estate.
In the 1855 State of New York census for Wales JOHN A MCELWAIN 23 is in his father-in-law (JOHN BUSH) household with his wife CLARA BUSH MCELWAIN 19 and his daughter MARIA MCELWAIN 1 month old.
JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN (See Link) is a farmer ($3000,$500) like LORENZO MCELWAIN'S son WILLIAM MCELWAIN IN THE 1860 Census. He has his own household, JOHN 28, CLARA 24, SARAH MCELWAIN 5, & MINA (MINNIE) MCELWAIN 3. Later JOHN MCELWAIN becomes a salesman of agricultural implements and then goes to Iowa. In 1860 he lives next door to LORENZO & shows more money than him.
In the 1860 census LORENZO'S household shows LORENZO MCELWAIN 57, his wife LOUISA MCELWAIN 56 & son WILLIAM MCELWAIN 27 farmers living in the same household. Also living there is MARY MCELWAIN 20 schoolteacher.
In 1860 CLARA MCELWAIN'S parents JOHN M BUSH 55 and SARAH W BUSH 45 live in household 159 in Wales. LORENZO MCELWAIN(E) 57 lives in household 160 in Wales with wife LOUISA MCELWAIN 56, WILLIAM MCELWAIN 27, & MARY MCELWAIN 20 schoolteacher. JOHN MCELWAIN(E) lives in household 161.
The BUSH family including JOHN ALLEN MCELWAIN'S first wife, CLARRA BUSH MCELWAIN is buried in the HOLMES Hill Cemetery on the E. side of Vermont Hill Road near Blakey Corners & Centerline Road, Town of Wales (South Wales, Erie County, New York.
http://members.tripod.com/~wnyroots/index-wales-lot54-cem.html
ANNA B BUSH 1866-1950 (Lot 42)
JOHN M BUSH D. 5/2/1872 age 67 yrs, 3 mos, 27 das
CLARRA BUSH MCELWAIN wife of JOHN A MCELWAIN d. 2/1/1863 age 26 yrs
HIRAM BUSH b. 6/23/1821 d. 3/15/1909
ALTA M PIKE BUSH wife of HIRAM BUSH b. 7/29/1835 d. 4/26/1887
