Samuel Ransom Sr. (1738 - 1778)

Born 10 Apr 1738 in Middleborough, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 3 Jul 1778 at age 40 in Wyoming, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Captain Samuel Ransom Sr. served with 24th Regiment, Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution.

Samuel Ransom Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A094561.

Samuel Ransom Sr. is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 275700
Rank: Captain

Captain Samuel Ransom Sr. was Killed in Action during the American Revolution.

Samuel Ransom was born 10 April 1738, the son of Robert Ransom III and Sarah Chyles. ^[1]

He married Esther Lawrence (Laurence) 6 May 1756. ^[2] He and Esther had eight children:

• Sarah 1757-1777 ^{[3] [4]}
• Samuel 1759-1807/8^[5]
• George Palmer 1762-1850 ^[6]
• Sybil 1754-1826 ^[6]
• Lovisa Lawrence 1768-1832^[6]
• William 1770-1822 ^[6]
• Mary 1772-1825^[6]
• Lois 1775-1856^[6]

In 1761, Samuel was mentioned in the estate distribution of his brother Ebenezer Ransom.^[7]

He died at the Wyoming Massacre, July 3, 1778, in Luzerne County Pennsylvania.^[6][8]

Service Description: 1) 2ND INDEPENDENT CO, WYOMING VALLEY, CONTINENTAL LINE, AUG 1776- JUL 1778. ^[9]

See Note NI079 below for more details.

Notes

Note: #NI079

1737 Samuel was born in 1737.

1762 Son George Palmer Ransom was born 3 Jan in Norfolk Township, Litchfield, Connecticut.^[10]

1764 Daughter Sibbel Ransom was born 1 Feb.in Norfolk Township, Litchfield, Connecticut.^[11]

1766 Daughter Esther Ransom was born 12 Mar in Norfolk Township, Litchfield, Connecticut.^[12]

1768 Daughter Louisa Lawrance Ransom was born 28 May in Norfolk Township, Litchfield, Connecticut.^[13]

1770 Son William Ransom was born 26 May in Norfolk Township, Litchfield, Connecticut.^[14]

1772 Daughter Mary Ransom was born 20 May in Norfolk Township, Litchfield, Connecticut.^[15]

Bios of men from Tioga, NY

FROM OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

A MEMORIAL HISTORY OF TIOGA COUNTY NEW YORK

EDITED BY: LEROY W. KINGMAN

W. A. FERGUSSON & CO. ELMIRA, N. Y., 189?

CAPTAIN SAMUEL RANSOM, of English descent, came to Canaan, Litchfield county, Conn., about 1755, where he married May 6, 1756, Esther, daughier of Daniel and Rachel (Kingsbury) Laurence, who was fourth in descent from John Laurence, of Wisset, England, the emigrant, who came in 1630, and died in Groton, Mass., in 1669. His son, Enoch, was in King Philip's war and badly wounded in the Indian fight July 29, 1694. He was also in King William's war, 1702, and a prisoner. He married Ruth, daughter of John Whitney, who came over in the ship Elizabeth and Ann in 1635. He was a member of Captain John Mason's company in King Philip's war. Esther Laurence's mother, Rachel Kingsbury, was third in descent from Henry Kingsbury, born in England in 1615.

Samuel Ransom after his marriage bought much land in Canaan, Conn., became prominent and held offices of trust, but a restless spirit soon moved him to sell everything and move his family to the new land of promise in the Wyoming valley in August, 1773, settling in Plymouth township.

In August, 1776, congress authorized the raising of two companies in the Wyoming valley, and Robert Durhee and Samuel Ransom were commissioned captains. Captain Ransom enlisted west of the Susquehanna the Second Independent Co., attached to the Connecticut line. On December 12, 1766, the companies were ordered to join Washington. With Captain Ransom marched his son, George Palmer Ransom, aged fourteen, (who served during the war, and was once taken a prisoner to Canada, where he escaped) and his son-in-law, Timothy Hopkins. The company was in the battles of Brandywine, Millstone, Germantown. Roundbrook, and lesser engagements, and wintered at Morristown.

In 1778, Captain Ransom resigned to help defend his home against the British and Indians. He reached Forty Fort the morning of the Wyoming massacre, and reported as volunteer aid to Gen. Butler. He fell in the thickest of the fight. His body had a musket shot through the thigh, was covered with gashes, and his head was cut off. He is buried with the other victims (among them his brother-in-law, Rufus Laurence) near the granite monument which marks the battle field. His name heads the list of the slain.

His family fled with the refugees, but returned, only to become involved in the disputes between the Connecticut settlers and the state authorities. His children, all but one born in Canaan, were

Sarah (Mrs. Timothy Hopkins), who died young;

Sibil, married Ira Stephens, captain in the revolution;

Lois, married Stephen Bidlock;

Louisa, married Arthur Frink;

Mary, married Samuel Franklin, a brother to Col. John Franklin;

George Palmer Ransom;

Samuel, married Mary Nesbett, settled on a farm of 400 acres two miles below Tioga Centre, built on his land the first school house and the first tavern of the town, he was drowned crossing the river in 1807;

William, who came to Tioga county in 1784, bought one thousand acres of land on Pipe creek and accumulated a large fortune. On his land was set out the first apple orchard of the county. He was a lumberman and furnished many masts for the government in the war of 1812. He died in 1822, aged 56. He married Rachel, daughter of James Brooks and Mary Johnson. His eldest son, Ira, married Sarah, daughter of Miles Forman, of Nichols. Two sons, Miles Forman Ransom, of Webster, and David, of Vancouver, B. C., with their sons, are the only descendants of this worthy couple bearing the name. Miles Forman Ransom married Adelaide Lent, of Dutch descent, her ancestors were among the first settlers of New York. Her great-great-grandfather and great-grandfather were killed at the taking of Montgomery, L. I., in the revolution. Her grandfather, John Lent, enlisted when fourteen in the patriot army at Peekskill, N. Y. Another son of Ira Ransom, Col. Hyatt C. Ransom, was a graduate of West Point and died in Jeffersonville, 1874. Ira Ransom's daughters are Mrs. Patterson, of Flint, Mich.; Mrs. John Nicol, of Tioga Centre; Mrs. Tower, of Bridgeport, Conn., and Mrs. J. C. Latimer, of Tioga Centre. William Ransom's son, Benjamin, married Lucy Frost; Charles, married Hope M. Talcott; Sybil, marries Henry Light; Rachel, married David Willis; Mary J., married Gilbert Strang; Printice, married Fannie Thurston; Harriet, married Asa G. Jackson. "William, married Angeline Martin, lived at Tioga Center, and was long one of the best known, most prominent, and most highly respected citizens of the county." He died February 7, 1883.

Killed at The Battle of Wyoming (also known as the Wyoming Massacre) was an encounter during the American Revolutionary War between American Patriots and Loyalists accompanied by Iroquois raiders which took place in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778 in Exeter and Wyoming, Pennsylvania.

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQ6G-JHG : 14 January 2020), Samuel Ransom, 1738.
2. ↑ Entry for Esther Lawrence; digital images, NEHGS, Canaan, page 48. Original Vol LR1 p 423.
3. ↑ A History of Wilkes-Barré, 894-895.
4. ↑ Entry for Sarah Ransom; digital images, NEHGS, "Canaan, page 61.," American Ancestors (www. americanancestors.org : accessed 21 Nov 2016).
5. ↑ Entry for Samuel Ransom; digital images, NEHGS, "Canaan, page 61.," American Ancestors (www. americanancestors.org : accessed 21 Nov 2016).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6} A History of Wilkes-Barré, 894-895.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-6YV : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1758-1764 vol 15-16 > image 397 of 623; State Archives, Boston.
8. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #42343955
9. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed August 13, 2021), "Record of RANSOM, SAMUEL", Ancestor # A094561.Meehan-411
10. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F746-5L8 : 3 December 2014), Samuel Ransom in entry for George Palmer Ransom, 03 Jan 1762; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
11. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7W4-X73 : 3 December 2014), Samuel Ransom in entry for Sibbel Ransom, 01 Feb 1764; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
12. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7W4-X7W : 3 December 2014), Samuel Ransom in entry for Esther Ransom, 12 Mar 1766; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
13. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7W4-6Y6 : 3 December 2014), Samuel Ransom in entry for Lovisa Lawrance Ransom, 28 May 1768; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
14. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7Q9-XG8 : 3 December 2014), Samuel Ransom in entry for William Ransom, 26 May 1770; citing Norfolk, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States; FHL microfilm 1,503,193.
15. ↑ Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7W4-6YN : 3 December 2014), Samuel Ransom in entry for Mary Ransom, 20 May 1772; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.

See also:

• Clinton B. Sears, A genealogical record of the descendants of Captain Samuel Ransom of the Continental Army, killed at the massacre of Wyoming, Pa., July 3d, 1778 (St. Louis, Missouri: Nixon Jones, 1882), 7-21; FHL Microfilm 476,910.
• Oscar Jewell Harvey, A History of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania: From Its First Beginnings to the Present Time, Including Chapters of Newly-discovered Early Wyoming Valley History, Together with Many Biographical Sketches and Much Genealogical Material, (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), V: 894-895.
• Entry for Esther Lawrence; digital images, NEHGS, "Canaan, page 48. Original Vol LR1 p 423," American Ancestors (www. americanancestors.org : accessed 21 Nov 2016).

• "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS3Q-C3FM-R?cc=2546162&wc=WD6Q-RM3%3A1588792203 : 24 January 2018), Connecticut > image 281 of 977; citing various published state rosters, United States.

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to Chris Smith for adding this profile through the import of LungerAncestorsForWikitree.GED on Nov 23, 2014.
• Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, 1770-1800, Including History (1615-1800), Marriages (1776-1850), Soldiers of the Revolution, Ministers, Justices, Original Officers and All Matters Relating to Early Times. By Clement F. Heverly, Page 156.