Swain family (-ies) in and near Condover

[tonyharrison]

There are a number of Swains in this area and I've contacted a couple so far, with no result except a couple of leads to follow. I wonder if there are any Swains on this forum who hail from the Condover area? My maternal grandfather was Louis Swain, born at Cross Houses (his army record suggests, barely legible!) in probably June 1893 - on joining the army 31st August 1914 he gave his age as 21 years and 2 months. He'd married Ada Gibbons in Malpas, Cheshire (he worked as a butcher at Hampton nearby) on 5th January 1914, survived WW1 with a couple of wounds, and lived thereafter in Cheshire, dying in the 1970s.
The photo might help: my best guess is it dates from about 1910. Seated front is my great-grandfather William Swain, with his wife (said to have been Welsh, maybe called Rachel) standing behind. At the back, centre, stands my grandfather Louis; at the front seated are his brothers Archie (L) and Charlie (R) with their sister Esther; the other four brothers are Tom, Will, Jack and Hugh, though not necessarily in that order. Hugh was a lorry driver, my mother (aged 89) recalls, and later moved to Blackpool; Archie started a coal business - I was led to believe a spot on the OS map south of Shrewsbury, on the railway line adjacent to a signal box, was named Swain's Field because of his business located there; Charlie stayed near Condover and had one child, Arthur; Tom later on lived at Shawbury. My mother says she always understood her grandfather William Swain had a brother who started a haulage/transport business.
I've had no luck so far in finding any further information, but perhaps someone here can help.
Thanks - Tony

[KGarrad]

Welcome to RootsChat!

RootsChat has it's very own Surnames Interest Table Have you looked there?

Scroll down to the bottom of any RC page.
There, in the dark brown box, underneath the heading "Your Tools", you will find "Surname Interests".
Click on that and then go searching under "S" etc for Swain.

[Alberbury]

https://familysearch.org

Name   Louis Swain
Event Type   Census
Event Date   1891
County   Shropshire
Parish   Berrington
Ecclesiastical Parish   BERRINGTON
Registration District   Atcham
Residence Note   Brampton Lane

Wm Swain   Head   M           30   Farm Labourer   Shropshire, England
Eleanor Swain   Wife   F   35                           Shropshire, England
Wm Swain   Son   M            6                           Shropshire, England
Esther Jane Swain   Daughter   F   4           Shropshire, England
Louis Swain   Son   M    1                           Shropshire, England



Name   Lewis Swain
Event Type   Census
Event Date   31 Mar 1901
Event Place   Upton Magna, Shropshire, England
County   Shropshire
Civil Parish   Upton Magna
Ecclesiastical Parish   Upton Magna
Sub-District   Condover
Registration District   Atcham

William Swain   Head   M   40      STOCKMAN ON FARM    Atcham, Salop
Elenor Swain   Wife   F   45                                        Parish N K, Montgomeryshire
Lewis Swain   Son   M   11                                        Uffington, Salop
Thomas Swain   Son   M   9                                        Uffington, Salop
David H Swain   Son   M   7                                        Preston Gubbulds, Salop
John E Swain   Son   M   5                                        Preston Gubbulds, Salop
Archie C Swain   Son   M   2                                        Albrighton Shrewsbury, Salop
Charles Swain   Son   M   0                                        Albrighton Shrewsbury, Salop

[trish1120]

Welcome to Rootschat Tony,

Birth Reg GRO Index
SWAIN, LOUIS, Mothers maiden name   LEWIS****
GRO Reference: 1889  S Quarter in ATCHAM  Volume 06A  Page 622

Marriage Reg FreeBMD
June 1884, Oswestry, 61 1281
William SWAIN and Elenor LEWIS on same page


Esther Janes Husband was a Carter;
She married James Edward Albert Meredith 1912 in Lancashire

Not sure what you have so just a brief out-line;

William Swain 1861's Parents were WILLIAM/ELIZABETH nee MULLARD
Info from Edwards GRO Index Birth Reg;

1861 Census
William Swain   49
Elizabeth Swain   29
John Swain   4
Edward Swain   1

1871 Census
William Swain   59
Elizabeth Swain   40
John Swain   14
Edward Swain   12
WILLIAM Swain   10******
Sarah Swain   7
Mary I Swain   4
Emma Swain   1 Year, 6 Months

FreeBMD has a 1855 Marriage for Emma MULLARD but a male spouse is missing.
(he may be down as William Hiam)

Anyhow its the right Marriage as Familysearch.Org has;

5 August 1855, Oswestry, Shropshire, William SWAIN to Elizabeth MULLARD


Trish 

[tonyharrison]

Alberbury, many thanks for this. It exemplifies a factor I'd already discovered in my initial researches: conflicting information. This is clearly my grandfather and his family, but here he's been born about 1890; the record of his marriage in 1914 at Malpas says he was aged 24, which matches; yet his military record, which I just checked, says his stated age on 31st August 1914 was 21 years 2 months... Nice to have confirmation that great-grandmother was indeed Welsh - my mother says she was thought to be rather fierce, chasing Louis and his brothers with a pig stick if they misbehaved!
KGarrad, thanks for the tip about surnames, which I'll try. Trish, ditto for the information about great-grandmother Lewis - I wonder if her maiden name has anything to do with a certain confusion over the spelling of my grandfather's forename.
Kind regards, Tony

[trish1120]

I would think her maiden name is the reason for the confusion over Louis/Lewis.

Just added a bit more to my other posting

They are a good looking Family.

[tonyharrison]

Trish, many thanks for your kindness. This extra info is valuable - I now know of another great-great-grandfather, born it seems in 1812! Married at 43 to a lady 19 years his junior, eh... Yes, my Swains picture is a good one, lucky to have it. They all look quite smart & prosperous so perhaps great-grandfather had progressed a bit from farm labourer.
Kind regards, Tony

[Alberbury]

https://familysearch.org

Name   William Swain
Event Type   Census
Event Date   1911
Event Place   Upton Magna, , Shropshire, England
County   Shropshire
Parish   Upton Magna
Sub-District   Condover
Registration District   Atcham


William Swain   Head   M   50   COWMAN ON FARM    Masebery, Shropshire
Elenor Swain   Wife   F   55                                  Mivod, Shropshire 
Archie Swain   Son   M   12                                  Berrington, Shropshire
Charley Swain   Son   M   10                                  Upton Magna, Shropshire

Maesbury south of Oswestry
Meiford north-west of Welshpool

[Alberbury]

https://familysearch.org

Name   William Swain
Event Type   Census
Event Date   1911
Event Place   Meifod, Meifod Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, Wales
County   Montgomeryshire
Parish   Meifod
Sub-District   Llansantffraid
Registration District   Llanfyllin


David Roberts   Head   M                   56   Llansaintffraid, Montgomeryshire
Margaret Roberts   Wife   F           58   Llangyniew, Montgomeryshire
Harry Cureton Roberts   Son   M   25   Llansaintffraid, Montgomeryshire
Ada Louisa Roberts   Daughter   F   23   Llansaintffraid, Montgomeryshire
Maude Roberts   Daughter   F           22   Llansaintffraid, Montgomeryshire
Arthur Owen Roberts   Son   M           18   Llansaintffraid, Montgomeryshire
Doris Hilda M Roberts   Daughter   F   15   Llansaintffraid, Montgomeryshire
William Henry Lloyd   Servant   M   34   Llansaintffraid, Montgomeryshire
William Swain   Servant   M           26  single  WAGGONER ON FARM    Berington, Shropshire


I think this William is the son of William and Eleanor Swain on the 1891 census of Berrington. Also Eleanor might of been born in Meiford. Could William or Eleanor Swain be related to either David or Margaret Roberts.