John Joseph "Jeffers" Swain

1859 - 1932  (73 years)

• Name	John Joseph Swain
  Nickname	Jeffers
  Born	7 Apr 1859	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland   [1]
  The number of John Joseph, John, and Joseph Swains baptized at Fermeuse in 1859 and 1860 has caused much confusion. Some researchers have shown that this John Joseph was baptized there on the 9 April 1860. However, that baptism record shows the child's name was just Joseph, so I have concluded that the record is probably not for this John Joseph, but likely a brother, Joseph. In 1889, John Joseph went to British Columbia. Information from his Victoria, BC marriage record (MRI) states that John was 41 years old when he married in May 1900. The fact that this John J. Swain was the son of Joseph Swain and Anne/Anna Power is confirmed in his marriage record.
  Gender	Male
  Census	1891	Victoria City, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada   [2]
  Frank Meaney, John Joseph Swain and John Williams (from Ferryland?) were all living in the same household in Victoria, British Columbia when the 1891 Census was enumerated.
  Voter	1898	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
  1898 Voters List- Victoria City; British Columbia - Swain, John, Brick Row, Sapperton, Carpenter, NWC Swain, John Joseph, Fire Hall, north side Pandora St, Carpenter.
  Census	1911	Victoria City, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada   [3]
  In the 1911 Canada Census, at Vancouver, British Columbia, John and his son,Clifford, were boarders with a family named Redpath.
  Residence	15 Sep 1912	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland   [4]
  Shortly after the 1911 Canada Census, John returned to Newfoundland from British Columbia. He was accompanied by his eleven year old son, Clifford. In September of 1912, he married Harriett (Doran) Meaney (widow of Frank Meaney) and built a small house on the Northside of Calvert near Harriett's daughter, Mary Anne (Minnie), who had married Ambrose Walsh. An old Bill of Sale, dated March 31, 1931, shows that John's land had came into his possession from Richard (Rich) Sullivan. The land, house, and furniture were willed to Martin Reddigan (my father) on the 10 day of May 1932. (Kevin Reddigan).
  Census	1921	Caplin Bay, Newfoundland
  In the 1921 Newfoundland Census, there is no record for John Joseph Swain and any of his immediate family.It is unclear if this was an omission since they were not recorded elsewhere in Newfoundland.
  Voter	1928	Calvert, Newfoundland   [5]
  John Swain (of Joseph) was not listed in the 1924 Voters List at Calvert. However, he was an eligible voter at Calvert in the 1928 Voters List, but his wife Harriet was not listed.
  Will	10 May 1932	Calvert, Newfoundland   [6]
  This is the Last Will and Testament of me John Joseph Swain of Calvert, (North Side) Newfoundland. I give and bequeath my house on North Side of Calvert, N.F.Ld. and my furniture to Martin Redigan Calvert, North Side, N.F.Ld. and ask him to have Masses said for the repose of my soul, by the Rev. P Sheehan P.P. of Ferryland. In Witness whereof, I the said John Joseph Swain have to this my last Will and Testament set my name this 10th day of May 1932. Signed - John Joseph Swain Witnesses 1) Bernard Meaney 2) Ambrose Walsh
  Died	7 Sep 1932	Calvert, Newfoundland   [7]
  Buried	Abt 9 Sep 1932	Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada   [8]
  John died on, or about, 7 September 1932 and was buried in the Reddigan family plot in Holy Trinity RC Cemetery. John's only request, as a condition of the will, was that Martin Reddigan should have regular Masses said for the repose of his soul. Various slips of paper (receipts) from our old house (torn down in 1995) show that Masses for the repose of the soul of John Swain were still being said into the 1980s. (Kevin Reddigan)
  	John J. Swain
  Person ID	I1561	Families of Calvert (Caplin Bay), Newfoundland
  Last Modified	5 May 2024

  
  

  Father	Joseph Swain,   b. Abt 1832, Stone Island, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland ,   d. 29 Jun 1906, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland  (Age ~ 74 years)
  Mother	Anne Power,   b. St. John's, Newfoundland ,   d. Aft 1877, Caplin Bay, Newfoundland
  Married	6 May 1857	St. John's, Newfoundland   [9]
  Family ID	F19	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Elizabeth Amalda Rhodes,   b. 15 Jun 1874, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada ,   d. 17 Mar 1907, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada  (Age 32 years)
  Married	2 May 1900	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada   [10]
  Marriage Record: John Joseph Swain, 41, r.Victoria, b.St. John, NF, bachelor, fireman, RC, s.o. Joseph Swain & Anna Powers mar Elizabeth (Lizzie) Rhodes, 24, r. & b.Victoria, RC, d.o. Joe & Mary Rhodes, 2 May 1900 at Victoria.
  Census	1901	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
  1901 Census - Victoria City, British Colombia - 37 Fort St. - 06/34/15 Swain, John, m, head, m, 7 Apr 1854, 43, NF, to Can: 1889, RC, Farmer. - 06/34/16 Swain, Lizzie, f, wife, m, 15 Jun 1874, 26, BC, RC. - 06/34/17 Swain, Clifford, m, son, s, 29 Jun 1900, -, BC, RC. ??Rems: BRI: Dob entered as 29 Nov 1900. The census lists month as Jun. The confusion over John's birth date and age continued into the transcribed copy of Victoria City 1901 Census records. It shows that John was born 17 Apr 1854. I looked at the original census page, and it clearly states that John was born on 7 April 1854. However, the age is shown as 43, which doesn't make sense. That would compute to a birth year of 1857/1858, not 1854. I am lead to conclude that he was likely born on April 7 1859, since his sister, Margaret, was baptised in July 1858. It is also interesting to note that John said his "Racial or Tribal Origin" was Irish. This lends support to family lore that Robert Swain (his grandfather) was from Ireland. John's wife, Lizzie, gave her origin as German. Their son Clifford's origin is also given as Irish, indicating that the enumerator was using the paternal line as the origin noted in the census.
  Census	1911	Victoria, British Columbia, Canada   [11]
  1911 Census of Canada Swain Clifford M Lodger S Nov 1900 11 Swain John M Lodger W Apr 1864 49 In the 1911 Canadian census, John and his son Clifford are shown as lodgers with a family named Redpath. Again John's age has changed, with his birth date given as Apr. 1864 and his age as 49, which still doesn't calculate properly. John's occupation is given as carpenter.
  Children	1. Clifford John Swain,   b. 29 Nov 1900, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada ,   d. Nov 1964, Massachusetts, United States  (Age 63 years)   2. Theodore Swain,   b. 1906, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada ,   d. 30 Jan 1907, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada  (Age 1 years)
  Last Modified	13 Nov 2020
  Family ID	F538	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Harriett Ann Doran,   b. Abt 1868,   d. Aft 1912  (Age ~ 45 years)
  Married	15 Sep 1912	Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland   [4]
  Last Modified	13 Nov 2020
  Family ID	F1408	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 7 Apr 1859 - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Census - 1891 - Victoria City, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Voter - 1898 - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Married - 2 May 1900 - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Census - 1901 - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Census - 1911 - Victoria City, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Census - 1911 - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Residence - 15 Sep 1912 - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Married - 15 Sep 1912 - Holy Trinity RC Parish, Ferryland, Newfoundland Census - 1921 - Caplin Bay, Newfoundland Voter - 1928 - Calvert, Newfoundland Will - 10 May 1932 - Calvert, Newfoundland Died - 7 Sep 1932 - Calvert, Newfoundland Buried - Abt 9 Sep 1932 - Holy Trinity RC Cemetery, Ferryland, Ferryland District, Newfoundland, Canada  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S12] 1901 Census of Canada , Ancestry.com, ([database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006). [S89] Ancestry.com - Various Event Records., (Ancestry.com. [database on-line] 360 W 4800 N, Provo, UT 84604, USA), Year: 1891; Census Place: Victoria City James Bay Ward, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; Roll: T-6292; Family No: 98. [S11] 1911 Census of Canada, Ancestry.com, ([database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.), "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98W-3Y9J?cc=2143998&wc=SK6B-FMH%3A1414209904%2C1414520701%2C1414520703 : 16 February 2018), British Columbia > Vancouver > 19-50 > image 712 of 1237; Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. [S41] Newfoundland Vital Statistics - Ferryland District - 1890 - 1940, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online: http://ngb.chebucto.org/Vstats/1vstats-fer-idx.shtml - Transcribed information posted under "Vital Statistics Records, Ferryland District). [S4] Newfoundland Voter's Lists, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online: http://ngb.chebucto.org/V1928/1dist-vl-idx.shtml, copyright © 1999-2015. Transcribed lists of eligible voters, by town and district, from 1832 onward). [S52] Family Information, Various Sources, (Oral or written information provided by those with a first hand knowledge of the individual or family), Will of John Swain, May 10, 1932, Reddigan, Kevin, ( Family Names of Calvert (Caplin Bay), Newfoundland. Accessed 05 May 2024. http://www.calvertweb.ca/wills/swain.shtml . [S7] Headstones - Ferryland RC Cemetery, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online database: http://ngb.chebucto.org/Cemetery/cem-ferryland-rc-fer.shtml). [S90] Approximate date based on another recorded event, Reddigan, Kevin, (A date calculated by using a recorded date and a person's age, or by estimating the most likely date, based on other recorded life events). [S24] Southern Shore RC Marriages at St. John's 1793 - 1890, Newfoundland's Grand Banks, (Online: Selected marriage records transcribed by the late Ray Curran & Cindy (Morrisson) Curran). [S89] Ancestry.com - Various Event Records., (Ancestry.com. [database on-line] 360 W 4800 N, Provo, UT 84604, USA), British Columbia, Canada, Marriage Index, 1872-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001. . [S11] 1911 Census of Canada, Ancestry.com, ([database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.), "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98W-3Y9J?cc=2143998&wc=SK6B-FMH%3A1414209904%2C1414520701%2C1414520703 : 16 February 2018), British Columbia > Vancouver > 19-50 > image 712 of 1237; Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario..