I have known a fair bit about him for thirty years, but just before Christmas in 2021 a series of deeds turned up at the Herts Archives - they confirmed what I had long thought - John was a decent guy.
In 1670, John's father died.
Under the will, John was made the heir; he inherited the two cottages at
Welwyn and the one at Datchworth. He lived in Image Croft in Burnham Green at Datchworth, and in January 1673 he sold one of
the Welwyn cottages; at that time both were tenanted. He sold it to George
Crouch, a witness to his father's will.
The price was £30 and the original deed survives, below ( ref 59154 HRO).
John was the second son of his father and, as such, should not have inherited the three cottages- they should have gone to his brother Francis jnr. But John was obviously the more favoured of the two by his father and this bothered him. He feared a claim to ownership of the cottages by his brother and there are a number of uncompeted deeds surviving which were drawn up with a view to Frank jnr "gifting" the cottages to John to clear up any claim to the title. But John need not have worried, his father had clearly bequeathed the cottages to him in his will and Francis jnr never did make a claim - indeed he and John seem to have remained on good terms.
John was thirty when he married Sarah Harvey in 1676. I have not researched her family, but have
assumed that she was also in her thirties, chiefly because of the number of
children.
As he owned freehold land, John had the vote. It is through the Poll Books that we know
that he sold the other Welwyn cottage between 1673 and 1722.
John Ginn used both Datchworth and Welwyn churches, just
like his father and grandfather had.
Burnham Green seems to have been ideally placed for this.
In
2009, it was discovered that Vestry records survive for Datchworth from about
1700. These have mentions of John from their start until his death, and
indicate that he took a number of parish official posts, most notably that of
Overseer of the Highways. He was also Churchwarden in 1695 and 1703. In other words, he was seen as a solid citizen
of the parish.
Further
Tithe records were found (D/P33 3/1 at HRO) and in 1714 the Rector records
“John Ginn lives in a house of his own in Burnham Green Lane with an orchard and
two acres of land adjoining”. Obviously Image Croft, the house of his father. The cottage is possibly that shown below, but more post Covid work remains to be done on that.
I was astonished when in 2021 I found that this chap left a will (D/ E 2882) - it was never proved ie validated but has remained for three hundred years with the deeds of his house. Sarah had died ( I have never found a burial entry) and John had a live in housekeeper called Sarah Hopkins - they may had led the tongues to wag but there is no sense of any personal relationship in his will - he left her the mattresses she lay on and some household stuff and twenty shillings- John died in June 1723 and the will was made as you can see very shortly before he died- - it bears his mark, he was 77 (quoted as 73 in the
register).
John and Sarah had four children:
John - he must have died before his father. It seems likely that he left with his brother
as he has no burial in Datchworth or Welwyn.
He did not inherit and there is no mention of him or any children of his in his father's will.
William - went to Walthamstow - see next post
Sarah - untraced - not mentioned in her father's will so likely died without issue
George - he died in 1720, aged 31; apparently unmarried.
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