Nicholas Ginn of Great Hormead d. 1704

Second son of Edward Ginn in the next to last post, Nicholas Ginn does not have any Ginn descendants alive today, his line dying out towards the end of the 19^th century as we shall see.

Apart from what is mentioned in the parish registers, the man is a total mystery.  It is pretty clear that he was a Labourer or Husbandman; possibly given a pound or two by his father.

Like his brother, Nicholas was not a young man when he married.  He was 39.  His bride was Eleanor King, of a Buntingford family.  Her father was William King, a Husbandman, but the King family were generally Shoemakers.

It may be that Eleanor (sometimes Ellen) went to her mother's house to have the first child, because Hannah was baptised at Layston, not Great Hormead church.  However, subsequently all the children were baptised at Great Hormead.

Ellen Ginn Snr died in 1694, almost certainly in childbirth.  She was 39.  Nicholas was getting on a bit, he was 53.  He was left with a number of young children, but did not remarry.

It is very clear that Nicholas received assistance from the King family, certainly with the bringing up of the children.  He died in 1704 and is buried at Great Hormead, but his children seem to have gone to Layston before then.  He was 63 when he died.

Nicholas and Ellen had a number of children:

Hannah - she had an illegitimate child (Robert) at Layston in 1703.  The father was Robert Sutton.  Both she and the child are thereafter untraced.

Ellen - sometimes known as Helen.  She married John Cooledge, a Husbandman of Aspenden and Layston.  The whole and extensive Cooledge family of Hertfordshire are known to be descended from this couple.

Sarah - she married Richard Turkinton.  She was then 34.  Her husband's surname was sometimes written as Turkintine.  Nothing more is known

William - untraced.

Edward - was apprenticed to his uncles, the Kings of Layston.  He became a Shoemaker.  See next post

Elizabeth - she is untraced for certain.  However, it is very likely that she is the Elizabeth Ginn dying in Layston in 1730, then 39.  This is particularly possible given the epidemics of smallpox and like diseases at this time.