Charles Ginn of Anstey d. 1734

Charles Ginn was a Labourer/Husbandman and is one of the significant Ginn family men in this blog, having a good many Ginn family descendants alive today.   He owned freehold land and had the vote, so in his later years he would definitely have argued had you said he was a Labourer. 

In 1698 (when he was 31) he purchased a property in Cheapside in Anstey.  The property was described as being "near a little lane called Eastwood Lane" and passed down through the family to 1789 (as we shall see).  Its owners can subsequently be traced (without doubt) and I have established what this consisted of and exactly where it was.  As a solicitor/property lawyer I am well qualified to undertake this and I have a note showing the chain of ownership, with maps.

Charles bought this property from a chap called Robert Bennett and his wife, and paid them £23.  (See Deed HRO).  In 2008, I discovered that the property was originally owned by a Robert Rowley, the Anstey smith, who died in 1666 and appears to have been a friend and neighbour of John Ginn, Charles’ dad (see post of 12th September ).  Rowley’s widow Joan died in 1674, having made her will in John Ginn’s presence in 1671, and Joan the widow left it to her brother Edmund Allen who died in Anstey in 1677 and who in turn left it to Robert Bennett and his wife as above.  It consisted of a cottage and an adjacent smithy (which had also been converted for residential use).  There was also a barn, a stables, a large garden and an orchard.  The property was adjacent Eastwood Lane, and at the back Charles had a large long oblong shaped field.  This stretched virtually right back to East Wood, in a long strip.  In all, Charles had an acre of land.

Unfortunately, the cottage is no longer there.  There are a row of houses  there now.  But, the good news is that the field at the back is the same as it always was.  So, descendants can go and have a look if they want.

        Cottage stood where the white house can be seen -Eastwood Lane is the little lane to

                                                                 the direct right

In any event, Charles married Mary in about 1700, I cannot trace a marriage entry.  He found marriage was expensive, and in 1702 he mortgaged the property to a John Browne (Deed HRO) for £10.  This deed had many of his signatures on it (Charles took at least one further advance).

Mary Ginn died in 1709, probably in childbirth.  Charles did not remarry.

                                  
                                    The surviving paddock at the rear of the cottage

In 1723 all local householders were required to swear an oath that they accepted German George (George the First) as their King, notwithstanding the fact that he never learnt to speak English.  Charles walked over to the “George Inn” at Barkway to swear his oath (See Quarter Sessions Books HRO).

In December 1733, Charles became fatally ill and he died in early 1734; aged 67.

He made a will (ERO with original at HRO) and left his land to his son James, his second son.  Yet another example of the eldest being disinherited.  For a summary of the inheritance of the cottages by his children - see below.

Charles and Mary had a number of children, not all of whom are shown on the IGI:

James - has been dealt with first, because he inherited the property.  He paid 3s Land Tax on this, and did not marry. .He appears in various Poll Books.  He died in 1776, aged 73, and the property was inherited by his brother Charles (see 1786 Mortgage below), and Anstey Manor Court Book (HRO)

Charles - did not marry.  Upon his brother James's death, he presented himself to the Anstey Manor Court and stated that he was “the only brother and heir of James Ginn".  The other brother (Benjamin) had died in 1759.  He inherited the property, paying a fine of £3 3s to the court.  He died in 1781 (intestate) aged 80.  All this is recited in 1786 Mortgage (below).  He was the last man called Ginn to live in Anstey, after nearly 300 years of continuous occupation by the family.

Mary- clearly married George Johnson of Anstey (I can't find the marriage entry).  George died in 1772.  They had not had any children.  She inherited the cottages on her brother Charles’s death (see Mortgage) but died herself (again Intestate) in 1784, aged 80.  Letters of Administration were granted to her nephew William Ginn, of Great Hormead (eldest son and heir of her brother Benjamin) - see Letters of Admin and Bond all of which survive at the HRO.  The Bond was for £100, clearly roughly the value of the estate.  William mortgaged the property in 1786 (as we shall see) and the complicated inheritance outlined above is detailed again in that deed (HRO)

Benjamin - married Grace Graves.  See later post

Ruth - yet another one of this family to not marry.  She died a maid in 1770; aged 62 

William -two of this name died in infancy