John Ginn of Rickling d. 1717

John Ginn was a smallholding Farmer, the eldest son of his father John (in my post of 26th October 2012) and elder brother of Abe, Philip and Jacob in my last three posts. He has descendants alive today, many of them having no idea they are descended from him because he moved around - so pay attention !

He married Mary Rayment in 1695/6.  They used Layston Church (just outside Buntingford) for the baptisms of the first few children, but it is not clear if they moved there. Layston Church (now sadly unused and derelict) is only a short walk from the Hormeads, and is not in Buntingford proper.  By 1704 the couple were using Little Hormead church again, so they may not have moved at all.

Manorial records for the Hormeads do not survive for this period, so I do not know what land he held there.  Presumably he had part of his father’s land at Little Hormead.

The couple disappeared in 1706.  I knew that all of John’s brothers (save Isaac, who died) had left Hertfordshire between 1700 and 1710, some went to Essex, some to Middlesex.  I assumed that John had gone with them, but could not trace him.

I later found that John had gone to Rickling, a mile or so from Broxted and Henham, where three of John's brothers had gone.

John and Mary arrived there in 1707.  There is no indication of any children born after 1706 and Mary died at Rickling in 1709, probably in childbirth.  Within five months, John remarried - an Elizabeth Woodley.  Elizabeth may have been a widow, or no longer a young woman, because it is clear that the couple had no children. 

 John Ginn ("Farmer" in the register) died at Rickling in 1717; like so many of his brothers he died young - he was 46.  Elizabeth followed soon after, she died in early 1718.

John and Mary had five children, all born in Hertfordshire as I say:

Mary - married Henry Perrin at Ricking in 1720.  They had a large number of children and I have corresponded with descendants.

  NB Mary is sometimes erroneously given on the internet as daughter of Francis Gin of Epping

Grace - untraced

Margaret - not discovered until as late as 2011 when I found a clue as to the whereabouts of her brother John.  She married Thomas Wright at Wicken Bonhunt in 1724.  Both were said to be of Arkesden and they had at least one child there (Thomas 1725) before moving on.  I am trying to trace them.

John - also not discovered until 2011 when a lot of things became clear.  He married Susannah Catmore of Albury in Herts (b. 1704 to William) at Albury in 1727.  I had puzzled over this marriage entry for years. 

He also lived in Arkesden and they had the following children before they too moved on-

Susannah    1731 d.

William       1734

See post of 14th May 2020 - I finally traced them

William - died in infancy at Rickling