Charles Ginn of Hertford d.1835

Charles Ginn son of Joe in my post of  17th March 2013 was a Maltmaker.  Brewing was a major trade in Hertford.

In 1818 he married Hannah Smart (I have not investigated Hannah's family).  Originally they lived in the Back Street (now Railway Street) area, together with Butchery Green (much the same thing - where Hertford Bus Station is now).

By 1827 they had moved to Chequers Yard, where they stayed.  Chequers Yard was behind the old "Chequers" Pub; behind the current Post Office and "Talbot Arms".  It was a small, run down square of cottages illustrated in various Hertford books - see "The Book of Hertford”.

I know relatively little about Charles.  He got himself into some minor trouble in 1825 (Quarter Sessions: HRO) which culminated in him spending a month in the Bridewell and being bound over to keep the Peace for two years.

Chequers Yard was not a healthy place, being known for disease and epidemics.  Charles died there in 1835; he was 38 or so.

 Hannah remarried a John Barnes (a publican in Railway Street) in 1845.  He died, and in 1855 she remarried a Joseph Meek (a Hawker) - they were in Back Street in the 1861 Census.  She died in 1869, aged approximately 70.

Charles and Hannah had nine children:

Susan ? - There is an outside chance that Charles & Hannah had a daughter called Susan born in 1819 or so.  Susan Ginn from Hertford (claiming dad Charles)  married William Newman in Lambeth in 1851.  My feeling is that this is the illegitimate Susan born to Charles Ginn’s sister Elizabeth in 1819 who was never traced, but I cannot be entirely certain

John - see later post

Hannah -  Married George Mardell in 1847.  before she married she had two illegitimate children:  George and Georgiana both of whom died in infancy.  The name of course suggests they were likely George's       

Charles -  see later

 

Thomas - Fascinating story here – a genealogical mind-bender.

A labourer, Tom  married Rebecca Klusman who, like Thomas, was living in a pub in Railway Street in 1851.  Rebecca was born in Clifton, Beds, but  mentions  Brunswick in Germany at one point, this being where her father Frederick (a Publican) was born in 1786. Frederick was almost certainly in the Brunswick Regiment/Kings German Legion who served with the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and I suspect him very likely to have been at Waterloo.  Descendants should consider this probability.

The couple originally moved to St Pauls Walden in Herts (where the Klusman family had moved) having a dtr Rebecca at Pauls Walden in 1860. The daughter likely died but I am investigating.  Rebecca snr died in Hertford in 1881 aged 60, but there were differing reports on her age.  . 

It was originally thought that Thomas Ginn died in 1886 (the parish register does not survive) but this is clearly wrong.   Research continues as in 1891, a Thomas Gin [sic} is lodging in Deptford claiming to be married and born Hertford.  It can only be this fellow

NB.  There is a mystery here.  The 1881 census identifies a son, William Ginn, born Fulham in circa 1870.  My  belief is that this is likely a William Klusman, born Fulham at this time who is son of William Klusman born Clifton/Hertford in 1845.  The William Klusman born in 1845 is considered to almost certainly be Rebecca’s illegitimate child, born William Simpson Klusman in Clifton (registered 1844).  The "Simpson" probably identifies the father.  In short, the William “Ginn” is actually William Klusman,  Rebecca’s grandson

Sarah - married Thomas Smart at Luton in 1847 and Geo Berry at Hertford in 1854

Elizabeth - underage (15) when she married Joseph Mansfield in 1850

Joseph - untraced

James and Benjamin - died in infancy