He originally (aged 19) enlisted with the Royal Artillery ("H" Battery of the 9th Brigade Field Artillery) in September 1859. He spent two and a half years with them but things did not work out - he was imprisoned for a disciplinary offence and discharged at Shorncliffe, Kent in 1862 with the caustic comment "unworthy"
He returned smartly to Hertford and in 1863 married Ann Lowen, an Edmonton girl (like my wife) at Edmonton, North London. They went to live in Hertford at the notorious Chequers Yard.
The couple had four children, one of whom died in infancy but things were still not working out for Joe who at this point was a Butcher. I know this because in 1871 Joseph Ginn appears in the "Police Gazette" (8th February 1871) no less as a wanted man, albeit not exactly as a hardened criminal, for Joe (obviously unemployed) had absconded from Hertford Workhouse (below) with a couple of blankets. We have a description, he was aged 30, 5foot 6ins tall, with light brown hair, a round face with a tuft of hair on his chin and, yes, a "rather gruff voice" !
I have no idea whether Joseph and Annie took the decision voluntarily, or whether they thought that things were forced upon them, but at this point they decided there was nothing for them in England and that they would emigrate. The "Hertfordshire Mercury" newpaper of Saturday, December 16th 1871 reports that Joe applied to the Board of Guardians of the workhouse at Hertford for money for him, his wife and three children to emigrate. He needed £30 all told, had promises of under £20 from family and wellwishers and needed £12 from the Board. They offered him £10. The amusing thing is that at this stage the family were looking to emigrate to Queensland, Australia. They emigrated with their remaining three children and Joe's younger brother Tom. As yet neither I nor any descendant has traced the ship they went out on - likely in 1872/3, but they went across the Atlantic, not to Australia.
They first went to Ontario, Canada, but by 1875 were in New York where the East River Bridge had just been constructed, connecting New York and Brooklyn, the latter where Tom Ginn was to settle.
Joe Ginn jnr was born in New York in 1875, and by the time of the 1880 census the family were in Massena, Joe now being a Painter, an occupation he kept for the rest of his life.
The family eventually settled in Watertown, New York State. Joseph Ginn died there in 1911 aged 71. Annie died there in 1917 aged 73. They are buried in Brookside Cemetery (Findagrave). There is no doubt that their decision to emigrate was a good one.
Joe and Annie had seven known children:
Lowen - became a New York attorney. He married Alberta Sloan in 1887. They had four sons and one daughter. Three sons married but have no descendants. Lowen died in 1942 and Alberta in 1951.
Henry Walpole- married Emogene Cardinal in 1900. Had a gas station. They had one surviving son who has Ginn descendants alive today. Henry died in 1968, Emogene in 1955. They are in Watertown (Findagrave)
Ellen Lowen - took me a while to track her down. She married George W Foster, a Merchant. They lived in Chateaugay. She died in Florida in 1958. One child known
Lilian (Annie/Lillie) married William T. Manson, a Farmer, of Stormont, Ontario, Canada in 1897. They lived in Stormont. No children known.
Josephine - apparently died young
Sarah - died in infancy
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