Years ago, in 1998, I discovered the reference to this guy in the will of his great aunt as "one of cozen Thomas Ginns two boyes". Years later, I had done enough research at the Cambridge Record Office to establish that it was this guy who married in 1705. By 2008 or so I had discovered his will, subsequently traced his widow to Elsworth and evolved a theory that linked the family to one in Essex. But while I had a theory, while I had strong circumstantial evidence, there was no proof - then in very late 2014 a will turned up - the theory was proved and I was dragged from my comfortable winter home on a three hour journey to the Cambridge Record Office and yet more research.
In the circumstances, I cannot be entirely certain when Robert was born. It seems to be the 1660s or later, at least one and likely two Roberts died before him for sure. His wife was probably born in around 1675 given the date of the last child.
He married Jane Burton at Cambridge in 1705. It is noted in the Melbourn register but he did not marry there and I suspect that the marriage was a non-conformist one, as a few of the non conformist marriages, births and burials in Melbourn were recorded in Anglican registers.
I know nothing as yet of Jane Burton, and it would be interesting to know more, particularly given that the couple eventually moved to Fen Ditton near Cambridge. Perhaps more will emerge in due course.
There were a number of manors in Melbourn, but the main manorial records survive for this period and no Ginn is mentioned in them (CRO) so I can only speculate as to Robert's occupation whilst in Melbourn as we have nothing to go on.
As we have seen, most of the Melbourn population were non-conformists, mainly Congregationalists. Robert and Jane were clearly no exceptions. The Pastor John Nicholls, mentioned in my last post appears to have begun to preach in the open air at Melbourn in 1694. By the early 1700s the congregation was so large that they were able to finance a meeting house, now the United Reformed Church which was built in Orchard Road, Melbourn in 1717 and is shown above. Robert and Jane must have known this well, as did their children and one adult daughter and some grandchildren.
The couple seem to have lived in Melbourn proper from 1705 to 1720 or so, but by the early 1720s they were clearly in the hamlet (albeit a seperate parish) of Abington Pigotts, clearly living on the borders of this and Melbourn and Bassingbourn, as there are anglican records in both of those parishes describing them "of Abington" and the way Robert was described perhaps suggesting that the guy was of some note. It is just possible (see further below) that he went to Abington to become the landlord of Abington's only ever inn, built in the reign of Queen Ann (1702-1714) and now known as the "Pig & Abbot" (but formerly for a very long time the "Darby & Joan") which is still going and is shown below. But this is speculation.
What I know for sure is that Robert and Jane were in Abington Pigotts until at least 1723, but between 1724 and 1727 there was a major shift, because the couple moved to "Papermills". At least the younger children went with them. I found Robert's will in about 2008, and there he was describing himself as a "Yeoman of Papermills". So where was Papermills ? Online research, and a phone call to the Cambridge Record Office suggested that this was Fen Ditton, but there were several papermills in Cambridgeshire, Fen Ditton burials were not indexed online or in the NBI and this was an educated assumption until I went to the Cambridge Record Office before Christmas 2014. The couple indeed moved to Fen Ditton.
They moved to take over an Inn, possibly as I say their second. Because Robert is described as an Innkeeper in Fen Ditton records, which for some reason astonished me.
There was a papermill at Fen Ditton from the 1500s, the second in the country. The River Cam was essential for the job. Robert helpfully tells us that he lived in Papermills, which was mile long area to the east of the Leper Chapel in Cambridge but west of the village of Fen Ditton itself. At this time it was very undeveloped and consisted mostly of damp meadows and there was little more than a track leading in to it, indeed Fen Ditton's main communications with the outside world until sometime later were via the River Cam.
Now Fen Ditton is about 15 miles from Melbourn and, unless the Burton family had some connection with the pub ( I can find nothing), it seems a strange move. My best guess is that Robert moved to take over an Inn that had become available having been an innkeeper and looking for a better one. My research suggests that we have a choice of two, because the Papermills area restricts the choice. He either took over "The Globe" (once in the 1700s called "The Papermills Inn") now a restaurant, or he took "The Plough", Fen Ditton's oldest Inn and a former papermill. Both are shown below. The first surviving record of the "Globe" however dates to 1760. The Plough has existed from the 1600s and though much altered, sits on its former site at Green End. This Inn was a significant coaching inn in the 1700s and was the place where local worthies and magistrates held their meetings. My suspicion therefore is that for at least a few years, Robert was the landlord of the "Plough".
Robert Ginn died in February 1728. He left everything (without telling us what it was) to Jane. His original will, signature above, is at the CRO.
Years ago, whilst digging for something else, I found a book at the Society of Genealogists with an indexed marriage licence for Jane. In 1728 "Jane Ginn of Fen Ditton" married John Robins of Elsworth, they married at Cambridge, St Michael.
So Jane and what remained of the younger children moved to Elsworth, another 15 mile hike from Fen Ditton, over towards Huntingdon. Robins seems to have been a Yeoman.
Unfortunately Jane, past childbearing, did not herself live long - "the wife of John Robins" died at Elsworth in 1730, she was about 55.
Robert and Jane had a number of children. With only two baptisms recorded it is virtually impossible to have a complete list but this is what we know
Robert - I have assumed that he was the eldest son, born in about 1706. He died in 1723, recorded in the Bassingbourn register, "Robert Ginn of Abington unbaptized", the parish clerk noting his non conformity.
John - see next post
Mary - one of only two baptisms - born in 1710. She was of working age when her parents moved and I suspect stayed in Melbourn. She married Robert Adams (a Butcher) at Melbourn in 1735 and they had two children, Sarah 1736 and Ann 1741 before Adams died the same year. In 1755 Mary Adams, widow, married Samuel Jarman widower, by licence at Melbourn. Jarman came from a major Yeoman family of non conformists in Melbourn and it is likely that Samuel Jarman jnr born in circa 1755 (there is of course no baptism) was this couple's. Both she and Samuel are mentioned in her brother John's will of 1778 - they are left mourning rings . Mary Jarman wife of Samuel died in 1782 aged 71. There are known descendants of Ann Adams who married a Melbourn "dealer" from a family of the same, Thomas Worland, and also Samuel Jarman jnr. Many are in Australia and I have been in touch.
Elizabeth - she was alive in 1778, a spinster. A mourning ring was left in bro. John's will. No idea where she was.
Benjamin - see post of 4th March 2013
James - likely born in about 1712 - he died at Elsworth in 1731.
Sarah - born and baptized at Bassingbourn in 1722. Bro John in 1778 mentions a niece, Sarah King ,who was likely her daughter and I am searching for connections
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