When I first started this research in 1989 there was no IGI online, hardly any "online" at all in fact, and I worked with a word processor and did my research in dusty record offices and archives, looking at original documents or, if I was really lucky, a microfiche or microfilm with the potential of an index.
It was in this context that I first came across Thomas. There were mere snippets of information - a baptism and a burial or two, a mention in a Hearth Tax return, but no manorial records or wills, and only a hint in fact that the guy lived at all.
Thomas married just after the English Civil War, in the Commonwealth period, when few if any marriage records survive.
His wife's name would appear to have been Ann, although I cannot be certain that he married only once but I know he and Ann had a number of children in Reed near Therfield.
To explain to the reader who does not know Hertfordshire, I should explain that as you go north of Buntingford on the road to Royston and beyond to Cambridge you will encounter several rural villages and see enticing signposts to several more, "Ginn country" as my wife jokingly refers to them. Reed is directly on this road, with Barkway to the right and Reed End (which effectively formed part of Therfield in older times) to the left. Therfield and the ridge which forms the boundary between Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire can be seen on the left as you drive up to Royston. The best way to illustrate this is a snippet I have taken from a 1766 map I have of Hertfordshire which is uploaded below.
Thomas was clearly not that prosperous, and was likely a labourer or Husbandman, but he came from the Yeoman class and I think it certain that he referred to himself as such.
It is equally certain to me that Thomas was a non-conformist, at least after he moved beyond Royston and just across the border into Melbourn in Cambridgeshire in the 1660s as he clearly did. This move likely being the result of the influence of his Aunt Elizabeth Munsey (nee Ginn) who lived in Melbourn and in her will mentions "cozen Thomas Ginns two boyes"
Thomas and wife moved between 1656 and 1662, the Hearth Tax indeed having him gone from Hertfordshire but in Melbourn with a home with two hearths in 1674.
Thomas and family clearly took to non conformity in its early days. The area around Royston was a centre of non-conformity, for independents, baptists and congregationalists alike. The great John Bunyan (1628-1688 - shown) preached at Melbourn. The "apostle of Cambridgeshire", Francis Holcroft (1633-1692) was the vicar of neighbouring Bassingbourne (1655-1660) and campaigned and preached in these villages for the rest of his life (being jailed in Cambridge Castle at one point) converting huge numbers in the area to the congregational way of thinking. In 1676 Melbourn had dozens of non-conformists, in 1679 twelve families of which were followers of Francis Holcroft alone (British-history.ac.uk). By 1700 the Bassingbourn/Meldreth Congregational Church met in Melbourn (originally in the open air) and after 1707 the Pastor of both meeting houses at Chishill and Melbourn John Nicholls, who preached at each on alternate Sundays, is known to have had a congregation in excess of 400. By this time it will be no surprise to readers that the greater part of the Melbourn population were non conformists. More of this, as it is essential to the narrative, will be detailed in the next post.
Ann Ginn "wife of Thomas" died in 1705. Thomas Ginn "father of Robert" followed her in 1718, he was 92 - they certainly lived long lives in this branch of the family.
There are four children known
Thomas - is untraced
Robert - there were two - for the second see next post
Sarah - married Thomas Butler, a Congregationalist, at the Old Meeting House in Royston in 1701. He was some sort of tradesman in Royston and a study of Butler wills has revealed that there were issue, though the whole Butler clan being non-conformists means that none of these have any anglican baptism record.
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