James Ginn of Maker Cornwall d.1906

James here, son of William in my last post was born in Bishop's Stortford Workhouse in 1839/4.  No baptism record survives.

In December 1858 he joined the 10th Regiment of Foot at Bishop's Stortford, his first cousin (also James) having joined that regiment exactly a month earlier. He was 19, 5ft 6ins and a bit, with brown hair and brown eyes. 

The army was not really James' cup of tea.  He was in the opinion of his superiors too fond of a drink (like many of his contemporaries)  and never earned any Good Conduct badges.

The two never got off to a good start anyway, as James had barely been in the army 18 months when he obviously met his future wife in Plymouth and, either refused permission to marry and/or facing embarkation for abroad (the regiment were in South Africa in 1861) deserted in 1860.  He wanted to stay in Plymouth and joined the Plymouth Division of the Royal Marine Light Infantry.

                                               RMLI 1860s


 James married Mary Ann Couch at East Stonehouse (Plymouth) in 1861 and hid from the army until 1864 when he was then tracked down, being shown in the records as being reclaimed from the Marines as a deserter from the 10th .  He was court martialled and imprisoned.

James was sent to India in the later-1860s.  It is plain that Mary went with him.  Only wives were allowed to travel with a regiment.

                                       Line Infantryman 1860s

He and Mary spent some time in Bangalore, the main barracks being at the fort below, their son James being born there.  Unfortunately James also caught dysentery there (endemic in the regiment) in 1868 and became extremely ill and no longer able to serve properly thereafter.

They kept him in the army for some time however (the family were at Rangoon in 1871) but in 1872 he was discharged, his conduct being given as "indifferent" He stated that he was settling in Plymouth, though he actually subsequently settled nearby at Maker in Cornwall described there as a labourer/army pensioner.

James died at Maker in 1906, he was 66.  Mary Ann's death registration has not been traced.

James and Mary had five children.  None known were born before 1867.  The name was in transition from Ginn to Gynn and ultimately all these children took the name Gynn

James George - he joined the Royal Navy.  He was born in Bangalore in approximately 1867.  He was ship's boy on the Royal Adelaide in 1881 (a training ship) but was in the Egypt campaign in 1882 on the Superb (below) and received the Eqypt Medal with clasp for the action at Alexandria

He was later an Able Seaman and Ship's Corporal (a Petty Officer) and left the Navy in 1899.  He married twice and had two sons and a daughter.  From one son he had a good number of Ginn descendants

Thomas Henry - also joined the Royal Navy and as a stoker.  He married in 1893 and three children are known.  He died in 1954

Frederick William - Joined the Royal Navy and was a stoker.  Actually William Frederick.  He married in 1899 and had ten children and a huge number of descendants are known.  Not sure when he died 

Alfred Edward - died a child

Maud Ellen - married 1915