Henry Ginn of Norton Heath and High Ongar, Essex died 1656

I knew that Henry Ginn (born to Henry snr in 1594 - see post of  20th July 2012   ) survived childhood very early in my research, but until 2018 he has merely been a footnote in my research, in that year he became a "contender" as Marlon Brando would have put it.

Henry's father died in 1615, when Henry was just 21.  He was left various houses (in the plural) in Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire, but we are not told how many nor where they were.  In addition, it is entirely possible if Henry's brother Humphrey is to be believed from his 1622 court case, that Henry never actually received all of his inheritance.

In 1616, Henry was still in Fyfield where was assaulted by a Gilbert Church there (Essex Quarter Sessions) and in 1623 I  found him mentioned in conjunction with his brother Arthur and Humphrey Aylett in a Fyfield manorial record concerning land at Willingdale Doe (D/DCW M108 at the ERO).

I was certain that he was at Norton Mandeville in the 1620s because there was mention in some transcribed records of a Henry Ginn being churchwarden there, but the parish registers do not survive and the whole picture did not emerge until 2018, and though I say the "whole picture", I am looking at it through a hazy window due to the absence of parish records.

Henry married the lovely named Frances Pye at Sandon, quite some distance away, in 1619 when he was 25  At present I know nothing of her family.

What we do know is that the couple had children at Norton Mandeville, where Henry was certainly churchwarden for a good number of years, it being a tiny parish with a lovely church.

There seems to be no doubt at all that the couple lived at Norton Heath from the time of their marriage, and I even know exactly where.  A deed  (D/DQ 95/2) at the ERO tells me that Henry Ginn lived at "Wythams" a three bay Tudor built house (likely originally owned by the yeoman Wytham family) which as houses built in the day were required to, had four acres of land adjoining.  The house was on the Ongar - Chelmsford Road - and amazingly it still is and has the same name, lying in a tiny enclave of the parish of High Ongar that sits within Norton Mandeville and is not far from the latter church.

Wythams is now  Grade 2 Listed and being a 3 bay house was quite large by contemporary standards, Henry and Frances living quite well.

 

The main chimney breast was there in Henry's day, and part of the building shows the High Hall (living room) that they knew.

With these pictures bringing the atmosphere of their house to life.

Henry and Frances obviously had a good number of children, but because of the absence of the parish registers I only know (or can deduce) a few, and I am reasonably certain that Frances died in the later 1630s and that Henry remarried a Sarah Housden at Sawbridgeworth,  just over the border in Hertfordshire in 1639, my reason for this assertion being that Henry obviously had children through to the later 1640s.

There was however a parish visitation to Norton Mandeville in 1630 by the Bishop's representatives, and they took a duplicate of the Bishop's Transcripts of the register of that year away with them - it is now in the Guildhall Library. in London.  That DOES survive, and I show my photo of the relevant part below, because not only does it shown Elizabeth as being born to Henry and Frances that year, but Henry was still churchwarden at the Church, and here we have his only surviving signature.

There is also another significant signature here, the signature of a man whose family I am sure had some influence upon the Ginn family and most assuredly a major influence on Essex at this time and in the 1640s - and that is Isaac Joyner snr, shown here as the Minister.  We can imagine them both inside the church

Isaac Joyner snr was a Cambridge graduate who was the Rector at Norton Heath from 1598 until his death in 1638, so he was an old man here.  But it is his sons, Daniel and Isaac jnr, who are interesting.   Also Cambridge graduates - Daniel was Rector of neighbouring Chipping Ongar in the 1630s, and Isaac junior had been Curate at Fyfield no less in 1614/5 - so must have known the Fyfield Ginns early on, was a Puritan and later became Rector of Springfield near Chelmsford before dying in 1650.  Issac jnr was very influential during the English Civil War and was partly responsible for raising three Essex Regiments of Militia Cavalry for Parliament in 1642, my suspecting that he may have had something to do with Henry Ginn of Fyfield fighting for Parliament as I am sure he did (see post of 29th July 2012).

We do not know how many children Henry had, nor all of their names - but it is clear that he had quite a few - through to the 1640s.  It is equally clear that during the period of the English Civil War and thereafter in the 1650s, the problems that had for the clergy led to a decline at Norton Mandeville church, and though living at Norton Heath, Henry started to use High Ongar.  Those registers also do not survive until the early 1650s but I know Henry was buried there in 1656 - he was 62.

As I say, precise information on Henry's children but is impossible it is possible to deduce some:

Henry - there is a "shadow" in the records (we have no definite information) that suggests that Henry had a surviving son of that name who inherited the lease of "Withams" and vacated that property in the 1680s.  There is no evidence of a marriage or children, but Henry clearly died and was buried at Chipping Ongar in 1718 when he was likely about 70.

Arthur  - it was long debated whether he was Henry's child or that that of Henry's nephew John, but it seems clear that now we know that Henry had a large family he was Henry's - see post of 29th October 2012

Elizabeth - the only known baptism - born in 1630 - fate unknown

Mary - given the locality - it seems clear that the Mary who married Thomas Wilmore at Mashbury in 1664 was their child.  Thomas apparently came from Chignall St James which is not that far from Norton Heath.  Sadly the registers do not survive.

John - likely theirs - married Elizabeth Smith at nearby Chelmsford in 1678.