Nathaniel Genn of Ely and Wisbech - died after 1692

Nathaniel here was known to me before 2019, but the fact that he might form part of my One Name Study had not even occurred to me - so all of this is very recent research and to progress it is likely to take months,  years.

Nathaniel was born to Richard and Joan Genn/Ginn of Ely in about 1650  (see post of  28th September 2012).  There is no baptism record, this being during the Commonwealth and the only reason I know it is through the court case involving him and his brother Benjamin (see next post).

Nathaniel married Susan/Susanna Smith at Ely Holy Trinity on 5th  November (Guy Fawkes Night) 1674.  A month earlier it seems they had had a son John baptised.  It was (luckily for Nathaniel) the fact that at the time if you were betrothed the church turned a blind eye to illegitimacy.  The child was legitimised by the marriage.

Nathaniel was, like his father and at least one other brother a Haberdasher of Hats.

Very soon after they married the couple moved to Wisbech, still onthe Isle of Ely but a long way north.  It is unclear whether Susan came from Wisbech or whether (which is my theory) that Nathaniel's dad Richard had a plan to create a family firm (Genn & Sons) with a Haberdasher of Hats from the family in every market town of consequence (Ely, Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and now Wisbech were certainly all targeted) in the area.  Nathaniel's brother John has not yet been traced, so there could have been another branch !

The couple went to live in Wisbech St Peter, which was the corporation parish ie the town itself.  In 1676 when a record of adult churchgoers was taken, it was estimated that the town comprised about 2000 souls, ie smaller than Ely.

                                       Wisbech St Peter

Nathaniel and Susan obviously had a large family from when they married in 1674 to at least 1690, but we only have a few names.  Research in Wisbech awaits me, because there must be a good number beyond what is recorded, though it is possible that the family were dissenters though very few were in Wisbech apparently.

Nathaniel was clearly the second son of Richard, and was obviously not as prosperous as his elder brother and thus able to obtain a line of credit so as to obtain stock and maintain his business.  This is important, as we know that Nathaniel often had to approach brother Benjamin to stand surety for monies that Nathaniel took on his bond.  So the two men were often in contact.

In January 1689 Nathaniel was in communication with his friend Samuel Buck, a gentleman of Wisbech who Nathaniel's sister in law Mary was to call Nathaniel's  "intimate acquaintance".  Buck had himself been approached by one John Lancaster, yeoman of Wisbech (see next post) who had £60 to invest. What we have to remember is that there were no banks one could go to then to take  a loan or overdraft.  Commerce was basically oiled by people lending to each other on interest, with penalty payments for non compliance.  So it was here. Lancaster had a spare £60 and wanted to invest it as a short term loan for a profit, Buck (for a fee of course) acted as his broker and was the middle man for the money borrowed by Nathaniel.

Nathaniel was not trusted enough, not substantial enough to take the bond by himself, his sister in law tells us that he made many entreaties to Benjamin his brother in Bury St Edmunds to stand as guarantor for his debt.  The first capital repayment of £30 was due in the summer of 1689, the second in 1690.  They were not made.  Presumably the interest payments were met so Lancaster was not too worried and, after all, he had Benjamin as surety.

But Benjamin died in distant Bury in February 1691.  Word did not immediately get back to Lancaster, but Nathaniel knew of course.  He also knew he was in trouble, and the last note we have for him in Wisbech is in August 1691, thereafter he quietly sold up and scarpered, or as John Lancaster put it " soon after (Ben's death) did leave his habitation in Wisbech having first disposed of all his goods and removed himself to some place unknown to your orator"

                                       The Moonlight flit

When he left  I would assess Nathaniel's age at about 40 and likely at least eight children had been born to him and Susan, how many of whom were surviving I have no idea.  Wisbech was a port, he could have taken ship to Holland or London and thence to America, he could have changed his name.  Research awaits

Nathaniel and Susan's known children are

John - untraced

Margaret - died infancy

Susanna - died infancy

Alice - died infancy

Mary - died infancy