Billett Genn of Ely d. 1872

Billett, son of Robert in my last post was variously described as a Yeoman, Writer, Book-keeper and Sheriffs Officer.  He is currently on my research list and more should be known in due course. He married Margaret Austin  at Cambridge in 1814.   Margaret would appear to have been born to James and Ann at Trinity, Ely in 1786.

He was the administrator of his father's estate after Robert's death in 1833.  His father did not leave his affairs in order, and there are quite a number of documents concerning this at Cambridgeshire Archives. I made some attempt to look at these in September 2021 (mid Covid pandemic).  However restrictions were tight and I could only lend these documents a cursory glance, but below is a digital photo I took of Billett's signature on one of the deeds - he signed twice - once for himself and once as administrator.

It is unclear whether they had 1 Lynn Road in Ely (opposite the Lamb Hotel) built in 1837 or simply had it altered because of road widening works (there are deeds at the CRO remaining to be investigated on this) but certainly they owned it and this was where they lived.  Below is the house in later years with Billett jnr standing in the doorway.

Margaret Genn had died as early as 1837, it is unclear why.  She was stated to be 50.  Billett died in 1872 and has a headstone in St Mary's graveyard.  The couple had five children of only two lived to marry viz

Robert - died in 1837, aged 20.

Ann -   died in Ely in 1847, aged 27 and unmarried

Elizabeth - died in infancy

James Japhet - Little is known to me.   Robert Seymour Genn knew very little but had corresponded with a descendant.  He thought that there were few descendants but this seems unlikely from what I have discovered. 

I knew nothing of a personal nature about the guy until September 2021 (during the Pandemic) when I managed to get to the Cambs Archives now at Ely and follow up something I had read of.  See KESCo/P/1/168

James was 13 in 1831.  His friend was a Charles Taylor Ellingham who was still 12 and the son of a David Ellingham who was a solicitor's clerk - see https://www.friendsofelycemetery.co.uk/david-ellingham-1794---1869.html

Ely sits on the River Ouse.  It is very beautiful down by the river, but the river is some way across.

It was a hot day on 22nd August 1831.  Charles, his Mum and James were walking down by the river.  Charles, stupidly, presumably to impress his Mum, jumped into the river and attampted to swim across.  It must have been a nightmare for his mother.  Half way across he shouted "help" and sank, came up and shouted what seemed like "Jean" perhaps a garbled reference to James.  He sank again and was no more.  The last James saw was a hand.  Some boatmen recovered the body and it was taken to the gloriously named "Bushel and Strike" Public House and the Coroner arrived.  The depositions of James and one of he boatmen were taken.  I doubt James  ever forgot it.  I have photograped the deposition and his signature below

James was reputedly a Tailor in later life and married Elizabeth Noakes at Dover in 1850 and moved to Kent.  It is unclear exactly what was happening, but James certainly died in 1853 and was buried at Marden near Maidstone - he was 35. He supposedly had tuberculosis.   I cannot find what happened to Elizabeth. They only had one child that I know of, a son James Billett, who married Eliza Potter in 1883 and had the children shown below.  I also attach a rudimentary note of what I now happened subsequently.  I would expect quite a number of descendants

James E                          md  at Maidstone 1909  Died WW1

James Billett                  md  at Tonbridge 1908

Frederick  W                  md  at Maidstone 1908

Charlotte E                    unknown

Margaret B                    unknown

John A                           md May Lamkin  at Maidstone 1913

Henry H.                        Killed in action in WW1 at Cambrai

Edgar E.                         joined RAF in 1917

Thomas C                       unknown

Billett - The second of that name.  Had a remarkable life - see post of

Robert Genn of Ely d. 1833

Robert Genn (son of Richard in my post of 9th March 2013) became a fairly prominent Ely figure.  He was admitted to the King's School in Ely in 1771 (at the age of 11) as a Cathedral Chorister and remained as a chorister in the Cathedral Choir until the age of 36.

                                               Ely Cathedral

He married Ann Reynolds, widow of William Reynolds (proprietor of the Lamb Inn or Hotel in Ely) by special licence in 1786 and they proceeded to have three children, though only one survived infancy. Ann had a son, James by her previous marriage.

Robert had various official posts over the years, being Overseer of the poor, Surveyor of the Highways and sundry other roles.  Robert Seymour Genn with the aid of Reg Holmes found out a lot about this man, but was unaware of a letter that Robert wrote to a Colonel Yorke of a government department and which survives at the British Library (reference ADD MS 35669. It runs as follows

Sir

I hope you'll be kind enough to excuse the liberty I have taken in writing to you, but I would wish to inform you that Mr Pratt, the Postmaster of Ely is in a very bad state of health  at this time and is expected not likely to recover.  If it should happen that the Postmasters place should be vacant, I shall esteem it a very great favour if you would be kind enough to recommend me to the General Post Master.

I have taken the liberty of asking the Bishop [of Ely] for the favour of this recommendation I think it my Duty to inform you.

In hopes that you will not promise your interest to any other person, if solicited.  I understand several are making application, so [if] I should be lucky to succeed.[will] Endeavour to execute the Business with all the care and regularity I possibly can.

Your humble and Most Obedient Servant

Robert Genn, Ely, May 23rd [1788]

Thomas Pratt, Postmaster of Ely died in June, 1788

From 1788 to 1813 Robert Genn was the Ely Postmaster and owner of the Lamb Inn/Hotel for the greater part of that time, this being reputedly the best Inn in Ely.  We find the following advertisement:

"Lamb Inn at Ely Cambs

Genn 's Post Coach from Ely to the King's Head, Bridge Street, Cambridge, three times a week viz:  Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and returns the same day, and if required sets out in time for the London coach each morning. If not, at such times as shall be most agreeable to the passengers.  Inside 4 shillings, outside 2 shillings. Neat post chaises with able horses and careful drivers either by the week or the day”.

There were frequent cock-fights at the Inn, details survive, and in 1808 upon his retirement

 from the Inn an advertisement was placed in the Cambridge Chronicle, wherein Robert thanked his former patrons for their custom.

                                   The Lamb as it is today

In 1815, Ely notables gave their support to a celebration dinner for the poor at the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo and Robert was the patron and president of one table subscribing a guinea towards the cost of the dinner.

Ann Genn died in 1805, stated to be 56.  Robert Genn died in 1833, aged 73.  Letters of Administration (CRO) were granted to his sole surviving son.

Robert and Ann had three children

Billett - see next post

 Robert - two of the name died in infancy



For the notes above I am indebted to the late Robert Seymour Genn, a descendant of this family.  A more complete version is in his booklet at the Society of Genealogists in London.

John Ginn of Great Hormead d. 1867

Little (too little) is known of this man.  John was brother of James in my next to last post and son of James in my post of  23rd March 2013 .  All that I know for certain is that John Ginn was a Labourer.  It would seem clear that he married twice, leaving Great Hormead after his first marriage to Sarah Coxsell, but returning after his second (which may have been a common law arrangement) .  Both wives are called Sarah.  He does not appear to have had any surviving children from his first marriage.

They lived at Great Hormead and hopefully with detailed research the exact cottage could be located.

John Ginn died in 1867, quoted as being 74: he was 73. Sarah has no burial entry at Great Hormead and so far has not been traced elsewhere..

John and Sarah had four children

Betsy - Elizabeth (commonly known as “Betsy”) became friendly with her considerably older first cousin, Thomas Ginn (see later post) who lost his first wife in 1853.  Elizabeth married Thomas at Camberwell in 1860.

John - married Catherine Lawrence in 1855.  They had five daughters and one son (James Levi) the latter dying in Bishops Stortford at 1947 as a bachelor and Annie also died unmarried.  Of the others, Fanny married Thomas Bardwell in 1897 and Ellen, Sally (Sarah) and Emily are as yet untraced. Catherine died in 1900 and John in 1906.

Eliza - married George Pursglove in 1866.  He was a widower aged 40, then of Wyddial.  In 1881, the couple were living in Great Hallingbury in Essex, and Eliza’s niece Ellen (above) was staying there.  Eliza and George have descendants

James - died in infancy

.

William Ginn of Canberra d. 1904

William was son of James in my last post.   He married Mary Wade (of Canadian birth, but probably a soldier's daughter) at Edmonton (Weld Chapel Southgate) in 1853.

They had a son (Walter) in 1854, while working at Heighton in Sussex.  They returned to Great Hormead, and whilst there (in early 1857) had a second son, Henry Thomas.

A scheme was introduced in the mid-19th century whereby aspiring emigrants could gain sponsored paid passages to outposts of the Empire.  The scheme was introduced for several reasons: the British population had risen too steeply, while colonies were crying out for new settlers.  Equally, the powers that be were anxious to relocate many of the children of the rural labourers, now rapidly facing unemployment as new technology took their jobs.  William and Mary applied for a place on this scheme.

In 1857, William and Mary and the two children travelled to Liverpool, from where they sailed on "The Alfred" bound for New South Wales, Australia 

The ship berthed in New South Wales on April 23rd 1857, and William obtained work with a Mr Campbell, of Duntroon, a prominent local landowner.  This was near Canberra, except that Canberra did not actually exist then.

The following story about William Ginn is to be found in "Tales and Legends of Canberra Pioneers" by Samuel Shumack (a contemporary of William's):

"Sometime during 1857, William and his family arrived in Duntroon and he was engaged as a ploughman.  The harvest of 1857-8 was a splendid one, and during Christmas some of Mr Campbell's guests were in the harvest field and expressed admiration of the crop, one saying that it was the best that he had seen that year.  "Well" Mr Campbell said, "I have the best farm hand now I ever had - William Ginn".  Several farm hands heard this compliment of Ginn’s efficiency and were offended, and one of these was Albert Mayo.  Some months later, firewater [i.e. drink] caused a great commotion on the station, and Billy Appleyard was for several days unable to perform his duties as wood and water joey.  One evening, he went to see Mayo, who was suffering from the same malady and said -   "For God's sake Albert, give me a nobbler  (more booze) or I'll die".

Mayo handed Billy a frying pan handle, and said "Go down and knock on Ginn's door, and when he opens it, knock him down with this and I'll give you a bottle of rum".  The night was very dark, and Billy went down and knocked on the door of Ginn's hut.  Ginn opened the door, and Billy then struck him with a blow across the mouth, knocking out four teeth and splintering his jaw.  Ginn staggered back dazed, and Billy was preparing a second blow when Ginn closed with him, knocked him down, dragged him to the woodheap and had his axe in hand when Mrs Ginn intervened and prevented an awful tragedy.  Ginn was a very quiet man, and was surprised at this hostile action to injure him; however, he was later told that jealousy was the reason behind the attack.”

So, early Australia was a bit rough and ready, but I think that William handled the situation quite well.

William worked for Campbell (and other farmers around Canberra) for a number of years.  At one time, the family lived at Blundell's Cottage (now a Pioneer Memorial - a museum: see photograph).  They had more children in Australia.

In 1874 (or so) William Ginn acquired his own farm about 10 kms north of what is now Canberra's Civic Centre.  This area is known as Ginn’s Gap to this day.  His Ginn descendants farmed this until 1960, when the family sold it and bought another in the same area.

William Ginn did have some contact with his English relations, because family legend has it that his brother Henry visited him,  which I have proved to be correct by researching Henry's service as a seaman.

The year 1995 was the 150th anniversary of the founding of Canberra, and William Ginn is considered one of its pioneers. The local newspaper ran a special commemorative edition in which he was featured.  He died in 1904, aged 82, and lies in St John's churchyard, along with Mary (who died in 1917, aged 92 )

William and Mary had four children:

Walter - died in Sydney, NSW in 1925; unmarried.

Henry  - Henry  married Elizabeth Winter at Canberra in 1899, they had four children. At his father's death it was left to Henry and his brother Walter to run the farm. Henry inherited it when Walter died unmarried.  He managed it until his death in 1939 in Canberra.  Elizabeth died in 1960.

                                         Henry "Harry" Ginn

Agnes  - married Thompson Lawson in  1886.  She died in Canberra in 1946

Gertrude - died unmarried in Canberra in 1953

Gertrude and Agnes Ginn in c. 1880

                     A jovial Harry Ginn and his sister Gert in later life

Acknowledgement

I am indebted to my correspondent Bill Toone (a descendant) for the vast majority of the information on William and Mary.