Christopher GINN b. abt 1805, Ireland

[ruthhelen]

Decided it's time to revisit one of my brick walls  Looking for some help in tracking down my 3x great grandfather, Christopher Ginn.

His daughter, Sophia Ginn is my 2x great grandmother, and while I’ve managed to piece together most of the story of her life after she married my 2x great grandfather, John Muir, her previous life and family are proving somewhat elusive.

She was born between about 1830 and 1833 in America (variously recorded on censuses as New York or Philadelphia) to Christopher Ginn, dyer, b. abt 1805, Ireland. Christopher died in 1859 in Glasgow Poorhouse, aged 56 (no parents noted on the death register). Sophia's mother is unknown, but may be Isabella Paul.

Christopher and Isabella Gynn (sic) have two children baptised in Manchester - Margaret, on 10 Aug 1835 and James Paul, on 5 Feb 1837 (d. 17 May 1837). Isabella Gynn died 2 Feb 1837 in Manchester.

Christopher, Margaret and Sophia appear in the 1841 census in Manchester - Christopher is recorded as being born in Ireland, Margaret in England, Sophia in ‘Foreign Parts'.

Sophia Ginn marries John Muir on 12 Nov 1848, Gorbals, Glasgow. They have eight children between 1849 and 1869 - one of her daughters is named Lilias Paul Muir. Sophia died on 20 May 1886 in Glasgow - only her father’s name appears on her death certificate.

Christopher Ginn is named as a witness to the baptism of Sophia and John Muir’s first son, John, in Glasgow in 1849. Christopher and his remaining daughter, Margaret, appear in the 1851 census in King Street, Glasgow. There’s a possible marriage for Margaret to Thomas Hughes in Glasgow on 21 Sep 1851, but no trace of them afterwards.

So, I have no idea which part of Ireland Christopher was from, when (or if) he married Isabella, when he went to America, or when he came back. I’ve tried in vain to find travel records for Christopher and Sophia between about 1830 and 1835, when they must have travelled back to the UK.

Any pointers on where to start in Ireland greatly appreciated 

Ruth

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Hi Ruth some suggestions for you
from Tithes Applotment Books 1823-1837 in 2 parts based upon the work of the Irish Genealogy Hub.   [The relevant original books are in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) Belfast] and from http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/

Ginn, James-      Ardboley Year: 1816-Carrickfergus-Antrim
Ginn, John-      Burfitshill Y: 1835-Derryvullan-Fermanagh
Ginn, John-      Dromore Y: 1835-Derryvullan-Fermanagh
Ginn, John-      Irvinestown Y: 1835-Derryvullan-Fermanagh
Ginn, John-      Townhill Y: 1835-Derryvullan-Fermanagh
Ginn, William   Coolaness Y: 1835-Derryvullan-Fermanagh
more from http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/
Ginn   Ed     Ballaughbuy   Ballingarry   Tipperary   1834
Ginn   BridgetBallaughbuy   Ballingarry   Tipperary   1834
Ginn   Richd   Aolding   Grangegorman   Dublin   1833
Ginn   Richd   Aolding   Grangegorman   Dublin   1833
Ginn   Richard  Grangegorman   Dublin   1833
Ginn   Pat      Clowncarnisle   Kildalkey   Meath   1833
Ginn   Michl      Ballyvake   Kilmacduagh   Galway   1826
Ginn   William Bundstick   Kilmanman   Queen's   1821
Ginn   J      Bannis   Templecrone   Donegal   1828
Ginn   William Tievemore   Templecrone   Donegal   1828 

I added in Paul s after I read she was possibly Isabel Paul in carrickfergus

Paul, Rev. John-Townland: Slunmerow Year: 1816-Carrickfergus-Antrim
Paul, Rev. John-Townland: Wolf Moss Year: 1816-Carrickfergus-Antrim
[clergyman are treated seperately in most church records so a greter chance of finding out more about him

so no Christophers’s , but he and his wife Isabella named a son James  so relooking at
Ginn, James-      Ardboley Year: 1816-Carrickfergus-Antrim
in 1861 a Jane Ginn is living at Lancasterian St Carrickfergus see http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

Church records from PRONI’s online guide to Church records
 www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Guide_to_church_records.pdf                                       
abbreviations used ; B. Baptist Church
C. Congregational Church
C.I. Church of Ireland
M. Methodist Church
MOR. Moravian Church
N.S.P. Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church P. Presbyterian Church
R.C. Roman Catholic Church
R.P. Reformed Presbyterian Church R.S.F. Religious Society of Friends

CARRICKFERGUS, CO. ANTRIM however I think Christopher’s baptism  ~1805 record is among missing records if he was b C of I , then the church itself needs to be checked for missing records covering 1800-1821
B. Carrickfergus
Baptisms, marriages and minutes, 1864-.
C. Carrickfergus
Baptisms, 1819-1969; marriages, 1824-43; list of members, 1824, 1847 and 1862; minutes, 1823-36 and 1862-3; collections for the poor, 1860s.
C.I. Carrickfergus (St Nicholas’s) (Connor diocese) Baptisms, 1740-99 and 1822-99; marriages, 1740- 1909; burials, 1740-1800 and 1825-1939; confirmation lists, 1828-54.Plans of the church, 1931; accounts of building church spire, 1778.
M. Carrickfergus Baptisms, 1815-58.
Baptisms, 1826-43; marriages, 1864-.
P. 1st Carrickfergus
Baptisms, 1823-1901; marriages, 1823-1905; committee minutes, 1824-1946; session minutes, 1860-1935; building committee minutes, 1826-9 and 1879-81; account books, 1815-89; pew book, 1914-34; Sustentation Fund minutes, 1876-88.
P. Carrickfergus (Joymount or 2nd)
Baptisms, 1852-1907; marriages, 1853-1908; marriage notices, 1938-56; session minutes, 1852-78 and 1885-1925; committee minutes, 1852-94; building committee minutes, 1853-6; communicants’ lists, 1852-80 and 1890-99; lists of seats and stipend payers, 1856-67, and stipend accounts, 1865-6; Sabbath collection and expenditure accounts, 1853- 1979.
P. Loughmorne
[Up until 1892 it was part of the Eastern Reformed Presbyterian Church]
Baptisms, 1848-53 and 1892-1952; marriages, 1863- 1930.
P. Woodburn
Baptisms, 1863/5-1952; marriages, 1866-1932; marriage notices,1952-6.
R.C. Carrickfergus
[Linked to Larne and Ballygowan up to c.1852 – see also under LARNE]
Baptisms, 1852-72; marriages, 1852-72; indexes to baptisms and marriages, 1828-1852.

you will need to look up this record for microfiche record numbers  the fact that Christopher might have been b beside the port of Carrickfergus  could explain he was a seaman and in America etc
wishing you much luck onwards

[Beryltheperil]

Hi, as Ginn is a relatively unusual name I wonder if Christopher Ginn could be related to my 3x great grandfather James Ginn. James was born around 1822 in Belfast but lived in Manchester possibly from 1850-1860s. I have the 1860s census with the family but by 1871 the family are in Glasgow. I don’t recognise the names Christopher or Sophia but happy to look further. There aren’t many Ginns around so seems reasonable that they could be related and followed each other to Manchester the. Glasgow?

[BallyaltikilliganG]

interesting material on Ginn and its forbears is suggested by the births lists in https://www.ancestryireland.com/ who list surprising variant spellings starting with John Ginnine son of Robert b 1687 in Co Antrim [which includes Belfast] but sadly their first Ginn is George Ginn 1807 father James Co Down which I think included a small part of Belfast. I didn’t find a Christopher in the births but that opens the door to Co down.. Your knowledge suggests he was either a sailor or emigrated to New York or Philadelphia married to ?? and had Sophie b~1830-33  While on this website a James McGinn b1808 Co Down Ireland caught my eye for keeping in the background for brickwalls


beryltheperil has a James ginn b 1822 which is also not listed in https://www.ancestryireland.com/ if he was b 4 yrs earlier see below census 1841 Manchester Sounds very likely a relative?

the Belfast directories don’t have any Ginn listed in 1805 - 1806 - 1807 - 1808 - 1819  Belfast directories see http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/1805.htm however 1819 does include McGinn, Lowry, hatter, 16 Law's Entry Belfast.  I didn’t check earlier or later. does a hatter use dyes??


GenesReunited has a Margaret treeholder who lists a James Ginn b 1818 Ireland there are no Christopher. the earliest Christopher is 1567 Soham Cambridgeshire you need to join the website or pay credits etc 

1841 Census England has at 19 Henry St , Manchester Chris Ginn a confectioner, Sophia 11 so b 1830 and Margt his dau aged  6 so b~1835  living among many other lodgers so whatever took him to Glasgow, He wasn’t afraid of travel.  Edible dyes or colourings are used in confectionery.
Good luck onwards

[GaryStevens]

I, too, have a Ginn brick wall.  My GGF is a William Ginn, born in 1833. He was an orphan (his mother had died and his father emigrated to Australia).  He came to America at the age of 8 in the company of a Hugh Whiteford family and settled in the DeKalb Town area of St. Lawrence County NY, a dairy region. He had an uncle, also named William Ginn (b. 1812) who emigrated to the same area, though I do not know if he came at the same time. I noted somewhere that my William Ginn's father was a George Ginn, born around 1810, but for the life of me cannot find the source of this info. I do not know where these Ginns were from, but the Whiteford family was from Ballynure in County Antrim. Growing up, the young William lived with the Whiteford family, as well a with a Jenkins family from Ballynure or Carrickfergus. I have a significant number of DNA matches with people descended from Hugh Witeford, so I greatly suspect William's mother was a Whiteford.  My DNA admixture also suggests that William was Scots-Irish, and the Whitefords are known to have originayed in Scotland.

Gary Stevens

[scotmum]

GaryStevens, there was a George Ginn, farmer, in Middle Division, Carrickfergus in 1838, as he appears in the  Register: Freemen admitted since 1831, Record set: Ireland, Select Committee On Fictitious Votes 1837-1838. The index indicates he was married by that time.