Author Topic: Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset  (Read 986 times)

Offline QueenoftheWest

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Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset
« on: Sunday 25 April 21 19:25 BST (UK) »
Hi,

I am looking for help/advice in finding the parents of my ancestor, Robert Minson.

He married Avis Salisbury in approximately 1718.

All his children were born in Kingstone, Somerset:

1718: John Minson
1720: Robert Minson
1722: Rachel Minson (named after Avis' mother)
1725: James Minson (named after Avis' father)
1727: William Minson
1728: Anna Minson (named after Avis' sister)
1731: Sarah Minson
1734: Thomas Minson

Robert was the first Minson to reside in Kingstone. The parish register begins in the 1710s and (as far as I can tell) all the Minsons are descendants of this Robert.

He was a yeoman and his will was proved in the PCC in 1751. Unfortunately, he only mentions his children and grandchildren but he does mention land in Eype, Symondsbury.

Looking at the parish register of Symondsbury there are many Minsons there and I am confident that this is where he moved from. However, I can't find any Robert Minsons born there in a reasonable time frame (1680-1700).

Lots of Ancestry trees have his parents as Robert Minson & Martha Way but, as always, there are no sources and I have never seen the name Martha in the Minson family.

Grateful for any help/advice offered.

Thanks in advance!

Queenie  :)



Fidler - West Ilsley, Berkshire
Hamlin/Hamlyn - Long Sutton & Martock, Somerset
Head - Marlborough & Alton Priors, Wiltshire
Minson - Kingstone, Somerset/Symondsbury, Dorset
Owsley - Buckland St Mary, Somerset
Pyke - (West) Weeke/Wick, Pewsey, Wiltshire
Salisbury - Dowlish Wake/West Dowlish, Somerset

Offline Paco

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Re: Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset
« Reply #1 on: Monday 19 July 21 15:00 BST (UK) »
There is a baptism for a Robert Minson, 25/12/1687, Askerswell, Dorset-parents Mark Minson, and Elizaberth. Martha Way appears to have been married to a William Minson 4/11/1676, Ilminster, Somerset.
Regards.
Essex/Dorset/Berks

Offline QueenoftheWest

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Re: Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 21 July 21 15:00 BST (UK) »
There is a baptism for a Robert Minson, 25/12/1687, Askerswell, Dorset-parents Mark Minson, and Elizaberth. Martha Way appears to have been married to a William Minson 4/11/1676, Ilminster, Somerset.
Regards.

Thanks for the Way-Minson marriage - the infamous Ancestry family trees strike again!

Thanks also for the baptism. Unfortunately, I think Robert was either not baptised or his baptism record is missing because I am sure he was baptised in Symondsbury to either a John or Robert Minson (based on the names of his eldest 2 sons) and there are loads of Minson entries in the Symondsbury book but none for Robert!

There are a few Robert Minson of Symondsbury wills but I can't find any conclusive link.

The search continues!

Queenie  :)
Fidler - West Ilsley, Berkshire
Hamlin/Hamlyn - Long Sutton & Martock, Somerset
Head - Marlborough & Alton Priors, Wiltshire
Minson - Kingstone, Somerset/Symondsbury, Dorset
Owsley - Buckland St Mary, Somerset
Pyke - (West) Weeke/Wick, Pewsey, Wiltshire
Salisbury - Dowlish Wake/West Dowlish, Somerset

Offline teragram31510

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Re: Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 21 July 21 17:08 BST (UK) »
Your post caught my eye because I remembered a Robert Minson was a witness in 1755 to the marriage of my GGGG grandparents, Honour Hutchings of Kingstone and Thomas Poole of Seavington. Must have been the son born 1720. Honour and Thomas were also both from yeoman families.

Anyway, on the basis of the naming scheme I would guess that Robert's father was probably John (first son named after paternal grandfather, second after father himself).

I see there is a will available from TNA (£3.50 I think) for a John Minson, yeoman, of Charmouth, proved 1744. Have you seen it? Might mention his offspring and be the father of Robert if as you surmise they had Dorset roots. Age-wise, if he fathered Robert about 1685 he could be the one, elderly but not impossible.

I also see on FreeReg that there were Minsons in Ilminster from at least 1665 when a Michael was baptised by a John; and that there were Minsons in Charlton Musgrove, Somerset, marrying in the early 1600s. As you say no easy-to-find Roberts though.
Somerset: Poole, Hutchings/Hutchin(s), Harvey/Harvie, Bullen


Offline QueenoftheWest

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Re: Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 22 July 21 16:09 BST (UK) »
Your post caught my eye because I remembered a Robert Minson was a witness in 1755 to the marriage of my GGGG grandparents, Honour Hutchings of Kingstone and Thomas Poole of Seavington. Must have been the son born 1720. Honour and Thomas were also both from yeoman families.

What a coincidence! Yes that would be his son, Robert Jr., from whom I am descended! His daughter Sarah is my 5xGG. It's kind of crazy to think that our ancestors knew each other 250+ years ago.

Quote
Anyway, on the basis of the naming scheme I would guess that Robert's father was probably John (first son named after paternal grandfather, second after father himself).

Unfortunately, the Minsons were not very consistent when it came to names. Robert Jr.'s first son was called John (after his wife's father), his second son was called James, third son was Joseph and finally Robert for the fourth son.

Quote
I see there is a will available from TNA (£3.50 I think) for a John Minson, yeoman, of Charmouth, proved 1744. Have you seen it? Might mention his offspring and be the father of Robert if as you surmise they had Dorset roots. Age-wise, if he fathered Robert about 1685 he could be the one, elderly but not impossible.

Thanks for that. Funnily enough, I was looking for it on the PCC database on Ancestry but couldn't find it for some reason. Digitised TNA records are free at the moment so I went ahead and downloaded it.

He doesn't mention any children but 3 brothers: Andrew, James & Robert (deceased). His wife was called Ann.

There is some interesting information about John Minson on freshford.com, which seems to be a local history website: https://www.freshford.com/the_water_head.htm . I think it is the same one as in the 1744 will but they've attached someone else's will instead of his for some strange reason.

It mentions a lady who sold a property "in 1711 to John Minson of Eype for £58" and also "William Walter who was to later purchase the property from his son Robert Minson, for £71 in 1747." So John obviously did have a son called Robert, even though he was not mentioned in his will and John was from Eype, which was mentioned in Robert's will.

It is definitely possible that my ancestor is the son of John but with no records and not even a mention of him in his will (something like "my son Robert of Kingstone"), I don't think I'll ever be sure  :(

Thanks!

Queenie  :)
Fidler - West Ilsley, Berkshire
Hamlin/Hamlyn - Long Sutton & Martock, Somerset
Head - Marlborough & Alton Priors, Wiltshire
Minson - Kingstone, Somerset/Symondsbury, Dorset
Owsley - Buckland St Mary, Somerset
Pyke - (West) Weeke/Wick, Pewsey, Wiltshire
Salisbury - Dowlish Wake/West Dowlish, Somerset

Offline teragram31510

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Re: Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 29 July 21 15:04 BST (UK) »
Hello again Queenie,
I was just mooching about in the catalogue of the National Archives and I see there is a will for a Robert Minson of Symondsbury of 1656 and one for an Andrew of Ilminster of 1639. Might be worth getting hold of them (free still) - Robert could be an ancestor of yours and mention grandchildren or more, perhaps? I downloaded a Poole will of 1586 and was treated to an entire family tree of brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, grandsons and granddaughters alive when he wrote his will.

As for Andrew, I believe you said John had a brother of that name, much later of course, but there might be a connection.

In fact I gleaned quite a lot just by looking at TNA descriptions of documents they hold - I see there was an argument for example between a Robert Minson and his wife Constance and Avice Minson, a widow, in 1694. Which Robert was this?

Perhaps you've already searched all this stuff?

Hope you get lucky
Margaret
Somerset: Poole, Hutchings/Hutchin(s), Harvey/Harvie, Bullen

Offline QueenoftheWest

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Re: Robert Minson of Kingstone, Somerset & Eype, Symondsbury, Dorset
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 10 August 21 16:43 BST (UK) »
Hello again Queenie,
I was just mooching about in the catalogue of the National Archives and I see there is a will for a Robert Minson of Symondsbury of 1656 and one for an Andrew of Ilminster of 1639. Might be worth getting hold of them (free still) - Robert could be an ancestor of yours and mention grandchildren or more, perhaps? I downloaded a Poole will of 1586 and was treated to an entire family tree of brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, grandsons and granddaughters alive when he wrote his will.

As for Andrew, I believe you said John had a brother of that name, much later of course, but there might be a connection.

In fact I gleaned quite a lot just by looking at TNA descriptions of documents they hold - I see there was an argument for example between a Robert Minson and his wife Constance and Avice Minson, a widow, in 1694. Which Robert was this?

Perhaps you've already searched all this stuff?

Hope you get lucky
Margaret

Thank you, Margaret, for spending time looking into this for me. I really appreciate it  :)

Yes, I've looked at most of the Minson wills and there seems to be lots of Roberts but linking them all together is so difficult without a baptism for Robert (d.1751) :( I think they are all one family but finding a direct line is proving rather impossible. With a name as unusual as 'Minson,' you'd think it would be easier!

They seem to have been to court quite frequently, haha. I don't recognise the name 'Constance' as one that has appeared in other documents so I am not sure how they are related to all the other Minsons.

The Minsons seem to have been quite a prominent Dorset family, with lots of wills and the like, but I don't think I am going to be able to get further back. Maybe one day another document will be uploaded that will solve the puzzle!

Queenie  :)

Fidler - West Ilsley, Berkshire
Hamlin/Hamlyn - Long Sutton & Martock, Somerset
Head - Marlborough & Alton Priors, Wiltshire
Minson - Kingstone, Somerset/Symondsbury, Dorset
Owsley - Buckland St Mary, Somerset
Pyke - (West) Weeke/Wick, Pewsey, Wiltshire
Salisbury - Dowlish Wake/West Dowlish, Somerset