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6. THOMAS SHINN (2).--JOHN (1). Thomas Shinn was born in England in Hertford County, in all probability, but the date of his birth cannot be asserted
authoritatively. His first appearance in authentic history was in the little octagonal church of the Friends in Burlington, when, in company with a young woman of that town, he appeared and declared his intention to
marry her. This was on the 6th day of the 12th month, 1687, (Feb. 6, 1688). Burlington Monthly Meeting Records contain this further entry; "5th of 1st month, 1687-8 (March 5, 1688), Thomas Shinn and Sarah
Shawthorne came before the meeting the second time and declared their intentions of marriage, and the meeting finding all clear and nothing to impede the same, they are left to consummate the weighty affair as they in
the fear of God shall see meet." This is all that can be known of Sarah Shawthorne. She must have died soon after her marriage without issue, for no reference is made to children of this marriage by Thomas, who
himself died within seven years, leaving a will. Certain it is that Thomas Shinn and Mary Stockton appeared before the Burlington Meeting on the 2nd of the 7th month, 1692, and again on the 6th of the 1st month, 1692-3,
and announced their intention of marriage and were set at liberty to proceed. That this was the same Thomas that married Sarah Shawthorn is evidenced by the will of Thomas, which refers to Mary Stockton as "my now
wife." That Sarah had died is inferred from the fact that the church which had given its consent to the first marriage consented to the second. Of Mary Stockton there is much more to be said than of Sarah
Shawthorn. She was the daughter of Richard Stockton, who was a descendant of a noted family of that name in Durham on Tees, England. Her father was the first of the family to immigrate to America and settled in
Flushing, L. I., where he bought two thousand acres of land March 10, 1692. Soon after this he purchased several thousand acres in Springfield Township, Burlington County, N. J., and removed thereto. He was a prominent
man, of great wealth and influence. He died in 1707, leaving children, Richard, John, Job, Abigail, Sarah, Mary, Hannah and Elizabeth. N. J. A., Vol. X, p. 427. From Richard, the brother of Mary, who became very
wealthy, was descended six sons, Richard, Samuel, Joseph, Robert, John and Thomas. John inherited the ancestral home "Morven" at Princeton, and became a warm friend of Princeton College. From this John was
descended the famous jurist, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton. Thomas lived scarcely two years after this marriage. His will is dated November 4th, 1694, and was proven by John
Shinn, Sr., on Dec. 15, 1694. The following is a copy of his will. It shows one child, Thomas, already born, and a posthumous child, which, we shall see, was called Samuel. It also shows that he had four brothers, and
corroborates our tabulation of the male children of John Shinn, Sr. It also shows him to have been a freeholder and a slaveholder--one of the earliest slaveholders--if not the very earliest in New Jersey.
WILL OF THOMAS SHINN, SON OF JOHN SHINN. IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I, Thomas Shinn of Springfield in the County of Burlington make this
my last Will in Manner and form following, viz--
First I bequeath my soule to God and my body to the clay.
Secondly I bequeath unto my son Thomas Shinn a peece of land Eastward containing about sixty
five acres and about fifteen acres of Meadow lying on ye west of ye said land.
Thirdly I give and bequeath unto my Child unborn one equall shaire of land and Meadow that remains of my plantation.
Fourthly the other half of my plantation I give and bequeath unto my now wife Mary Shinn with all my building and orchading and all my movables.
It is also my will that if ye negro should outlive my now
wife, then at her decease he shall return unto my son Thomas; also if ye child unborn should be a female then I would have my son Thomas to have ten acres more out of my other meadows to be given at ye west end of my
meadow; Also it is my will that if this child unborn should dye before it is of age I would have its share fall unto my son Thomas. If both my children should dye before they be of age I would have that which I have
given to them to return to my relations my fower brothers onely; It is also my will that if my wife dye before she marries again that then that shaire of land and meadows return unto my fower brothers, but if my now
wife should live to marrie again that then that shaire of land and meadows I giver her to be at her disposing as she pleases forever.
Also I appoint Francis Deavenport, and John Wilston to be my trustees to
see this my will to be performed according to my desire: This is my will and pleasure this fourth day of ye Eighth Month commonly called November Anno 1694.
Thomas Shinn (L. S.)
Signed, Sealed in ye presence of us_____________:
Isaac Horner,
Matthew Champion,
John Shinn, Sr.
December 15th, 1694.
John Shinn sen'r (one of ye evidences to ye above written Testament under his solemne Attestation) then proved ye above named Testator signing, sealing &
declaring ye above written to be his last Will & Testament. That Isaac Horner & Matthew Champion above written were also evidences to ye same, & did with him ye sd John Shinn subscribe their names as
evidences thereto; (The Inventory of the Personal Estate was £273-9-16)
In presence of us Edward Hunloke
Thos. Revell John Tabham Justices
Serey & Reg'r. Thos. Revell
On page 612, Liber B. New Jersey Deeds, in office of the Secretary of State at Trenton, we ascertain that on Dec. 28th, 1697, Mary Shinn, widow of Thomas Shinn, had consented
to marry Silas Crispin of Pennsylvania, and before doing so arranged for the property which had descended to her from her husband to be held in trust and managed for the use and benefit of her sons, Thomas and Samuel
Shinn. The trustees, as recited in the deed, were Richard Stockton, Jr., brother of said Mary, and John Shinn, Jr., brother-in-law of said Mary, and the property consisted of all the lands and a negro boy,
"Jabby," given her by her late husband by will dated November 4, 1694. This Silas Crispin to whom Mary Shinn was married in 1697 at Burlington, N. J., was the second son of Rear Admiral William
Crispin of the English Navy by his wife Annie, daughter of William Jasper, an English merchant of Amsterdam, and Sister of Margaret, wife of Admiral Sir William Penn, and mother of William Penn, the founder of
Pennsylvania. N. Y. Gen. & Biog. Rec., Vol. 29, p. 137; also p. 201. By this marriage the following children were descended:
1. Joseph, b. 1698; m. Sarah Barrett.
2. Benjamin, b. 1699; m., 6/21/1722, Margaret Owen, daughter of Joshua and Martha (Shinn) Owen.
3. Abigail, b. Jan. 20, 1701; m. John Wright. Sp. Tp.
4. Silas, Jr., b. March 19, 1702; m., Nov. 9, 1724, Mary Wetherell.
5. Mary, b. March 12, 1705; m., Nov. 6, 1727, Thomas Earl Wetherell.
6. John, b. Dec. 11, 1707. Silas Crispin died May 31, 1711, and Mary then married Richard Ridgway, Jr., by whom there were no children. This last marriage was celebrated in the new Springfield Meeting
House in presence of Richard, Abigail and Job Ridgway, Benjamin Crispin, Abigail and Anna Stockton, Thomas and Samuel Shinn, her sons, and thirty-one other people. The two children, Thomas and Samuel Shinn,
grew to manhood. In the record of births and deaths of the Burlington Monthly Meeting the following entries occur: Thomas, son of Thomas and Mary Shinn, born 6th day 11 month, 1693.
Samuel, son of Thomas and Mary Shinn, born the 15th day 2nd month, 1695. Thomas Shinn, Sr., lay down his life the day of the 9th month called November, 1694. The eldest son, Thomas, married
Martha Earl and became the head of a distinguished family in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The younger son, Samuel, married, first, Sarah Schooly; second, Provided Gaskell; third, Abigail Urie. The children by
the first two wives became the heads of families in New Jersey, while the father and the third wife removed to North Carolina, and founded the House of Shinn in the Southern States.
Children of Thomas and Mary (Stockton) Shinn. 22. (1) Thomas Shinn, who married Martha Earl.
23. (2) Samuel Shinn, who married (1) Sarah Schooly; (2)
Provided Gaskell; (3) Abigail Ury. |
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