Carol Minson’s notes revised Sep 2004

 1794 May 9:  Birth of John Minson, son of Robert and Ann (Dakin) Minson.     Might be a 1792 birth instead of 1794 because death certificate states

"Age at death in  Jun 1846 is 54” which equates a 1792 birth.  Death certificates accuracy depended on the informant. 

Well!  It’s obvious right off the bat we need to do some research on John Minson, husband of Ann Baker.

His birth certificate would help. 

Here below is another conflict re PLACE of birth.

Where was he born, Kingstone, like his siblings or

London, as indicated in the IGI?

The IGI source needs careful checking to see whether it was a parish register extraction (which we can rely on) or IF the placename was sent in by a patron, who might have made a mistake.

 For example:  IGI states that JOHN MINSON’S father,

ROBERT MINSON was born 7 Feb 1771 in Chelsea, London, England.   Yet the Kingstone Parish Registers show ROBERT MINSON was born 7 Feb 1771 in Kingstone.  This also substantiated by Margaret Wheat’s research. film #1526663. 

All the records concur on the London death of JOHN MINSON    b 1792/1794.

It may have been an assumption that he was born in London. 

We need a birth certificate for our JOHN MINSON.    

1827 Jan 4: John Minson married Ann Baker at Cheltenham.  (Finally, we got this info.  It came from the Marriage Index 1800-1837 of Gloucestershire Family History Society.) 

1827 Nov 21: Their first child, ELIZA, was born in Cheltenham.  (1891 census gives her birth place.)

After that they moved to Leamington, Warwick, and had 6 children there from 7 May 1830 to 26 Jul 1841.

1831 Sep 3:  EMMA MINSON born. (May have died as infant.)

1832 Dec 2:  Daughter MARIA MINSON born.

1832 Dec 9: “MARIA MINSON christened at Spencer Street Independent Church, Leamington Priors, Warwick, England.

 1834 Nov 2:  Son JOHN BAKER MINSON was christened at Spencer Street Independent Church. (SL print out #00883944) 

(To do:  Look at that original 1841 census again to find  relationship of last 3 individuals.  Possibly boarders.  )

1841 Jul 26: THOMAS MINSON was born at Bath Street, Leamington.  His birth certificate states:  "mother ANN MINSON formerly BAKER; JOHN MINSON father Bath Street Leamington."                    

 From Thomas Minson's Journal:

1846 Jun 22:  When her husband JOHN MINSON died at 54, ANN was age 45.  They lived in London, at No. 32 Thomas Street, sub district of St. Leonards, in Registration District of Shoreditch.  (John's death certificate.)  They had moved to London supposedly in 1841 from Leamington, Warwick.  There had been 7 children -- all but the first, born in Leamington.  (One girl, Emma, died in infancy.) The three girls were Eliza 18, Mary Anne 16, Maria 13 -- and the 3 boys were John 11, Joseph 8, and Thomas 5.   Soon after the death of their father, ANN moved from London to Cheltenham, Gloucester.

What of John Minson's wife?

We do not have much info on Ann Baker Minson after her husband died June 22 1846, other than what son Thomas wrote.  We do have a wonderful picture of her father, and equally wonderful picture of Ann.  Thus far we have her only in the 1841 census but no more.  Seems likely she stayed in Cheltenham the rest of her life.  She is buried there.  Ralph Minson has a picture of her gravestone, likely taken by her son, Thomas Minson in 1893, or possibly her grandson John Minson in 1910. 

The children? 

1.  Eliza Ann Minson?  We lost her early on.  She was in the 1841 census; Would have been 18 when her father died in 1846.  Wonder if she married in London?

First we really hear about her is in 1881 census of Bisley, Gloucester, married to a Peter Gosling, he 73, she 53.

When Thomas came from America to England on a mission in 1892/3, he wrote quite a few Journal entries about Eliza. Sounds like they had a lovely reunion as eldest sister and youngest brother.  She died in 1900 a week before her 73^rd birthday.

2.  Mary Ann Minson?  We have the least data on her of any of the 7 children.  She was 16 when her father died, and shifted to new city.  Must have been difficult.  She is 20 in the 1851 and a teachers assistant in school.  Living in Cheltenham, but not with the Baker grandparents as is her sister, Maria, and the 2 younger boys, John and Thomas.  She died, age 31, in Dec of 1861, unmarried as far as we know. 

3.  Emma Minson?   Emma is the least known.  Moroni said (in the history of his father) that one of the girls died in infancy. 

4. Maria Minson? 

The dates given for her are confusing.  Born in Dec 1832 she is actually 18 in the 1851 census, although she is listed as 11.  She married in Dec of 1870 and would be 38, but is listed on the marriage certificate as being age 40.  Her husband Charles Wooley is actually 27 but is listed in the certificate as being 28.  He is a watchmaker, son of Isaac Hodges, glover.   She, Maria, is from Malvern Link, Worcester and her father was John Minson, ironmonger.  The 1881 census is about right with Charles being 38 and Maria 48.  They have a daughter Alice Jane 15, milliner. 

 Maria Minson Wooley lived the longest of her 6 siblings.

She had just turned 80 when she died.  What arouses my curiosity is the fact her brother, Thomas, never mentions her in his journal in 1982/3.  By then Eliza, Joseph and she were the only living siblings Thomas had.  He spoke of Eliza and Joseph, but not Maria.  What was that all about? 

Later in 1907-1910, when Thomas’ son John (26) came to England, he obviously met with his Aunt Maria.  (See her individual history for more details.   photo #7: possibly of Maria.)

 #5. JOHN BAKER MINSON, 5^th child of John and Ann Minson.  Born 1834, died 1877 age 42.  John married Caroline Shipton from Davize, Wiltshire.  She was born 1837 and was only 40 when her husband John, died.  She married again, to James Carroll and is listed in the 1881 census with him and 3 of her Minson children in Colwall, Herefordshire. Looks like 2 more of her children are nearby in Cradley, one of whom is 20 years old.  That would indicate Caroline and John Minson were married about 1860. Three of the children were born in Malvern Link, WOR.  John’s death certificate comes from Worcester.

#6.  JOSEPH BAKER MINSON might have been the first to leave his grandparent’s Cheltenham nest.  In 1851 Joseph age 13, is back again in Leamington at 35 Bath Street. Baker’s have evidently taken over his father’s business there and are listed in the trade directories as “Baker & Son, Brazier & tin-plate worker.” Later, Joseph marries Ruth Pembery. Both born in 1838.He is mentioned several times in Thomas’s 1892 Journal. 1905 Apr 5: “JOSEPH BAKER MINSON died at 28 Barton Street, Gloucester, 66 years old, tobacconist."

#7 is Thomas Minson.  Last child.  His son, his last son, his 13^th child Moroni, has written Thomas Minson's History  It is fascinating.