Family History of John Minish (?-1775): Dorchester County, Maryland Researched and Contributed by Bill Minish, ********************************************************************* USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. ********************************************************************* Husband: John Minish Married: Bet. 1745 – 1754 in: From 1776 Census Dorchester Co., MD and childrens ages shown. Died: Abt. 1775 in: Dorchester County, Maryland Father: John M. Minish Mother: Sarah Unknown Wife: Elesabeth Unknown Born: Bet. 1726 - 1736 in: Per 1776 Census Dorchester Co., MD CHILDREN Name: John Minish Born: Bet. 1751 - 1759 Name: William Minish Born: Bet. 1751 - 1759 Name: James Minish Born: AN. 1765 in: Probably Nantacoake Hundred, Dorchester County, MD Married: Abt. 1785 in: Probably Dorchester County, Maryland Died: AN. 1835 in: Surry County, N.C. Spouses: Elisabeth Sammons, Susanah Green Name: Richard C. Minish Born: May 08, 1770 in: Probably Nantacoake Hundred, Dorchester County, MD Married: January 03, 1808 in: Rev Henry Ogbourn, Methodist Minister, Port William, Gallatin County, Kentucky Died: June 29, 1843 in: Carrollton, Carroll Co., Kentucky, aged 73yrs Imo 10dys Spouses: Ellender Gilliss, Sarah Lester Name: Isaac Minish Born: October 22, 1772 in: Maryland, probably Dorchester County Died: May 14, 1849 in: Harmony Grove, Jackson County, Georgia Spouse: Agnes Whitlock ------------------------------------ John Minish Notes Maryland Records, Dorchester County, have reference to Elesabeth Minish (she was the wife of John Minish) in the "List of Inhabitants in Nantacoake Hundred, Dorchester County, 1776, No. 2033" as 1. One white female, age 40-50......................... Elesabeth 2. One white male, age 21-30........................... William or John?? 3. One white female, age 16-21......................... ?? 4. One white female, age 10-16......................... ?? 5. One white male, age 10-16........................... William, John or James?? 6. One white female, age 10 and under...................?? 7. Three white males, age 10 and under ................ Richard,Isaac,Levin?? No. 2033 are five handwritten sheets, 12"byl4 1/2", folded and stitched together, very worn and delicate condition per "Maryland Records, Colonial, Revolutionary, County, and Church from Original Sources - Volume II" by Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, Washington D.C.,Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1975. John Minish is not referenced in the above Census .... deceased about 1775. John and Elisabeth Minish referenced in the 1845 Bible of William Harrison Minish (b. November 4, 1825, d. May 29, 186 1) in the possesion of Wm.H. Minish, Granger (South Bend), IN. Under the birth listing, "Richard Minish son of John and Elisabeth Minish was born May 8th 1770". They are also referenced in the genealogy records of Wm. R. Minish Sr., of Gratz, KY, who researched the family extensively between 1870-1910, his files with John Owen Suter, a grandson, of Campbellsburg, KY. Per email from Bobby Hope Minish, of Miami, FL., October 14, 1998 to Wm.H. Minish, South Bend, IN, and based on research from a genealogist in Maryland: "John Minish 1, was in Nanticoke Hundred, Dorchester Co., by 1709. He died there in 1733. A Sarah Minish, possibly his wife signed as next of kin. He was a tenant farmer of Col. John Rider. John I is related in some way to the Barlington and Guy families. Enoch Barlington Sr. (1720), Enoch Barlington (d. 1729) and William Guy (d.1760) and his wife Sarah. Sarah may have been a Minish. I assume John II was the son of John I. John II was living in 1758 but died before the census of 1776. Died about 1775 according to the age of the children. He is the husband of Elesabeth." From the E.H.Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury State University, Salisbury, MD (Wm.H. Minish visit October, 1998): 1. From Abstracts from the Land Records of Dorchester Co., MD., Vol C, 1732- 1745, Liber Old #12, Folio 117: Jun 12, 1744/ Commission to John Stewart, John Anderson, Thomas Howell and William Byus to perpetuate bounds of Charles Goldsborough's land called "Littleworth", and Return. Deposition of Charles Thompson aged about 67 years re bounder of said land shown to deponent by JOHN MINNISH about a year after the death of Edward Pinder the father of the last Edward Pinder; said land having formerly belonged to one Foard, adj the land where Joseph Silson now lives. Said bounder was also shown to deponent a short time later by William Warner decd, father of the present Wm. Warner. Deposition taken Feb 2, 1744. 2. From Abstracts of Inventories of Prerogative Court of MD., 1755-60, FI80.S53v.11, Liber 64, Folio 222: Peeter Quinton (also Peter Quinton),Somerset County, May 11,1758/Jun 21,175 8 Appraisers: William Brown, John Killum Creditors: William Roberson, JOHN MINISH Next of kin: William Roberson, John Hufington Administratrix: Mary Quinton 3. From Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of MD, 1751-56, F180.S53v.10, Liber 57, Folio 306 Elisabeth Barthington Dorchester Co. L5.7.3 September 16, 1754 Appraisers: Thomas Pitts, John Noble Creditors: John Lecompt Administrator/Executor: JOHN MINNICH.... (note: The script "c" in the folio page is difficult to read, it could well be a "s", but, was recorded in the Abstracts as a "c Wm. H. Minish, South Bend, IN, December 1998). From the December 21, 1874 letter of Hardy J. Minish of Jackson County, Georgia, to Wm. R. Minish Sr. of Gratz, Kentucky: "Cousin Wm R Minnish I seat myself monday evening to answer your questins as able as to my grand father I never recollect hearing my father speak any thing about his father I think he died when my father was small in Maryland I think my father had four brothers three older than him & one younger the oldest one was named James I think the other two were named William & John them two went to war & never returned home nor they never heard any thing about then whether they were living or dead grand mother was then a widow in Maryland & father was small at that time & what age he was when he moved to north Carolina I dont recollect hearing him say nor whether his mother ever moved to NC or not I dont know Uncle James & father both married & settled in north Carolina they both owned land in Surry County my father moved from there in 1806 Uncle James (undecipherable) remained there as long as he lived" A footnote on the bottom of page 2 states "This has been picked up and wrote by Jane Minish (HIS WIFE) at the the advanced age of 78 years therefore I hope you will look over all that may be amiss" This indicates she wrote the letter for Hardy J. Minish. Original of this letter in the possession of John Owen Suter, Campbellsburg, KY, grandson of Wm. R Sr. "Nevereign Minish" is referenced as the son of John and Elizabeth Minish in the genealogy papers of William R. Minish, Sr., of Gratz, Kentucky who researched the family between 1870 and 1910. He had access to old family records and tales as well as personal contact with George G. Minish, eldest son of Richard C. and Ellender Gilliss Minish, the first wife of Richard. This fits the old family tale of "four brothers, one lost at sea" (William H. Minish, February 28, 2000, Granger, IN) In "Records of Minish Family, arranged by Wm. R. Minish July 1873 from Bible records, Letters, etc": "Nevereign Minish, Son of John and Elizabeth Minish Born Died Remarks. Tradition Says that he Enlisted in United States army during Revolutionary War and was lost at Sea during transportation of troops along the coast." While the genealogy data in the old trunk of Wm. R. Minish Sr., of Gratz, KY, lists a "Nevereign Minish" as the fourth son, and the one missing at sea during the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, NO RECORD EXISTS OF FROM WHERE THIS NAME AND REFERENCE CAME. Therefore I am choosing to use the data from the letter of Hardy J. Minish as being the more accurate. It also fits with the 1776 Census data of the white males much better. Hardy was born in 1798 and Wm. R Minish Sr., in 1840 so it would seem Hardy's data could be the more accurate. (Wm. H. Minish, 20 September 2001)