Family History of John M. Minish (c. 1660-1733) : 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. ********************************************************************* John M. Minish Born: Bet. 1660 - 1690 in: Possibly County Armagh, or County Derry, Northern Ireland Died: 1733 in: Dorchester Co., MD Wife: Sarah Unknown CHILDREN Name: John Minish Married: Bet. 1745 - 1754 in: From 1776 Census Dorchester Co., MD and childrens ages shown. Died: Abt. 1775 in: Dorchester County, Maryland Spouse: Elesabeth Unknown ==================================================================== John M. Minish Notes Per email from Bobby Hope Minish, of Miami, FL., October 14, 1998 and based on research from a genealogist in Maryland: "John Minish I, 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 11 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." Coronel John Rider was a member of the Upper House of Assembly of Maryland, and owned several thousand acres of land in Maryland, and on its eastern shore, in Dorchester County, where the early Minishes lived and tenant farmed tobacco and corn. THE FOLLOWING DEFINES WHERE JOHN AND SARAH MINISH LIVED: Archives of Maryland, Volume 025, Page 528 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1730 Lib. M. The Petition of many the Inhabitants of Great Choptank Parish in Dorchester County Most humbly Sheweth p. 30 That in the said Parish the Church thereof is placed on the Side of Choptank River, a great distance from your Petitioners so that they could not possibly attend Gods Worship therein That your Petitioners in Regard to the Great Distance to the Parish Church aforesaid, did in or about the Year 1709 by the Assistance of the then Vestry and their own Contribution obtain a Chappel of Ease scituate in Vienna Town by Nanticoak River on the other side of the Parish aforesaid Notwithstanding the peaceable Enjoyment of the said Chappel ever since, as well as convenient Scituation of it; several Endeavours hath been made to remove the same, to the great Inconveniency of Your Petitioners, and since those Endcavour3 hath hitherto been frustrated by a suitable Opposition, so Your Petrs were in hopes of resting easy and quiet in the Use of said Chappel for the future But so it is May it please Your Excellency and Honours, the Vestry of the said Parish of late (to the Great Surprize of your Petitioners) did make an Appointment to meet at a Certain Place in Order to Chuse A Peice of Land, and Contract with a Workman to Erect another Chappel of Ease not distant from the former above five Miles; which accordingly they have done; altho there is no intervening Creek, Cove, Branch or Swamp between them whereby the People may be incommoded in their Passage; by which means Your Petitioners altho not at present may hereafter by such a Method be deprived of the abovesaid Chappel at Vienna which they have so long enjoyed The Premises considered Your Petitioners humbly intreats such Relief herein, as may prevent the Vestry erecting the new Chappel, the securing and repairing the Old, or such Orders and Determinations in this Matter as in your Great Wisdoms may be for the Quiet and Ease of your Petitioners in their Possession of the sd Chappel, and preventing designing Persons giving them Uneasiness therein for the future, and Your Petirs as in Duty bound shall pray Edwd Elliott Michl Stackdell Henry Parks John Hurley Jno Creek Jacob Charles Rogr Hurley Wm Smith Isaac Charles Darby Hurley John Minish Joseph Hust Morris W Kenney Wm Guy John Lamey Rogr Dudley Nathl Mitchell Robt Dixon From Allen County Library, Fort Wayne, IN, Gc975.201D72g1930781, a book printed in 1975 written by the Vestry of Great Choptank Parish which is a history of the Parish from 1693-1974. In Chapter 111, "The Parish Before The Revolutionary War" the petition which John (M) Minish signed in 1730 is mentioned. Quote..... When the Reverend Thomas Howell came to Maryland in 1697 he became rector of both Great Choptank Parish and Dorchester Parish. He served in this dual capacity until 1708 at which time he resigned from Dorchester Parish and devoted the remainder of his ministry entirely to Great Choptank Parish. He was successful in getting two chapels built in the extensive area of this huge parish. Both chapels were east of Cambridge. The first chapel was built in Vienna (ON THE NANTICOKE RIVER, CURRENT POPULATION ABOUT 400) in 1709, just three years after the town was laid out with 100 lots and open space designated as Public Lands. The chapel was built on part of these public lands and the area around it was used for burials. The chapel is no longer there but the graveyard is being maintained. A bronze tablet in one corner of the graveyard bearing the inscription "Site of Chapel of Ease. Erected in 1709" marks the location of this early place of worship. On October 9, 1718, William Ennalls purchased lot number 47 in the town of Vienna, which was adjacent to the land on which the chapel was built. It took three acts of the General Assembly, dated November 6, 1725, October 26, 1727, and June 16, 1730, to settle a controversy that developed over the boundary between the two properties. A petition from Inhabitants of Great Choptank Parish, WHO LIVED IN OR NEAR VIENNA, to the Council of Maryland requesting that the Vestry be prohibited from moving the chapel to another location was read to the Council May 8, 1730. (THIS WAS THE PETITION SIGNED BY OUR JOHN MINISH) The Council ordered that notice be given to the Vestrymen "that they may attend to be heard" at the next meeting. The vestrymen appeared May 23, 1730. The petition was denied, but the vestrymen were informed that "vestrys have no power to appoint places for the building of Churches or Chapels without due application." It is not known whether or not the petition helped settle this controversy but the fact that the act of Assembly was passed with out any further attempt to re- locate the chapel indicates that it led to a final settlement. Unquote. So ....we have a good idea that our early Minishes lived, and farmed in or close to the little town of Vienna, on the Nanticoke River, Dorchester County, MD. If the early graveyard is being maintained.......maybe with a great deal of luck we might find some Minish references there?? At the Library and in Maryland hisory I also found many references to Col. John Rider who owned the land on which our John M. Minish planted tobacco and who inventoried the estate of John Minish February 27, 1733. Col. Rider was a member of the Upper House of Assembly of Maryland, i.e., prominient and probably quite wealthy. Several maps of the area showed his land holdings......but we do not know on which our people farmed. (William H. Minish, June 3, 2000, Granger, IN) From E.H.Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury State University, Salisbury, MD, October 1998, by Wm.H.Minish, South Bend, IN: 1. From Abstracts from the Land Records of Dorchester Co., Maryland, Vol. B, 1689-1733: 8 Old (Liber) 470 (Folio) Jun 10 1732 JOHN MINISH of Dor Co, planter, to John Rider livestock and personal property. Wit: Benj. Ball, John Rider Jr. Ackn: Jun 10 1732 before Thos. Hicks, Justice. 2. From Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of MD., 1718-1720: Liber 4 Folio 225 Enoch Barllinton Dorchester County Pounds Sterling 80.5.3 Appraisers: Edward Newton, William Guy Creditors: John Rider, William Ennalls Next of kin: JOHN M. MINNIS, Enoch Bartlinton (NOTE the middle initial "M" which is written clearly and distinctly in the inventory signatory ....Wm.H.Minish, October 1998) 3. From Abstracts of the Administrative Accounts of the Prerogative Court of MD,1718-1724, F180.S5v.l: Liber 4 Folio 56 Enoch Bartington Dorchester County Dec 4, 1721 Pounds Sterling 80.5.3 and 56.0.10 Payments to: Samuell Dickenson, Rich. Price, John Lemee, Roger Mackeny, Cha. Ungle, Capt. John Rider, William Deane, Dr. William Murry, JOHN MINISH Administratrix: Elisabeth Bartington 4. From Abstracts of the Administrative Accounts of the Prerogative Court of MD as reported in Vol IX #3, Pg 1 of Dorchester Co., Genealogical Society: Liber 10 Folio 210 Dorchester County 4 Feb. 1729 Enoch Bartlington, dec. Adm - Katherine Bartlington Sureties - William Guy and JOHN MINISH 5. From Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of MD., 1726-1729, FI80.S53v.4: Liber 14 Folio 304 Dorchester County Aug 1 1729 Enoch Bartlinton (also Enoch Bartlington) Pounds Sterling 24.12.7 Appraisers: John Ogdon, John Man Next of kin: JOHN MINISH, William Guy ....(note this relationship, Wm.H. Minish, South Bend, IN, December, 1998) Two greater creditors: John Rider, John Summers Administratrix: Catherine Bartlington 6. From Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogrative Court of MD., 1728- 1734, F180.S53v.5: Liber 17 Folio 630 Dorchester County Nov 24 1733 Feb 27 1733 JOHN MINISH Pounds Sterling 22.2.6 Appraisers: Thomas Tacket (also Thomas Takeett), Henry Parks Creditors: Thomas Nevett, Adam Muire Next of kin: William Guy, Sarah Minish Administrator/Executor: Col. John Rider This Inventory reads as follows: An Inventory of the Goods and Chattles with the Credit of John Minish late of Dorset County Deceased as they were appraised by Thomas Tacket and Henry Parks of the same County anno 1733 November 24th----- 1100 Tobacco ----- at (?) 4 (?) Cent. L. S. 4" 11 "8 3 Pecks of wheat at 3/4 (?) Bushel :" 2"6 A Bushel of Beans :" 3"4 2?? Barrels of Corn at ?/4 (?) Barl 11"13"4 To A bb of rotten Corn :" 3" 6 Bushels Barley at (?) (?) Bushl :"12" A weeding plow :"10" His wearing apparel 4" :" Cn. by a Debt of Jas Lingard (90?) Tobo :" 7"8 L.S.22" 2"6 I Sign as a kindred William Guy Thomas Takeett Sarah Minish (her mark) Henry Parks (his mark) I sign as a Creditor Tho. Nevett I sign as a Creditor Adam Muire February the 27th 1733 Came Coll. John Rider and made Oath on the Holy Evangels of the Almighty God that the within Inventory is a Just and perfect Inventory of all the Goods and Chattles of the Deceased John Minish that came to his hands at the time of the making thereof that what hath since or shall hereafter come to his hands he will return in an Additional Inventory and that he knows of no Concealment of any part or parcel thereof by any Person whatsoever but if he knows of any Concealment or Suspects any to be he will acquaint the Commisary General or his Deputy for the time being with such discovery or cause of Suspician that it may be enquired into and that he will give an Account of every part and parcel of the said Deceased's whole Personal Estate as shall hereafter come to his hands Posession and knowledge Jn. Pitt Dep Comr of Dorchester County From MD Index to Accounts, Prerogative Court 1718-1777 (Roll B-62 at E.H.Nabb Center, Salisbury State University) Liber CC9, Book 12, Folio 305, lists John Minish under M in 1734: The Account of John Ryder Adm of John Minish Late of Dorchester County Deceas'd the said accountant Chargeth himself with the all and Singular the goods and Chattles of the said Deceased so farr forth as the same Came to his hands, and mentioned in a Inventory thereof taken and Exhibited Into the Commissary's Office amounting to 22"2"6 and humbly Craves allowance for his Several Payments and Disbursments made out of the same Viz For Funerall Charges "11"6 For 20 days Working Gathering his Corn @ 1/6 1"10" For Striping his Tobacco 8 days Work at 1/6 "12" For 1/2 gallon of Brandry at Appraisment " 2" For 1 days attendance (?) Appra(?) " " For Comissary Generalls fees as yet unknown For Depty. Commissary's fees 200 Tobo. At 1" " For the ballance of a Judgement bond proved at 6"9"6 ) and l 1gg tobacco due the this Accountant at 10(?) both is) 12"3"4 3/4 For 2 Years Interest on the Ballance of this Accountants ) bond above mentioned ) 1"13"9 Fo 2 Years Rent of this Accountants Plantation is ) 1200 (?) Tobacco at 10/(?) Cent ) 6" - " - For this Accountants Sallery for ) Payment of L 23"12"7 3/4 at 10 (?) ) 2" 7"3 A final account. 25"19" 10 3/4 Over Payed L 3"17" 4 3/4 Inventory Returned 22" 2" 6 NOTE: see the notes on Henry Minish, b. Bef. 1770, d. Aft. 1770, as a possible connection to John M. Minish. Rupert A. Brown is the author of the article "From Whence Came The Minish" detailing probable origin of the emigration as "came from the land of the Connought" i.e., from the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. Also, "the use of the expression Land of Connought by my Grandfather (Richard Berry Minish) indicates to me that it was the same language used by his ancesters." Mr. Brown probably wrote the article in the 1950-1980 time frame .....it is not dated. (William H. Minish, July 13, 2001) Rootsweb listing by M. Lee Minnis of Virginia, historian and author, has submitted a 1663 listing of a John Minish, of Drummant (Drummond) in the Parish of Tamlaght Finlagan, County Derry, Ulster, Ireland. (Believe this may be of the Hearth Money Rolls which started in 1662. Wm. H. Minish, July 2, 2001).