“Memory is often impaired by age, and we have found that men will sometimes fall into errors about that which they have long since witnessed, and tradition, when handed down through a succession of generations, becomes a romance. Hence the necessity of placing all important facts on record, and anything written near the time of the occurrence may be presumed to be the more reliable.

There is a growing interest in such matters, and people are learning to prize family records and other mementos as they would rich legacies. If we take no interest in the past or future, we degrade life into a mere animal existence that seeks only the gratification of immediate wants.”

– Introduction to “Thomas and Margaret Minshall who came from England to Pennsylvania in 1682 and Their Early Descendants,” written by “One of the Sixth Generation,” Jacob Painter, Lima, Delaware Co. Pa. (June 1867)

In a previous Tyler Arboretum article, we talked about Thomas Minshall and his wife, Margaret, who purchased 625 acres of land, split about evenly between what we now call Media Borough and Middletown Township in Pennsylvania. As “First Purchasers,” they bought their land from William Penn in 1681 and arrived in August 1682 on board The Friendship to begin their new life as Quaker settlers in Pennsylvania. We also know that Thomas’ older sister Elinor, with her husband Robert Vernon, came to the Pennsylvania colony on the same ship as her younger brother.

Thomas Minshall’s father and mother were John (1617-1685) and Margret (Hickock) Minshall (1618-1683), who lived near Latchford, England. From the historical records in Warrington, England, we know that John and Margret were married in Cheshire, England, in 1644, and had six children who survived childbirth: Samuel, John, Mary, Thomas, Elinor, and Elizabeth. One daughter, Rebeckah seems to have died at a young age and daughter Elizabeth also died before her father did but after she had been married.

We also know that John Minshall, Thomas’ father, usually refused to pay his tithe debts because he felt that paying these tithes were not consistent with his Quaker faith. Because he refused to pay his assessments, his home was frequently raided by the bailiffs and he was also imprisoned more than once in Lancaster Castle. Thomas’ older brothers Samuel and John were also imprisoned for the same reason on at least one occasion.

While there are some documents in the historical archives describing these events, one of the more illuminating of these is John Minshall’s Last Will and Testament, written and validated in 1683, with an addendum in 1684. In the 1867 genealogy pamphlet quoted above, we also know that Jacob Painter had a copy of John Minshall’s Will that Jacob found “among ancient papers belonging to the Minshall family.”

Reading handwritten documents from this time period is not always easy, so we turned to a new digital tool for help. This AI-powered app, called Transkribus™, is increasingly being used to “read” handwritten documents and provide a digital translation.

Using an image of John Minshall’s Last Will and Testament, Transkribus™ completed the translation for us. This simply required uploading a good digital image of the Will (shown in the figure) to a free version of the app, then waiting a few seconds for a digital translation to be produced. The bolded text below is taken directly from this translation.

John Minshall signed his Will in the presence of John Whalell, Margret Gandy, and Esther Houlcraft, presumably elders in the Quaker community in Latchford, England.

I, John Minshall of Latchford in the County of Chester Husbandman, being in perfect memory & yet considering the frailty and uncertainty of this life Doe make this my Last Will and Testament in manner following, hereby revokeing all former wills whatsoever

So what do we learn by reading John Minshall’s Last Will and Testament?

First, John made his oldest son, Samuel, an executor of his estate, and bequeathed his home to Samuel and his family, as well as his horse carts and furniture.

I give and bequeath my Tenement with the house where I now dwell and all it[s] Appertenances in Latchford afores[ai]d unto my Eldest son Samuel Minshall to enter thereupon im[m]ediately after my decease…..

… I give to my s[ai]d son Samuel together w[i]th all my Instruments for Husbandry as ploughs carts horse-furniture &c but not the Horses …

Why didn’t he give Samuel the horses as well??

John made provisions in his Will so that his wife Margret could stay in her home and be cared for until she died. Unfortunately, Margret died very soon after John’s Will was written.

… two roomes I leave to my wife duringe her life time … Likewise I give unto my s[ai]d Wife the Cupboard in the house the Table in the parlour and the Bedstead whereon we use to lye with such a Featherbed Boulster & other bed-furniture which She shall choose in the Parlour Chamber …

…. to my said wife Margret Minshall the yearly rent or summe of tenn pounds of currant English money in manner following, viz at the twenty fift day of March fifty shillings & at the twenty fift day of June fifty shilli[ing]s at the thirtyth day of September fifty shillings & at the thirtieth day of December fifty shillings yearly during her life time … to be payd by my said son Samuel, he also furnishing or provideing her coales & wood sufficient for fuell yearly & allowing her free liberty to gather & take any sort of Apples or other sorts of fruits growing upon the p[re]mises as she pleaseth yearly during her lifetime.

His second oldest son, John, lived nearby in Great Sankey, England, with his wife Margret. John the father apparently owned the house and furnishings where his son and daughter-in-law were living.

… I give & bequeath unto my son John Minshall in Great Sankey that Estate or Tenement With its Appertenances where he now dwells & if he dy Without a Child to survive him it is my minde that Margret His wife shall wholely enjoy the same if she be then living …

John Minshall also made provisions for his son Thomas and daughter Elinor, even though they had already sailed to Pennsylvania in 1682. Presumably, the Quakers had a reliable mechanism to securely transfer money from England to Pennsylvania. John’s will does not mention that his son Thomas and daughter Elinor were already living in Pennsylvania.

… my said son Samuel shall pay or cause to be paid unto my son Thomas Minshall the Summe of fourty pounds or to his children or child if he the said Thomas dye before the payment thereof And to my daughter Elenor now wife of Robert Vernon Husbandman the like summe of Fourty pounds of currant English money to be payd within one yeare or two yeares after my decease to them or to their Child or Children or to their assignes for their use …

At the time, forty pounds was a substantial sum of money and would have paid a year’s wages for a skilled tradesman. This amount is equivalent to about $15,000 today.

Daughter Mary was married to Thomas Barnes, while daughter Elizabeth had been married to Randle Speakman but had presumably died before 1683. Because Mary and Elizabeth’s portions were smaller, even smaller than Elinor’s, we can surmise that John provided a substantial dowery on behalf of his daughters at the time that they were married.

… Likewise I give unto my Daughter Mary now wife of Thomas Barnes tenn Shillings as the last of her portion and to every one of her children ten shillings apiece and to my s[ai]d daughter Ellnor Vernons Children ten shillings apiece …

… And unto Randle Speakman one shilling if demanded as the last of my daughter Elizabeths portion All which smaller legacys I would have paid out of my personall estate goods Chattels & Cattle …

In the addendum to his Will, John Minshall asks that any reimbursement from the suretyship, a type of insurance policy, that he had taken out on his land be equally distributed to his living children or to their children after his death.

… Likewise whereas [unclear] the wrieting hereof I paid for suretyship for my Land Lord William Marbury of Marbury Esq the summe of two & Fifty Pounds & eleaven shillings, if the said summe be by the s[ai]d Wm Marbury his Exec[utors] and admin[istrators] repaid unto me or my assignes it is my wil & minde that the s[ai]d fifty two pounds & eleaven shillings shall be equally devided amongst my five Children, Samuel, John, Mary, Thomas & Ellenor or to their children if any of them dy before the receipt thereof …

Finally, John asked that he be buried in Grafton Heath next to Rebeckah, his daughter who died at a young age.

And first I devise yt[that] after my Decease my Body may be decently buryed at Grafton-Heath* neare to my daughter Rebeckah’s

*This is most likely a misspelling of Greystone Heath. There is no Grafton Heath near Latchford, England.

Throughout his Will, John Minshall makes special arrangements for quite large sums of money, property, equipment, and animals to be distributed to his wife and children after his death. While John was thought to be an apothecary (pharmacist) for Latchford’s Quaker community, his Will shows that he was quite a wealthy man and an easy target for the bailiffs interested in collecting his tithe debts to the Church of England.

We will continue to explore the interesting story of the Minshalls, both those who emigrated to Pennsylvania and those who stayed behind living near Latchford, England.