Person:Joshua Henshawe (2)

1653 January: Probate of will of Peter Ambrose of Toxteth, Lancs, England, who made bequest to Joshua and Daniel HENSHAWE in New England. Found on Page 264 in the Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660 by Peter Wilson COLDHAM who quoted English Estates of American Colonists (Vol I) by COLDHAM published Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company.

Brief Biography

(The following is taken from Hoyt's Article, view here)

Joshua Henshaw was born in Lancashire, England, about the year 1643, and with his brother Daniel, born about 1646, was fraudulently abducted and sent to New England, about 1652. They came to Dorchester, Mass., where they resided during their minority. [The family tradition is, that the Rev. Richard Mather, who came from Lancashire, had the care of them, and of the money sent with them, for their support and education, and for setting them up in business.] Joshua there married, in 1670, Elizabeth Sumner. [Elizabeth Sumner, eldest daughter of William and Elizabeth (Clement) Sumner; bap. June, 1652, d. in Dorchester in 1728.] Three children were born to them. In 1688, he made his will, and in the early part of the next year went to England for the purpose of recovering the large property left by his parents in the care of Peter Ambrose, their steward, who bore the imputation, not without probable grounds of suspicion, of having sent the boys Joshua and Daniel out of England for the purpose of getting possession of their property; for before they were sent away they had lived in his care and on the estate for several years, and after their departure he retained possession and died in the occupation of the estate. Wavertree Hall, extolled by Walter Scott, was a part of it.

When Joshua arrived in England he found Joshua Ambrose in possession of, and claiming the estates, as heir to his father Peter. Mr. Henshaw filed a bill in Chancery against Ambrose, but not being then prepared to prove his paternity, returned to Dorchester and procured the necessary evidence. To this bill the defendant put in his answer, and at a subsequent term of the court, in 1690, the plaintiff not appearing, the bill was dismissed with seven nobles costs. In 1692, after Mr. Henshaw's return to England, his case against Ambrose was restored to the docket, and kept there for nearly thirty years. In 1719, when it became certain that a decision was about to be rendered in favor of the plaintiff, Mr. Henshaw was invited by Ambrose to dinner, upon pretence of a desire to effect an amicable compromise, and soon after the dinner was seized with an illness, from which he died in a few hours. The suit was then dropped from the docket for want of a prosecutor.

Family

The following is taken from a Henshaw Pedigree, traced by Robert Dale, Esq. in 1701 to be used by Mr. Henshaw in his action in the Court of Chancery, presumably with Joshua's input, a copy of which is attached to the cited article.

William Henshaw of Toxter Park, killed at the taking of Liverpool, during the civil wars 1644. Married about 1627 [ed. note probably 1637] Katherine, daur. of Evan Houghton of Wartre Hall, in Childe Parish in the County of Lancaster. She was his only child and heir, and died 1651.

1. Joshua Henshaw, born in Liverpool about a year and 10 weeks before his father was killed, living a^o 1701. He was about 8 years at his mother's death, and sent to New England a^o 1653 and came back 1688 about Apr. [married] Elizabeth, daur. of William Sumner of Dorchester, in New England, son of William Somner of Burcester in the County of Oxford. [Children (ages, presumably as of 1701):]

William, aet. 30.

Joshua, aet. 28.

John, aet. 20.

Thankful, aet. 23, married to Nathaniel Leman of Boston in New England.

Elizabeth, aet. 16.

Katherine, aet. 13.

2. Daniel Henshaw of Milton in New England, 2d son; aet. 55 ann: and about 7 years a^o1651 [married] Mary, daur. of . . . Bull of Bury St. Edmund in Co. Soffolk, and widow of Nicholas Allen of Dorchester in New England.

Land

Suffolk Deeds, Lib. Xlll, 483. 26 April 1686: "Atharton Mather of Winsor in Connecticott Pattent in New England" "for himselfe and in ye behalfe of his brother Mr. Samuel Mather of Winsor" for £8 conveys to "Jishua Henshaw of Dorchester" [also referred to as "Joshua Hensha"] "A parcel of swampy ground or fresh marsh lying in the aforesaid. Dorchester in a place commonly called or known by the name Collicotts Marsh Conteining ffour acres and a halfe and thirty two rod which was formerly the Land of Mr. Richard Mather Teacher of of the Church of Dorchester and purchased by him partley of James Blake and partley of Thomas Dickerman".

Probate

In the name of God, Amen. The third Day of April Ann^o Domⁿⁱ One Thousand Six Hundred Eight Eight, Annoq: R. R^s. Jacobi nunc Angliae, etc., Secundi, Quarto. - I, Joshua Hensha of Dorchester in the County of Suffolke within his Ma^pties Territory and Dominion of New England, Yeoman, being about to take a voyage to England, knowing the uncertainty of this life and the hazards and dangers that do attend those that are passing by sea, being now of a whole and disposing mind, do make and ordain this my Last will and Testament in manner following, revoking all former wills &c.

First and principally my soul I recommend unto God in Christ Jesus my Creator and Redeemer, hoping in his grace and mercy to receive forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among those sanctified through faith in Christ. My Body I commit unto dust, or sea, as it shall please God to dispose of me. And for that temporal Estate which it has pleased God to bestow upon me, I will that the same may be employed and bestowed as hereinafter expressed.

I will that all my just debts and personal Expenses (if any be) be well and truly paid and ordered to be paid by my Executrix, hereafter named, with what convenient speed may be.

I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth, my well beloved wife, the use, profits and income of my whole Estate for her own comfortable Subsistence and Education of my children, for and during the full time of her widowhood; But upon her intermarriage only to have her thirds therein according to Law.

I will that my whole Estate real and personal, (debts and funeral charges being paid) shall be considered and cast into a division of eight equal parts according to the value thereof. Two parts whereof I give unto William my Eldest son, as his double portion, and unto my other children, viz.:-Joshua, Thankful, John, Samuel, Elizabeth, and Katharin a single part, or share thereof; and if either of my s^d children happen to dye before the receiving their portion, my will is that the part or parts of such Child or Children deceasing shall be equally divided to and among the survivours.

I do nominate, constitute and ordein my beloved wife Elizabeth Hensha to be sole Executrix of this my Last will and Testament. And do give her full power and authority (if need be for the payment of my just debts) by and with the advise of my overseers or some of them to dispose and make sale of any parts or parcels of my Lands, and to give a legal confirmation thereof. And I do desire and appoint my well respected friends and Relations--William Sumner, Sen^r, of Dorchester, Daniel Hensha of Milton, and John Goffe of Boston, to be overseers of this my will, to advise and assist my wife in the due Execution thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first within written.

Signed, Sealed and Published
by Joshua Hensha to be his
last will and Testament, in
presence of us
Joshua Hensha [mark and seal]
Jos. Jackson
John Trow [mark]
Hanory Adams [mark]

Sale of Property by Heirs

Vol. 43, folio 140 Mar 1729: William Henshaw yeoman Joshua Henshaw shopkeeper & Mary his wife John Henshaw Esq'r of Boston Samuel Henshaw yeoman & Waitstill his wife of Milton, James Barber Blacksmith & Elizabeth his wife of Roxbury Katherine Hewshaw Spinster of Boston & Elizabeth Leeman of Lexington Spinster, Children and Heirs of Joshua Henshaw late of Dorchester deced for £800 to John Robinson & John Robinson Jun'r yeoman both of Dorchester convey two parcels totaling 29 acres in Dorchester.

Vol. 49, folio 144 reverse 6 Aug 1734: Indenture between Joshua Henshaw Esq'r and John Henshaw Esq'r & Catherarin Henshaw all of Boston and Samuel Henshaw of Milton Yeoman and James Barber of Roxbury Blacksmith and Elizabeth his wife and Henry Johnson of Charles Town and Elizabeth his wife and John Stiles of Dorchester Yeoman on the one part; James Plimpton of Medfield Cordwainer on the other part; whereas having undivided rights to Lot 48 in the Twenty five Divisions so call in Stoughton partly in the 20th Range, partly in the 21st Range, agree that James Plimpton shall have the portion in the 21st Range and the others shall have the part in the 20th Range.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Hoyt, Albert Harrison. "A Sketch of the LIfe of Hon. Joshua Henshaw", in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   22:112.

   Joshua Henshaw, b. Lancashire, England, abt 1643, m. 1670 Elizabeth Sumner, d. London 1719 [see bio for details]. Will of "Joshua Hensha of Dorcester", dated 3 Apr 1688, proved 25 Apr 1720, letters of administration granted 9 Mar 1723/4.

2.   Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   1:404.

   HENSHAW, HINSHAW, or HINSHEW.
   JOSHUA, Dorchester, br. of Daniel, 1670, by w. Eliz. d. of William Sumner, had William, b. 2 Mar. 1672; Joshua; Eliz. 25 July 1675, d. in few days; Thankful, 4 Mar. 1677; John, 29 May 1679; Samuel, 1 Apr 1682; Eliz. again, 18 July 1684; and Catharine, 28 May 1687. The w. and seven ch. abov. are nam. in his will of 3 Apr. 1688, "being to undertake a voyage to Eng." but the instr. was not pro. bef. 9 May. 1723-4. In Geneal. Reg. is ano. ch. Exercise, b. 15 Dec. 1693, but this may be error.