Elizabeth (Kinsey) Johns (abt. 1651 - 1716)

Born about 1651 in Cheshire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Sparrow — married about 1668 (to 1675) in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland

Wife of Richard Johns — married about 7 Jul 1676 in Calvert County, Maryland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 1 Feb 1716 at about age 65 in Cliffs, Calvert County, Maryland

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Biography

Elizabeth (Kinsey) Johns was a Maryland colonist.

The date and place of birth of Elizabeth Kinsey are unknown, as well as the date and place of her marriage to Thomas Sparrow, but she was still unmarried as of the 1667 will of her father, Hugh Kinsey, so she may have been born around 1651, almost certainly in Cheshire, England, where the rest of her immediate family was born. The Kinseys had come from Virginia to Maryland in 1659, and Hugh obtained a grant of 400 acres on the north side of the Patapsco called Walnut Neck and Kinsey Situate. The will of Hugh Kinsey of Anne Arundel County, dated 6 May 1667, devised his entire estate to his wife Margaret “if it please God she live longer upon this earth than I” with reversion to his youngest daughter Elizabeth, with reversion to his daughter, Mary Humpheys, with reversion to the rest of his children.^[1]

According to the Maryland land patents where settlers claim land for bringing people into the Maryland Colony, Hugh Kinsey transported himself, Richard Merridith, Abraham South, Mary Humphreys, Elizabeth Kinsey, Mary Humphreys, Jr., Paul Kinsey, & Edward, her [Mary's?] son. ^[2]

Wife of Thomas Sparrow

Thomas Sparrow being seized of parcel of land in Ann Arundel County called Locust’s Neck of 146 acres for 7500 pounds of tobacco sold it to Thomas Francis on 15 Oct 1667. Thomas died and his wife Elizabeth, now the wife of Richard Johns, and brother Solomon were executors with his infant son Thomas. Thomas Francis sought to clarify and confirm his rights.

Wife of Richard Johns

After Thomas’ death Elizabeth married secondly to Richard Johns 1649-1717, on 18 July 1675, who had migrated to Calvert Cliffs in 1671. [Maryland Marriages] In Procedings of Court of Chancery in Maryland, Thomas Francis plaintiff and Solomon Sparrow, Richard Johns and Elizabeth his wife and Thomas Sparrow defendants. 7 Feb 1676.

That Elizabeth Johns, the wife of Richard, was the daughter of Hugh Kinsey, is shown by various deeds. One made by her grandson, Thomas Sparrow, to William Porrterry, JAN 1725 which begins thus: "Thomas Sparrow, grandson & heir at law of Elizabeth Johns, wife of Richard Johns, of the Clifts, in Calvert County, and became so by the Death of Thomas Sparrow, father of Thomas, party to these presents, who was heir apparent of the said Elizabeth Johns, who was heiress at Law of Hugh Kensey, the original pattentee of a parcell of Land Called Walnut Neck, of Annarundell County, Gent., of the one part," etc. ^[3]

Richard Johns and Elizabeth his wife executed several deeds in 1681, 1685, 1687 and 1690 for the following tracts of land, on Patapsco river, viz: Paul's Neck, 200 acres; Kinsey, 400 ac.; Harbarrow, 300 ac.; White Oak Spring, 150 ac.; Brandon, 250 a., and Duck Cove, 350 ac., to which Elizabeth made her mark for a signature, and in which Richard is styled Merchant or Gent., and Elizabeth is described as "Sister and heir at law of Paul Kinsey, late of Baltimore Co., dec'd.," or "Daughter of Hugh Kinsey, late of Anne Arundel Co., dec'd." Geratt Hopkins made his mark as witness to one in 1685.^[4]

The births of the children of Richard and Elizabeth are listed on the same page of the register for the Clifts Monthly Quaker Meeting. Richard & Elizabeth Johns are also listed in the Quaker Minutes as witnesses for wedding of William Cole Jr & Elizabeth Sparrow held at their home The Clifts.^[5]

Death

In the minutes of the Cliffs Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends of which Richard Johns was the clerk, he wrote on the death of his wife, Elizabeth: "Elizabeth Johns, the dear and well beloved, virtuous wife of Richard and mother of this family, died the 1st day of the 12th month, 1715/6 at about quarter past 8 in the morning. ^[5]

Notes

Hugh Kinsey and Thomas Sparrow were both ancestors of Johns Hopkins, and both came to Maryland from Virginia, for the former in his Will mentions certain household articles "Which I brought out of Virginia," and the Norfolk County, Virginia, records show that 20 June, 1647," a Certificate was issued to Thomas Sparrow for 300 acres for himself and others not named.^[6]

Depostion of Samuel Hooker 1764: He always understood the wife of Richard Johns the grandfather of W. Hopkins to be the daughter of Paul Kinsey.

First, Elizabeth has noteworthy mention in Thomas Sparrow's Will - See husband Thomas Sparrow. Second, in Colonial Families of U.S.A., Thomas and Elizabeth Sparrow's daughter, Elizabeth marries William Cole. Third, in Maryland Marriage Index, Elizabeth remarries after Thomas' death to Richard Johns.

Sources

1. ↑ Prerogative Court Records of Colonial Maryland, Wills 1635-1674, Series 538 (digital images, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, Maryland, accessed 7 May 2024), liber 1 folio 291, image 291, will of Hugh Kinsey. https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagser/s500/s538/000000/000001/pdf/msa_s538_000001.pdf.
2. ↑ Gibb, Carson. Supplement to The New Early Settlers of Maryland (online database, Maryland State Archives, accessed 7 May 2024), https://earlysettlers.msa.maryland.gov/.
3. ↑ Baltimore County Land Records RM HS/172
4. ↑ Baltimore County Land Records RM HS/172; RM HS/240
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Peden, Henry C. Quaker Records of Southern Maryland: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Abstracts from the Minutes, 1658-1800. Westminster, Md.: Willow Bend, 2000.
6. ↑ Maryland Colonial Wills Liber 1/291