SHINN, Thomas Jr [215] ^{1 3 4}

  General Notes:

For the History of the Shinn Family in Europe and America go to : http://www.rootsweb.com/~mikegoad/shinn.htm
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Source Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy - Burlington MM :
- "1718,11,22. Thomas (Shin), Burl. Co., m Martha Earl, dt William, Burl. Co., at house of Wm. Earl, Springfield Twp., N.J."
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Source the "History of SHINN Family <http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/glchit.pl?file=%2F_glc_%2F3047%2F3047_81.html&query=gaskill%20&Welcome=1033476748> :
22. THOMAS SHINN (3).--THOMAS (2), JOHN (1).
Thomas Shinn, son of Thomas and Mary (Stockton) Shinn and grandson of John, the immigrant, has his birth recorded in the Record of Births and Deaths of Burlington Monthly Meeting as having occurred on the 6th of the 11th month, 1694. The same record places his father's death in this wise: "Thomas Shinn lay down this life the (???) of the 9th month, called November, 1695." We have seen what disposition the father made of his estate by will, and have noted the final disposition of the estate by Mary (Stockton) Shinn in 1697, when she married Silas Crispin of Philadelphia. In the will and deed of trust Thomas is mentioned as a son of Thomas and Mary, and the will shows that Thomas was the elder of the two boys.
The subject of our sketch was born and lived throughout the greater part of his life in Springfield Township, Burlington County. Whether he lived with his mother after her marriage to Silas Crispin is not known, and we next meet him in authentic history on the 1st of the 10th month, 1718, when he and Martha Earl declared their intentions of marriage at Burlington Meeting. On the 5th of the 11th month, 1718, the minutes show that he and Martha appeared the second time, and were given liberty to proceed. Shortly after this the marriage occurred. The marriage certificate or record shows that Thomas Shinn, son of Thomas, and Martha, daughter of William Earl,1 were married at the house of William Earl in Springfield Township, on the 22nd day of the 11th month, 1718. It was witnessed by the mother of Thomas, Mary Ridgway, she having married Richard Ridgway after the death of Silas Crispin; by William and Elizabeth Earl, parents of Martha; by John, James and Abigail, his uncles and aunts; by Samuel and Sarah Shinn, his brother and his wife; by George and Levi Shinn, his cousins, and by twenty others. The bride was born in Portsmouth, L. I., but had lived in Springfield Township about all her life. The affair was one of considerable importance and was attended by some of the first people of the County. The solemn Quaker who was appointed by Burlington Meeting to attend reported back on the 12th of the 2nd month, 1718, that "These friends that are under our care and conduct are pretty orderly." The young people had successfully passed the committee report upon the declaration of intention, and likewise the Argus-eyed committee on marriage, and were now ready to settle down to practical life. The possessions of Thomas were in Springfield Township and there he began his career. For eighteen years he is covered by an envelope of impenetrable obscurity, save for an occasional transfer of land which confronts us on the deed records at Trenton. In 1736 he was put on a committee to supervise a marriage, and on the same day was sent to Quarterly Meeting. The inference is that he had lived an honest Christian life and that now in his forty-first year he had gained the confidence of his brethren. About this time he removed to Mt. Holly in Northampton Township,1 and on the 1st of the 6th month he was made an elder by the Burlington meeting. In 1748 he was made one of the Trustees to hold the Mt. Holly Meeting House property. In Vol. III. of the Burlington Minutes among the first items is placed a list of Ministers and Elders who have died since 1720. In this list we have the last notice of Thomas Shinn. He is ranked as an elder, and his death recorded as of date the 27th of the 2nd month, 1753, in the 58th year of his life. It was really the 59th year, but one cannot quarrel with venerable records and escape unscathed.
If we had nothing but the simple record of this man's life as given by the scribes of Burlington Monthly Meeting of Friends, we should ascribe to him qualities.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Religion. Quaker

Thomas married Martha EARL [216] [MRIN: 80], daughter of William EARL Jr [211] and Hepzibah (Elizabeth) BUTTS [212], on 22 Nov 1718 in Springfield, Burlington Co., NJ.^{1 2 3} (Martha EARL [216] was born about 1698 in Portsmouth, Newport, RI ³ and died after 1753 in Burlington Co, NJ.)