General Notes

Born c1660, Derryaghy, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.185,
30    (John's birth date seems to be an estimate in all sou
rces - no primary sources cited).
John moved from Derryaghy to Grange in county Tyrone and be
came a member of the Society of Friends, Grange Friends Mee
ting.12,21
He married Dorothy Lennox, 7-30-1678.28,30,185    (Debora
h Lennox)a
In 1702 John and Dorothy were witnesses to the following ma
rriage:10
Mary Sweethen, of Cloughan, Parish Kilmore, County Armagh
, was married, 8 Mo. 22, 1702, to John Lenox of Drycroency
, Parish Clanfekill, at Ballyhagen Meeting.    Among the si
gners were Alexander Sweethen, John Hinshaw, Dorothy Hinsha
w, Elinor Whinery, Robert Lennox, Thomas Hinshaw, John Whin
ery.
John Lennox was probably the brother of Dorothy Lennox
.    Mary Sweethen was probably the sister of Ann Sweethe
n who in 1703 married Joseph Mackey (two of Joseph & Ann Ma
ckey's children married Hinshaws).
He then married Elizabeth Belshaw, 1716, Derryaghy, Count
y Antrim, N.Ireland.3,12,185    (Elizabeth Belcher)    (Eli
sabeth Belshaw)    (Elisabeth Belcher)    Elizabeth was Joh
n's house servant.41,185
Both John and Elizabeth were disowned for marrying "contrar
y to discipline".41    The Grange MM Book of Disownments se
ems to indicate that there was something of a scandal conne
cted with this marriage.    On 5 Mo 12 1716 the Grange MM r
ecorded:185
A Testimony Given Forth Against John Hinshaw and Elizabet
h His Wife: John Hinshaw of Edneycreaney a man well stricke
n in years ...    leting out his minde to a lustful libert
y after his servant - viz: Elezebath Belshy a yong woman wh
oe of late would have gon under our name ...    and committ
ed furnycation with her, notwithstanding the timely warnein
g and friendly admonishon given to the sd John to put the s
d Elezebath out of his house and to intertaine another in h
er stead, intill the accomplishment of their intended marad
ge, but he rejected our councell notwithstanding his promis
es to the contrary and the better to cover their transgress
ions went to a preest and was maryed".
A John Hinshaw signed the marriage certificate of John Mack
ie and Katherine Meredith on 2 Mo. 22, 1737 at the Meetin
g House in Lisburn, County Antrim.    Could this have bee
n *this* John, or John #1031 ???10
John Hinshaw died after 1768.b    John might have died eve
n as late as 1784 or after, as his son William, in a lette
r of 1784, indicates an expectation that his parents were s
till alive at that time.b
Note: There appears to be something odd regarding John's ma
rriages and children, none of which come from primary sourc
es.    John's children by Dorothy Lennox (John, Dorothy an
d Mary) were all married in the mid 1740s.    If they wer
e all born prior to John's marriage to Elizabeth Belshaw i
n 1716 (and if the 1716 date is correct) then they would ha
ve all been well into their 30s when they were married (a
n unusual age).    It seems very possible that all of thes
e children might have been from John's second marriage to E
lizabeth Belshaw.
Note also that John's ancestry is not at all proven or cert
ain.    John's ancestry seems to be sourced only by Willia
m Wade Hinshaw, who hired extensive research in Ireland, bu
t never cited sources in any of his published lineages
.    John's ancestry has been much repeated, but should b
e considered somewhat speculative.