He fought in King Phillip's War under Capt. Thomas Brattle.

Deported to New England in 1653. Returned to England in 1688 (?) and died 27 Apr 1719 at about age 76 in Lancashire, England.

Biography

Joshua Henshaw was born in April 1643, Lancaster, Lancashire, England, the son of William Henshaw & Katherine Houghton.

Joshua "born in Lancaster about a year and 10 weeks before his father was killed" (Jun 20 1644), making his birth date approximately early April, 1643. The "Hinshaw and Henshaw Families" shows his birth date as 1642.

Joshua was deported to New England with his brother Daniel in 1653. (See: The Story of Joshua and Daniel on Daniels profile page).

Joshua fought in King Philip's War under Capt. Thomas Brattle.

"Joshua Hinshaw" [sic] was one of the signers of a petition in Dorchester, Massachusetts, heard at General Court in 1664.

He married Elizabeth Sumner [Elisabeth Somner Mary Elizabeth Sumner], 1670. Elizabeth, eldest daughter of William and Elizabeth (Clement) Somner of Dorchester, New England, was baptized June 27 1652; (William was the son of William Somner of Burcester in the County of Oxford. Elizabeth was a relative of Governor Sumner of Massachusetts.)

Together they had ten children:

1. William Henshaw b.Month 1 2nd day 1671[DR:12] aka Mar. 2, 1672 or Apr 2, 1671? [1]
2. Joshua Henshaw 1672 - 1747
3. Elizabeth Henshaw died Aug 3 1675.[DR:p28]
4. Thankful Henshaw b.Mar 4 1676/7 [DR:15], m.Nathaniel Lemon [DR:p103], d. <1716
5. John Henshaw b.1679 May 29 [DR:p17], d. c1736
6. Samuel Henshaw b.1682 Apr 1 [DR:p19] - 1761
7. Elizabeth Henshaw b.1684 Oct 1 [DR:p31] - >1732
8. Katherine Henshaw 1687 - 1773
9. Daniel Henshaw 1689 - ? (not in 1688 will)
10. Mindwell E. Henshaw 1693 - ? (not in 1688 will)

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Joshua prepared a will on April 3, 1688:

In the name of God, Amen. I, Joshua Hensha of Dorchester in the County of Suffolke within his Majesties 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 Executris, 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 said 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 ordien my beloved wife Elizabeth Henshaw 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 Sr. of Dorchester, Daniel Henshaw of Milton, and John Goffe of Boston, to be overseers of this my will, to advise and assist my wife in the 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 Henshaw to be his last will and Testament, in presence of us Joshua Henshaw L.S

Jos. Jackson John Trow Hanory Adams

Joshua Henshawe died Apr 27 1717, England.

Elizabeth died 1728, Dorchester or Milton, MA.

A short biographical sketch of Joshua and his brother Daniel was published in the 1860 "Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers of New England" [edited here only to eliminate abbreviations]:

HENSHAW, HINSHAW, or HINSHEW, JOSHUA, Dorchester, brother of Daniel, 1670, by wife Elizabeth daughter of William Sumner, had William, born 2 Mar. 1672;Joshua; Elizabeth 25 July 1675, died in few days; Thankful, 4 Mar. 1677;John, 29 May 1679; Samuel, 1 Apr. 1682; Elizabeth again, 18 July 1684; and Catharine, 28 May 1687. The wife and seven children above are name [sic] in his will of 3 April 1688, "being to undertake a voyage to Eng." but the instrument was not probated before 9 March 1723-4. In General. Reg. ["The New England Historical and Genealogical Register"] is another child Exercise, born 15 December 1693, but this may be error. Joshua, Boston, son of the preceding married 1700, Mary Webster, had Daniel, born 1701; and Joshua 1703.

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The Story of Joshua and Daniel

Thomas Henshawe of Lancaster had a son William Henshawe, who married Katherine Houghton in 1630 and had sons Joshua (born c1643) and Daniel (born c1644). William had a large estate, which included Wavertree Hall (or Wartre Hall). William was killed at the storming of Liverpool in 1644 (during the English Civil Wars) while fighting against King Charles I. William's wife, Katherine Houghton, died in 1651. About 1652, the orphans Joshua and Daniel were "fraudulently abducted" and sent to New England. They came to Dorchester, Mass., where they resided during their minority. According to family tradition, they were in the care of the Rev. Richard Mather, who came from Lancashire, England, and was responsible for their care, and for the money sent with them for their support and education, and for setting them up in business.

Peter Ambrose, the boys steward, is suspected of having been responsible for sending the boys out of England for the purpose of getting possession of their property, for before they were sent away they had been in his care for several years, and after their departure he retained possession and died in the occupation of the estate. Peter Ambrose suposedly claimed that Joshua and Daniel had been sent off to school in London, where they both died of the plague. However, when Peter Ambrose died about 1653, he left the following provision in his will:

... Also my will and mind is and I hereby give and bequeath to Joshua and Daniel Henshawe, late sons of William Henshawe, late of Toxteth aforesaid deceased, who are now in New England, so much money as shall make up what already hath "ben" by me laid forth for them and expended for them for their voyage to New England and otherwise, the sum of thirty pounds, to be paid them at such time as they shall have attained full age and shall give a sufficient discharge for the whole thirty pounds. ... In 1688, Joshua made his will and in the early part of the next year he returned to England for the purpose of recovering the large property left by his parents. When Joshua arrived in England he found Peter Ambrose's son, Joshua Ambrose, in possession of, and claiming rights to, the estates, as heir to his father Peter Ambrose. Joshua filed a bill in Chancery Court against Joshua Ambrose, but not being then prepared to prove his paternity, he returned to Dorchester and procured the necessary evidence.

Meanwhile, Joshua Ambrose, as defendant, filed an answer to the Chancery bill. At a subsequent term of the court, in 1690, the plaintiff (Joshua Henshaw) not appearing, the bill was dismissed. In 1692, after Joshua Henshaw's return to England, his case against Ambrose was restored to the court's 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 Joshua Henshaw, Ambrose invited Joshua to dinner, with a pretence of a desire to compromise. Soon after the dinner, Joshua Henshaw was seized with an illness, from which he died in a few hours. The Chancery suit was then dropped from the docket for lack of a plaintiff!

Thus the estate of William Henshaw, heir to Thomas Henshaw, was forever lost to the family.

References

1. http://www.rawbw.com/~hinshaw/cgi-bin/id?188
2. WikiTree contributors, "Joshua Henshaw (1643-1719)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Henshaw-185 : accessed 24 April 2024). cites
3. Dorchester births, marriages, and deaths to the end of 1825. -- William s.o.Joshua Henshaw b.Month 1 2nd day 1671[DR:p12] -- https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark:/13960/t5q82302d&view...
4. Dorchester births, marriages, and deaths to the end of 1825. -- Thankful d.o.Joshua Henshaw b.Mar 4 1676/7 [DR:p15] -- https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark:/13960/t5q82302d&view... -- 3rd item from bottom of page.
5. Dorchester births, marriages, and deaths to the end of 1825. -- John s.o. Joshua Henshaw b.1679 May 29 [DR:p17] --https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark:/13960/t5q82302d&view...
6. Dorchester births, marriages, and deaths to the end of 1825. -- Samuel s.o. Joshua Henshaw b.Apr 1 1682 [DR:p19] -- https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark:/13960/t5q82302d&view...
7. Dorchester births, marriages, and deaths to the end of 1825. -- Elizabeth d.o. Joshua Henshaw b.1 Oct 1684 [DR:p31] -- https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark:/13960/t5q82302d&view...
8. Dorchester births, marriages, and deaths to the end of 1825. -- Nathaniel Leman of Boston m. Thankful Hensha on Jan 27th 1700 by Rev.John Danforth[DR:103] -- https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=bc.ark:/13960/t5q82302d&view...
9. The "New England Historical and Genealogical Register", vol 22, 1868, The New England Historical and Genealogical Society. This issue includes a Memoir history and list of children of Joshua 3rd and Elizabeth (Bill) Henshaw. -- https://books.google.com/books?id=M2sFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA105#v=onepage&q...
10. An article appearing in the magazine "Hobbies", February 1967, titled "At the Sign of the Crest - Henshaw Coat-of-Arms", by Hazel Karft Eilers copy supplied by Fontella Hinshaw.
11. "The West Virginia Historical Magazine Quarterly", Vol. 4, No. 2, April 1904. The West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society, Charleston, W.VA. Article "The Henshaw Family" by Valley Virginia Henshaw. Contributed by David H. Henshaw.
12. "Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County Pennsylvania", Volume II. John W. Jordan & James Hadden, editors. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1912. Contributed by David H. Henshaw.
13. Manuscripts relating to William Henshaw, archived at the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA, including a handwritten family lineage.
14. "New England Library of Genealogy and Personal History", New England Historical Publishing Company, Boston, 1902. Contributed by David Henshaw.
15. "Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers of New England", volume 2; James Savage, pub. 1860 page 404 -- https://books.google.com/books?id=918BAAAAQAAJ&ppis=_c&dq=Genealogi... republished Genealogical Publishing Company, 1965.
16. "Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers of New England", volume 2; James Savage, pub. 1860, page 404, republished Genealogical Publishing Company; American History and Genealogy Project: (http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/savage/bk2/henshaw-hig...).
17. "Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers of New England", volume 4; James Savage, Genealogical Publishing Company; American History and Genealogy Project: (see William Sumner his daughter Elizabeth m. Joshua Henshaw) (http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/savage/bk4/stone-suthe...).
18. "History of Henshaws in Scotland, in England and in America to the Present Time", Edith Henshaw Kuntz, 1956; contributed by Don Henshaw.
19. "The Hinshaw and Henshaw Families", by William Hinshaw; edited by Milo Custer; private printing, Bloomington, Illinois, 1911; Frank I. Miller Co., printers. LDS microfilm number 1402822.
20. The "American Registry", Vol. X, pg 181, 973 US015 Vol. X in the LDS Family History Library.
21. Contribution from Ed Arntzen citing: Will of John Henshaw recorded in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
22. Family group sheets created by Frances G. Brumley, citing Henshaw family bible records, Greene County, TN court & cemetery records, and several secondary sources. Contributed by Ruth Jenkins.
23. "Genealogy of the Denny family in England and America", Denny, Christopher Columbus; Leicester, Massachusettes, 1886.
24. Posting Aug 12&13 2002 by Sarah Sully to GenMassachusetts-L, citing: New England Historical and Genealogical Society Register; 1851; vol. 5 pg. 395.
25. "Colonial Families of the United States of America", Vol. 3; New York: 1907; George Norbury Mackenzie, ed.
26. Contribution from Tom Henshaw citing: Suffolk Deeds, Lib. Xlll, 483.
27. Record of the Descendants of William Sumner, of Dorchester, Mass., 1636 By William Sumner Appleton pub. 1879. page 2. Elizabeth m. Joshua Henshaw -- https://books.google.com/books?id=t4xQAAAAYAAJ&ppis=_c&dq=Descendan...
28. Torrey, Clarence A. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004, Vol 2, page 743
29. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_(New_Style)_Act_1750