The Hinshaw Family was an important family in England and had many famous members on both sides of the civil wars of the time under the Scottish rulers who wished to bring the three countries of England, Ireland and Scotland under one united banner. This idea in itself was not so bad. In fact the first of the kings, King James VI of Scotland was a good king. His son, Charles I, was not a good king and eventually lost his head to the treachery. William Henshaw married Katherine Houghton and produced two sons, Joshua and Daniel. Shortly before Daniel's birth the civil war came to Liverpool. The siege lasted only a short time but the boy's father and grandfather lay dead when it ended. Shortly after the plague came to Liverpool and claimed their mother. A steward from the Stanley Family was appointed. He was not an honorable man and sought an alignment with the Reverend Richard Mather to plan the demise of the Henshaw holdings with the passing of the elder family members.