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The Finn Family

According to one account,[1] the first of the family in America was John Finn, a Scots-Irish, who was apparently pretty well educated before he arrived in New York.  He found work in the saw mill of Norman Wickham of Goshen and after they learned that he was an educated man, he was placed in the office where he became very popular.  He settled in Florida and remained there until his death.  He married Aaeltje Jonchers of Jamaica, NY and they had two children:

                 Jan Finn, b ca 1698, christened 18 May 1698 in Jamaica, d ca 1700, Jamaica

                 William Finn, b ca 1702, NYC, d 7 Jun 1759, Orange Co.

A second account, entitled “John Finn 1670”[2] says nothing about John being in Orange County; it says that William was sent to Orange County to study under Dr. Carpenter; he became a doctor, married his teacher’s daughter, Mary, and became a leader in the area.  He was the first Judge in the County, constructed a water-powered gristmill, and his name appears on many wills and other documents.

Solomon Carpenter[3] was one of the first landholders in Orange County, purchasing a large plot in Goshen Precinct in 1714.  His brother John was also among the first settlers.   Solomon was born at Jamaica NY ca 1689/90, receiving land there from his father in 1709/10. He was a man of great enterprise and good business ability and one of the founders and promoters of the Goshen Presbyterian Church, was called Captain, and died in 1762, leaving a will.  He does not appear to have been a doctor though a descendant, S. G. Carpenter was.  His daughter Mary m William Finn.

William Finn lived in Florida[4] and is listed as a doctor in Rev. Jonathan Elmer’s account book of members of the Florida Presbyterian Church, 1757.  In 1754, he was appointed Surrogate for Orange County when a Surrogate’s Court was established.[5]  However, in various land purchases in the 1730s he is listed as a carpenter or house carpenter.[6]  It would appear that he became a doctor later in life.

His will, made 7 Jun 1759, proved 7 Jul, is abstracted as follows:

                 Ffinn, William, of Goshen Precinct, Orange Co.  Wife Mary, sons Solomon, Robert, James, Anthony and Nehemiah, daughters Hannah, Mary Broderick.  Real and personal property. (fisacal-books). Executors: the wife and Benjamin Carpenter.  Witnesses: William Thompson, blacksmith, William Knap, planter, and Michael Jakson.[7]

1.  Solomon Finn, b ca 1738

2.   Robert Finn, b ca 1740, m Patience Rowley.  After he died, Patience m in 1781, Francis Armstrong, Jr.  On 14 Feb 1765, Peter Clowes and Comfort, his wife, sold to Robert Finn for £175, 115 acres on the westernmost line of the Banker tract, part of Purling Brook.  Witnesses were Rachel Edsall and Anthony Finn.   In the 1775 tax lists (Florida) he is two names away from David Kerr and near Peter Edsall.  In 1776 Robert and Patience, his wife, mortgaged their 50-acre farm for £125, described as running along the westernmost line of the Banckers Tract, east of the Dark Swamp and running to the lands of Joseph Totten and Abraham Alyea.[8]  It was part of a tract known as Purling Brook, south of the Carr-Poppino neighborhood, towards Edenville.  Robert’s will[9] , made 25 Apr 1780 and proved 10 Mar 1781, listed his wife Patience, his dau Dinah (minor) and son William.  His brother Anthony was executor and the witnesses were Constant Rowley and Robert Armstrong.  Patience was probably the dau of Shubal Rowley of Warwick; when he died in 1799, her husband, Francis Armstrong, Jr. was one of the executors.

        21    William Finn

        22     Dinah Finn

3.  James Finn, b ca 1742, d 23 Nov 1797 in PA, m Hannah [Carr?].  In the 1775 tax list he was between James Benjamin, Jr. and Capt. John Wisner. In 1774 Finn traded his land in Purling Brook (perhaps inherited from his father—note that his brother Robert had land in Purling Brook) to James Armstrong for land a little farther north:

Two years later, the Finns sold two parcels to the Armstrongs.

Liber C, page 491.  18 March 1776.  James Finn and Hannah his wife, of Goshen to James Armstrong of same.  For £96, sells two parcels of land to James Armstrong (in his actual possession now being) part of a tract of 85 acres in Wawayanda Patent which Finn purchased from Peter Clowes 16 Feb 1765.  Beginning  on the east side of the highway, at the northwest corner of Peter     Edsall's land which he bought of Jonathan Knap, runs southwest in the line of Peter Cooley's land, then SE along Cooley's lands to Peter Edsall's land, then NW to the place of beginning.  22+ acres. The second small lot on which James Armstrong's house is situated, 1 3/4 acre adjoining Peter Edsall's land. ..."The said James Finn gave the said James Armstrong a full seizin (?) of quiet possession of the within granted lands and promises by delivering the said James Armstrong  Turff and Twig [part of the soil] on the said premises in the presence of their chosen witnesses David Carr, William Carr (his mark).  Done before Richard Edsall, one of the judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas.

Two months later, on 18 May 1776 James and Hannah, his wife, mortgaged two properties to Elias Debrosses for £150.  The first was the 50 acres described above; the other tract was 15 ½ acres on the NW side of James Armstrong’s.[10]   The mortgage was never paid.  Elias Disbrosses foreclosed it and sold it to Frances McGahey of Vernon, NJ who, in 1799, sold it to Zebulon Wheeler who lived and had a mill at the west end of the road that runs from Union Corners toward Mt. Eve.[11]

Note also a mortgage by Nathaniel Finch[12] on 25 Mar 1776 in which he describes his 110 acres as beginning on the east side of the highway leading from Finch’s house toward Florida and in the westernmost line of the Van Horn tract and runs from thence along the lands of James Finn and George Lucky.

In 1776, James Finn made his brother Robert Finn his attorney in fact to collect money and perform all other legal matters for him.  It was recorded 9 Jan 1777 and on 23 Apr 1777, Anthony Finn said he and John Connor had witnessed the signing.  So it would appear that by this time James and Hannah had gone away.

A biographical piece on one of his descendants, presumably reflecting the understanding of the family in the late 1800s, said that James  “was a Baptist minister and preached in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  For some time before the massacre he was an inmate of the old fort of Wyoming and while there his vigilance kept the Indians out and none of their strategies succeeded, but after he left the fort the fearful massacre occurred.”[13] Another account said that the Finns moved to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania, that he was a defender of a block house during the Wyoming Massacre and he helped the women and children back to safety in Connecticut.   James and Hannah were probably members of the Baptist Church of Warwick and were one of the families from that church who went out to the Wyoming Valley together.  They persuaded their minister, Rev. James Benedick to move to Wyoming in 1777 and start a church there; after the massacre he returned to Warwick and continued as pastor of the Warwick Church.[14]

James and Hannah are at the top of the list of members of the First Baptist Church of Wantage, Sussex Co, NJ in 1783. One source says he was the second minister in Wantage, Sussex Co, NJ 1783-5, was later seen, 1790 in Phillipstown, Dutchess Co, NY. and performed patriotic service in CT.[15]   It is also said that he reorganized the Pittston Baptist Church [Hunterdon Co, NJ] in 1783.  He died 23 Nov 1797 in Tunkhannock [Wyoming Co, PA], and is buried there.  The will of James Finn recorded in the Wilkes Barre Courthouse, shows a son Solomon Finn, executor.

Some sources give James’ wife as Hannah Carr, daughter of James Carr, b 1705, Jamestown, RI and Abigail Cary or Stanton, of Rhode Island.[16]   I won’t believe this until I see some primary evidence.  James and Hannah seem to have been in Florida at least until 1776 amd  there is no evidence that I have seen that any of the Rhode Island Carrs were in Orange County.   As the land and other records above show--James lived among the local Warwick Carrs.  If his wife was Hannah Carr she must have been the daughter of one of the locals.  And if he was a Baptist minister he would probably have become one later in life, or have been a lay minister, since he is recorded above as a blacksmith.  An article in the Whig Press, Middletown, Orange Co, 26 Sep 1860 reporting the golden wedding anniversary of Daniel Finn and Elsie Armstrong [dau of Francis Armstrong, Jr.], m 15 Sep 1810 in Florida, said that Mr. Finn was the son of a Baptist Minister.  The 1850 Warwick census says Daniel was born in PA.

Children: of James and Hannah Finn[17

        31  Solomon Finn, 21 Jan 1770 – 9 Apr 1827 in Susquehanna, PA, m 23 Jun 1790, Irene Scoville.  Solomon was one of the pioneer settlers of Benton Township, Luzerne Co.  He bought 300 acres of land from the William Penn Grant near Fleetwood.  He built with his sons, a water-powered saw and grist mill and was a leader in the community.  He and Irene are buried in the Old Fleetwood Cemetery.  Irene was one of the Scoville children saved during the Wyoming Massacre.  Her mother covered the children and herself with hay and was not found by the Indians.[18]  Children:[19]

                311  Hannah Finn, 23 Mar 1792, Colchester, N London, CT – 18 Mar 1842, Worthington, Franklin Co, OH, m < 1813 William Amos Morse.

                312  Minerva Finn, 23 Jan 1801 – 1857, m :Oren Thacher.

        32  Mary Finn, 11 Aug 1772 – 20 Dec 1796

        33  Clarissa Finn, b 14 Feb 1775, m1 Ezekiel Titus, m2 1795 Jonas Halstead, s of Richard Halstead Jr. and Sibble Finn.[20]

        34  John Finn, 15 Oct 1780

        35  James Finn, 6 Feb 1783 – 6 Oct 1797

        36  Daniel Finn, 29 Mar 1785, PA – 13 Aug 1864 in Orange Co, NY.  He married Elsie Armstrong, 16 Mar 1787 – 11 Jun 1861,[21] dau of Francis Armstrong and Patience Rowley Finn, widow of Robert Finn.  (Elsie’s brother Francis m Elysiann and Huldah Poppino and her sister Sally m Thomas Jackson.)  Daniel served in the War of 1812 then moved back to Warwick where he was a blacksmith and farmer.  He was made a trustee of the Florida Presbyterian Church in 1819 and an Elder in 1822; he and Elsie were both buried in the churchyard.  Children:

                361 Jane A Finn, m Oris Fraser

                362  Sarah Ann Finn, m her cousin, Rev. Augustus Seward, 1823 – 1889.  He was the son of  Benjamin Jennings Seward and Patience Armstrong,  sister of Elsie.  After Sarah died he m her sister, Cornelia.  Augustus Seward was the minister of several churches in Orange County and also served as President of the Seward Institute, founded by his grandfather, Samuel S. Seward.[22]

                363  Hannah F. Finn, m William H Gardner

                364  William Finn, 1813 – 1880, m Frances Halsey, 1820 – 1866.[23]

                365  Cornelia Finn, 1822 – 1907, m Rev. Augustus Seward.

        37  Anthony Finn, 10 Dec 1787 – 1793/4

        38  William Finn, 24 Apr 1790 – 1876, m Ruth

        39  Hannah Finn, 23 Mar 1793 – 18 Mar 1835.

4. Anthony Finn, 7 Sep 1748 – 27 Mar 1797, m Catherine Burt 16 Dec 1753 – 12 Jul 1841.  They lived in Florida, not far from James and Robert.  Anthony left a will (Liber A, p 417) naming his two sons and seven daughters:  The executors were John Welling and William Finn [relationship unknown].    Children:

        41  Catherine Finn, m Joel Wheeler[24]

        42  Millicent Finn

        43 Elizabeth Finn, d unm.

        44  Nehemiah Finn, 12 Oct 1783 - 1859, m 1806, Elizabeth Lawrence, dau of David Lawrence and Elizabeth Poppino.  They had a son, James M. Finn, 7 Nov 1823 – 12 Jun 1913.[25]

        45  Benjamin Finn

        46  Mary Finn

        47  Hannah Finn, 1788-1872, m Richard Lawrence, son of Jonathan.

        48  Matilda

        49  Eliza.  These last two were twins.

5.  Nehemiah Finn, m 17 Oct 1779, Millicent Edsall 1753-1805, dau of Richard Edsall and --- Jackson.  She m2 in 1785 Rev. John Shepard of Stamford, CT, so Nehemiah must have died by then.