| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. "The Great Migration," by Robert Charles Anderson:
"John Finch
Origin: Unknown
Migration: 1632
First Residence: Watertown
Removes: Stamford 1642
Estate: Granted four acres in Beaverbrook Plowlands, 28 February 1636/7 [WaBOP 7]; granted four acres in Remote Meadows, 26 June 1637 [WaBOP 9]; granted a farm of ninety-one acres, 10 May 1642 [WaBOP 13]. (Presumably he had held a houselot and other small holdings prior to 1637. He does not appear in the early Watertown land inventories, and all lands known to be granted to him are at that time in the hands of John Wincoll, who purchased them from John Finch, presumably in mid-1642.)
Granted six acres by Stamford in October 1642 [TAG 10:42, 19:58].
An inventory of Stamford landholding was prepared on 1 March 1650, and John Finch's real estate is summarized there [Gillespie Anc 140, citing Stamford Town Records 1:43-44].
Birth: By about 1 595 based on estimated date of marriage.
Death: Stamford 5 September 1657 [TAG 10:44, 19:58].
Marriage:
(1) By about 1620 ___; not seen in any New England record.
(2) By about 1635 Martha (assuming she was the mother of his last four children), who married [blank] September 1658 John Green [TAG 10:113, 19:58].
Children:
With first wife:
i John, b. say 1620; m. (1) ___; m. (2) after 8 November 1652 Hannah (Marsh) Fuller, widow of Launcelot Fuller.
With second wife:
ii Isaac, b. say 1635; m. (1) Stamford [blank] October 1658 Elizabeth Basset [TAG 10:113]; m. (2) by 1682 Ann ___.
iii Samuel, b. say 1638; m. by about 1663 Sarah Hoyt, daughter of SIMON HOYT.
iv Joseph, b. about 1647 (deposed 6 May 1700 aged about fifty-three); m. Stamford 23 November [1670] Elizabeth Austin.
v Abraham, b. say 1648; m. about 1670 ___ ___.
Associations: See Daniel Finch for possible relations among Finch immigrants.
Comments: As noted under Daniel Finch, John has been credited as the man who lost his belongings in a fire in September 1630, but this is more likely Daniel. On 7 November 1632 "John Finch is fined 10s. for wanting arms for his man, & for being absent himself from training" [MBCR 1:102], and this is the earliest record we have for him in New England.
Savage has assigned to this John the death at the hands of the Pequots suffered by Abraham, son of Daniel.
The grants of Beaverbrook Plowlands and Remote Meadows in 1637 were for four acres each, which indicates that the maximum size of his family at that time was four heads. This would account for himself, wife, and two eldest sons John and Isaac, both of whom were born by this time.
Bibliographic Note: In addition to the sources cited under Daniel Finch, we take note here of the magnificent work by Paul Prindle on John Finch, which we follow here in many instances [Gillespie Anc 138-51]. In particular we have relied on Prindle for the data on the marriages of the sons of John Finch, and refer the reader to his work for fuller citations on these men."
2. The book "Ancestry of Elizabeth Barrett Gillespie (Mrs. William Sperry Beinecke)," by Paul W. Prindle, 1976, p. 32:
"Elizabeth Bassett, dau. of John (1) Bassett and his wife, Margery, was born at New Haven about 1639. She married at Stamford, in October 1658, Isaac Finch ("Stamford Town Records," 1:74), q.v. for the record of their children."
3. Mentioned in the will of her mother "goodwife [Margery] Baset" dated Jun 1953. Refer to the book "Stamford Town Records, Vol. 1, 1641-1723," transcribed and annotated by Paul R. Finch, NEHGS (Boston, 2011), p. 106; original town pages 116-17 [1:99]. Mentions Margery's her sons Robert and Emery as well as her eldest children "{viz: John Emery, John Web, Sar([ah Basset]) & Elizabeth Basset}." Bequeaths the care of Elizabeth at New Haven to her son Robert until she is of age or marries. No husband mentioned. Witness was John Bishopp.
4. The book "Ancestry of Elizabeth Barrett Gillespie (Mrs. William Sperry Beinecke)," by Paul W. Prindle, 1976, pp. 142-47:
"2. ISAAC FINCH, son of John (1) Finch and his second wife, Martha, was born about 1635, probably at Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony, or at Wethersfield, Connecticut Colony. He died intestate between 27 August 1702, when he conveyed property, and 15 November 1702, when the inventory of his estate was made. Isaac married twice. In October 1658 (the day is illegible in the record) he married ("Stamford Town Records," 1:74) Elizabeth Bassett, q.v., daughter of John and Margery Bassett. Elizabeth's father died in 1653 when she was about 14 years old, and she was no doubt "apprenticed" to Jeremiah Whitnels of New Haven. "Stamford Land Records," A:103, record an acknowledgment dated 22 May 1688:
"These may certifi whome it may concern yt I, Isaak Ffinch of Sta'ford in ye county of Fairfield, being proper heir of Elizabeth Basset, which was formerly Jerimy Whitnels Maid of Newhaven & my former wife, doe own myself to have received of Philip Alcock of Newhaven twenty shillings as a legacy left by the aforesaid Whitnel unto ye aforesaid Basset. I say, received by me.
his Isaac X Finch mark"
Elizabeth had obviously died by that date and Isaac had married second, Ann, whose identity has not been established. Ann died 9 November 1703 ("Stamford Town Records," 1:135).
In his Finch article in "Old Fairfield," op. cit., 1:201, Donald Lines Jacobus calls Isaac and Samuel probable children of John (1) Finch. That they were his sons is proved by testimony of William Potter, entered 27 January 1684/5 in "Stamford Land Records," A:36, who stated that he had "bought that lot, w'ch Danil Scolfild now lives upon, of Goodman Ffinch, w'ch was Isaak Ffinch & Samuel Ffinches father, 84:yt the Aforesaid John Ffinch tould him yt ye piece of medow..."
Isaac Finch gave testimony concerning the ownership of a horse at a hearing before the General Court at New Haven on 19 October 1659 ("Records of the Colony or jurisdiction of New Haven, 1653-1665": 325, by Charles Hoadly).
"Stamford Town Records" show that Isaac Finch gave testimony in 1660 at a hearing regarding a heifer which had died mysteriously. "Isaak Fenish" was in 1665 one of several witnesses who swore they had seen Robert Pennoyer "reell and stagger in ye street as he went drownkard like ... and it being ye thred tim of his offenc in ye kind, he is find treebl, acording to ye lawe. Ye find is 30 s." Two years later Isaac was one of several witnesses who testified against John "Osten" (i.e., Austin) "for swareing and cuseing, extremely agrevated p[er] the many oeths & Cuses." For being drunk, Austin was fined 30 shillings and charges. In 1667 Isaac's name was on the list of those intending to place a horse in the town's new horse pasture.
Isaac Finch served as a surveyor of highways for the East Field in 1667 and 1681; as fence viewer for that field in 1668 and 1671, and for the North Field in 1700, and as pounder for the North Field in 1698. He served on only three town committees. In 1667 it was Voted at a town meeting in Stamford "yt Mr. Lawe and Isack Finch are chosen to present the officers chosen by ye trayne bande to comitty at Fayrfielde for yeer [their] confermation." In that same year Isaac and one other man were named to lay out land granted to individuals by the town. At a town meeting in 1699 Isaac Finch Sr. was placed on a committee of three directed to renew the tree markings outlining the boundary line of the Sequestered Land.
A number of land transactions involving Isaac Finch were recorded in Stamford Town Records. He requested a house lot in 1670. In allotments of commonage he received lots in 1677, 1698 and 1699. The minutes of a town meeting held 22 December 1687 record that, "To Isaak Finch is sold ye dismall swamp yt lys on ye east sid of ye path, for 1.1s.0." Two years later Isaac sold this property to John Dean. On 22 February 1698/9 the town granted "to Isak Finch, for ye use of his son Isack, four acre of land."
"Stamford Land Records" show Isaac (2) Finch as grantor in 11 deeds, as grantee in only two, and as the recipient of five layouts by the town during the years 1679 to 1702. He also exchanged fencing with Benjamin Hoyt in 1684.
Two of Isaac's conveyances are of interest. On 26 February 1698/9 Isaac Finch Sr. made over to Joseph Finch, son of Isaac's brother Samuel (now deceased), land he had formerly given to Samuel, but which gift had never been recorded (A:314); and on 20 January 1700/1 Isaac gave to his son Abraham (A:358) nine acres:
"in ye woods neeare ye turne of ye mill river ... upon the condission yt hee doe give to my son Jacob Finch a good cow with calfe, or a calfe by her side, ye cows age to bee above three years old and not to bee above seven years old, and to be delivered to ye s'd Jacob or his order at his being fourteen years of age ..."
In May 1703 the General Assembly at Hartford authorized Abraham and Isaac Finch to sell land of their father, Isaac Finch, late of Stamford, deceased, in order to pay debts owing by his estate ("The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 1689-1706," by Charles Hoadly). Subsequently, four administrator's deeds involving the estate of Isaac (2) Finch were recorded in "Stamford Land Records." In one (A:406) dated 25 August 1703:
"... Iseak Finch 8c An Finch, boath of Stanford ... by venue of an order from the Generall Asembly at Hartford may ye thirteenth 1703 to us as Administrators to ye Esteate of Iseak Finch, desest, by 8: with ye advice of Capt. Jonathan Selleck, Leuit. David Waterbery, to sell lands of s'd Iseack, desest, to pay just debts, there beeing noe personell Esteate, have for 8c in consideration of thirty three pounds in pay to us paid ... by Abraham Finch Sen'r Samuel Blachly, boath of s'd Stanford, ... sell ... all that Pond, the Pond lott, commonly so called, which was the s'd Iseake, desest ...
Similarly, on the same day, Isaac and Ann Finch sold to Jacob More of Stamford, for £ 22, three acres in the North Field, and on the following day sold to David Waterbury of Stamford, for an unstated amount, 27 acres of upland on Rockwells Ridge (ibid., A:406, 405). The fourth such deed was dated 13 January 1707/8 and recorded ibid., A:486. "Iseack Finch, now resident in Grinwich ... Administrator unto ye Estate of my honered father, Iseack Finch of Stanford, lately deseased, doe deliver unto William Price of Greenwich ... six acres of land within ye bounds of Stanford to be taken up to ye Estate of my honered father above s'd, upon the account of his wife's portion." The grantee, William Price, was the son-in-law of Jonathan Pettit, q.v., and his wife, Elizabeth (4) Finch.
"Fairfield Probate Records," 5:5-5a, show "An Inventory of the Estate of Isack Finch Sen'r, who is departed this Life. Taken in Stanford this 15th day of Novemb'r 1702" by David Waterbury, Daniel Scofield and Jonathan Bell, townsmen. The inventory shows no total value, but aggregated about £125. In addition to his house and home lot, four tracts of land and his right to the Sequestered Land, all appraised at £95:10:00, there were listed minor farm, household and personal effects, including "ye barrell of a Gun, & a Sword, £0:07:00," and 30 shillings "In Abraham Finch, his hands ... The Widow, Ann Finch, Relict of Isack Finch of Stanford, made oath to the Truth of ye Inventory before The authority in Stanford, Novemb'r 21:1702." The court approved the inventory 26 November 1702 and appointed the widow Ann, with her stepsons John and Isaac, as administrators, "and there being testimony Exhibited In Court Concerning what the decesed Isack Finch declared to be his will or minde Concerning ye disposeing of his Estate, and ye Witneses not being present, wherefore ye Court" deferred settlement. No further action is found in the probate records.
In his "Old Fairfield," op. cit., 1:203, Donald Lines Jacobus gives Isaac (2) Finch nine children, calling the last four "prob. by second wife, but perhaps they belong to Isaac Jr." That they were children of Isaac Sr. is proved by two deeds recorded in "Stamford Land Records." On 3 March 1698/9 Joseph Brown of Stamford sold "unto Isaac Finch Sener of the same town ... al my right of land to be taken up in the woods ... according to my interest of Estat, which is sixty one pound and ten shillings" (ibid., A2315). This "right of land" was his right to future distributions of the Sequestered Land (also called the Southern Commons), which distributions were to be based on the 1687 list of taxable estates. In this tax list Joseph Brown was assessed at £61:10:00 (A:272).
On 14 March 1748/9 Benjamin Finch of North Castle, Westchester County, sold to Samuel Hait 3rd of Stamford, the £61:00:00 right of "my honnored father, Isaac finch, formerly of s'd Stamford, deceased, which he Bought, & was originally the Right of Joseph Brown sen'r of s'd Stamford, deceased" (E:291). Since Isaac Finch, father of Benjamin, is here stated to have bought the right, he is identified as being the Isaac Finch Sr. who purchased it in 1699 from Joseph Brown. Without the word "Bought" it would be possible to consider that Isaac Finch Jr. had inherited the right from his father, Isaac Sr., and was thus the father of Benjamin.
Confirmation of the fact that Benjamin Finch of North Castle was a son rather than a grandson of Isaac (2) Finch is found in a deed dated 17 January 1748/9 and recorded ibid., E:313, "Benjamin finch of North Castle ... [for] Eight Pounds & ten shillings ... sell & Confirm unto the s'd Samuel Hait ... seventy one pound Right in ye Com'on and undivided Land Called Sequest or Southern Commons in s'd Stanford, which s'd Right was my hon'd fathers, Mr. Isaac finch, Late of s'd Stanford, deceast."
Isaac (2) Finch's taxable estate was assessed in 1687 at £71:00:00 (ibid., A:272). Isaac (2) Finch and his first wife, Elizabeth Bassett, had five children. Unless otherwise noted, parenthetical references are to "Stamford Town Records":
i. John Finch, born 20 November 1659 (1:98), died 17 March 1702/3, as recorded in the inventory of his estate. He married twice. His first wife was Sarah Pettit, daughter of John Pettit Jr., q.v., and his wife, Sarah Scofield, q.v. He married second, Hannah, q.v., daughter of Richard and Mary Scofield, and widow of Joseph Webb, q.v., who had died 8 March 1683/4 (Fairfield Probate Records, 3: 125).
John Finch was childless. His will, dated 15 March 1702/3 but never proved or recorded, and the inventory of his estate, may be seen at the Connecticut State Library, Hartford. He made bequests to his "well beloved 8c Loving brother, Isaac ffinch"; to his brother Benjamin Finch; to his sister (i.e., sister-in-law) Elizabeth Pettit, and to his "Loving & welbeloved son in-Law, Joseph webb," and his "Loving Daughter in-Law, Sarah webb" - they were, of course, his stepchildren.
ii. Isaac Finch Jr., born 12 April 1662 (1298), whose given name is omitted in the birth record. He married Mary Rundle (or Ruddle) 27 April 1704 (1:122).
iii. Abraham Finch, born 5 July 1665 (1:76), died before 4 December 1708, when the inventory of his estate was taken ("Fairfield Probate Records," 5:130-1). He married Martha Couch, daughter of Simon and Mary Couch of Fairfield ("Old Fairfield," op. cit., 1:161-2, 204).
4. iv. Elizabeth Finch, born 14 November 1669.
v. Martha Finch, born 19 January 1672 (1:76).
By his second wife, Ann, Isaac (2) Finch had four children, born and recorded at Stamford:
vi. Rebecca Finch, born 17 March 1682/3 (1:102).
vii. Sarah Finch, born 23January 1686/7 (1:102).
viii. Jacob Finch, born 9 October 1691, died 15 April 1702 (1:102).
ix. Benjamin Finch, born 29 June1695 (1:122). The record of this Benjamin Finch is not entirely clear. There were two others of that name shown in early records: Benjamin, born about 1682, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Austin) Finch of Greenwich, and Benjamin, born 8 October 1707 to Joseph and Abigail (Seeley) Finch, but "Stamford Probate Records," 3:369; 5:160-2, 384, clearly show this last Benjamin Finch to have died unmarried.
The marriage on 16 April 1717 of a Benjamin Finch to Elizabeth Palmer is given in "Greenwich Land Records," 1:450, the same wedding being also recorded, but under date of 18 April 1717, in "Greenwich Early Records" (sometimes called the "Common Place Books"). Spencer P. Mead, in his "Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich": 547, 549, has Benjamin Finch, born circa 1682, as marrying Elizabeth Palmer on 16 April 1717, and Benjamin Finch, born 1695, as marrying her on 18 April 1717, an obvious error. "Palmer Families in America," 1:123, by Horace W. Palmer, states that Elizabeth Palmer, born about 1696, daughter of James Palmer, q.v., and his wife, Sarah Denham, q.v., of Greenwich, married on 18 April 1717, Benjamin Finch, son of Isaac and Ann Finch, and had two daughters born by 1720.
"Greenwich Early Records" also show the marriage on 23 December 1727 of a Benjamin Finch and Susannah Peet or Peat; and on 13 December 1750 a Benjamin Finch married at Sharon, Connecticut, Sarah Knapp, daughter of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Finch) Knapp. All three of these marriages are tentatively attributed herein to the subject Benjamin Finch, born in 1695. He was known to have been a resident of North Castle, Westchester County, in 1749.
References:
As cited.
Stamford Town Records.
"History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield," by Donald Lines Jacobus, F.A.S.G."
MARRIAGE:
1. The book "Stamford Town Records, Vol. 1, 1641-1723," transcribed and annotated by Paul R. Finch, NEHGS (Boston, 2011), p. 77; author's notes in ( ): "Page 88 [1:74] Isac Finch & Elizabeth Basset, married, 8: [16]58. (Oct 1658)."
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
Bef 1639 - Bef 1682 (< 43 years)
