John Finney was born 15 August 1696 in Bristol, Bristol, Massachusetts, the son of Joshua Finney and Mercy Watts.

 

With this generation, the family began to move out of the Plymouth and Bristol Counties, Massachusetts area. Likely, land was becoming too expensive and the younger families began heading south westerly into Connecticut.

 

John Finney married Ann Toogood on 14 September 1716, in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts. She is said to be the daughter of Nathaniel Toogood and his second wife, Martha (Bliss) Carpenter.

 

Children (All born Swansea):

 

1. Joel, born 24 February 1716/17; no further record
2. John, born 14 October 1718; died 14 July 1788, Connecticut; married Hannah Washburn, 14 June 1744, Litchfield County, Connecticut
3. Nathaniel, born 8 January 1720/21; died New Brunswick, Canada; married Hannah Wood, 3 September 1740, Swansea, Bristol, Connecticut
4. Joshua, born 24 February 1723/24; died 24 March 1750, Litchfield County, Connecticut; married Elizabeth Poper, 29 November 1745, Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts
5. Ann, born 30 April 1727; no further record
6. Mercy, born 1 January 1729/30; died 23 January 1805, Litchfield County, Connecticut; married Reuben Sacket, 21 December 1752, Connecticut
7. David, born 24 August 1732; died after 1760 when he removed to Dutchess County, New York; married Abigail Clark, 26 February 1759, Litchfield County, Connecticut
8. Jabez, born 1 November 1737; died 5 May 1739, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts

 

Several comments are needed about this family. First, I initially questioned whether “my” Nathaniel was a son of this John Finney because no one seems to have done any modern research on the family. a casual mention is made that John “at one time lived in Swansea,” but instead points out other places in Massachusetts and Connecticut where he owned land and might have lived.

 

In fact, the births of all of these children are recorded in Swansea town records, so the comment that he “at one time” lived in Swansea is quite misleading. He married there and resided in the town for at least 21 years.

 

Next, online trees show a Martha Finney, born and died on 112 June 1738 as a child of John and Ann. I found no birth or death record for this child and, of course, no sources are given wherever I find her mentioned.

 

Finally, most online trees include Jabez Finney, born 21 November 1737 as a child of John and Ann. However, those trees also give a wife’s name (Elizabeth, maiden name unknown) and mention that he served in the American Revolution.

 

Yes, Jabez was a son of John and Ann and his birth is recorded in Swansea. However, there is also an entry for one Jabez Finney, son of John and Ann, who died on 5 May 1739 in Swansea.

 

I found no later Jabez born to John and Ann, nor did I find any man of this name in the DAR Patriot Index. If there was such a Jabez who married an Elizabeth and served, it doesn’t appear to be the son of John and Ann. Therefore, I have included little Jabez’s date of death in this family sketch.

 

Finally, there is an unsourced statement that John Finney who married Ann Toogood “was a doctor, although he is called blacksmith in a deed.” In the 1700s, most men who practiced medicine had another occupation given that providing medical care wouldn’t be a full time job. John might have been a doctor, but to me, it seems a bit incongruous that a blacksmith would also be a doctor. Not impossible, but I’d investigate this more thoroughly before accepting it as fact.

 

John Finney died on 6 June 1773 in Kent, Litchfield, Connecticut. John’s wife Anne reportedly died on 11 August 1778, but no place is given and I haven’t found any corroboration for that information.