Joshua Finney was born on 31 December 1665, Barnstable, Plymouth, Massachusetts, the son of John Finney and his third wife, Elizabeth Bayley. Joshua was also the last child born to John Finney.
Joshua married Mercy Watts, believed to be the daughter of Jeremiah and Elinor (MNU) Watts of Bristol, Bristol, Massachusetts, where the couple married on 31 May 1688.
Their children were born in Bristol, but later in life Joshua Finney lived in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts, where he died.
Children (All born in Bristol):
- Joshua, born 7 May 1689; Lebanon, New London, Connecticut; married Martha Martin. This family first lived in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts, but later moved to Lebanon, New London, Connecticut. Joshua’s brothers, John and Josiah, moved to nearby Litchfield County, Connecticut.
- Elizabeth, born 25 September 1690/91; died 19 September 1701, Bristol, Bristol, Massachusetts
- Mary, born 25 September 1694; no further record
- John, born 15 August 1696; died 6 June 1773, Lebanon or Litchfield County, Connecticut; married Ann Toogood, 14 September 1716, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
- Samuel, born 29 May 1699; died possibly in August 1772, Machias, Washington, Maine; married Elizabeth (Wood) Tibbetts, widow of Thomas Tibbitts, 12 March 1726/27, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island
- Josiah, born 26 July 1701; died 14 February 1771, Bristol, Bristol, Rhode Island; married Elizabeth Mann, 1 January 1723/24, Lebanon, New London, Connecticut. He was an early settler of Warren, Litchfield, Connecticut.
- Elizabeth, born 1 May 1707; died 8 February 1763, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Nathan Luther, 4 November 1733, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
Joshua Finney died 7 September 1714, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts.
I’m curious as to why you believe Joshua Jr.’s wife’s maiden name to be Carter instead of Martin. Carter was in several of the early published genealogies, often with “or Martin.”
The will of John Martin, dated December 2, 1717 (“Late of Bristol, now of Lebanon in the Collony of Connecticut”) mentions “my Daughter Martha Ffinney.”
Later, it directs “give to my four sons… To be equally divided between them that is to say Benjamin Martin Solomon Curtis Joshuah Ffinney & Ebenezer Martin.”
I’ve never seen any contemporary or near-contemporary documentation for the Carter surname, though there were marriages between the two families.
Joshua Finney/Phinney Jr. appears in the deed records of Lebanon as early as 1719 and as late as 1748 (at least – I’m still working on this). Later in life, he lived in Kent, in Litchfield County, and I should be able to narrow the time of the move down to within a few years soon.
I think it’s very unlikely he lived as late as 1781. I can’t find any trace of him after about 1750. I’m hoping that land transactions can be matched up to reveal when his heirs started transferring his land.