Submitted by Patricia Jean (Finney) Balis
Esquire Fleming (Squire) Finney was my great-great grandfather.
Esquire Fleming (Squire) Finney, born November 22, 1799 in Madison Co., Kentucky and died December 11, 1877 in Estill Co., KY at age 78.
Esquire was married 3 times to (1) Nancy Mary Prunty on January 22, 1824 in Franklin, VA (2) Serena Jane Swope, and (3) Eliza Daniel. He had a very large family with his three wives and owned slaves and was quite a prominent figure in early Estill and Madison Counties in Kentucky.
His first wife Nancy Mary Prunty was my great-great grandmother and her parents were Jesse Prunty and Nancy Finney. Esquire and Nancy had seven children:
Jane: born 1827
Ann: born Feb. 7, 1831 in Irvine, Estill, KY
Symira: born 1831 in KY
Julia: born 1835 in KY
Tillman Joshua: born Oct. 9, 1840 in KY
Elizabeth: born 1841 in VA
William B.: born 1845 in Estill, KY
Esquire is buried in the Finney cemetery on Sand Hill Road in Estill County, Kentucky.
Esquire’s father was Joshua D. Finney, born 1772-3 in Amelia,Bedford Co.,Amelia, VA and died February or March, 1857? in Madison Co., KY. at age 84
Joshua married Nancy Ann Richardson who was born 1770/1778 (?) and was the daughter of Amos and Elizabeth Richardson. Joshua and Nancy Ann married on September 5, 1795 (?) or May 19, 1796 in Madison Co., KY before Estill County was formed.
Joshua was determined to handle the hardship of the land along with the trouble with the Indians to come through the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky in 1795 from Virginia to find land to settle for his family. An Amos Finney is recorded as bondsman at the marriage of Joshua and Nancy. He is probably a brother of John and Jonathan, all of whom are believed to be cousins of Joshua. Amos, John and Jonathan
They had 10 children:
Mary Elizabeth,
Esquire Fleming (Squire): born November 22, 1799 in Madison Co., KY (my great-great grandfather)
John J.
Fountain
Nancy
Zachariah: born 1804 in KY
Amos: born in KY 1805/06
Sally
Bailey: born 1818
Lucy
Joshua’s father was John Finney, born 1742-50 in Amelia Co., VA or New Milford, Susquehanna Co., PA and died in June or December of 1826 in Franklin, Culpepper Co., VA at age 75
According to the Order Book of Amelia County, VA, John took the oath of Ensign on 23 Oct. 1777 and served in the 19th Co. of that county in the Revolutionary War. John and family moved from Amelia Co., VA and settled in Franklin Co. about 1786, but another record shows that he lived in Bedford Co. in 1782. He was in Franklin Co. in 1810 according to the federal census.
According to John’s 1826 will, he left the following to Elizabeth: $1,610 and 7 slaves (these are named in the will) to Joshua Finney, 2 slaves, $544.82 to John Finney, 3 slaves, $634.82 to Lewis Finney’s heirs, 2 slaves, $594.82 to Nancy F. Prunty, 1 negro woman, Dolly, and her child, Archer, $360.00, 1 negro boy, Andrew $200.00, 1/6 of bed furniture and clothes $14.82, total of $574.82; to Zachariah, 3 slaves, $599.82; to Peter, 2 slaves , $554.82.
John married Elizabeth Ward (her father was John Ward & Catherine?) in 1770 in Bedford County, VA. John Finney’s will is recorded in the Franklin County Court House, Franklin Co., VA
Their children:
Joshua D. Finney: born 1722-23
John Finney:
Zachariah Finney
Lewis Finney
Peter Finney
Nancy Finney
John’s father was Joshua Finney, born 1723. He married Elizabeth Pope.
Joshua’s father was John Finney, born August 15 1696 and died 1773 in Bristol, RI. He married Ann Toogood.
John’s father was Joshua Phinney (Finney), born December 31, 1665 in Barnstable, MA and died September 7, 1714 in Swansea, MA. He married Mercy Watts.
Joshua’s father was John (the Pilgrim) Finney, born about 1603-04 in England . He married Elizabeth Bailey.
John’s father was Robert Finney, born circa 1565 in England. He married ’Mother’ Finney circa 1589 in England and died circa 1623.
Robert’s father was Jeffrey (Galfridi) Finney (Phinney), born about 1532 in England and died July 21, 1586 in Lenton, Nottinghamshire, England. He married (1) Katherine Jackson, (2) Ellen Smedley.
Jeffrey (Galfridi’s) fathers name was Robert Phinney.
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