Person:Abraham Finch (9)

"Abraham (Finch), b. say 1610; m. by 1637 Dorothy Moulton, daughter of Robert Moulton of Charlestown and Salem; d. 1637 (Manwaring 1:11]. The widow married (2) John Edwards and (3) Richard Tousley. (See FOOF 1:718-20 for discussion of Abraham’s placement as son of Daniel.)"

"From the testimony of Mewhehato (a (Quinnipiac Indian, kinsman to Nepaupuck) and Wattoone, a prominent member of the same friendly tribe—it appeared in the trial at New Haven, that Nepaupuck slew Abraham Finch, one of the victims of the Wethersfield meadow massacre. Indeed Wattoone testified that, being on the Island, he saw Nepaupuck kill Finch, and also capture one of the two girls that were seized. The evidence caused the conviction of the prisoner, …"

"The problem of the possible relationships of the various early Finch immigrants is a difficult one. Jacobus sorted out some of the problems in an appendix in Families of Old Fairfield (FOOF 1:718-20). He demonstrated there that the Abraham Finch killed by the Pequots in 1637 was son of Daniel, thus overcoming a defect in the records, which would otherwise lead one to assume another Abraham of an earlier generation."<ref></ref>

It is not clear why Mr. Thummel prefers the interpretation earlier genealogists to that of Jacobus.

"Probate Records. Vol. I, 1635 to 1650. Page 445.

Finch, Abraham. Invt. of Goods, Corne & Cattle, £137-17-00. Taken 3 September, 1640, by Sam: Smith, Nathaniel Foote.

Imprs. his Apparell, £2-06s-00d; Ite: one Cow, 20-00-00; Ite: one Heifer, 10-00-00; Ite: four swyne shoats, 2-00-00; Ite: one Cutting saw, one axe, 0-10-00; Ite: 3 prre of Sheets, 2 prre of pilloberes, 1-10-00; Ite: 5 Napkins, 0-03-00 Ite: 2 Kettles and 1 potte, 1-08-00; Ite: his howse lott, wth all deuisions belonging thereto, 100-00-00; The some:£137-17-00

It (is) Ordered, that the Relike of Abraham Finch, deceased, shall administer & possesse the Estate lefte in Goods, and also hold the Land & Howseing untill the Child com to the age of 21 years, and then the Child of the sd. Abraham to have 2 parts, and the sd. Relick duering her naturall life the third; the sd. Relick is to mayntayne the Child, or to comitte him to his Grandfather Abraha [error for Daniel] Fynch, who tenders to educate yt at his owne Coste 3 December, 1640."

The "Winthrop Fleet" sailing from the Isle of Wight, England, early in 1630 brought to Massachusetts a considerable group of early settlers. From the records available a probable passenger list has been reconstructed which shows among the many, a group consisting of,

ABRAHAM FINCH, Sr.
ABRAHAM FINCH, Jr.
DANIEL FINCH
JOHN FINCH

This passenger list, with the early records of Massachusetts and Wethersfield Connecticut, forms the basis of discussion of this relationship of the group.

All settled first at Watertown, where in November 1630 as shown by Winthrop in his "New England" "Old Finch" had "his wigwam and all his goodes destroyed by fire".

In 1634 Abraham, Abraham Junior, and Daniel were in the original group which became the settlement of Wethersfield. Their lot assignments were on the east side of Broad Street and adjacent to each other.

The record of Abraham Sr. ends with Wethersfield. Abraham Jr. was killed there. Daniel moved on to Stamford with the original group which settled it and there he was joined by John, who received the same allotment of land as the original settlers.

From the records involved in the above settlements and the movements to them there has been discussion as to the relationship of the participants. Banks in his "Winthrop Fleet", Adams, Couch, Mead, and several other genealogists portray it as a single-family with Abraham Sr as the head and Abraham Jr, Daniel and John as his sons. Jacobus at considerable length contends that, through clerical error, the name of Abraham had been written for Daniel in the Wethersfield records and that there was no such person as Abraham Sr and that Abraham jr. was in fact a descendant of Daniel.

From the court records and lot assignments at Wethersfield, it would seem that Abraham Jr was the son of Abraham senior and that he in turn had a son named Abraham. Abraham Jr married Dorothy Moulton whose father came to New England in 1629, settling in Salem. It is probable that Abraham Junior married between 1630 and 1634, as at that later date he went with settlers to Wethersfield and was there given separate land allotment. If his marriage age was about 25 then he was born between 1608 and 1613 and Abraham sr his father, born about 1585 which is the date proposed by others.

Daniel had a grandson who in 1657, by court decree, was placed in charge of property belonging to his grandfather, Daniel. The grandson at the time must have been 'of age', that is over 21, and was therefore born before 1636. Should his father, Isaac, have been about 25 when married, then he in turn must have been born about 1610-15 and Daniel in turn born about 1585 - 90.

John is recorded with 5 children. The first date appearing is 1659, the date of birth of grandson John son of Isaac. Again with the same age spread Isaac must have been born about 1630-35 and John some time about 1600.

It would appear that under no circumstances could Daniel and John have been the sons of Abraham sr. Because of their close association it is probable that the three were brothers.

The line of descent from Abraham sr disappears with his grandson Abraham who died unmarried, leaving only descendants of Daniel and John for consideration as of present day.