Person:Archibald Finley (9)

Watchers
Archibald Finley
m. Bef 1757
  1. Archibald Finley1757 - 1839
  2. Robert Finley1762 - 1845
m. Apr 1784
  1. Robert FinleyAft 1784 -
  2. Margaret Finley1794 - 1856
  3. Archibald Finley, Jr.Abt 1801 -
Facts and Events
Name Archibald Finley
Gender Male
Birth? 23 Apr 1757 Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Marriage Apr 1784 Cedar Creek, Shenandoah County, Virginia[Marriage Performed by Rev. John Montgomery]
to Margaret _____
Death? 11 Feb 1839 Frederick County, Virginia

Advisory

Some Ancestry Member Trees claim that this Archibald Finley married a Margaret Mailey in 1774 in Frederick County, Virginia, but since this Archibald Finley would have been only 17 years old, it is highly unlikely that he married well before he reached adulthood, especially in Colonial Virginia. He did clearly marry "Margaret" in 1784, as listed in Archibald's Revolutionary War Pension Application, as listed. Also, some other Ancestry Trees have Archibald marrying Isabella Lockmiller in 1822 in Shenandoah County, Virginia, but this was Archibald Sr.'s son, Archibald, Jr., as shown in "Virginia Marriages to 1850" records.


Military Service

American Revolutionary War Veteran

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 2, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Finley, Archibald - entered service 1776 in Virginia; son of Elizabeth; granted Pension age 61 in Shenandoah County, Virginia, 1818; resided 1824 in Frederick County, Virginia, where he died 2/11/1839; married 4/1784 to Margaret; widow applied for Pension age 74 in Frederick County, 1839 & died 12/1839; children included Robert & Archibald, who resided there in 1839; other children mentioned but not named; son Archibald gave power of attorney in 1854 there to agent to apply for pension; widow & son's Pension applications were rejected; soldier's mother Elizabeth died leaving 7 children and 29 grandchildren; soldier had cousin William Mailey, who died abt. 1813 on Eastern Shore of Maryland, whose Last Will & Testament left legacy to soldier's mother. F-R3554, R976.

References
  1.   Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.

    Pension Application of Archibald Finley R3554 Margaret Finley VA
    Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. 4 Feb 2014.

    Virginia Sc.
    On this 26th day of May 1818 before me the subscriber one of the Judges of the general Court of Virginia personally appears Archibald Finly aged 61 years, resident in the County of Shenandoah State aforesaid who being by me first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land & naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war” that he the said Archibald Finly enlisted in July 1776 in the state of Virginia in the company commanded by Captain William Brady of the state afors’d Colo Stevensons Bartalion [sic: Col. Hugh Stephenson’s Virginia and Maryland Rifle Battalion] that he continued to serve in the said corps or in the service of the United States untill the year 1782 when he was discharged from service in Richmond state of Virginia that he was in the battles of Brandywine [11 Sep 1777], German Town [Germantown 4 Oct 1777], Monmouth [28 Jun 1778], seige of Charleston [spring 1780] & various skirmishes and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of his Country for support, and that he has no other evidence in his power of his said services except the evidence now enclosed.

    I Archible Finly do hereby voluntarily inlist myself as a Soldier in COLONEL HUGH STEVENSON’s Battalion of RIFLE-MEN, to serve the United States of America for and during the space of Three Years, unless sooner discharged by Congress: And I do hereby bind myself to conform to and abide by such Rules and Regulations of the Hon. the Continental Congress, as are or shall be established for the government of the Continental Army. Witness my Hand and Seal, this 30 day of July 1776.
    (Signed) Archibald Finley

    TEST. Robert Collem[?]

    Age: 22 Years, Size: 5 feet 11 inches, Trade: Carpenter, Country: American; Born Short(?) Man Smooth Jawd & Long hair not tyed Behind.

    I do Certify that Mr. Archibald Finly Served A part of they within three years in my Company in Col hugh Stephensons Battallion [William Brady] Bukly [Berkeley?] County County 26th of Febury 1780

    I do certify that Arch’d. Finley Joind my Comp’y. at trinton [sic: Trenton NJ] Dec’r. 1779 and March’d
    With me to the S’hW’d. [southward] and he never reenlist’d with me or any one else to my knowledge
    Given under my hand Ap’l 13th 1782
    [James Wright] Capt
    V’a. Line

    This may Certify that the Within Archibald Finley in the Spring 1779 joined my Company in the 7th Virg’a Reg’t. and that he never Reinlisted with me or any other person as far as I know or Believe he marched from Virg’a in Capt Ch’s Porterfields Compy in which Compy he served untill said Porterfield left the Reg’t & the Comp’y was then Annexed to the Comp’y under my Command
    Given under my hand this 15th day of April 1782
    [Philip Slaughter, pension application W29886]
    Form’ly Capt 7th Va Reg’t

    Virginia/ Frederick County Superior Court of Law to wit:
    On this 6th day of October 1824 personally appeared in open Court being a Court of record for said County Archibald Finley aged sixty seven years resident in the said County, but formerly residing in Shenandoah County, who being first sworn according to Law, doth on his oath declare, that he served in the Revolutionary War, in the company commanded by Capt. Charles Porterfield [S8965] of the 11th Virginia Regiment commanded by Colo. Daniel Morgan, afterwards in the 1st Regiment in the Virginia line, and was taken prisoner at Charleston South Carolina [12 May 1780]. And that he hath received a certificate for a pension No. 5807 dated 26th day of January 1819. And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War” passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed viz: two cows under execution for forty dollars, nine or ten planes, 1 dung fork, one pitch fork & one gun. I am a Millright by trade sometimes work a little at carpenters business but am unable to do much. I have no family but my wife who is very infirm.
    And I do further swear that the reason I have not applied for the renewal or continuance of my pension under the Act of May 1st 1820 before this time is, that I had expectations of receiving a considerable sum of money from the estate of William Meeley of Maryland of whom I was an heir, but on an examination find that there is but little if any due to me.
    (Signed) Arch’d. Finley

    Shenandoah County State of Virginia To wit [14 Jan 1825]
    I Archabold Findley do Hereby certify That about Twelve years agou I Had a Deed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland he in the First place willed as specific Legacies about Twenty five Hundred Dollars to be Destribeted anong his Friends and the Ballence of his Est. he willed to my mother Elizabeth Finley and if she was not aliving the one Half, that my mother was to get was to go to her children and the other half to her Grand children. and before we herd that we was to get any money from their my mother Died and Left Seven children and Twenty nine Grand children to receive her part of the Estate as I have above mentioned and out of that Est. I have received between five & six Hundred Dollars about Three hundred Dollars of that money I got of Robert Moore Executor of my cousin William Mailey Est. and about Two Hundred & fifty Dollars of the same money I got of George F Hupp admins Debonas non [sic: administrator de bonis non] on my mother Est. and the adminis of my mother Estate informs me positively their will be no more money paid to any of the Legatees untill a suit in chancery is decided at Anoplis [sic: Annapolis] of which the admins of my cousin Est. holds in his hands about four Thousand Dollars in case the suit goes against him if we gain that suit that sum will be Divided among the above Heirs as I have stated and if it is Lost the Executor & admins say we will not get one cent more. out of the above money I have paid the Following Debts one Hundred & Ninty Dollars as near as I can recollect I paid as security money paid Philip Bussard Costable seven Dollars & six cents paid William McCord &c Store acco’t. seventy five pounds Two shilling & six pence paid Elias Bucher constable seven Dollars & Twenty six cents paid George A Huff Sheriff sixty seven Dollars paid for rent one Hundred & seventy five Dollars Those accounts have been paid within the Last seven or eight years. I can safely say that all the property I have is not worth five Dollars and no way to get a support unless through this way.
    (Signed) Archibald [his mark] Findley

    NOTES: On 2 March 1839 Margaret Finley, 74, of Frederick County VA applied for a pension stating that she was married to Archibald Finley by Parson John Montgomery in April 1784, and her husband died on 11 Feb 1839. Robert Finley, 74, certified her statement. A document in the file refers to Archibald Finley’s son, Robert Finley. Her claim was probably rejected because she was not a widow in 1838 at the passage of the pension act under which she applied. On 13 July 1854 Archibald Finley assigned power of attorney to obtain any benefits “which may be due to me with my other Brothers and Sisters in right of our father Archibald Findley who was a soldier in the war of the Revolution for upwards of Five years, and was taken prisoner at Charleston South Carolina by the British.” He also stated that his mother, Margaret, died in December 1839.

    http://revwarapps.org/r3554.pdf

  2.   The Pension Roll of 1835: Report from the Secretary of War, in Obedience to Resolutions of the Senate of the 5th and 30th of June, 1834, and the 3d of March, 1835, in Relation to the Pension Establishment of the United States. (Washington, District of Columbia: Duff Green, 1835).

    Name: Archibald Finley
    Rank: Private
    Age: 63
    Birth Year: abt 1755
    Pension Enrollment Date: 26 May 1818
    Residence Place: Shenandoah, Virginia, USA
    Service Description: Virginia line
    Annual allowance: 96.00
    Sums received: 813.03
    Laws under which inscribed, increased, and reduced; and remarks: Suspended under Act May 1, 1820. Restored, commmencing September 16, 1825.