Shevington and Finch

I want to note a concern in realtion to 17th Century genealogy and that is the potential for a Finch origin in Shevington. The County Record office may have more information in this area although I point to this 'clipping'

Lease for 99 years at peppercorn rent DDX 92/16 19 June 1732

For 10/-: John Longworth of Ormskirk (as DDX 92/14) to William Clayton of Adlington esq.: -- as DDX 92/9 --: further to a deed of feoffment of equal date, which is recited (i.e. Same parties: -- The Finch Mill estate in Shevington, with named closes, (34 ac.) formerly part of Shevington Moor -- subject to an annuity of £20 to Hannah, widow of Jerelijah Finch, brother of Peter Finch, a previous owner). To lapse when H.F. executes a deed releasing W.C. from payment of such annuity. Witn. Henry Gibb, Henry Taylor, Alex. Leigh. Endorsed with schedule of previous deeds relating to the Tode. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


This seems to indicate that at least in part we have a link to Shevington. Interesting in geographical terms but also and indication that the family were not always miners and industrial but possible 'yeoman' in status.

Grave: A12655

My thanks go to the kind people at the Online Parish Clerk office for their continued work on the cemetery and burials at Burnley. This is truly painstaking work and truly appreciated


Grave: A12655 Burnley Cemetery, Burnley, Lancs.
Burials in this grave:
Name Age Abode Gender Source Register Date buried
1 Nancy Jane Finch 57yrs 10 Woodsley Street F Book 11 #84516 8 Dec 1917
2 Richard Finch 74yrs Rosegrove Ableton La. Severn Beach Bristol M Book 14 #106028 20 Sep 1934
3 Annie Finch 47yrs Newchurch Homes Culcheth F Book 15 #117419 3 Oct 1944
4 Mary Finch 72yrs Coal Clough Lane F Book 17 #139034 1 Mar 1973

Grave: A12656 Burnley Cemetery, Burnley, Lancs.
Burials in this grave:
Name Age Abode Gender Source Register Date buried
1 Rose Lilian Finch 7yrs 10 Woodsley St F Book 12 #88164 16 Jul 1920
2 Margaret Tattersall 17yrs 187 Lowerhouse Lane F Book 13 #103784 12 Nov 1932

The Generations

Henery Finch (1560 - )

Thomas Finch (1584 - )
Son of Henery

John Finch (1606 - )
Son of Thomas

Thomas Finch (1633 - )
Son of John

John Finch (1658 - )
Son of Thomas

William Finch (1700 - 1754)
Son of John

John Finch (1745 - )
Son of William

William Finch (1775 - )
Son of John

John Finch (1804 - 1841)
Son of William

William Finch (1835 - 1912)
Son of John

Richard Finch (1860 - 1934)
Son of William

Thomas Finche (bap 28 July 1633)

Thomas f. Johis Finche et Jenet: 28 Jul 1633
Lancashire: Standish - Parish Register, 1560-1653

There is little information about Thomas Finch although he follows the tradition of using the grandfathers name in this case the name “Thomas”. He was baptised in 1633.

The speculative image used for Thomas Finche tries to capture something of a family resemblance with his father John although here we see Thomas as an older man with nothing of the exhuberance of his father.

Once more, there is little evidence for the life of Thomas beyond his baptism in Standish and the birth of his children. Alexander Finche (1660-1719) and Mary born in 1680.

The name of Thomas’ wife is Ellin Greene from Pemberton with a marriage recorded on 8April 1656 at St Wilfrid’s parish Church in Standish

John Finche (bap 07 Oct 1606)

Johannes f. Thomas Finch 07 Oct 1606
Lancashire: Standish - Parish Register, 1560-1653

There is little information about John Finch although he begins the tradition of using the name of John in the family and we can see that John is a name that occurs repeatedly over the ensuing centuries and is perhaps one way in that we can see family connections and linkages in the absence of documentery evidence.

The image used for John Finche is comprised of charcoal and chalk and tries to capture something of a family resemblance with his father Thomas.

Once more, there is little evidence for the life of John beyond his baptism in Standish.

Thomas Finche (bap 18 March 1584)

Thomas f. Henrici Finche et Katherinae 18 Mar 1584
Lancashire: Standish - Parish Register, 1560-1653

The birth of Thomas Finche who was baptised on 18th May 1584 is the first date that we have with any certainty as the son of Henery and Catherine is baptised in Standish.

Thomas is shown here in a speculative picture as a somewhat stern man attempting to look formal in a yeoman position which echoes some of the other Finche’s of the period.

There is little information about Thomas as with many others of the family in the period although we fill the cemetery in Standish as our ancestral burial place.

I would suggest that Thomas the son of Henery and Catherine would be part of a growing number of Finche relatives in Standish as the family grows in numbers and possibly prosperity. The position of the family in relation to the Finche Mills in Standish remain open to conjecture although it seems evident that the family held this resource in the 17th Century with Peeter Finche.

As with other marriages in the family, the marriage of Thomas is not recorded and this is a pity because we loose the link with others and we also loose the contribution of Finche women.

Katherinae Finche abt 1560

There is little information about Henery Finch and even less for Catherine, the wife of Henery. Unlike Henery, we do not even know the unmarried name of Catherine who stands in for many women about whom we know little.

The image used for Catherine is of an older and slightly infirm woman although we can speculate that she was probably not of great age and possibly died prematurely from child birth. This is a speculative statement as we have no records for Catherine herself.

I suggest that Catherine and Henery were of the yeoman level of society because in later records held by the Lancashire record Office we find other people with the name of “Finche” in Standish and Shevington being ‘yeoman’ and being associated with local personalisities who had money and resources.

Catherine is not likely to have been a wealthy woman although she may have been above the ‘common sort and able to have some security and possibly a servant or so.

However, Catherine is a person who is a shadowy figure and someone who is “Unknown”. In many ways

This “Unknown” as it relates to Catherine is apparent in family history in this period.

Henrici Finche abt 1560

The Finch family of Standish
Henrici Finche abt 1560

The Finch family in Standish can be traced back to an entry in the earliest Standish baptism register for Henery Finche. In the 16th Century, the time of Henery’s baptism, the surname was “Finche” before dropping the “e” in the 17th Century.

Little information is available for Henery beyond his name and the name of his wife and we must take the date of his baptism and birth as approximate only. The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is a little imprecise and does not give the exact date.

The marriage of Henery to Catherine is frustratingly imprecise and we are without any means of researching matters further and we are left with Henery as the first speculative ancestor.

In addition to Henery’s birth and marriage to Catherine, we can speculate that Henery was part of an already existing family and genealogy in the village of Standish. The registry office records represented in the IGI give a number of Finche members and we can perceive that they are all perhaps siblings with a generation only sperating us from the first “Finche” ancestor in the village. This means that if correct that the family is not perhaps as firmly placed in Standish as it subsequently became.

The story of the Finche Family in Standish argusably begins with the unknown father of Henery although we may have to accept Henery as one of the progenitors of the name in the areas