Here are some images of those discussed with hopefully more to follow. Included are a few Finley notables I am not directly related to that I chose to include, because it is possible there is a distant relation. I doubt an image will be found for all, but I will endevor to search for as many as can be found up to present day, so more are soon to come. |
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Rev. John Thompson my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather was ordained and installed as minister of Lewes Presbyterian Church in April of 1717 where he served until 1729. The church in Lewes, Delaware was founded in 1692 and the photo is of the third building built in 1832. He was then assigned to Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church in 1729 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where he ministered until 1744 and is recorded as Chestnut Levels first minister starting officially in 1732 in Chestnut Level records. I lived and worked in Lewis for a short while in the summer of 1995 after graduating from The University of Tennessee and then returned to Knoxville, Tennessee. | | Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church began meeting as a congregation in 1711. The current structure shown here was erected in 1765. Rev. John Thompson, the first Minister to minister for Chestnut Level from 1732-1744, was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather. Rev. James Latta who also minstered at Chestnut Level from 1771-1801 was my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather. My Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather John Finley was married to Rev. John Thompson's daughter, Ms. Thompson and may have been married at this church. |
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Founded in 1740 by a few Scotch-Irish families including my family. John Finley, my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather helped found the church and served as an Elder for many years. Located in present day Fisherville, Virginia, the church is in its third building, and the first minister they considered and or requested to be their minister was John Finley's father-in-law, Rev. John Thompson, but he was not available and he remained at Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. | | This monument was dedicated to honor the early settlers to the Shenandoah valley that all worked together to establish and build the Tinkling Springs Presbyterian Church in 1740. My Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather John Finley was a Commissioner and an Elder for many years, and he was also voted or placed in charge of one of the Quarters. Robert and William were his two brothers who came to Virginia from Pennesylvania with him and they settled on South River. The other John Finley in his quarter was John Finley who married Thankful Doak, who settled on Middle River, and they may be distantly related to my Finley family, but is yet to be formally verified. |
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Daniel Boone and John Finley traveled together through the Cumberland Gap in 1769 opening the way for others to follow. I descend from a different John Finley alive during the same time period and his daughter Elizabeth Finley Gillespy and her husband James Gillespy later followed the path Boone and Finley found through the Cumberland Gap in 1787 and established Gillespy Station near present day Rockford, Tennessee. | | Davy Crockett married Mary (Polly) Finley the Great Granddaughter of John and Thankful Doak Finley who may be distantly related to me, but yet to be formally verified. Davy Crockett was born in 1786 near the mouth of Limestone Creek near where Capt. William Campbell, my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather and Colonel David Campbell my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Uncle lived with their families. |
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John Finley's daughter Elizabeth Finley, my Great, Great, Great, Great Aunt, married James Gillespy and traveled through the Cumberland Gap in 1787 to present day Blount County, Tennessee and established Fort Gillespy or Gillespy's Station as it was called then. The sign is located on Airport Highway 129 in present day Alcoa, Tennessee across from the McGee Tyson Airport south of Knoxville and in sight of the Smoky Mountains National Park. | | Major James Houston was General Sam Houston's older, second cousin and he married Marry (Polly) Gillespy the daughter of my Great, Great, Great, Great Uncle James and Aunt Elizabeth Finley Gillespy. When Sam Houston's father passed away suddenly in 1806 they came to live with and settled nearby to Major James Houston's fort or station as they were called then. Major James Houston was the son of General Sam Houston's Great Uncle Samuel and Great Aunt Elizabeth McCrosky Houston. He also served in the Revolutionary War and fought at the battle of King's Mountain in 1780. Painting hangs in and care of Blount County, TN Courthouse. |
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Fort Houston was established near Fort Gillespy and one of James and Elizabeth Finley Gillespy's children, Mary Gillespy, married General Sam Houston's older, second cousin Major James Houston. James Houston was the son of Sam and Elizabeth McCrosky Houston, Gen Sam Houstons Great Aunt and Great Unlce. Sam Houston once taught in a one room school house which still stands and is located on Sam Houston School House Road near present day Rockford, Tennessee and near where the Houston Fort once stood. The daguerreotype 1845 Photograph above care of The Sam Houston Memorial Museum. | | General Sam Houston taught in a one room school house located in or near present day Rockford, Tennessee. The one room school house is open to the public and is the oldest school house in Tennessee. Sam Houston's older second cousin married Mary (Polly) Gillespy the daughter of my Great, Great, Great, Great Uncle James and Aunt Elizabeth Finley Gillespy whom established Gillespy's Station nearby. William Gillespy, brother to James Gillespy, was married to Isabella Houston and they were General Sam Houston's great Aunt and Great Uncle. |
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Robert McTeer is credited as one of the very first European's to arrive in, and the first to settle in, what became Blount County, Tennessee. Elizabeth Doak McTeer, the daughter of Samuel Doak and niece of John and Thankful Doak Finley, was the wife of James McTeer who was the Uncle of Robert McTeer. Her brother, Rev. Samuel Doak, was married to Esther Houston Montgomery the daughter of John and Esther Houston Montgomery, and they were were the Great Aunt and Uncle of Gen. Sam Houston. Robert McTeer also attended Eusebia Presbyterian Church and is buried there, and he also fought at the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780. | | Robert McTeer arrived to what would later become Blount County, Tennessee in 1784 and built McTeer's Station. The fort served the community for a many years as a fort, the first school, and gathering place for the community. The first elections for Blount County where conducted at McTeer's Station. |
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Campbell's Station was established by Col. David Campbell in 1787. This is the old Campbell Station's Inn built in 1810 that is on the site, which was built by his cousin Judge David Campbell and a favorite place to stay of Andrew Jackson's when he came to town. It is located west of Knoxville, Tennessee in present day Farragut, Tennessee on the corner Campbell Station Road and Kingston Pike. DAR placed a monument in the front yard there many years ago to Col. David Campbell. Colonel David Campbell was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Uncle. His brother, Capt. William Campbell was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather. | | John Sevier, the first Governor of Tennessee, estabished a fort or station as they were called then near Gillespy Station and Houston Station. He led Captain William Campbell and Colonel David Campbell of Campbell's Station when they were young and then privates in the milita under then Colonel John Sevier in the Revolutionary War Battle of King's Mountain in 1780. This was a decisive victory and a major turning point in the Revolutionary War in the south for America. His son Joseph Sevier may have married Mary Finley, the sister to William Finley the father of Mary (Polly) Finley Crockett, the Great Granddaughter of John and Thankful Doak Finley of Augusta County, Virginia. Joseph and Mary Finley Sevier had at least one child named John Finley Sevier, however, there is disagreement by researchers on the marriage to Mary Finley. John Crockett, Davy Crockett's father, also fought in the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780 and John Crockett was married to Rebecca Hawkins, who have been the sister of Sarah Hawkins Sevier, the wife of Colonel John Sevier. |
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The Blount County Chapter of the Daughters of The American Revolution dedicated this monument in 1976 to the Revolutionary Soldiers who settled in Blount County. James Gillespy was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Uncle and his daughter married James Houston, and William Gillespie, James Gillspy's brother, married Isabella Houston and they were General Sam Houston of Texas fame's Great Aunt and Uncle. | | Rev. Samuel Finley, a Finley notable, was once thought to be a relative directly in my family line is not directly related to me, however, depending on the parentage of the John Finley I descend from, he may be either a second or third cousin to the John Finley I descend from, but that is yet to be formally determined. He was a founding Trustee of Princeton University, the fifth President of Princeton University, and replaced by Rev. John Witherspoon, the sixth President of Princeton University and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His brother, Rev. James Finley, preached in East Nottingham and Rev. Samuel Finley preached in West Nottingham where he also started the Nottingham Academy in 1744, which is the oldest such academy in continuous operation in America. |
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On November 24, 1743 in a Philidelphia newspaper, "We are informed that there is a Free-School opened at the House of Mr. Alison in Chester County, for the Promotion of Learning, where all Persons may be instructed in the Languages and some other Parts of Polite Literature, without any Expences for their Education." Rev. Francis Alison's first class included Robert and Thomas McKean, George Read (Del.), James Smith (Penn), Hugh Williamson, John Ewing, John Cochran, Charles Thomson, James Latta, Matthew Wilson, and Paul Jackson. " The Academy over time became The University of Delaware in 1921. Note: Rev. Francis Alison's sister, Mary Alison, was second wife to Rev. James Latta, my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Grandfather who immigrated from Ireland in 1738 and their only son together, also named Rev. James Latta, who attended Rev. Francis Alison's Academy above making Rev. Francis Alison his Uncle and Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Uncle to me. | | George Read, Thomas McKean, and James Smith all attended Francis Alison's Academy with Rev. James Latta II and were all in its first graduating class. George Read, Thomas McKean, and James Smith were signers of the Declaration of Indepenence for the Colonies they were sent to represent. Rev. James Latta II became a prominant leader in the Presbyterian Church in America and served as a Chaplin in the Revolutionary War. |
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Rev. James Latta II ministered at the Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and was in the first graduating class of University of Pennsylvania in 1757. The silhoutte portrait on the left is of Rev. James Latta II. The portrait on the right is a Robert Latta of South Carolina Branch 12 and it is said he resembled his father James Latta, but I also think he resembles Rev. James Latta II of Branch 8 and his son Rev. James Latta III on this page as well. | | Benjamin Franklin was the founder of University of Pennsylvania, a Founding Trustee, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Rev. James Latta was in the first graduating class in 1757. His diploma is the oldest still in existance and was donated to the University by the Latta's in 1940. I can't help but wonder if he met Ben Franklin as well. |
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Rev. James Latta graduated in 1757 in the first graduating class of University of Pennsylvania founded by Benjamin Franklin. I have a copy hanging on the wall in my home as well. The Latta family donated the original to the University in 1940, and it is the oldest diploma issued by the University known to still exist. The Vice Provost Signature was: Francis Alison, Vice-Provost of the College and Rector of the Academy. | | On September 12, 1940 the Latta family presented the original copy of Rev. James Latta II's diploma to the University of Pennsylvania for their safekeeping. Rev. James Latta II was in the Universities first graduating class, and it is the oldest diploma issued from University of Pennsylvania in existance. |
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Rev. James Latta III was my Great, Great, Great, Grandfather and he graduated at College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, when 20 years of age in 1807. Prepared for the ministry under the tutorship of his eldest brother, Rev. John Ewing Latta, then pastor of Presbyterian churches of New Castle and Christiana, and was licensed by the Presbytery of New Castle in 1809 and ordained April 3, 1811, as pastor of Upper Octoraro congregation, Chester Co., Pa. which he served until 1850. He established a church at Penningtonville Mills,now Atglen, same county, where he was installed November 11, 1852. "Latta Memorial Church" erected at Christiana, Pa. A memorial to his memory is in the Presbyterian Historical Society given by his grandson, William J. Latta. Copy of photo care of my cousin, Brenda Huettner. | | William Sutton Latta was the son of Rev. James Latta III and my Great, Great Grandfather. He was "born in Upper Octorara, Chester Co., Pa. September 12, 1822; d. there May 26, 1878; m. Margaret Eckert Whitehill, daughter of Samuel Atlee and Margaret Douglas (Wilson) Whitehill at Philadelphia, December 25, 1845. She was born in Lancaster Co., Pa. September 29, 1822 and died August 13, 1891. He was graduated from the Medical Department of University of Pennsylvania and was one of the most prominent physicians in Sadsbury, Chester Co., Pa. The Atlee, Whitehill and Douglas families were prominent in the Revolutionary War. She was born and married in her father's home at Sadsbury, Pa." They were the parents of my Great, Grandfather William James Latta. Copy of photo care of my cousin, Brenda Huettner. |
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Located NW of Nelson, Missouri in Saline County, Missouri and SW of Arrow Rock, Missouri. Taken a few years ago, I discovered the Ulmer brothers website in April of 2005. It seems they grew up nearby My Great, Great, Great, Grandfather Asa Finley's cabin. They always wondered who built it and took the time to research it. I have spoken with the Ulmer's and we along with the Gleaves family are trying to enlist help to relocate restore the old place. I can't say enough about these two men for caring enough to see if anyone was interested in trying to save the historic cabin. | | Asa and Esther Gleaves Finley helped found the Salt Fork Cumberland Presbyterian Church, took turns holding service in their home until it was built, and Esther Gleaves Finley is buried there. Asa Finley was elected and served as Arrow Rock's first Judge in 1824, and served as a Representative for "Saline" elected in 1822, and again in 1826 to the State Legislature of Missouri. He also owned a gristmill and his property, located near Nelson as well, was located on the Sante Fe Trail, and one of the last places to load up on food and supplies before continuing west to California at the time. |
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Went west to California from Missouri in 1846. He was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather. He also fought in the war of 1812. His son Benjamin Campbell, whom the city of Campbell is named for, made the 1846 trip as well with his father William above and actually made the overland trip three times. Both knowing the trade of surveying, they did much of the surveying in the area. Benjamin returned to Missouri, married, and led a wagon train himself back in 1852. Copy of Photograph provided care of Dr. Carmen J. Finley. | | Led the wagon train my family was on in 1852 to California and the city of Campbell is named for him. Photo used with permission of the city of Campbell, California and Campbell Historical Museum. They were my Great,Great Aunt and Great, Great Uncle. His sister Margaret Jane Campbell was married to my Great, Great Grandfather James Washington Finley. Sadly, she became ill upon crossing the Califorina line and passed away shortly after arriving. |
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James Washington Finley and Margaret Jane Campbell Finley were my Great, Great, Grandparents. They left Saline County, Missouri in 1852 on a wagon train led by Benjamin Campbell, Margaret Jane Campbell Finley's half brother. James Washington Finley was the son of Asa Finley and she was the daughter of William Campbell by his first wife Sarah McNary. | | Newton went west with his father James Washington Finley, his mother Margaret Jane Campbell Finley, and his brothers and sisters in 1852 led by Benjamin Campbell whom the city of Campbell, California is named for. He was about ten years old and wrote about the journey later in life in 1922. He was my Great Grandfather. Pictured with him are his grandchildren my father William Latta Finley and my Aunt Mary Dozier Finley. The year about 1922 when he wrote the memoir of his travels. Note the beautiful vintage Ford parked next to them. This photo represents so much for me, because here you have a man who went west on a covered wagon, walking by the new era car that replaced the horse and wagon, holding the hand of the boy who later grew up to help put man on the moon. |
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Kate Rowena Dozier Finley was Newton Gleaves Finley's wife and my Great Grandmother. They were married in 1874. They had two children, Edna Rowena Finley in 1875 and Dozier Finley in 1880. She also went west from Missouri (date unknown) at some point. This is the only photo I have of her and I know little of her other than the Dozier's like the Campbell's and the Finley's were true Pioneers and helped settle America. | | Taken in 1868, William Asa Finley was Newton Gleaves Finley's brother and my Great, Great Uncle, and together they went west in 1852 in a wagon train led by Benjamin Campbell whom Campbell, California ia named after. William Asa Finley was the first President of Oregon State University. After retirement he moved back to Santa Clara, California and lived out his years with his wife Sarah. |
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Taken in 1866, this is the wedding photo of William Asa Finley and his wife Sarah Finley. Note the Abraham Lincoln style beard. | | Samuel F. B. Morse was the Great Grandson of Rev. Samuel Finley, another Finley notable, an accomplished artist, sculpter, and the inventor of the Telegraph and Morse Code. He also was a graduate of Princeton University. While not directly related he may be distantly related. I did not know he was a Finley until I began this project. We were always taught his name was simply Samuel F. B. Morse and not given his middle two names in school history. The photo is from 1871. The box beside him is his Deguaerreotype Camera, I guess we share photography in common. |
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He was once the President of the Telephone and Cable Company of America. Cable being the telegraph Samuel Finley Breeze Morse invented. William James Latta retired in 1901. They lived at 430 West Moreland Ave., Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pa. in a home they called the Grey Arches. The children are my father William Latta Finley(facing) and his cousin Harry A. Frank Jr. William James and Kitty Nigh Bingham Latta were my Great, Great, Grandparents. | | I am not sure when Grey Arches was built nor when the photo taken, but it is no longer there torn down in 1958. The photo is very old and possibly the oldest on this page and why it appears so dingy for a better word. It was home to my Great Grandparents, William James & Kitty Nigh Bingham Latta and was located on Chestnut Hill Street in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. My father, William Latta Finley, always spoke fondly of Grey Arches. It must of had a lot of charm and must have been a special place. |
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Standing is: William James Latta Jr. who was in the Navy, next is Margaret Douglas Gribbel Hubbard, next is William Latta Finley Army Air Corp, and on the right is Pat Franck Sheffield. Sitting is: Katharine Latta, Mary Bingham Latta Finley, Margaret Douglas Latta Gribbel, Rachel Whitehill Latta Franck. William James Latta Jr., Katherine Latta, Mary Bingham Latta, Margaret Douglas Latta, and Rachel Whitehill Latta were the children of William James Latta Sr. and Kitty Nigh Bingham Latta above. | | My Grandmother was born in Philidelphia, Pennsylania in 1890. Photo taken in 1907 at her sister Margaret's wedding. This is her bridesmaid dress she wore. I do not know the story of how her and my Grandfather, Capt. Dozier Finley met, but those were war years and he may have met her after coming back from Europe in Philidelphia prior to going home to California. |
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My Grandfather was born in California in 1880 in Berkeley. Attended Cal Berkeley and graduated in 1903 as a chemical engineer. This is a photo taken prior to, during, or just after WWI. He reached the rank of Captain and served in the reserves after the war. | | My Grandparents at my Grandfather's retirement party in 1947. The 1550 sign was from the original building he once worked at. |
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My Grandfather later in life, very distinguished gentleman, a chemical engineer, who helped develop many patents for the company he worked for, The Paraffin Company located in Emeryville, California. | | Older sister to Dozier Finley later in life and only one of two photos I have of her. My Aunt Edna Rownena Finley was an educator until her retirement. I know very little of her. My father always spoke very fondly of her. She never married and she did not have any children. She was my Great Aunt. |
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This was my father, William Latta Finley's favorite photo of his father, Dozier Finley. I think it was a special day and a special memory of his childhood. The cap and ball pistol on my grandfathers hip was worn by him in WWI and it is a Remington 44/45 caliber made in 1858 and issued to the officers in the Union Army during the Civil War. | | Another nice photo of Newton Gleaves Finley with Mary Bingham Latta Finley, William Latta Finley, and Mary Dozier Finley. Taken in about 1922-23. |
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These three photos taken of my father at what appears to be about six to eight years old. He had a tremendous love for the outdoors and it is not hard to see where he got it from. The waterfall is Nevada Falls from the John Muir Trail and the lake I believe to be Emerald Lake on the way up to Nevada Falls. | | My parents William Latta Finley and Betty Jane Craven Finley were married in Berkeley, California in 1953 at St. John's Presbyterian Church I believe. They first met at Dance sponsored by a local social group. My brother, Eric David Finley was born in 1957 and I(William Earl Finley) was born in 1959. My father looked very much like his father Dozier Finley. He served in the Army Air Corp in WWII and after the war reached the rank of Lt. Colonel in the US Air Force Reserve retiring in 1972. He worked for various subcontractors hired by NASA to design the Gemini and Apollo Rockets and retired in 1974. He passed away in 1987. My mother taught Elementary School for 42 years and she loved doing it. Her favorite grade was the fourth grade and she retired in 1986. She is still with us and doing well. |
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This is my mother, Betty Jane Craven's, family. This photo was thought lost until we searched for it. They lived outside Pittsburg in Ellwood City Beaver Falls area. According to my Uncle Norman, it is only one of two with every member of the family in the photo and kept in the family Bible at one time, so I am very happy we found it. From Left to Right: Seated William Monroe Craven, In Back: Alice Gene Craven, Thelma Martha Craven, Chester Wilmer Craven, Middle: Betty Jane Craven, Dorthy May Craven, Seated: Henrietta (Hattie) Elizabeth Freitag Craven holding Earl William Craven. Standing by William Monroe Craven is my Uncle Norman Spamer Craven. Of the nine, my mother and Uncle Norman are still with us. Norman was kind enough to help me with all the middle names for everyone. | | I'm not sure what year this was taken. My mother looks fairly young, so I'm going to guess late 1930's to early 1040's. This is one of my favorite family photos and it sits over the firelace in my home. Left to right: Dorthy May Craven, Thelma Martha Craven, Betty Jane Craven, Alice Gene Craven. I did not know my Aunt Dorthy as well as I knew my Aunt Alice or Aunt Thelma, but my mother and Aunt Dorthy were both school teachers, very close, and moved about the country teaching in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and California together until each got married and had their own families. My mother spoke of Dorthy and those years often. |
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My Uncle Norman was born about 1926 I believe and he lives in Washington State up in the mountains in Snoqualmie Pass. He worked for Boeing for many years and was in charge of helping build the planes we all enjoy flying in. I believe he was a Vice-President when he retired. He also served in the Navy in WWII in the Pacific and he saw some of the heaviest fighting of the war. His wife Jacque Burns Craven passed away about three or four years ago. They were married many years and had three children. They are Norma Craven Dhanens, Sue Craven Ball, and Greg Craven. | | I believe my Uncle Earl was born in 1928 and passed away in 1995-1996. He was 6'4" tall and I always wanted to be as tall as him. He lived with us when I was little for a couple of years and I always felt a closeness to him no matter how far away he was. He was a mettalurgist and worked for different companies over the years like Boeing in Seattle. He served in the Korean War, and saw some of the fighting, but I know little else. He also tried ranching for a while. He never married and he did not have any children. |
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My Uncle Earl got into ranching for a while. His ranch was located in Missouri near Gainsville and bordered on Bull Shoals Lake. This was a wonderful week for all of us together and he borrowed a pony from a neighbor for us to ride around on. It is my favorite photo of him. The photo is of my mother Betty Jane Craven Finley, Eric David Finley is in front, and I am (William Earl Finley) on the back, and my Uncle Earl William Craven is holding the reins. | | This is myself with my older brother Eric David Finley in 1988 at his rehearsal dinner down on Clear Lake off Galveston Bay at a very old and dear friend's restaurant called Villa Capri. It is my favorite photo of Eric and I, and a special day in our lives together. |
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This was taken at my 1987 wedding and is the final photograph ever taken of my father. I am no longer married, but remain friends with Sherry my former wife. This was a special day for all of us and remains so in my heart. Sherry always encouraged my creative and artistic ability and she is the same person I thank for believing on the home page. | | Eric David, Terri Malone, and Daniel Franklin Finley. Eric is my older brother and he is a chemical engineer like his Grandfather Dozier Finley, Terri is a high school french teacher, and Daniel is growing like a weed. Eric is also an Eagle Scout and some of our fondest memories we share together are the days we were in Scouting. |
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| More photos coming soon..... | ||
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