Andrew Finley was born in 1717 in Ireland. He had a twin brother, William. In 1734, at the age of 17, Andrew emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania aboard the brig, "Eagle Wing". Sources: "Clan Finley"; Maxwell, "The Guilford Genealogist", Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 153-157 (Spring, 1989) and Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 148-155 (Spring, 1990).

 

After landing in Philadelphia, the family migrated to Bucks County and then to Salisbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Source: Id.

 

Andrew Finley married katherine Paul of Frederick County, Virginia, in 1754, probably in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but possibly in Virginia. In 1755, they migrated with Andrew's brother, George Finley, to Guilford County, North Carolina, possibly as part of The Nottingham Company from Rising Sun, Maryland. Source: Id.

 

Andrew and Katherine had 4 sons and 3 daughters, all born in Guilford County, North Carolina. Source: "Clan Finley"; Maxwell, "The Guilford Genealogist"; S. M. Rankin, "History of Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Her People, Greensboro, N. C.", p. 29.

 

In North Carolina Province, Andrew Finley first appears in the records of Rowan County in 1759 when he granted a Power of Attorney to his brothers-in-law, Andrew Paul of Rowan County, North Carolina, and George Paul of Rowan County, Virginia. Source: Id.

 

"Very soon after the earliest settlement the pious colonist prepared for holding public religious services. Land for a church lot was donated by William Cusach, a beautiful knoll, bordered on two sided by branches of the Little Alamance. It was centrally located for the future congregation, just six miles southeast of the present courthouse in Greensboro. The land was then covered with a primeval forest of huge and stately trees; and one day, probably in 1762, two years before the organization of the church, a company of men gathered with axes to clear a space and erect a church on the plateau near the confluence of the two streams. Before a stroke was made, it was proposed by Andrew Finley, a devout man and a leader in worship, that they should kneel and invoke the divine blessing on their pious enterprise. Axes

were laid down, heard bared, and canopied by the leaft bough of a great tree, Mr. Finley led those sturdy pioneers in the first devotional service on that ground now consecreated by the worship of their succeeding generations. Tradition tells of the sublime simplicity and fervor of that prayer, and of how the saintly pleaded that on the hill where they knelt a house might be reared where God should be worshiped and his word be preached so long as the world should stand... Keeling by the side of Mr. Finley was his little son John, afterwards the enthusiastic Sunday School leader, and known as "Old Master Finley". As they arose the father pointed to a smalloak at whose foot they had knelt, and said, "When I am gone bury me beside that tree." The little fellow never forgot, and a small slate tombstone marks that spot today." Source: Rev. E. C. Murray, D.D., "A History of Alamance Church, 1762-1918", pp. 10-11.

 

"On 16 December 1778, Andrew Finley received a land grant of 640 acres on both sides of the North Fork of the Alamance from the state. His will, mentioned in deeds, stipulates that after his death his landed estate was to be divided and sold by his widow, Catherine and son William." Source: Maxwell, "The Guilford Genealogist".

 

"The Register of Elders of Alamance states that Andrew Finley died 6 October 1780. His slab has been preserved in a new enclosure in the church cemetery. The Register also states that Andrew Finley married Katherine Paul, daughter of Hugh Paul. Their recorded children were: John, Katherine, Samuel, Susannah, Ann, and Michael" Source: Id.

 

Nancy Maxwell, 10299 Alder Court, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730, is researching this family; she is the "Family Editor" of The Guilford County Genealogist, the quarterly newsletter of the Guilford County, North Carolina Genealogical Society.