The Finney / Finnie Line

[I've yet to see evidence of 'Finnie', but there are instances of 'Finney'; so I've adopted that spelling]

Richard Finney (1825?->1847)
b. [when and where?]
Contractor, in his 20s on either the Tweed or the Tyne [in the dockyards?]
m. Ellen Hunt (1825?->1909), [when and where?]
[How many children? Was Samuel an only child? Did others stay in Scotland?]
Ellen did not migrate to Australian with her son Samuel and family in 1878, on the 'Hereford'.
But presumably Ellen followed him to Australia some time after 1878 (when she was 53),
because she was living at 105 Mansfield St Balmain on Samuel's death in 1909 (aged 84).
[When and where did Richard die?]
[When and where did Ellen die? Presumably 105 Mansfield, in the range 1910-1925?]
[We need more documentation to clarify the spelling of the surname in each generation]

1. Samuel Finney (1847-1909)
   b. 1847, ?Berwick-on-Tweed, ?Farrow-on-Tyne
   m. Isabella Johnson (1852-1946) in 1873
   Isabella's parents were John Johnson and Mary McKenzie
   They migrated ex London to Australia in 1878 on the 'Hereford'.
   It was of c. 1500 tons, 240 ft long, built in Glasgow in 1869, wrecked off Cape Horn 1883.
   According to this source, the Hereford arrived in Sydney on 6 Dec 1878.
   There were 47 crew and 458 'emigrants' (on a 73m vessel), of whom (only) 9 died en route.
   The arrivals list (scan) shows them as Finney, a family of 4; but the baby died on the voyage.
   (Or look up Agents Immigration Lists, Film 2141, e.g. at the Immigration Museum, Melbourne)
   The vessel also carried a statue of Captain Cook, later erected in Sydney's Hyde Park.
   I regretted not having the camera with me in Sep 2011. But there are plenty of photos.
   Granddaughter Margaret, at primary school c. 1930, told the class that her grandmother
   "came out with Captain Cook", and was roused on for it. But it was true, in a way.
   Isabella was a midwife.
   Samuel was a bricklayer and builder.
   In ?1885/86, he built a 3-storey building on the corner of Beattie and Mullens Streets in Balmain.
   This was presumably the Exchange Hotel, on the SW corner, which is famous enough to have a Wikipedia page, and heritage-listed (link broken, due to government webmaster incompetence), but serial owners have had financial problems and it may end up as flats.
   He also built 2 x 2-storey terraces, and a shop and house at 105 Mansfield St Rozelle.
   Sam went to Africa "for the building boom" in the late 1890s [during the Boer War??].
   He took his 4th son Harry with him, who d. there of malaria in 1898.
   They had a holiday house at Narrabeen [late 1890s? more likely a bit later?].
   Sam fell 25 feet from scaffolding in mid-April 1909, reported on Fri 16 Apr
   Sam d. 24 Aug 1909 ("suddenly", aged 62), at the house he'd built at 105 Mansfield St Rozelle.
   That was the 11th anniversary of the death of his son, Harry, who'd been with him in South Africa.
   This appears to be his gravestone.
   It's in Field of Mars Cemetery (Lane Cove), Anglican Sec B Plot 373.
   There's an In Memoriam Notice, 9 years later, on 24 Aug 1918, for him and Harry.
   Isabella d. 1946 (aged 94).
   Did Isabella live in Mansfield St for 37 years after Sam's death?
   1. Mary Finney (1874-1945)
      b. in the UK, and migrated aged 3/4
      Midwife
      [Where? Balmain?]
      [Married? Any offspring?]
      d. 1945, aged 71/2
   2. Samuel (1) Finney (1877-1878)
      b. in the UK, and migrated aged 0/1
      d. on voyage, i.e. 4Q 1878
   3. Isabella Finney (1879-1935)
      m. James MAJOR, whose family owned Major Paints
      m. 20 Jun 1908, at East Melbourne (Vic) – SMH Announcement, 1 Aug 1908
      James Allan Major was the youngest son of Charles Major, builder, of Hull, England.
      Isabella Finney was shown as second eldest daughter of Samuel Finney, builder, of Balmain.
      At their Silver Wedding Anniversary, 28 June 1933, they were at 48 Alexandr(i)a St Drummoyne.
      Isabella d. 14 Feb 1935, aged 55? – from an In Memoriam, published 14 Feb 1936
      1. Bell Major, b. ?1910
      2. Elsie Major, b. ?1912
      3. Maggie Major, b. ?1914
   4. Harry Finney (1881-1898)
      d. 24 Aug 1898, aged 17, in South Africa, of malaria
      There's an In Memoriam Notice 20 years later, from his mother, wife, brothers and sisters,
      and another from Harry Heels.
   5. Margaret Finney (1884-?)
   6. Thomas Finney (1886-?)
   7. Anne Elizabeth Finney/Finnie (1889-1962)
      This is the relevant line for this Family Tree
      b. 28 Jan 1889, presumably at 105 Mansfield St, Rozelle/Balmain
      Lived in Rozelle/Balmain, presumably all her life
      m. Allan Stuart Cochrane (1887-1957)
      m. 25 Jan 1913 at St Thomas' Anglican Rozelle
      For the Family, see the Cochrane Line
   8. Samuel (2) Finney (1891-?)
   9. Joseph Finney (1894-?)

This a page within Linda Spinaze's Family Web-Site
Contact: Roger Clarke and Linda Spinaze
Created: 23 April 2011; Last Amended: 31 Dec 2020 / 1 Jan 2021