John Phinney
| John Finney was married (3) times. Cannot find any children from the first two marriages. All the children were born to him and Elizabeth Bailey. Info. obtained from the records of: Howard Griffith Burdge's "Sprong and Related Families" dated July 16, 1969. He settled in Plymouth, Mass. purchasing land there in 1639. He was baptised on March 15, 1603/04. He was living at Bristol, Massachusetts (now Rhode Island) as late as February 7, 1682/83, when he deeded his house and lands to his son Jonathan. He emigrated to New England between July 1637 and December 1638. He was assigned land at Webb's Field in Plymouth, Massachusetts on December 2, 1639. The grant was confirmed on July 6, 1640. On September 16, 1641, John and his brother Robert were each granted six acres of upland abutting the brook that comes from Fresh Lake, and John received another grant of fifty acres at "Pausatuke" Neck on June 5, 1666. The court confirmed the grant at "Passuntaguanumcke Neck on South Sea", July 7, 1638. John was admitted a freeman of the colony on August 20, 1644. He held many positions of trust, beginning with his appointment as constable at Plymouth on March 7, 1642. The following year, he was included on a list of those able to bear arms from the town of Plymouth. He was a collector of the excise. He was a teacher of Latin. Probably lived in Plymouth for several years, his two sons by his first wife were born there. He next moved to Barnstable, Massachusetts, where seven of his children were born, and eventually to Bristol, Rhode Island. A letter from Thomas Bishop to John Phinney of Barnstable: "Sonne Phinney my love to you Remembered hoping in God you bee in good health with all your children as I am at present your letter I Received wherein you write mee of my Daughters Death and alsoe that you had written a letter att large of all particulars to mee which letter never came to my hands; and therefore can not answer it Concerning my Grandchildren I shall send for my Cozen Abigail speedy to come home to mee for I propose to take her as a Daughter; for Thomas Coggen I doe Comite him to your care and trust that you Doe provide for him and keep him as your own child taking his meanes to help to his maintenance for John Coggen I desire hee may bee bound in Boston or Salem to that trade his Genes Doe best lead him to but if it could bee to a Seaman that he might come for England some time that I might see him or if you thinke good when I send for his sister to send him alsoe with her; for the younger boy Henry Coggen that you Doe keep him as your owne sonne to School and to Write and Read till hee bee fitt for a Master and for the fiting of John prentice and keeping that boy Henry that twenty pound you have in stocke of mine shall be assoared you for the breeding that boy I have sent to my Daughter holman by Mr. Straton by the way of Bristoll two shirts apeece for the boyes and 2 smockes for the Mayde; and if you send me Abigail Coggen proy you send her handsome apparelled in her Mothers apparel; and I shall pay for her frayght soe you agree to land her to Waymouth and Direct a letter with the Mayde to My Daughter Mis Sarah Lydds in Melcomb and there Abigail wilbee Received and the boy if alsoe you send him Now this I pray you to observe and soe I Command you to God with all my Grandchildren and I desire to Temayne Your Loveing fatherinlaw Tho: Bishop" ------------------------------------------------ "Mr. Phinney with his townsman Major Walley, became interested in the fertile region about Mount Hope, Rhode Island where he removed after holding the office of constable in Barnstable. The importance of this office is not to be under estimated by its relative consideration at the present day. A constable, in the time of the fathers, was a most imposing and awe-inspiring personage and those who saw fit to indulge in any levity at his expense, would find it to be a fatal and costly experiment." Source: Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families by Amos Otis |