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Selah was born in 1767. He passed away in 1827.
Burial in 1827 at the East Nichols Cemetery, East Nichols, Tioga County, New York. [1]. At this burial, the grave marker says that he died 23 January 1827 at age 60 years (yielding a 1767 birth).
Concerning Selah's youngest son, William Roe Finch: Both the 1880 and 1900 Census show that William's father was born in New York State, placing Selah's parents in New York State in 1767. However, it can be demonstrated that this family was somewhat loose with the facts, so it is difficult to place a lot of value here.
Noted on the tombstone as 'Seeley' Finch, but his signature shows that he also signed his name as Seely Finch. The 1820 Census at Candor, Tioga Co, NY lists him as Selah Finch, as does the 1790 Census at Dutchess Co, NY.
Seely's parents are not known to the family, but he is placed by Claude B. Thummel in his work "Descendants of John Finch of Connecticut" (1965) as being the son of Solomon Finch (b.1700-1702, Fairfield CT) and his wife Deborah[2].
Research of the baptismal records of Stamford Ct shows a Seely Finch, son of Nathaniel Finch and a wife whose name is illegible being baptized in 1770. Also known is a Seeley Finch buried at Wheatland Baptist Cemetery, Wheatland NY[3], whose age would be contemporary with this Seely buried at Tioga Co, NY.
"History of Waverly, New York" by Charles L. Alberson, 1943 which contains an introduction by Mary E. Finch (wife of Amasa Finch who was a grandson of this Seely), gives us more information about Seely Finch. Unfortunately Mary's claim that Seely was from Younkers, New York is probably incorrect. (More correct would be to say that Seely left the side of his parents with a new wife, and settled at Frederickstown, Dutchess Co, New York by 1790.) It is obvious that he had dealings with the Finch who lived in Greene and Dutchess Counties in the years before 1810. Sometime after 1810, Seely moves his family, without his first wife to Tioga Co, NY, near the town of Barton.
Seely Finch of Tioga married first a woman who is said to be Deborah Ann Mead. (This is alleged by Thummel[2]; backed up by a letter between cousins - Mary Elizabeth (Sawyer) Finch (1840-1947) and Almira Harriet "Mina" (Finch) Housel (1874-1966) where Mina was a descendant of Seely and Mary E had married into the family as has been stated before; and by the information in the book 'A History of Waverly, NY'. Unfortunately, I believe that either Mary or Mina were in contact with Mr Thummel, we know that Mary worked with Mr Alberson on his book, and we know that Mina and Mary were in touch with one another, so it is difficult to place a lot of weight on this data). No concrete verification of the existence of Deborah has ever been discovered, but it is thought that she died before Seely came to Tioga Co, NY in about 1810-1815 (perhaps with the birth of Chauncey). Seely Finch married second "the widow Joiner" who is known to be Elizabeth 'Betsey' (ROE) JOINER. Roe was her maiden name before her first marriage. No name has been discovered for her first husband, but enough references exist calling her a widow that it is clear that a Mr Joiner was once involved.
During the first union, at least five children were born: Ira Finch of Clinton County, Michigan Amasa Finch of Huron Co, OH Phillip Finch of Waverly (Factoryville), NY James Finch of Bradford County, PA and later Nichols, Tioga Co, NY. Chauncey Finch of Tioga Co, NY
During the second union, one child was born: William Roe Finch of Waverly, Lackawanna Co, PA
Claude B. Thummel's works also allege the existence of a son Henry and daughter Abigail falling between Ira and Amasa. If Abigail existed, it is likely she did not live long. With updated date of birth information on Amasa (1799), and census info on Henry (DOB 1800), Henry now falls after Amasa and before Phillip. This makes it harder to believe that Henry was a son of Seely. The fact that Henry is not mentioned in Seely's grandson's writings (Hon. Parley Finch of Humboldt, Iowa), reinforces this idea. However, Parley also did not mention Chauncey (who died young), so it is possible that he did not mention those who died before he was born. To those who doubt that Ira was a son of Seely's, we point again at the writings of the Honorable Parley Finch who claims that he met Ira once when he was a child just before Ira moved with his family to Michigan where he very quickly died.
There are some great mysteries with respect to Seely Finch, among these questions
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Categories: East Nichols Cemetery, East Nichols, New York