******************************** Land Records of Harford County, Maryland, Book JLG #N, Page 469 - ".... This Indenture made this second day of October 1797 between James Finley of Harford County, Stonemason and William Slade of Ezekiel, Yoeman ....".

The Indenture goes on to talk about the house - ".... from a spring on the Northeast side of said Finley's dwelling house ...." (the bearings and distances and metes and bounds mentioned in the rest of the Indenture pinpoint, without a doubt, to the house I now own and occupy).

".... within the lines of Honesty is the Best Policy ...."

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******************************** He purchased it from the State of Maryland at a "Sale of Confiscated Land, October 22, 1782 at Slade Tavern, Baltimore County, Maryland". It was part of the land confiscated from British subjects by the State of Maryland in 1780. Most of the land in Maryland was confiscated at this time from Henry Harford (for whom Harford County was named) the last of the Lord Baltimores'.

The study of the Lords Baltimore and their reign in Maryland, the confiscation of their property and the subsequent sale of it is facinating. The Lords Baltimore didn't sell their land, they rented it and the rent roles at the Maryland State Archives are wonderfully full of the names of renters, their wives, and their children. The male children had to be listed there because, usually, land was rented for multiple lifetimes.

One persons rental property may or may not touch his neighbors rental property. There were voids or un-rented properties all over the place. After the consfication and sale Land Surveyors spent years trying to eliminate the voids.

James' purchased two almost adjoining pieces one called 'Sauer's Refuge' (39 Acres) the other called 'Armaugh' (100 Acres). He renamed the combined piece 'Honesty is the Best Policy'. It consisted of a total of 164.75 acres. The remainder - 25.75 Acres - was the vacant, void, unowned land between his pieces and between he and his neighbors.

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******************************** Harford County, Maryland, Land Records, Book HD #T, Page 391 -

For value received I do hereby assign and make over all my right title Interest and claim in and to all the goods chattels and Personal estate belonging to me the subscriber in my own right and in the right of my husband James Finley late of Harford County deceased of whatsoever kind and every kind of Personal property goods or chattels that I am or may be entitled to in the world unto my Daughter Margaret Finley her heirs and assigns forever. In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of November Eighteen hundred and four.
Signed by a mark and seal of Jane Finley.
Witnessed by David Bell, Sr.

Harford County to wit On the 27th Day of August 1808 Came David Bell before me the subscriber and made Oath that he subscribed his name as witness to the above Instrument of writing at the request of the above parties and that Jane Finley at the time of the execution was in her perfect senses and acknowledged the same to be her desire and her act & deed according to the true intent & meaning of the same ....

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******************************** Harford County, Maryland, Land Records, Book HD #3, Page 445 -

".... This Indenture made this Eighth day of June in the year of Our Lord one Thousand Eight hundred and nineteen Between John Finley, Robert Finley and Mary Finley his wife, Alexander Finley and Mary his wife, of Ashland County and the State of Ohio. Barnett Williams and Mary Williams, his wife of Fayette County, State of Pennsylvania. Margaret Finley and Hannah Finley late of Harford County, State of Maryland but now of Richland County, State of Ohio, Heirs of James Finley late of Harford County and State of Maryland deceased of the one part and Frances Gruppy of Harford County and State of Maryland of the other part ...."

The heirs of James Finley sold to Frances Gruppy ".... Honesty is the Best Policy ....", ".... 164.75 Acres ....", ".... as described in a patent from the Western Shore Land Office, 19 August 1795 ....", for $1300.

Signed by:
John Finley
Robert Finley
Alexander Finley and Mary Finley
Barnett Williams and Mary (Finley) Williams
Margaret Finley
Hannah Finley

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******************************** Pedigree of the Finley Family (As given by James Finley, eldest son of Alexander Finley)

The traditional history of the family is as follows:
"We are descendants of Alexander Finley, who was the youngest of five sons born to Archibald Finley who emigrated from Scotland to Ireland during what is known in English History as the Revolution of King William's War 1687 - 1697. The sons of Archibald Finley were connected with the armies during the siege of Dundalk. Upon restoration of peace, they settled at Stewartstown in Ireland. One left a son named James, who emigrated to America, in the care of his Uncle, at the age of seven years. They settled at Yellow Springs, Bucks County, where the boy, James, learned the stone mason's trade, and worked on the Susquehanna River in the neighborhood of Minisink.

He married Mary Jane Barclay and resided in Yellow Springs until our father, Alexander Finley (who was born in 1770) was four years old. Then he moved to Harford County, Maryland. Alexander left Harford County at age 17 years and located in Green or Fayette County, Pennsylvania. ...."

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******************************** Harford County, Maryland, Orphans Court Records;
9 December 1806 -

".... Harford County Account. The final account of Margaret Finley, Administratrix of James Finley late of Harford County deceased, ....",

".... Heirs entitled to a Distribution -
Jane Finley, widow of the deceased,
John Finley,
Robert Finley,
Mary Finley,
Alexander Finley,
Margaret Finley,
Hannah Finley,
Children of the deceased."

In many cases, but not all, these types of documents list the deceased's children in birth order. This may or may not be the case here. Until proven otherwise I will assume that, in this case, the order as listed above is the birth order of the James and Jane Finley children.

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********************************
"History of Ashland County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches" by George William Hill, MD, 1880, pp 143-146 (Alexander Finley), p 288 (John Finley), and pp 362-363 (Alexander Finley and D.F. Pocock).

"A History of the Pioneer and Modern Times of Ashland County, from the Earliest to the Present Date" by H.S. Knapp, 1863, p 266 (John Finley) pp 279-280 (Robert Finley), p 395, 399 (Alexander Finley), p 396 (Benjamin Finley), p 397 (Alexander and John Finley), p 406, 407, 409-412 (Alexander Finley).

"Ashland County, Ohio Research Aid, #6 Mohican Township" by the Ashland County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society 1988 most of the book.

"Early Ohioans' Residences From The Land Grant Records" The Ohio Genealogical Society by Mayburt Stephenson Riegel p 35, 37 and 46.

"History of Wayne County, Ohio, from the days of the Pioneers and First Settlers to the Present Time" by Ben Douglass, 1878, p 154, 198, and 273.

"Will Abstracts, Estates and Guardianships, Wayne County, Ohio, 1812-1851" by Richard G. Smith p 4.

"Early Land Records of Wayne County, Ohio" compiled and arranged by Richard G. Smith p 77, 152, 156, 164, and 166.

There are of course the census of Wayne, Ashland and Richland Counties of Ohio.

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