Finch of Kent and Sussex

Notes on some of those mentioned in the Finch pedigree. For Alefounder and other associated families, see here.

Research in the mediæval period, before parish registers were kept, is not the same as for later times. It is often not possible to determine dates of birth, marriage and death. The kind of records that have been preserved are mainly concerned with land ownership and financial matters. These can at least provide evidence for someone living at a particular time and place, and will sometimes mention spouses, heirs and other relatives. Historians have published information on mediæval families, and some of the Finch pedigree presented here is taken from such accounts. Where I have yet to verify the information, these parts are shown in grey.

The principal sources of the as yet unverified parts of the family tree are the 1619-1621 Visitation of Kent (pub. 1898), pp14-15 and Collins (1756) The Peerage of England, vol II, 3rd edn., pp300-303. The narrative of the family prior to 'Herbert son of Herbert called Finch' (Herebertus filius Hereberti dicti Finch) given by Collins can be discounted. In particular, there is no connection to the family that held the manor of Warblington – see British History Online, taken from the Victoria County History, Hampshire, and also Calendar of the Close Rolls, Henry III, which directly contradicts the information given by Collins, p301 (I have not been able to locate his reference "Fines 7 Edwardi II. membr. 1").

Arms of Thomas Finch

Thomas Finch, 1560-1620

The arms of Thomas Finch are given in the Visitation of Kent, 1619-1621, pedigree of Herbert alias Finch on page 14: Quarterly: 1, Argent, a chevron between three griffins passant sable; 2, Sable, a fesse between three pelicans vulning themselves or; 3, Argent, six lozenges, three and three, conjoined fessewise, azure; 4, Sable, three ducks argent; 5, Or, on a cross sable five crescents argent; 6, Gules, a chevron between three estoiles of eight points argent, and for the crest, a griffin passant sable.

I have identified the origin of 5 of these quarterings: 1 Finch, 2 Pessinden, 3 Cralle, 4 Peplesham, 5 Ellis: these are shown on the family tree. Only the 6th remains obscure. Papworth (1874) suggests Pynsent of Carleton Curlieu (Leicestershire) and Urchfont (Wiltshire), but this appears unlikely. For Pynsent, the chevron is usually engrailed, the estoiles could well be mullets, and the quartering here very likely pre-dates the Pynsent arms.

Michael Finch, d1638

Finch's Farm on the 1885-1900 Ordnance Survey maps. The map also shows Kingsdown Court. Click to enlarge.
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

A younger brother of Thomas Finch. He was probably born in Milsted (no record of his baptism has been found), where his son Richard was baptised in 1607, but then lived for a while in Stalisfield, where other children were baptised between 1610 and 1618, and he was recorded as churchwarden there in 1619/20. By the time he wrote his Will in 1638, he was living in Milsted. Finch's Farm, just south of Milsted, appears on 1885-1900 Ordnance Survey maps. I have found no other record of Thomas, the main legatee named in the will: it would appear that the second son Richard became the principal beneficiary. An inventory of Michael Finche's goods and chattels has been preserved. The total given there is incorrect, it should be £17 12s 8d.

Ralfe Finch, d1590/1

Kingsdown Court and St Catherine's Church on the 1865-1866 Ordnance Survey map. Click to enlarge.
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

According to British History Online, the church (St Catherine) was an appendage to the manor. I am confident, therefore, that Kingsdown Court as shown on the map to the right is the location of Kingsdown House as mentioned in Ralfe Finch's will as it is indeed adjacent to the church.

At the start of the parish register for Kingsdown is the following inscription:

A trewe copie of y^e Regester booke of the p[ar]ishe of Kingsdowne from the yere of our Lord 1560~1561 y^e thirde yere of y^e Raigne of our soueraigne Lady Queen Elyzabeth by the grace of god of Englande France & Ireland defender of y^e faith etc vnto the present yere 1598 and the full fortithe yere of her ma^ties Raigne laud Deo

British History Online is a transcription of Bristow (1798) and refers to the church at that time as being "a very small mean building" and housing "a tomb of Bethersden marble in the chancel, with a brass plate against the east wall, erected to the memory of Thomas Finch, gent. though buried at Chichester, anno 1555, and to that of his son Ralph Finch, esq. who lies buried near it, a great benefactor to this church". A picture of the church can be seen here, but I have found no record or picture of the brass plate. The church was demolished in 1864 and replaced by one designed by Pugin.

Thomas Finch, d1555

According to Bristow (1798), Thomas Finch purchased the manor of Kingsdown in the first year of Mary I. This is supported by an entry in the Calendar of the Patent Rolls for 19 Oct 1553: "The like [a licence] for 3l. 1s. 4d., to the queen's councillor Thomas Cheine, K.G., keeper of the Cinque Ports and treasurer of the Household, to grant the manor of Kingisdowne, co. Kent, and all the lands and services there, late parcel of the possessions of the hospital or Domus Dei in the said county commonly called 'Mesondieu' of Dover:–to Thomas Finche of Fransham, co. Kent, gentleman, his heirs and assigns."

His last will and testament is in two sections. In the first part, the testament, he expresses the wish to be buried in the Subdeanery parish in Chichester. This parish, strictly speaking, the parish of St Peter the Great, had no church of its own at this time. The parishioners used a section of Chichester Cathedral, of which their vicar was a sub-dean, hence the parish name. The family did have connections with Sussex, but I have as yet not discovered any particular connection to Chichester. He gave his wife's name as Margaret, and later mentions her mother Mary Lee. This is not in agreement with the 1619-1621 Visitation pedigree ( Hovenden, 1898): I presume Margaret was his second wife.

The second part of the document, the Last Will, is supposed to deal with land: however, towards the end, further bequests of movable goods are made. One of these was to his brother [in law] William Merchall - a "portegewe" (portague), a Portuguese gold coin.

John Finch, d1511

Father of the above Thomas. Here again, the wife (Avys, which means a bird) mentioned in his last will and testament is not the one given in the Visitation pedigree, and in the family tree I have shown her as a second wife.

Harberd Finch, d1561

Eldest son of the above John. After he died, on 27 November 1561, an Inquisition Post Mortem was held, an extract of the (Latin) text of which has been published by James Greenstreet (1880) Archaeologia Cantiana v13 p340-342. The IPM was held in Faversham on 2 October 1564. In summary, Harbard Fynche, armiger, late of Lynsted in the County of Kent, gentleman, held:

• a messuage with garden near Le Ponde, Linsted Street, Lynsted, held by his son John Finch, value 13s 4d per year, the tenure being gavelkind
• 2 acres land called Syssisamons and 3 acres pasture with 5 acres meadow called Melleland, in Leneham, held by a widow called Milles in socage of his manor of New Shylve, value 30s per year, the tenure being gavelkind
• half of one messuage, one garden, and one croft of land containing by estimation two acres in all in Dudyngton, held by Francis Bourne, gentleman, in socage as of his Manor of Sharsted, value 13s 4d per year, the tenure being gavelkind
• one messuage called Lundisshe with two gardens and ten pieces of land, in all 85 acres of land and 5 acres of wood in Lynsted, Bapchilde and Tong, feoffed on 3rd September 1561 to Robert Poredge and John Chatlet to the use of Harberd Fynche for his life and after his death to the use of his son Christopher Fynche and heirs of the body of Christopher to be begotten legitimately and for failure of such issue, to the use of the rightful heir of Harberd, and that by the force of an Act of Parliament [the 1535 Stature of Uses], Harberd became the owner in free tenement
• one tenement, two orchards, one garden and 110 acres of land called Sewers in Lynsted which on 2nd September 1558 he feoffed to the use of his son John Fynche and his heirs and assigns, value £15, held of the Queen as of her Manor of Tenham by fidelity and 22s per year for all services
• one toft, one barn, one stable, two orchards and 80 acres land called Helland Field, Heyghfeld, Crystfeld, Downes Field, Butteresfee, Churchefeld, Playstoll, Playstollcroft, and Masons grove in Linstead which on 2nd September 1558 he feoffed to the use of his son William and his heirs and assigns, valued at £12 per year, held held of the Queen as of her Manor of Tenham by fidelity and 16s per year for all services and demands
  

William Finch, d1480/1

An explanation of his will might be useful. It is dated 1 December 1480 and was proved on 15 February 1480 (Julian calendar), which we would now consider to be 1481 (Gregorian calendar). At this time, prior to the 1540 Statute of Wills, land could not be devised, only inherited as prescribed by law. The way around this was to bequeath the use of the land, which is to say, the benefit of it. The will has several clauses in which his feofees (those who held land for his benefit) were instructed instead to pay rent to his heirs. One clause mentions the use of land which he inherited from his father John, providing useful evidence for the family tree.

The practice of creating such uses was ended in 1535 by the Statute of Uses, and existing uses were converted into ownership (in most cases).

John Finch, d1477/8

The following is from the Calendar of the Close Rolls for Edward IV, dated 6 July 1470. It appears John Finch owed a large sum of money to Denise and Parnell Finch. The date mentioned in the text, 36 Henry VI, is 1457, so this money was owed for a considerable time. His manors of Netherfeld, Iklesham and Marle were seized.

Memorandum of the delivery for execution of a writ dated 9 July, 10 Edward IV, to the subsheriff of Sussex, tested at Westminster, directing the sheriff to attach John Herberd otherwise John Fynche esquire, late of Iklesham co. Sussex, who on 2 December, 36 Henry VI, acknowledged before Geoffrey Feldyng, then mayor of the staple of Calais for the admission of debtors, that he owed Denise Fynche and Parnell (Petronilla) Fynche 140l. which he should have paid on a certain day now past, but has not yet done so : whereupon an order was given to Nicholas Gaynesford late sheriff of Sussex, to arrest the body of the said John, if he be layman and to hold him in prison until the said Denise and Parnell were satisfied : and by the oath of good and lawful men, to value his lands and chattels within the bailiewick, informing the king of the manner of the execution of his commands : and the said sheriff commanded William Eltonhede bailiff of the liberty of William lord Hastynges as of his rape of Hastyngs, who has full return of all writs and their execution in the aforesaid liberty ; who reported that John Herberd could not be found within his bailiewick, but that he was seised of the manors of Netherfeld, Iklesham and Marle within the rape aforesaid in demesne as of fee, valued at 25l. and held no other lands which might be valued or taken into the king's hands. Order therefore to grant seisin of the said manors to Parnell who has survived her sister Denise, if she so wish, to hold to her or her assigns in free tenancy until the above debt be satisfied, and to arrest John Herberd and hold him in prison ; and William Eltonhede replied that on 8 June, 10 Edward IV, he had delivered the manors to the said Parnell, but that John Herberd could not be found within the liberty of Hastynges : which answer the sheriff passed to the king. Dated Westminster, 6 July.

I find no record that John Finch ever was arrested or imprisoned, and surmise that the land value mentioned was the annual income it produced. In due course therefore, the manors would be restored to him. In the Calendar of Fine Rolls for 1477 can be found a record of a writ of diem clausit extremum for John Fynche of Sussex. This would only be issued in the event of the death of a tenant-in-chief. The implication is that he had by then regained his manors. The writ would lead to an Inquisition Post Mortem. Many IPMs have been published, but as yet, this is not one of them. In this case, however, it is clear that he had no issue and his brother Henry inherited the manors: they are mentioned in Henry's will.

John Finche, poss d 1442

According to Weever (1631) one of the monumental inscriptions in the church at Sevington read "Iohannes Fynche Armiger, Qui obiit 19. die Mensis Maij, Ann Dom [1]442. Cuius." – John Fynche, Armiger, who died 19 May 1442. I am not sure whether this relates to John Finche, named in his will by William Finch as his father.

According to the Visitation pedigree (Hovenden, 1898), John was a son of Vincent Herbert alias Finche. I have not as yet found any evidence to support that, but neither have I found any reason to doubt it, other than the absence of John on the History of Parliament web site, which mentions only Vincent and William. However, Thomas Finch was able to convince the heralds of his ancestry and rights to the various quarterings on his coat of arms. I have shown the link on the family tree, but unless and until more evidence can be found, it is in grey.

Vincent Herbert als Finche, d after 1413

Member of Parliament for Winchelsea in 1395, January 1397 and 1402, as reported by the History of Parliament web site, where can be found a biography. Concerning reference number 1 there, his children, I have not been able to consult vol 9 of the Victoria County History of Sussex, but can say that in Archaeologia Cantiana 13, p321, Greenstreet says "by the middle of the next reign [Henry V] the property of Vincent Finch seems to have been divided, and in a manner which apparently intimates that he left two sons at least" – thus the possibility that John Finche was indeed a son is not excluded.

Reference 5, Sussex Feet of Fines number 2686 (22R2: 1398/9) says:

Vincent Fynch and Isabel his wife v. William Repown and Joan his wife; manor of Iklysham, which Nicholas Haute, chivaler, and Alice his wife hold for life of Alice; reversion to Vincent and Isabel. (File 79. No. 17.)

His claim against Robert Wykham is described below.

Vincent and his wife must have been significant benefactors of the convent of Friars Minor. The National Archives note the grant of an obit on 15 August 1413:

Title:

Grant of an obit; The warden and brothers of the convent of Friars Minor in Winchelsea, with the licence and assent of Brother Vincent Boys, their minister in England, to Vincent Vynch and his wife Isabella

The brother celebrating the mass of the Virgin at the high altar shall pray (prayers specified) for their good estate while they live, and their souls after their death, and the souls of their forbears. Their obit will be celebrated every year after their death, saying on the vigil the exequies of the dead, and on the morrow the mass of requiem. Their names shall be written in the gilt book of the convent amongst the chief benefactors, mentioned every week in chapter before the brothers and inserted in the margin of the missal at the canon or next to the remembrance of the living. That this charter be read every year at the chapter.

Vincent Herbert als Finch, d by 1386

According to the History of Parliament web site, he was Member of Parliament for Winchelsea in 1366.

He held the office of bailiff of Winchelsea and Rye from 1354. Calendar of the Fine Rolls 3 April 1354, Westminster:

Commitment during pleasure to Vincent Fynche of the office of king's bailiff of Wynchelse and La Rye, and of the keeping of the king's manor of Ihamme, so that he answer at the Exchequer for the farms, rents and other issues of the said towns and manor.    By K.
Order to John Longe, late bailiff and keeper, to deliver the same to him.

Commitment during pleasure to William Taillour of La Rye of the office of bailiff of the town and port of La Rye, so that he answer at the Exchequer for the farms, rents and other issues thereof.    By K.
Order to Vincent Fynche, bailiff of the towns of Wynchelse and La Rye, and of the king's manor of Ihame, to deliver the said office to William.

There is an entry in the Calendar of the Patent Rolls for 23 June 1362, Westminster:

Pardon to Henry Wichyndenn of his outlawry in the county of Kent for non-appearance before the justices of the Bench to answer Vincent Fynch touching a plea of debt of 8 marks, 11 s. he having now surrendered to the Flete prison, as Robert de Thorpe, chief justice, has certified.

Vincent had a brother John. There should have been an Inquisition Post Mortem for their father which would list the brothers, but I have not located it – it may be that it has yet to be published. In the absence of that, evidence is provided by Sir Thomas Heringaud's grant of lands in Icklesham to "John Vinch and his brother Vincent" in 1350. The text of this was published in the Gentleman's Magazine v208 p141 (1860) and can be seen here. This land was the subject of a claim by Vincent's son Vincent in 1386 which can be found in the De Banco Roll for the Michaelmas Term 10 Richard II, partially transcribed by James Greenstreet (1880) Archaeologia Cantiana v13 p321. The original is in Latin, and can be translated as:

"Vincent son of Vincent Fynch, by Thomas Oxenbrigge, his attorney, petitions against Robert Wykham forty acres of land, with appurtenances, in Iklesham as of right" etc.
—"And the aforesaid Vincent claims against him the aforesaid forty acres of land, with appurtenances, etc., which Thomas Heryngaud gave to John Fynch and Vincent his brother, and to the heirs of the bodies of John Fynch and Vincent his brother, and which after the death of the aforesaid John Fynch and Vincent, John Fynch who indeed died without leaving an heir of his body, the aforesaid Vincent son of Vincent, and the heir of the aforesaid Vincent brother of John Fynch, must descend by the form of the aforesaid donation" etc

Henry Herbert als Finch, d1384/5

Henry Finch acquired the manor of Netherfield. The details were discovered by Gardiner (1995). A certain Thomas de Hastings mortgaged Netherfield and other lands to Henry Finch, then a merchant of Winchelsea. The mortgage was never redeemed: Henry Finch took possession by 1349. A map showing the manor of Netherfield can be found in Gardiner (1995) page 56.

Henry Finch appears to have been quite wealthy: he owned a ship. In the Patent Rolls for 1346 can be found the following entry:

Dec. 8. Tower of London. Licence for Henry Fynche of Wynchelse to take to Gascony a ship of his, called la George, laden with victuals, which ship has been in the king's service from the time of his passage; on condition that he find the usual security. By C.

Herbert son of Herbert called Finch, b c1294

In Collins's Peerage of England, p300, is a transcript of a private record in Latin, headed Supersedeas de anno Octavo Edwardi II. in Dorso. The record can be translated as follows:

Proceeding from the eighth year of Edward II. in Dorso.

The King to the Collectors of the Scutages of the Armies of Scotland for years 28 & 31 of the reign of Lord Edward, formerly King of England our Father, in the county of Kent, greetings. Because it is clear to us by inspection of the rolls of the Chancellery of our Father himself, that our beloved and faithful Herbert Son of Herbert called Finch deceased, who held of us by capital, was below age, and in our father's custody in the times of our father's aforesaid armies, we command you, in respect of duty, while the same Herbert becomes happy for Scutage for our work for the Armies aforesaid in respect of the lands & tenements, which he holds by inheritance from the aforesaid Herbert, is superseded, and he himself is allowed to have peace. Provided, that Scutage of the fees of the soldiers which then belonged to the aforesaid heir, just as was lawful, is raised to our work. Witness the King at Westminster. 16th day of April 8th year of our Reign.

Last updated 9th April 2024 by Peter Alefounder