Matthews / Conner / Covey / Salts [Solt] Family History - Person Sheet
Matthews / Conner / Covey / Salts [Solt] Family History - Person Sheet
NameUnknown, F
Birth Dateabout 1750-1760
Spouses
Notes for Richard (Spouse 1)
He is listed on the 1790 Fedeal Census of Pittsylvania County, Virginia records. Pittsylvania County was created from halifax County in 1788-67. It is located in the Southern Piedmont sectoin of irginia which includes Halifax. Pittsylvania, Henry, Patrick, Franklin, Bedford, and Campbell Counties. It is situatred in sourch central Virginia touching the North Carolina border. The elevation is high, the soil is well drained and rich.686
It is not known where Richard was born. Hunter’s (1968) sources indicated that he may have lived in North Carolina at an early age. The 1790 Federal Census of Pittsylvania County, Virginia records showed: Richard Finn, 7 white souls and 1 other building. It would appear that there were five children living in the household with their parents. The time of this enumeration was between 1782-1785.
Hunter (1968) learned the names of four of Richard’s children on page 151 of Order Book 10 of the Pittsylvania County, Virginia, dated March 1802. The document reads: “Ordered that overseers of the poor for the county do bind out Peter Finn, William Finn, James Finn and David Finn, children of Richard Finn, as followeth to wit, William and James Finn to Thomas Stewart, David Finn to William Smith, and Peter Finn to Thomas Tiffin in such manner as the law directs.”849
Richard was about fifty years old when his sons were bound out. The reasons for this action are not known. The one big historical event two decades earlier was the Revolutionary War. We have no definite proof yet that Richard was directly involved, but he was old enough to have fought in the war. His children were born between 1770 and 1790; during the war and the decade following.
There is some evidence that Richard may have been exploring in Kentucky between 1798 and 1801. His sons would have been teenagers; old enough to accompany their father. It seems reasonable that they might have participated in exploring expeditions before actually moving the family.
A study of the tax records of Jessamine, Adair, and Washington counties of Kentucky, indicate that Richard and his sons migrated into the central area of Kentucky permanently about 1803. Richard and his son, William, paid taxes on land located on Hickman Creek in Jessamine County, Kentucky in 1804.850 They both owned land on big Creek in Adair County in 1806-07.851
Richard and his son Peter appear in the Federal Census of Jessamine County in 1810. They were moving between counties during this period of time. In 1816, William, Peter and James paid taxes in Adair County. William, though living in Adair, also paid taxes on fifty acres of land that he owned in Washington county, Kentucky. Richard’s son, Joseph, was in Adair by 1819. Richard and three of his sons show up on the 1820 Federal Census of Adair County, Kentucky. So by 1820 the Finn family was well established in Adair County.686
Another son, David, had moved into the county and owned land by 1827. He owned two hundred acres on Big Creek near his father’s property. Richard may have married again since there is a small child in his household in 1821. The Finn family was not the only inhabitants of Adair County, Since the tital population was eight thouusand, seven hundred sixty five in 1820.
Hunter included an interesting reference in her research, which I have typed out here. — John Frederick Dorman, Virginia Revolutionary Pension Applications, Volume 35, Abstract, R 34222, Washington, D.C. 1980, pp. 55-56. A William Finn (who is presumed to be Richard’s brother, born about 1755, as opposed to Richard’s son, William, born about 1787/88, or his grandson, William, born 1813) of Jessamine County, KY applied for a pension based on his military service in the Revolutionary War. It reads:
“Fain (Finn), William R. 3422. 20 May 1833. Jessamine Co., KY. William (X) Fain of said county, aged 73, declares he was drafted as a militia man in 1781 and served with Capt. Lifus Shelton in September and marched and joined the regular army under Gen. Washington. He was at the seige of Yroktown and served three months. When drafted he was a resident of Patrick Co., VA.
16 May 1833. Adair Co., KY. George Stults and Richard Finn declares William was a citizen of Patick Co., VA, and is now a citizen of Jessamine Co., KY. He was drafted as a militia man in September 1781 under Capt. Lifus Shelton and was at the seige of Yorktown and served three months.
This document would seem to suggest that Richard and this William may be brothers. They are approximately the same age. Both William and Richard lived in Patrick County, VA after the Revolution. (Patrick County was formed from Henry County, and Henry county from Pittsylvania County). Both men settled in Jessamine County, KY around 1795/1800. William stayed in Jessamine, whereas Richard moved on and established his family in Adair.
In conclusion, Hunter quotes a letter sent to her by another Finn researcher. In the letter, the author is convinced that the two are brothers and the name Finn is sometimes found as Fain for the same person. Fain seems to be the earliest use.
It is not known where Richard was born. Hunter’s (1968) sources indicated that he may have lived in North Carolina at an early age. The 1790 Federal Census of Pittsylvania County, Virginia records showed: Richard Finn, 7 white souls and 1 other building. It would appear that there were five children living in the household with their parents. The time of this enumeration was between 1782-1785.
Hunter (1968) learned the names of four of Richard’s children on page 151 of Order Book 10 of the Pittsylvania County, Virginia, dated March 1802. The document reads: “Ordered that overseers of the poor for the county do bind out Peter Finn, William Finn, James Finn and David Finn, children of Richard Finn, as followeth to wit, William and James Finn to Thomas Stewart, David Finn to William Smith, and Peter Finn to Thomas Tiffin in such manner as the law directs.”849
Richard was about fifty years old when his sons were bound out. The reasons for this action are not known. The one big historical event two decades earlier was the Revolutionary War. We have no definite proof yet that Richard was directly involved, but he was old enough to have fought in the war. His children were born between 1770 and 1790; during the war and the decade following.
There is some evidence that Richard may have been exploring in Kentucky between 1798 and 1801. His sons would have been teenagers; old enough to accompany their father. It seems reasonable that they might have participated in exploring expeditions before actually moving the family.
A study of the tax records of Jessamine, Adair, and Washington counties of Kentucky, indicate that Richard and his sons migrated into the central area of Kentucky permanently about 1803. Richard and his son, William, paid taxes on land located on Hickman Creek in Jessamine County, Kentucky in 1804.850 They both owned land on big Creek in Adair County in 1806-07.851
Richard and his son Peter appear in the Federal Census of Jessamine County in 1810. They were moving between counties during this period of time. In 1816, William, Peter and James paid taxes in Adair County. William, though living in Adair, also paid taxes on fifty acres of land that he owned in Washington county, Kentucky. Richard’s son, Joseph, was in Adair by 1819. Richard and three of his sons show up on the 1820 Federal Census of Adair County, Kentucky. So by 1820 the Finn family was well established in Adair County.686
Another son, David, had moved into the county and owned land by 1827. He owned two hundred acres on Big Creek near his father’s property. Richard may have married again since there is a small child in his household in 1821. The Finn family was not the only inhabitants of Adair County, Since the tital population was eight thouusand, seven hundred sixty five in 1820.
Hunter included an interesting reference in her research, which I have typed out here. — John Frederick Dorman, Virginia Revolutionary Pension Applications, Volume 35, Abstract, R 34222, Washington, D.C. 1980, pp. 55-56. A William Finn (who is presumed to be Richard’s brother, born about 1755, as opposed to Richard’s son, William, born about 1787/88, or his grandson, William, born 1813) of Jessamine County, KY applied for a pension based on his military service in the Revolutionary War. It reads:
“Fain (Finn), William R. 3422. 20 May 1833. Jessamine Co., KY. William (X) Fain of said county, aged 73, declares he was drafted as a militia man in 1781 and served with Capt. Lifus Shelton in September and marched and joined the regular army under Gen. Washington. He was at the seige of Yroktown and served three months. When drafted he was a resident of Patrick Co., VA.
16 May 1833. Adair Co., KY. George Stults and Richard Finn declares William was a citizen of Patick Co., VA, and is now a citizen of Jessamine Co., KY. He was drafted as a militia man in September 1781 under Capt. Lifus Shelton and was at the seige of Yorktown and served three months.
This document would seem to suggest that Richard and this William may be brothers. They are approximately the same age. Both William and Richard lived in Patrick County, VA after the Revolution. (Patrick County was formed from Henry County, and Henry county from Pittsylvania County). Both men settled in Jessamine County, KY around 1795/1800. William stayed in Jessamine, whereas Richard moved on and established his family in Adair.
In conclusion, Hunter quotes a letter sent to her by another Finn researcher. In the letter, the author is convinced that the two are brothers and the name Finn is sometimes found as Fain for the same person. Fain seems to be the earliest use.