William Henry Finney

As you know my Auntie Jill & Uncle John paid us a visit from the frozen north on Saturday (his words not mine lol). We got talking about genealogy and he said he wanted to trace his grandfather William Henry Finney. He has tried but got nowhere fast. I suggested he e-mailed me the information when he got back home and I would see what I could find :O)

So (Uncle John writes) ~ Grandad Finney was born in Stone, Staffs parish of St.Michaels in 1870, William Henry Finney son of William Henry Finney. Married 12 December 1910 died 17 August 1917.

On his army record he has noted a sister which is difficult to read but looks like Harriet H Haobin born at Hixon Nr.Stafford but no date. He enlisted on 19 Feb 1889 and his trade then was noted as collier. He joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers but later was in the Royal Horse Artillery where he served in S.Africa and India at the turn of the century. That is about the sum total of my findings, a pretty miserable effort so far. Whilst I am interested in his pedigree I am also curious about his army career as I understand that his battery (Q battery) was involved in a battle at Korn Spruit in S.Africa in March 1900 and all the men showed such bravery (or idiocy!) that 4 VCs were awarded. This was in itself unusual as the men chose the recipients sort of. Grandad didn't get one but Gran said he should have! As a result I understand that the battery had the honour of carrying Queen Victoria on a gun carriage at her funeral. I believe that he was involved but it would be nice to find out.

I searched the IGI & found 3 baptisms:
William Henry Finney 24 Sep 1871 at St Michael, Stone, Stafford parents William Finney & Harriet
Harriet Finney 13 March 1870 at St Michael, Stone, Stafford parents William Finney & Harriet
Emma Finney 25 Nov 1874 at St Michael, Stone, Stafford parents William Finney & Harriet

I searched the freeBMD & found 2 births:
William Henry Finney at Stone registered in the Dec qtr 1871 - 6b 26
Harriet Finney at Stone registered in the Mar qtr 1870 - 6b 34

I searched the 1871 census and think these are them:
Church Street n Row, Stone, Staffs
Harriet Finney - wife - mar - 24 - housekeeper - Sandon Staffs
Hannah Finney - Daur - Um - 1 - Stone, Staffs
Mary Finney - sister - 4 - scholar - Stone, Staffs

No head of the household but i did find this:
78 Stafford Street, Stoke-on-Trent
Charles Bamford - head - M - 28 - Beer House Keeper & Cab ???
William Finney - Serv - Mar - 23 - Cab Driver - Blyth Marsh, Staffs

I searched the 1881 census and couldn't find the parents anywhere. I did however find the children:
Union Workhouse, Stone, Staffs
William Finney - inmate - 11 - Scholar - born in Stone
Harriet Finney - inmate - 12 - Scholar - born in Stone
Mary A Finney - inmate - 8 - Scholar - born in Stone

I'm thinking that the parents must have died between 1871 & 1881 and the children ended up in the workhouse poor things.

If William Finney (the cab driver) in 1871 is the right one I think I may have found him in 1861:
1861 Census - Forsbrook, Staffs
Levi Finney - head - Mar - 37 - Ag Lab - Wenington, Staffs
Mary Finney - wife - Mar - 36 - Blythe Marsh, Staffs
William Finney - son - Um - 14 - Ag Lab - Blythe Marsh, Staffs
Joseph Finney - son - Um - 9 - Scholar - Blythe Marsh, Staffs
Sarah Finney - Daur - 7 - Scholar - Blythe Marsh, Staffs
George Finney - son - 4 - Forsbrook, Staffs
Levi Finney - son - 2 - Forsbrook, Staffs
Henry Finney - son - 5 mths - Forsebrook, Staffs

And again in 1851:
1851 census - Forsebrook, Staffs
Levi Finney - head - Mar - 27 - Ag Lab - Caverswall, Staffs
Mary Finey - wife - Mar - 24 - Stone, Staffs
William Finney - son - 4 - Scholar - Dilhorn, Staffs

There is a marriage on the IGI for a Levi Finney & Mary Whitehurst on 2 NOV 1846 at All Saints, Dilhorne, Staffs

There's also a baptism for a William Finney on 27 DEC 1846 at All Saints, Dilhorne parents Levi Finney & Mary

1841 Census - Four Trees, Checkley, Cheadle, Staffs
Sarah Finney - 44 - Collector - born in the county - yes
Levi Finney - 17 - born in the county - yes
Mary Finney - 14 - born in the county - yes

Going back to Harriet, William Henry's sister. I have found a Harriet Horobin living in Gt Heywood, Staffs on the 1901 census.
1901 Census - Farley, Gt Heywood, Staffs
Henry Horobin - head - Mar - 30 - Stock man on train - Hixon, Staffs
Harriet Horobin - wife - Mar - 31 - Stone, Staffs
Ernest Horobin - son - 5 - Hixon, Staffs
Arthur Horobin - son - 4 - Hixon, Staffs
Albert Horobin - son - 11 months - Longdon, Staffs

1891 Census - Adderley Green, Caverswall, Staffs
Samuel Ekin - head - Mar - 50 - Licensed Victicular Inn - Wellington, Salop
Harriet Ekin - wife - Mar - 36 - Derby
Harriet Finney - S - 22 - Domestic - Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs

or 1891 Census - Green Farm, Western-upon-Trent
Harriet Finney - Kitchenmaid - S - 21 - Domestic Servant - Sandon, Staffs

Harriet Finney married Henry Horobin in 1895 at Hixon, St Peter, Stafford (Staffs BMD)