(1) The Bible does not have a date for the great flood.
The birthdate for Noah's grandson, Arphaxad, has been computed to be
born about 2,342 BC. Genesis 5:32, states "After Noah was five hundred years old,
Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth."
That would place Noah's birth around 2,900 BC. Modern archeologists have found
evidence placing the flood around 5,000 or 10,000 years BC.
See Footnote 4 for problems in computing dates.
(2)Carrie Alexander Wood, shows we are descended
from Noah's son Japheth, father of the Gentiles, and grandson Gomer. The Bible lists Gomer's children Ancient Middle East Maps - The nations of Noah's descendants (Genesis 10)
as Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah,
Wood adds Boath which is consistent with the
The Book Leinster 1150 A.D..
She lists among her sources The Chart of Descent of House of FINLEY, from Manuscript Pedigrees at the Society of Genealogists, London, derived from Annals of Four Masters; CRONNELLY's Irish Families; and KEATING's History of Ireland.
Ruth Moore in her chart "House of FINLEY Traced Back To ADAM and EVE"
shows we are descended from Noah's son Shem.
Moore's sources are with information taken from the Holy Bible and the Pedigree Chart of Queen ELIZABETH and the Royal Family of Great Britain.
See according to Finley Findings International VOL 1.
The genealogies come back together again at Gaodhal.
(Wood shows Gaodhal 6 generations from Noah, Moore shows 19 generations).
See Finley Findings International Introduction by Tim M. Kessler.
Moore's version follows the Jewish line thru Judah as follows:
See biblical genealogy.
(3) Some say that Scots and Scotland got its name from Scota, wife of Neull.
Others say it came from the wife of Milesius, brother of Colla Haish;
She was also named Scota and was the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh.
Still others say the
name "Scots" is derived from the word Scythia.
(4) Many dates are counted from the creation of the world (anno mundi; abbreviated to AM).
This scheme is the basis of the Jewish calendar which came into popular use about the 9th century AD.
However this period of biblical chronology abounds in intractable problems caused by discrepancies between the Jewish
and Samaritan Hebrew texts and the Greek version known as the Septuagint, by apparent inconsistencies in some of the synchronisms, and by uncertainties about the method of reckoning.
I have seen AM 0 calculated to be various dates from 3760 BC to 5200 BC.
AD - Anno Domini ("the year of the Lord")
AM - anno mundi; (the year of the World)
BC - Before Christ
CE - Common Era; New term for AD.
BCE - Befoe Common Era
(See: Discussion at American Messianic Fellowship (AMF),
Britannica Article)
(5) Numbers in front of some names refer to generations back from 2000.
Reliable genealogy records generally do not exist prior to AD 1500 except for certain
royal lines. S. H. Finley's, 1934 genealogy goes back to John Finlay (1356-1425)
with reference to his grandfather Archibald. See Sources below for more notes.
13th century to present:
Below numbers are from Stout's Finley Genealogy.
See James Family Tree for an explanation of the numbers.
Ia Fearchar MCFINLAY (b. 1236, Aberdeenshire)
. +Heiress of Patrick MCDONACHADH
. IIb Archibald Finlay (d. bfr 1336 )(Served in the Battle Largs 1263)
.. + Margaret ROBERTSON
.. IIIc William Finlay, the Royal Forester of King Robert I.
... + Isobel DEMPSTER
... IVa Andrew Finlay (b. 1344) sheriff of Perth
.... + Marjorie MCDONALD
.... Vb John Finlay (Finley),(b. 1356 Scot.; d 1445 Scot.)
. Bishop of Dumblane Perthshire 1406. Reginald the Isles, Thane Glentilt
..... +Elanor Stewart (daughter John Stewart Fortengal)
..... VIa John Finley (b. ?; d. 1461; lived in Tp. Kathyk Scot.)
....... +Mary McRae
...... VIIa John Finley (b. 1457 (Perthshire, Scotland? ); d. prior to 1507; lived in Pentacost, Scot.)
....... +Janet/Joneta Roger
....... VIIIb Andrew Finley (b. Abt 1483 Perthshire, Scot.; d. ?; lived in Pentacost, Scot.)
........ +Janet Hay
........ IXf James Finley (b. 15 Sep 1530; lived in Balchrystie, Fifeshire, Scot.; d. 26 Mar 1597)
........ +Elizabeth Warrender
......... James Family Tree
......... Xn John Finley (b. 8 Jun 1579 Balchrystie, Scotland; d. 6 Oct 1670)
........... +Sarah Craigie (b. ?; d. th: 6 OCT 1670)
.......... XIm James Finley (b. 9 Sep 1631 Newburn Parish, Balchrystie, Scot.; d. 16 Feb 1681)
........... +Margaret Mackie (b. ?; d. 1672 Incharvie(?),Fife,Scotland)
........... XIId Alexander Finley (b. 30 Jul 1667 Inchervie, St. Andrew's, Fife, Scot.; d. 28 Jan 1736 Dublin Ir)
............. +Margaret Jennings (b. 1668; d. 1742 Dublin,Ireland)
............. 2-2 James Finley (b. 1687/8, Dublin, Ireland; d. 1753 Green Twp., Cmbr Co., PA)
.............. +Elizabeth Patterson (b. 1690; d. 1753-55 Franklin Co,PA)
............... 3-2-1 John Finley (b. 1706, Dublin, Ireland; d. 1773 Augusta Co., VA)
............... Joseph Finley (b. 1708, Dublin, Ireland; d. Kent Co., DE)
............... 3-2-3 Samuel Finley (b. 1708, Dublin, Ireland; d. BEF NOV 1763 Augusta Co., VA)
............... Robert Finley (b. 1710, Dublin, Ireland; d. BEF NOV 1772 Cumberland Co., PA)
............... 3-2-5 William Finley (b. 1712, Dublin, Ireland; d. 1789 Augusta Co., VA)
................. +Mary Wallace (b. Abt 1712 Dublin,Ireland; d. Bef 1783 Augusta Co,VA
................. 4-2-51 John Finley (b. 15 Dec 1737 in Augusta Co,VA; d. Bef 25 OCT 1802 in Augusta Co,VA)
.................. +Esther Reid (b. 1782;d. prior to 1802)
.................. 5-2-511 James Finley (b. 1783, Staunton, Augusta Co., VA; d. 1866, Lincoln Co., MO)
.................... +Mary (Patsy) Ramsey (b. 1786/96 d. 1851)
.................... 6-2-5111 Andrew Ramsey Finley (b. 1818, Shelbyville, KY; d. 1896, Santa Ana, CA)
...................... +Caroline Gibson (b. 1830, Lincoln Co., Mo; d. 1901, Santa Ana, CA)
............... 3-2 Thomas Finley b: NOV 1714 in Dublin, Ire; d. ? Cumberland Co., Pa
............... 3-2 Andrew Finley b: 18 APR 1717 in Dublin, Ire; d. 1806 in York Co., Pa.
............... 3-2 Samuel Finley b: 17 Jan 1717/18 in Dublin, Ire; d. 1804 in Cumberland Co., Pa
............... 3-2 George Finley b: 28 NOV 1719 in Dublin, Ire; d. ? Westmoreland Co., Pa
............... 3-2 James Finley b: 10 JUL 1720 in Chester Co., PA; d. 1790
................ +Agnes Reid
................. 4 James Finley
....................... +Mary Henderson
............. 2-3 Samuel Finley (b. 1689 Dublin, Ireland; d. ABT 1751 in West Nottingham, Cecil Co., MD)
............... 3-3-1 John Finley b: 6 MAY 1710 in Dublin, Ireland
............... 3-3-2 David Finley b: 10 FEB 1711/12 in Dublin, Ireland
............... 3-3-3 James Finley b: 22 OCT 1714 in Dublin, Ireland
............... 3-3 William Finley b: 1716
............... 3-3-5 Samuel Finley b: 22 MAR 1717/18 in Cecil County, Maryland
............... 3-3 Richard Finley b: 1720 in Cecil County, Maryland
............... 3-3 Margaret Finley b: 1722 in Cecil County, Maryland
............... 3-3 Robert Finley b: 1724 in Cecil County, Maryland
............. 2-4 John Finley (b: 10 OCT 1691 in Fifeshire, Scot; d. ABT 1769 in York Co., PA
............. 2 Andrew Finley b: 6 APR 1692 in Fifeshire, Scot
............. 2 Catherine Finley b: 12 Mar 1693/94; d. 1695 Ire.
............. 2 Alexander Finley b: 10 Feb 1694/95 in County Armagh, Ire; d. 1773/4 in Dublin, Ireland
............. 2 Margaret Finley b: 30 MAY 1696 in Ire.
............. 2 William Finley b: ABT 1694 in Fifeshire, Scot.; d. 1772 in Ardstaw, Tyrone, Ireland
General Comments on Ancient Genealogies:
In "Give Your Pedigree the Royal Treatment: Researching Noble Lines", Ancestry Magazine 11/1/2000,
Eugene Stratton says: "The paradox is this: On the one hand, many people have one or more royal lines;
on the other, few people can really prove it.... English kings were frequently prolific, and they did
not always confine their begetting activities to their wives."
In a sidebar to the above, Gary Boyd Roberts says:
"Sixty percent or more of the American people are descended from kings.
The descent is usually derived through roughly 350 royally descended immigrants of the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries."
In "What Are We to Make of Ancient Lineages", Summer 2001, New England Ancestors,
published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Don Stone,
director of the "Ancient and Medieval Descents Project" says:
"... a number of plausible ancient lineages, ... are worth taking seriously and deserve to be
included (with discussion of their weak areas) in comprehensive treatments of the ancestry of
many modern families."
In a personal correspondence, Stone wrote: "The GEN_MEDIEVAL
mail list which is also posted at the
soc.genealogy.medieval Netnews group
(see about GEN-MEDIEVAL/soc.genealogy.medieval at rootsweb)
has had quite a lot of discussion of various
supposed Biblical connections coming through Celtic royalty.
You will see that the various pedigrees giving descents from various pedigrees giving descents from
Biblical figures to Celtic royalty are generally viewed as false."
You can search for messages at google advanced group search
for terms like "Milesius".
Information sources and reliability:
France and Stout, who built on France's work, start with Aongus Turrmheach, the Prolific in 384 B.C.
Stout says the lineage from Aongus to Fearchar McFinley,
born in the 13th century, comes from the "Manuscript Pedigrees"
at the Society of Genealogists in London.
Other sources used by France are listed in an electronic posting to rootsweb.
In a personal correspondence, Don Stone,
director of the "Ancient and Medieval Descents Project" said:
"These "manuscript pedigrees" are almost certainly not
contemporary (i.e., 13th century) documents. They are likely
the papers of a 19th century genealogist, and their value would
depend on his or her skill."
From Macbeth the links to Erc a ruler in 430 are probably reliable
because Macbeth's mother, Donada, is descended from a line rulers including
Malcom I & II, Kenneth I & II,and Donald II which were pretty well documented.
My personal opinion is the weak link is that between Feachar McFinley and Macbeth.
Macbeth was chief of Clan Fionnlaoich (a Gaelic spelling the name Finley) before becoming
King of Scotland, so we have that connection for sure.
Stout and others have made the connection from Feachar to Macbeth,
but I haven't seen what sources they used.
Wayne Johnson (waynej@alaweb.com) commented on one the Finley Message boards in Jan. 2000,
"There are enough hints to justify claiming connection with MacBeth, as long as we do not accept it as
beyond doubt."
Stout goes back to
History prior to 400 AD are largely based on myth and legend, so things are probably questionable before
then.
_____________________
In Ancient Origins Ted McCloskey states:
"After the landing of the Milesians in Ireland, there was a law made that none but the direct descendants
of Milesius should inherit any of the principalities, lordships or provincial thrones or the position of
Ard Righ (Chief Monarch) of the country. This led to the institution of the office of Ollam, whose duty
it was to keep records of genealogies of families and the gallant acts of all heroes. Thus the ancient
genealogy of Irish families is far more documented than in other countries. "
___________________________
In Irish Kings, Hugh McGough states:
"Medieval Irish monks supported claims to kingship or property and
gratified the egos' of their noble patrons by plotting their line of
descent from Adam and Eve."
____________________________
In Ancient Irish Lineage, Early states:
"The first 35 'ancestors' are the invention of those Irish monks,
who then continued with the pagan 'myths', the arrival of Mil and his
sons. From these descend all the houses, with notes as to where the
various clans branched, creating the surnames of today. "
________________________________
In History of the Scottish Crown at the British Monarchy Web site they say:
"Very little is known about many of the early Scottish kings other
than their accession dates (often because kings won their crowns by
killing other kings) and their deaths (particularly if these were
sudden and violent). Unlike Anglo-Saxon England, where clergy
such as Bede the Chronicler recorded additional details of English
kings' reigns, there are no surviving literary memorials of Pictish
kings.
The unification of Scotland began in the mid-ninth century, when
Kenneth MacAlpin became king of both Picts and Scots."
_________________________________
Sources are defined on the Finley Findings International page.
It states:
"In her unpublished genealogy, written between 1938 and 1941, the late Carrie Alexander WOOD
gives quite a detailed sketch of the earliest FINLEY family history. Dating from Adam and Eve,
she lists among her sources The Chart of Descent of House of FINLEY, from Manuscript Pedigrees
at the Society of Genealogists, London, derived from Annals of Four Masters; CRONNELLY's Irish Families;
and KEATING's History of Ireland.
Somewhat less detailed, but which would tend to confirm most of WOOD's lineage chart,
is a chart entitled,
House of FINLEY Traced Back To ADAM and EVE, submitted by Ruth MOORE, with information taken from
the Holy Bible and the Pedigree Chart of Queen ELIZABETH and the Royal Family of Great Britain."
WOOD'a early generations, agree with information included by FRANDSEN.
The FRANCE and STOUT genealogies begin with
Aongus Tuirmeach-Teamrach the Prolific 384 BC.
_____________________
In a comment on the The Declaration of Arbroath,
Robert M. Gunn, {Skyelander} states,
"The idea the Scots originally came from Scythia is most likely mythical and highly improbable."
_____________________
In Ireland's History in Maps,
Dennis Walsh states,
"Serious scholars have
always held Ireland's history is not truly knowable before about 500 AD."
_____________________
Other sources are: "The Clan Finley" By Maj. Albert Finley France, April 1942, and
"The Clan Finley", Second Edition Revised and corrected, 1956, Volume One,
Compiled and edited by Herald F. Stout, Rear Admiral, U. S. Navy (Retired)
_____________________
As far as the line following Macbeth, Finley Findings International states:
"There are several inconsistencies, both in spellings of names and in facts. However, careful examination reveals a common thread,
and this appears to be the factual record:"
"The rest of the records of FRANCE, WOOD and STOUT are fairly consistent".
"The second son of Fearchar MC FINLAY was Archibald FINDLA or FINLAY,
who distinguished himself at the Battle of Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland against the Norwegians
on 21 Oct 1263"
"The third son of Archibald FINLAY, William, became the Royal Forester of King Robert I."
_____________________
Very little is known about the kings of Dalriada apart from their
names. These are found in two mediaeval sources, the Book of Ballymote and the Pedigree of the Scottish Kings.
_____________________
_________________________
Ancient Irish Texts:
Several genealogies were written at the end of the first millennium AD:
Annals of the Four Masters - A compilation of the oral histories of
Irish kings recorded from ancient times to 1616AD. This valuable
history was archived between 1632-1636 by Franciscan monks, headed
up by Michael O'Clery.
(See: William Finnerty's page,
MILESIAN GENEALOGIES from the Annals of the Four Masters.
The Book Leinster 1150 A.D.
The Scottichronicon (Chronicle of the Scottish Nation),
John of Fordun c. 1345
The Declaration of Arbroath
Lebor Gabala Erren (Book of the Taking of Ireland)
These in turn, quote even more ancient works such as
"The Saltairs of Tara and Cashel", "The Book of Conquests and Invasions",
"The White Book" and the "History of Kings" written during the early part
of the first millennium AD.
Other histories
The Irish Pedigrees or The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation, by John O'Hart
_____________________
In Ancient Origins Ted McCloskey lists:
A history or genealogy of the Kings was compiled by order of
Cairbre Liffeachair, Monarch of Ireland in the 3rd century;
a book which is mentioned by Sir George McKenzie in his
"Defense of the Royal Line of Scotland" as having been seen by him
preserved until the last century in the Abbey of Icolmkill.
Cabre, who was monarch six generations before the advent of St. Patrick - that is,
about the beginning of the Christian era - had the White Book, and the Book of the
Conquests and Invasions written. These are quoted and repeated in the Saltair of Cashel,
cited by Keating the historian. "
"Later genealogies were commenced by King Brian Boroimhe Boru, Monarch of all Ireland
in the 10th century. These books included "The Annals of the Four Masters" by
McGeoghegan et al. These were aided later still by the Genealogical Works of Sir
Bernard Burke, Ulster King at Arms, and many other works and private papers from the
records of distinguished families, in which are quoted others far more ancient."
_________________________
In a comment on the Finley Message Forum at RootsWeb
on January 14, 2000 Wayne Johnson (waynej@alaweb.com) states:
"Some claim, and there is some evidence they are right, that
MacBeth, king of Scotland in the 11th century, was the chief of the Clan Finley before
he became king. His father was named Finley or Findley, but that was before the use of
surnames. I doubt that there is enough factual evidence to prove it, but there are enough
hints to justify claiming connection with MacBeth, as long as we do not accept it as
beyond doubt."
______________
On the same forum on January 14, 2000 Fr. Scott Archer states:
" I think some Finley researchers make a sport of
poking fun of Rear Admrl. Herald Stout's book, "The Clan Finley."
The book really isn't bad. I tend to believe the Macbeth story. I don't
think Stout just made it up."
_____________________
An Ancient History page at hometown.aol.com/cfionnla (no longer available) stated:
"Finley is a personal name and is the Anglicized version of the old Gaelic name
Fhinnlaidh. "Fhionn" (Fair or White) and "Laidh" (Hero or Warrior). There are
numerous variations of the Gaelic version; Fionnlaidh, Finnlagh & Fionnla are a few.
The name first showed up in Ireland around 200 BC.
The Finleys moved from Spain with a people known as the Milesians around 1700 BC
(see Milesius.
They would later be referred to as Scots by the Romans.
_____________________
See also The Origin of scots
See also: Terms at Scottish History and
Finley Findings International
, The Book Leinster
, The Hynes lineage from Adam
, Ancient Irish Texts
, Chronicle the Picts and Scots
, Adam Lineage
, Irish Kings
, Ancient Origins at the McClosky Page
, A Timeline of Irish History
, The Scottichronicon (Chronicle the Scottish Nation)
, Birth of Scottish Dal Riada
, The Irish Kings of Dalriada.
, Clan Donnachaidh History
, History of the Scottish Crown
, Raven Family Genealogy
, Descent through Scottish Kings
, Ireland's History in Maps
, Middle Ages
, History at U. Kans.
Return to the Finley Page.
last updated 5 Jul 2007
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