William Finch

William Finch 1630-1672 and his wife Esther (1631-1673) had eight sons and one daughter Anna Marrea. The children were baptised at St Helen Bishopgate in London between 1659 and 1672
The Finch family were prominent in the City of London and there is a memorial in St.Helen's church at Bishopsgate to William Finch, Esq with a lengthy Latin inscription. From this we can discover that he was of noble birth,* a good man, just to his neighbours and indulgent to his wife and children, who died in 1672. He was "abounding in alms", as well as in wealth, which he "honestly accumulated on earth as a prudent merchant." His wife Esther was also a devout Christian, a good mother and obedient wife who died in 1673.
George Finch of Valentines, Essex was the fourth son.

from Friends of Valentines Mansion
*There is good reason to think that William Finch [born 1691] was the great-grandson of Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Heneage of Copped Hall, wife of Sir Moyle Finch, who was created Countess of Winchelsea in 1628, - but as yet no proof.
©Georgina Green, 2001
(http://www.2-sixteen.org.uk/vm) October 2002

This suggests that William born 1630 was a son of Sir Moyle Finch and Elizabeth Heneage. He had a grandson Heneage born 1697.

St. Helen's Bishopsgate: Floor slabs within the church', Survey of London: volume 9: The parish of St Helen, Bishopsgate, part I (1924), pp. 80-91. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=98363 Date accessed: 31 August 2009.
73. WILLIAM FINCH, 1672.

Gvilielmi Finch non ita
pridem mercatoris Lon
dinensis necnon Esther
castissima conjvgis qvod re
liquum est siste parvm via
tor et svspice marmor ex adver
so positvm docebit qvid de ta
lo Viro sentiendvm et qvid de
tali fœmina abi viator & pro
priæ mortis memor qva [ ]
lavde digna [i - - c - si dvio i.m.iii]

Arms at head of slab: (Argent), a cheveron (sable) between 3 griffons (sable).

'St. Helen's Bishopsgate: Monuments within the church', Survey of London: volume 9: The parish of St Helen, Bishopsgate, part I (1924), pp. 52-79. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=98362 Date accessed: 31 August 2009.
4. WILLIAM FINCH, 1672.

Wall-monument of marble with Ionic columns at the sides supporting an entablature and curved broken pediment with a cartouche of arms. In the middle is an inscription on black marble within an oval wreath of bay leaves. Below a projecting moulded shelf is a second inscribed panel between a pair of moulded corbels each with a cherub's head upon it. Below this again on an apron is a shield of arms and swags.

Arms:

(i) (Argent) a cheveron (sable) between three griffins passant (sable).

(ii) (i) impaling (argent) a cross engrailed (sable) between four pellets each charged with a pheon (argent).

The inscription is as follows:

Siste Gradum
Peripatetice, & paulisper contemplare,
Ornatissimi Microcosmi heu! breves reliquias
Nunc in pulverem redacti olim
Guilielmi Finch, Armigeri antiquâ & data
in Agro Cantij Familia oriundi
Naturæ & Gratiœ dotibus egregie nobilitati Ad Oris Corporisq.
Venustatem accessit maior Animœ pulchritudo optimis virtutibus insignitæ Quas in Christianæ Religionis testimonium et decus luculenter
usque exernit
Eximia in Deum. O. M. Pietate erga Sacros Pastores. summa-
Reverentia, Fidelitate in Principem, Justitia in Proximum Conjugali
Paternacq Indulgentia Singulari in Familiares affectu integerrima pro
pensa in Omnes Benevolentia; Linguâ castus et candidus manu supra
fidem Liberalis; Nemini turpiter obloqui, aut obtrectare solitus omnibus
benefacere, inprimis Egenis absqb, prœcinente buccina, Eleemosynis pariter ac
Thesauris plenus, quos probe accumulatos in Terra plurimos prudens Mercator
in Cœlo recondidit, Vitam tandem commutandis aliquandiu mercibus pros
pere transactam 42 Ætatis annum emensus Jun 27. 1672
Meliori quæstu cum Morte comutavit.
Relictis & bonœ spei Parvulis cum dilectissima et
Amantissima Uxore quæ in perpetuam tam chari Capuis Me
moriam Monumentum hoc, constantissimi Amoris Pignus, extruendum curavit, Ipsa interim mœrore cum Illo consepulta

Abi iam attonitus Viator, & mirare
tam probum in tam pravo seculo Virum,
aut vivere potuisse, aut debuisse
MORI.

Esther Finch Foemina castissima, Viro morigera, et curæ domesticæ dulce levamen Liberorvm (quos septem reliquit) Mater provida, Sincera pietate, alacri erga tenuiores benignitate, libera litate in omnes, morvm denique sanctitate conspicva. Viri (dvm in vivis esset) decus simul et solamen; defvncti, Vidua svpra qvamdici potest moestissima. Vixit Annos 41. Menses 5. demp tis Diebus 11. Obiit Maii Die 4. ANNO SALVTIS 1673.