History Notes - Fing/Fink/Finn family

History Notes

Historical life is still busy at the museum - we actually have three events happening in the one week next month which should keep everyone "on their toes". The commemoration of the clock is also fast approaching and with-it extra things to be prepared.

This week we have a school visit and then on Friday there will be more things to do, for end of year projects. Julie is collecting photos for the 2025 calendar- she has nearly enough but if you have one that might be suitable, please get in touch quickly.

The family of Fing/Fink/Finn is still attracting attention. Most of our older residents will remember the name Finn being used by the Reading family. Some of the older family members have Finn on their headstones.

As far as history goes the first time Finn appears in a record is in 1861 in the Maitland Mercury. Robert Finn and his wife Ellen and two children were travelling in a cart, south from Barraba near Hoskisson's station (Barraba Creek Station), when he left the cart "without control" walking slowly along the track, and went over to the station to get some meat. Just as he was returning the horse started at a rapid pace and eventually brought the cart into collision with a stump, capsized the cart and which threw the horse down. Finn managed to rescue one child and then ran back to the station for help.

The stockmen lifted the cart off the mother and the other child and sent a messenger into town for the doctor. Unfortunately, the mother and young baby could not be saved. They are probably buried in the old cemetery on the north/west corner of Edward and Queen Street in Barraba. A death certificate would be very useful in this research but it is unlikely to be found.

The little boy, who gave his name as John Robert Finn, son of Robert Finn, miner, on his marriage certificate, said he was born in the early 1860s, in North Queensland. He married Harriett Ann Saunders in 1887.

Various pieces of research have been found linking a Robert Finn, who married Ellen and then in 1864 married again to a Margaret McGee. He apparently died in December, 1897, having been in NSW for 40 years.

This could very well be the man who introduced the surname Finn to the Reading family- if it was, where did the name Reading come from?