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Buddle Atkinson Family Roots
Matthias Finucane
& Marie (Mary) Astie
This is the story of Matthius & Mary Finucane.
The story is that Matthius was born in Innes, County Clare, Ireland in 1774. Though this may be incorrect, as one family member has his year of birth as 1782; we have so far been unable to confirm one way or another. He married Marie Astie on the 12th of October 1820 in St Peters Port Town Church, Guernsey.
Mary was born in 1783 in Plymoth, Devon.
Family legend has it that he was the illegitimate son of Judge Matthius Finucane, however on the marriage record he describes his father as "John Finucane of the Town of Innes, County Clare, Ireland". Family legend also has it that he fled Ireland having killed a man in a duel. Apparently he joined the army to avoid arrest and fled with the regiment to Guernsey.
Apparently Judge Matthias Finucane is known to have had an illegitimate son called John, born in about 1771 and living in Ennis in 1821, and a cousin of Sarah's, who has done a lot of research about our ancestors, wonders if Matthias put him down as his father on his marriage certificate.
Matthius & Mary's
Children & their Families
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Matthius Finucane
Photo courtesy of Sarah Boys Stones
She thinks that Matthias was also an illegitimate son of the Judge (although she hasn’t been able to find any record of this), and that John was his half brother. She thinks that the reason that Matthias put John as his father on his marriage certificate was possibly because the Judge had disowned him when he killed a man in a duel.
Matthias Finucane was a talented artist and painter of miniature portraits and caricatures and was quite well-known in Guernsey. His first known painting in Guernsey was in 1794, which definitely points at the earlier date of birth. He was apparently a renowned drinker (there are letters in the Priaulx Library in St Peter Port referring to this) and he died (probably of drink) in 1810 and was buried on 20th April 1810 at St Peter Port Town Church.
He and Mary had three children, the first of which most likely died at birth and whose name is unknown.
By 1851 Mary was living in St Peter Port, Guernsey with her daughter Matilda and her family. She is also living with them in 1861. Mary passed away on the 29th of December 1861, aged 78 years.
Story courtesy of Sarah Boys Stones
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