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Fynney updates


For the information of Robert G Shaw.
Regarding Fynney updates I can’t help with any information regarding your Finney Ellastone connection.
The main “discovery” has been that there was a court case heard in Chancery 1844 Cook v Fynney documented in the National Archives and elsewhere; the brief details of which are as follows.
A Thomas Cook of Lane Ends Farm, Onecote, Staffordshire made a will in 1816 (he died that year) in which he left £300 to his second son Joseph to be paid after the death of Thomas’s wife Mary.  There were 2 executors to this will;  1st  being William Fynney the younger of Butterton a neighbour to the Cook family, the 2nd being Thomas Cook Junior son of Thomas Cook who died in 1816. Thomas the younger died in 1825 leaving William Fynney the sole executor.
Mary Cook died in 1936 but no money was forthcoming to Joseph Cook he therefore took his grievance to the Chancery courts.
In 1840 William Fynney the executor died; his 2 executors being his brothers Richard and Samuel Fynney thus making them responsible for the execution of Thomas Cook will of 1816.
In 1942 Richard Fynney died leaving Samuel Fynney sole executor to the Cook will of 1816.  Due to the rules of Chancery a total of 18 people deemed to have “Conceivable Interest” were sued to appear before Chancery.
This matter dragged on through the courts until 1848 racking up costs of over £800 on a dispute over £300. Mr William Challinor a well known Leek solicitor wrote the case up in a pamphlet about the defects of the Chancery system in 1849, which he passed to Charles Dickens, no names were mentioned in this pamphlet.
Charles Dickens at that time was calling for the reform of the Chancery. What followed then was that the court case Cook v Fynney formed the basis of the case of 'Jarndyce v Jarndyce' in Dickens “Bleak House” which was published in instalments 1852-53. The Leek case appears little altered, as the case of 'Gridley' in Chapter 15.
A full detail can be found in:-
'Staffordshire Histories; Essays in honour of Michael Greenslade' Published.1999

The Fynney people concerned in this case we have traced back to Fielding Best Fynney’s line as described in Sleigh at the marriage of Mary Fynney to William Mountford. Mary being a daughter of William Fynney the Calligrapher and his wife Elizabeth Nee Machin (Sleigh page 176) and grandparents to Fielding Best Fynney 1743 - 1806.

Further message to follow re the Richard Fynney mentioned on this topic.

BoyScout2