Sometimes the story told in the Warrants and Surveys (a part of the Northern Neck land granting process) is not easy to understand. When Craig Kilby is confused, or does not understand what is said in the warrant and surveys, the rest of us are in trouble.
In his response to my last note, he mentioned a name which I do not remember ever hearing or seeing before.
Craig wrote,
". . . adjacent Conrad Amberger in John Fink's line (Orange Co. DB 1, pp. 258-262)." [He added also this came from a 1736 deed.]
Usually, the Germanna history does not have a John Finks in this time period. The story is that Mark Finks came alone to the Robinson River Valley in the early 1730s. By 1734 he was a member of the first Grand Jury impaneled in Orange Co. (along with William Carpenter and George Utz). About this time, Mark Finks married, so he would not have any grown children, until at least into the later 1740s.
Now, the 1739 tithables list for Orange Co. shows two tithables for Mark Finks, who was never a slave holder. This second tithable, another white male, over the age of 16, has been an unknown. I have previously interpreted this as a younger brother of Mark Finks who left few records.
A book of Wayman genealogy says that Zacharias Blankenbaker (son of John Nicholas) married a widow, Alcy, who had been married to a Finks. She had two daughters before 1750. She married Zacharias about 1749. (Alcy's maiden name is unknown.) I have tentatively assigned this younger brother of Mark Finks as the Finks who married her. Apparently, there was a John Finks in the community in 1736, a man old enough to own property. I have no explanation as to why John Finks was not listed as a separate individual in the 1739 tithe list.
When the family of Zacharias Blankenbaker was listed in the Baptismal Register down at the church, his two step daughters were not given. These girls interacted with Zacharias' children at the baptisms of all of the children of Alcy. In this regard it is impossible to tell there was any difference in their parentage.
Alcy's two daughters, POSSIBLY surnamed Finks, were Elizabeth, who married Peter Broyles, and Mary Magdalena, who married Henry Wayman.
Incidentally, Zacharias was born in 1715, in Germany, and if he was not married until about 1749, then he was 34 years old. For this reason, I have wondered if there were an earlier marriage, but there is no evidence of children. Then, again, the Blankenbaker men were shy and may it have taken him that long to learn how to speak to a woman.
(11 Jul 02)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.