FINCH, HON. EDWARD, fourth son of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford (qv); b. 26 Apr 1756; adm. 27 May 1766; KS 1768; Capt. of the School 1772; elected head to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1773, adm. pens. 9 Jun 1773, scholar 22 Apr 1774, matr. Lent 1774; BA 1777; adm. Inner Temple year 1775/6; Cornet, 27th Light Dragoons 27 Dec 1778; Lieut., 87th Foot 7 Oct 1779; Lieut. and Capt., 2nd Foot Guards 5 Feb 1783; Capt. and Lieut. -Col., 3 Oct 1792; 2nd Maj., 19 Nov 1800, 1st Maj., 18 Jun 1801 - Apr 1808; Brevet Col., 3 May 1796; Maj. -Gen., 1 Jan 1801; Lieut. -Gen., 25 Apr 1808; Col. . 54th Foot 3 Aug 1808 – Sep 1809, 22nd Foot from 23 Sep 1809; Gen., 12 Aug 1819; travelling in Italy 1787; served in Flanders 1793-5, Ireland 1798, and on expedition to The Helder 1799; commanded the cavalry under Abercromby in Egypt 1801, and the Brigade of Guards at Bremen 1806 and on expedition to Copenhagen 1807; MP Cambridge 11 May 1789 - Nov 1819; Groom of the Bedchamber to Kings George III, George IV and William IV 27 Apr 1802 - 20 Jun 1837; d. 27 Oct 1843. DNB.
FINCH, FRANCIS, fifth son of Sir Moyle Finch, Bart., MP, Eastwell, Kent, and Elizabeth, Countess of Winchilsea, only dau. of Right Hon. Sir Thomas Heneage PC, Kt, Copthall, Essex, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household to Queen Elizabeth; b.; adm.; KS; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1611, adm. scholar 25 Apr 1612, matr. Easter 1612; BA 1615/6; MA 1629; MP Eye Feb 1623/4 - Mar 1628/9; m. Anne, only child of Michael Barker, Bildeston, Suffolk; d. c. Jan 1657/8 (will dated 14 Dec 1657, proved PCC 18 Jan 1657/8, he of Kensington, Middlesex).
FINCH, HENEAGE, 2ND EARL OF AYLESFORD, eldest son of Heneage, 1st Earl of Aylesford (qv); bapt. Albury, Surrey 27 Aug 1683 (IGI); at school under Knipe (Steward, Anniversary Dinner 1729); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 27 Jun 1700, aged 17; MP Maidstone 3 Nov 1704- 5, 1710 - 22 Jul 1719; Master of the Jewel House 8 Jun 1711 - Feb 1716; styled Lord Guernsey 1714-9; succ. father as 2nd Earl of Aylesford 22 Jul 1719; a Busby Trustee from 28 Jan 1719/20; gave £50 towards building of College Dormitory; m. 9 Dec 1712 Mary, dau. of Sir Clement Fisher, Bart.; d. 29 Jun 1757.
FINCH, HENEAGE, 3RD EARL OF AYLESFORD, only son of Heneage Finch, 2nd Earl of Aylesford (qv); b. 6 Nov 1715; styled Lord Guernsey 1719-57; adm. May 1728; in school list 1731; University Coll. Oxford, matr. 31 Jul 1732; MA 1735; DCL 1761; MP Leicestershire 20 Dec 1739 - 41, Maidstone 1741-7, 1754 - 29 Jun 1757; succ. father as 3rd Earl of Aylesford 29 Jun 1757; a Busby Trustee from 18 Apr 1758; m. 6 Oct 1750 Lady Charlotte Seymour, youngest dau. of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset KG PC, Master of the Horse; d. 9 May 1777.
FINCH, HENEAGE, 4TH EARL OF AYLESFORD, eldest son of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford (qv); b. 4 Jul 1751; in school list 1764; Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 13 Nov 1767; MA 1770; DCL 1773; Grand Tour (travelling in Italy in 1770s); MP Castle Rising 10 Jun 1772 -4, Maidstone 1774 - 9 May 1777; succ. father as 4th Earl of Aylesford 9 May 1777; a Lord of the Bedchamber 19 Dec 1777 - Dec 1783; Captain, Yeomen of the Guard 31 Dec 1783 - May 1804; Privy Councillor 31 Dec 1783; Lord Steward of the Household 30 May 1804 - resigned 19 Feb 1812; a proficient amateur artist; FRS 25 Feb 1773; FSA 26 Feb 1784; member, Society of Dilettanti 1776; Trustee, British Museum, from 1787; a Busby Trustee from 10 Apr 1783; m. 18 Nov 1781 Lady Louisa Thynne, eldest dau. of Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquis of Bath KG PC; d. 20 Oct 1812.
FINCH, HENEAGE, 5TH EARL OF AYLESFORD, son of Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford (qv); b. 24 Apr 1786; in school lists 1801, 1803; Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 19 Apr 1804; BA 1807; MP Weobley 1807 - Jan 1812; Cornet, 9th Light Dragoons 22 Aug 1811; Lieut., 20 May 1812; retired 1814; succ. father as 5th Earl of Aylesford 20 Oct 1812; Lieut. -Col. commandant, Warwickshire Yeomanry 23 May 1814 - still 1820; DL Warwickshire 1822, Vice-Lieut. 1828; FSA (by 1831); m. 23 Apr 1821 Lady Augusta Sophia Greville, fourth dau. of George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick; d. 3 Jan 1859.
FINCH, HENEAGE, 1ST EARL OF AYLESFORD, second son of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham (qv); b.; adm.; a boarder with Busby for over four years (Busby’s Account Book); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 18 Nov 1664, aged 15; DCL 22 May 1683; adm. Inner Temple 23 Nov 1662, called to bar 23 Nov 1673, Bencher 28 Oct 1677; KC 10 Jul 1677; Solicitor-Gen. 13 Jan 1678/9 - 21 Apr 1686; MP Oxford University Feb 1678/9 - Jul 1679, Guildford 1685-7, Oxford University Jan 1688/9 -98, Jan 1700/1- 15 Mar 1702/3; leading counsel for the Seven Bishops, Trinity term 1688; popularly known at the Bar as “silver-tongued Finch”; created Baron Guernsey 15 Mar 1702/3; Privy Councillor 20 Mar 1702/3 - May 1708, and from 13 Dec 1711; created Earl of Aylesford 19 Oct 1714; Chancellor, Duchy of Lancaster 14 Oct 1714 - 29 Feb 1715/6; one of original trustees of Busby’s will; author, reports of various celebrated trials and of other legal tracts; m. 16 May 1678 Elizabeth, dau. of Sir John Banks, Bart., Aylesford, Kent; d. 22 Jul 1719. DNB.
FINCH, HENEAGE, 1ST EARL OF NOTTINGHAM, eldest son of Sir Heneage Finch, Kt, MP, Kensington, Middlesex, Recorder of London, Speaker House of Commons, and his first wife Frances, dau. of Sir Edmund Bell, Beaupré Hall, Norfolk; nephew of Francis Finch (qv); b. 23 Dec 1621; at school under Osbaldeston (Wood, Athenae Oxonienses, iv, 66); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 18 Feb 1635/6, having Richard Busby (qv) as his tutor (HMC Finch MSS, I, 229-30); DCL 7 Nov 1665; adm. Inner Temple 25 Nov 1638, called to bar 30 Jan 1645/6, Bencher 29 Jun 1660, Treasurer 1661-73; MP Canterbury Apr-Oct 1660, Oxford University Apr 1661-Dec 1673; Solicitor-Gen. 6 Jun 1660 - May 1670; created baronet 7 Jun 1660; Attorney-Gen., 10 May 1670 - Nov 1673; Lord Keeper of the Great Seal 9 Nov 1673; Privy Councillor 12 Nov 1673; created Baron Finch 10 Jan 1673/4; Lord Chancellor from 19 Dec 1674; Lord Lieut. Somerset from 1674; presided as Lord High Steward at the trial of the Earl of Pembroke for manslaughter 1677, and at that of Lord Stafford for treason 1680; created Earl of Nottingham 12 May 1681; an able and zealous supporter of the Church of England and the Crown; never the subject of parliamentary attack or ever lost the confidence of Charles II; the Amri of Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel; m. 30 Jul 1646 Elizabeth, eldest dau. of Daniel Harvey, Folkestone, Kent, a Turkey merchant in the City of London; d. 18 Dec 1682. DNB.
FINCH, HON. HENRY ALLINGTON, sixth son of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford (qv); b. 11 Mar 1760; adm. 6 Jul 1769; left Whitsun 1774; d. 19 Nov 1780.
FINCH, HON. JOHN, son of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Aylesford (qv); b. 22 May 1755; adm. 3 Jun 1765; left Easter 1771; Ensign, 1st Foot Guards 30 Mar 1772; Lieut. and Capt., 22 Apr 1776; served in American War; mortally wounded in skirmish at Westfield, near New York, 26 Jun 1777; d. at Amboy, Staten Island, New York 29 Jun 1777.