Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/108

 FINDLAY

FINDLEY

the stud)- of the law, gaining admission to the bar in 1.H31 and practising in Lancaster, Pa. He was captain of militia, 1840-45: recorder of the city, 1841-45; judge of the Philadelphia district court, 1845-51 ; again captain of militia, 1852-56 ; and president of the 3d judicial district of the state, 1857-62. He jnactised law in Philadelphia, 1862-85. He prepared an enlarged edition of Archbold's Law uf Xisi Prius (2 vols., 1852). He died at Spring Lake, N.J., Sept. 13, 1885.

FINDLAY, John Van Lear, representative, was born at Williamsport, Md., Dec. 21, 1839. He was a nephew of Judge John King Findlay of Philadelphia, and grandson of Gov. William Findlay. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1858, studied law, was admitted to the Maryland bar and practised in Baltimore. He served as collector of internal revenue ; as a representative in the state legislature ; as orator for Maryland on state day at the centennial expo- sition, Philadelphia, Pa.. 1876; and as representa- tive from Baltimore, Md., m the 48th and 49th congresses, 1883-87.

FINDLAY, William, governorof Pennsj'lvania, was born in Mercersburg, Pa., June 20, 1768; son of Samuel and Jane (Smith) Findlay; grandson of Samviel and Elizabeth (Brown) P'indlay ; and a brother of Col. James Findlay and of the Hon. John Findlay. He was brigade inspector of militia ; representative in the state legislature in 1797 and 1803; state treasurer, 1807-17; governor, 1817-20, and an imsuccessful candidate for re- election as governor in 1820. He was a Democrat Hud tlie Whig party in 1817 sought to defeat him in the re-election by charging irregularities in his conduct of the treasurer's office. The com- mittee of investigation exonerated him from all blame, although he offered no witnesses in his own defence. He laid the corner stone of the state capitol at Harrisburg during his adminis- tration, and in 1821 he was elected U.S. senator, serviag until March 3, 1827. He was appointed treasurer of the U.S. mint at Philadelphia by President Jackson and served, 1827-40 He married in 1791, Nancy, daughter of Archibald Irwin. He died at Harrisburg, Pa., Nov. 12. 1846.

FINDLEY, Samuel, educator, -was born at West Middletown, Pa., Oct. 26, 1818 ; son of the Rev. Dr. Samuel and Blargaret (Ross) Findley. He was graduated from Franklin college, Ohio, in 1839, and from the Allegheny, Pa., theological seminary in 1842, being ordained in October of that year as a clergyman of the Associate Re- formed church. In 1843 he was installed pastor at Troy, Ohio. In 1846 he accepted the princi- palship of Edinburg academy at Wooster, Ohio, retaining the position two years. He was princi- pal of Chillicothe female college, 1850-53, and president ot Madison college, 1853-56. In 1857

he liecame pastor of the Sixth Presbyterian church (O.S. ) at Pittsburg, Pa., and from 1859 to 1861 was editor of the Pennsylvania Teacher. He resigned his pastorate in 1861 to accept the chair of logic and rhetoric in the Western imiver- sity of Pennsj'lvania, which he held until 1863. In 1865-70 he was a professor in the Western military academy at Dayton, Ohio, and pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian church in the same city. He was pastor at Carlisle, Ohio, 1870-78, Somer- ville, Ohio, 1879-83, and Roxabell, Ohio, 1884-89. He published Bambles among the Insects (1878). He died at Roxabell, Ohio, Nov. 2, 1889.

FINDLEY, Thomas Maskell, educator, was born in West Jlaluming. Pa., Sept. 29, 1847; son of William Marshall and Eleanor (Caruthers) Findley ; .grandson of Abel Findley and Richard E. Caruthers, anil a descendant of William Find- ley. representative in congress eleven terms, 1701- 1817. He was graduated from Monmouth college, 111., in 1874 and from 1874 to 1876 was principal of Morning Sim, Iowa, high school. He was gi-adu- ated from Princeton theological seminary in 1879 : was pastor of the Presbyterian cliurch at Indi- anola, Iowa, 1880-83, and in the latter year founded and became president of Pierre univer- sity. South Dakota. In 1885 he resigned the presidency and became pastor of the Ninth Pres- byterian church, St. Paul, Blinn. From 1887 to 1898 he was pastor of the Second Presbj'terian church of Duluth, Minn., and on Nov. 1, 1898, became pastor at large of St. Cloud presbytery, with headquarters at Spicer, Minn.

FINDLEY, William, representative, was born in tlie nortli of Ireland about 1750. He immi- grated to the United States at an early age and settled in Pennsylvania. He served throughout the Revolutionary war and was a member of the state convention that adopted the Federal con- stitution. He subsequently served in the state legislature and was a representative in the 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th congresses, serving 1791-99 and 1803-17. He published Pevievt of the Fundiwj System ( 1794) ; and IIist(»-y of the Insurrection of the Fovr Western Counties of Pennsylvania (1798). He died in Unity Township, Pa., April 5, 1821.

FINDLEY, William Thornton, clergyman, was born in West Middletown, Pa., June 2, 1814; son of the Rev. Dr. Samuel and Margaret (Rossi Findley. He was taken to Ohio at the age of ten and was gi'aduated at Franklin college. New Athens, Ohio, in 1839. In the same year he was ordained a clergj'man of the Associate Reformed church. He was pastor at Chillicothe, Ohio, 1848-55, of the First church, Springfield. Ohio. 185.5-59, and at Xenia, Ohio, 1859-69, and prin- cipal of Chillicothe academy with his brother, 1850-54, He was editor of the Faviily Treasure