Westmoreland-Franklin County PA Archives Biographies.....Findley, William

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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 13, 2018, 1:21 pm

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 HON. WILLIAM FINDLEY. One of the principal characters figuring in the Whiskey
Insurrection of 1794, and thus brought into national prominence was William
Findley. Without his biography the early history of Westmoreland County would be
incomplete, for he easily secured and successfully held a political ascendancy
over the common masses of the people of southwestern Pennsylvania which was
relaxed only with his death. William Findley was born in the north of Ireland in
1711 or 1712, and was of Scotch-Irish extraction. He was a descendant of one of
the old signers of the Solemn League and Covenant and another of his ancestors
was a prominent defender of Derry, Ireland, in the noted siege of that place. He
came to Pennsylvania at an early age and located in the famous Octorara
settlement of Franklin county, where he taught school for several terms, he
soon became quite popular, served six years as county commissioner and acquired
considerable property. During the Revolutionary war he served as a captain in
the Continental army. In 1781 he removed to Westmoreland county and settled in
Unity township, where he followed his trade of weaving for some time. He soon
became an influential member of the Presbyterian church and a prominent
political leader. He was soon elected to the Assembly as an anti-federalist, he
was a member of the Board of Censors and represented Westmoreland county in the
Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1789-90, where he introduced a
resolution in favor of educating the poor gratis. William Findley was elected to
Congress from the Westmoreland district in 1791, 1793, 1795, 1797, 1803, 1805,
1807, 1809, 1811, 1813, and 1815, and some of his old friends assert that he
would have been returned to this time had he lived. He was an able and adroit
politician and although he opposed the adoption of the Federal Constitution and
was a prominent participant in the Whiskey Insurrection, yet such was his tact
that his constituents never forsook him. He was a rather fluent talker, a strong
and forcible writer, but he was no public speaker, and secured his great power
over the common people by bis method of mingling with them.

   Findley was one of the most prominent characters identified with the Whiskey
Insurrection. His course at first, seemed to encourage open resistance to the
government, but he soon advocated obedience to the law and displayed good
statesmanship in working for compromise measures. His History of the
Insurrection was attacked by Brackenridge, and has been quoted by all
historians who have written on that subject. Findley admitted that many of his
statements wore erroneous and prepared the manuscript for a revised edition
which was lost on its way to the press. Findley is sarcastically represented by
the character of Traddle, the weaver, in Brackenridge's Modern Chivalry.

   William Findley was twice married. By his first wife, whom he married in
Franklin county, Pa., he had three children: David, an officer in the Regular
army; Nellie, who married a Carothers, and Mary, who was the wife of John Black.
Hia second wife was a widow Carothers.

   In his dress Mr. Findley was very tasteful; he was a large man; his
complexion was florid and he wore no beard. His earthly career ended on the 5th
day of April, 1821, when he had entered upon the eightieth year of his age. He
sleeps in his adopted county whose annals will forever preserve his name.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from
Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Compiled and Published by John M. Gresham & Co.
Samuel T. Wiley, Chief Assistant
1890




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