Josephus Finley, Clerk of the circuit court of Cannon County, is a native of the county, and was born in 1825. He was the first of a family of nine children, six of whom are still living. His parents were Isaac and Eleanor Finley, the former a native of Tennessee, born in 1799, and was a farmer, and had held the office of magistrate and county register, holding the latter at the time of his death. The mother of our subject was born in Kentucky in 1796, and is now living at the old homestead near Woodbury. The subject of this sketch received his education in the schools of the county. In 1848 he was married to Louisa Simpson, by whom he has two children living, and who died in August 1860. He has followed farming most of his life. In 1865 he was elected clerk of the county court, and was twice re-elected. He has held the office of magistrate for the past twenty-four years, and in 1886 he was elected to his present office. In 1861 he was married to Zenobia Foster, who was born in Cannon County in 1834. They have six children, all of whom are living. Mr. Finley is an independent in politics, voting for principles rather than for party. Both he and his wife are consistent members of the church, and both are widely known highly esteemed.

Source:  The Goodspeed Histories of Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Warren and White Counties: With Biographical Sketches and Aboriginal Map of Tennessee. Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1887.