A headstone to the memory of Sarah and John is in the churchyard of Little Saint Mary Church, Trumpington Street, Cambridge. (Headstone)

The baptism records of Cambridge show that John was married to ‘Sarah’. The I.G.I. records a marriage in Linton, Cambridge, on 2^nd March 1801 between a John Fynn and Sarah Cowling.  See the Family Tree for other earlier relatives of John and Sarah. Research is on-going to build on the knowledge of the early part of the family. Also go to Before John ' Porter' Fynn  

John was a College Porter. For the uninitiated a College Porter was rather like a Chief of Police with briefs amongst other things to fine people walking on the grass and listing those who attended chapel on Sunday. See History Page 25.  In the record of the birth, in  1819, of his son, Thomas Cowling Fynn, it is shown that he was "Porter of Bene’t College". See Corpus Christi College. From a portrait of John Fynn, dated 1848, still hanging in the Porter’s Lodge at Corpus Christi, he was ’50 years Porter of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge…’  The artist signs as 'Adolphe'. In 1847 an Otto Adolphus entered Corpus Christi as an undergraduate. Are they one and the same? Otto later took Holy Orders.  There is some suggestion (see Pickwick Papers) that the 50 years may have been nearer 44 years and indeed the College history records him as being Porter from 1804 to 1848.  Even his (Headstone) was inscribed "Upwards of fifty years porter at Corpus Christi..." Whilst he may have been Porter at Bene’t (pronounced "Bennet" but is short for Benedict) College in 1819, a subsequent post-Napoleonic War expansion of that college meant that in 1820/21 the name of the college reverted by stages to its earlier name of "The College of Corpus Christi and of the Blessed Virgin Mary". 

There is an indication in the form of graffito on silver plate belonging to Corpus Christi that John Fynn worked there in some capacity in 1801.  Review "Fane Salvers" for the evidence on College Silver.

For more details on Corpus Christi and John's role there, go to Corpus Christi College. John's role and character can also be read about in the Pickwick Papers.