William Finlayson (churchman)
Encyclopedia
William Finlayson was a churchman and farmer in the early days of South Australia
, and father of nine children including two sons prominent in the early days of that colony.
, he and his wife, née Helen Harvey (born Edinburgh 1811 – 20 October 1884), arrived at Holdfast Bay
in the "John Renwick" around 7 February 1837, just seven weeks after Governor Hindmarsh. as missionaries with the Baptist Missionary Society
of England.
Somehow his missionary ambitions failed to materialise. He found employment with the South Australian Company, keeping sheep at Brownhill Creek with Samuel Sleep. He leased a nearby property of 164 acres from the South Australian Company, which he farmed while living in a cottage in Adelaide. By 1853 he had built a substantial residence "Helenholm" (frequently "Helenholme"), named for his wife, and in 1855 converted his land title to freehold.
He was a member of Robert Cock
's 1937 exploration party that climbed Mount Barker
and reached Lake Alexandrina
. They were fearful of encountering the warlike Peramangk
and Kaurna
inhabitants, but never saw one, though no doubt their progress was being closely observed.
Adelaide's first Strict Baptist
church meeting was held in July or September 1838 at his cottage in Rundle Street (later the site of Charles Birks' shop) with David McLaren acting as pastor.
He was one of the founding members of the first Congregational Church under the leadership of T. Q. Stow, then from 27 September 1857 acted as pastor (initially co-pastor) of Zion Chapel in Hanson Street (later renamed as part of Pulteney Street
), a position he held for 40 years. Jacob Abbott was co-pastor for some years before moving to the new church at Stepney 1860 to 1877.
He was, with Thomas Playford (1795 – 1873) and Thomas Mugg (1794 – 1880), a founding trustee of the Mitcham General Cemetery.
In October 1895, he donated around 2 acres of land at Mitcham for the benefit of the destitute elderly, on which the 'Andrews Homes' were built, using money left by Mrs E.W. Andrews of Glenelg.
.
He was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution and even while young was a keen church-goer. He ran a Sunday-school in George Street, Stepney
for the Rev. Allan W. Webb which became one of the most popular in Adelaide. He was appointed deacon of the Zion Chapel in Pulteney Street, Adelaide
and in 1871 was appointed co-pastor, serving the churches in Pulteney Street, George Street and another at Burnside
. He followed his father as pastor of Zion Church in December 1897. (Attendance at the Zion chapel later fell away and was used by Plymouth Brethren
then the Salvation Army
, where it served as a soup kitchen
during the Great Depression
).
He was secretary of the Adelaide City Mission for more than 25 years.
He was a regular and prominent participant in YMCA midday prayer meetings for 35 years.
He married Elizabeth Cornish (1842 – 1880) ca. 1862 and moved to the city in 1877. They had eight children, one of whom, Frank Arthur Finlayson (1864 – 11 October 1895), a talented cricketer, was involved in a tragic cricketing accident in 1885 at the Adelaide Oval
which resulted in the death of another player, Ernest A. Stow, a son of Judge Stow
and grandson of T. Q. Stow.
He married the widow of Charles Bowen (née Elizabeth "Edith" Burford (ca.1832 – 28 January 1900), eldest daughter of W. H. Burford
) in 1884.
He died at "Helenholm" after several months' severe illness, and was buried at Mitcham cemetery.
, was born at "Helenholm". He was educated at George Mugg's school and Adelaide Educational Institution.
J.H. Finlayson joined The Register in 1861 and became head reporter 1866, a proprietor in 1877 and editor in 1878. He resigned in 1899 due to ill-health and went to England. There he was appointed resident reporter until retiring and returning to Adelaide in 1908, dying 7 years later. As an editor he was an outspoken supporter of female suffrage, free secular education, free trade
between the Colonies, and Federation
. He was an active Congregational churchman, and was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1880.
He married Alice Shoobridge (ca. 1847 – 6 June 1933) on 20 March 1878. They had a son Harvey Pym Finlayson, and a daughter Katharine, ("Kate").
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, and father of nine children including two sons prominent in the early days of that colony.
William Finlayson
Born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, he and his wife, née Helen Harvey (born Edinburgh 1811 – 20 October 1884), arrived at Holdfast Bay
Holdfast Bay
Holdfast Bay is a small bay in Gulf St Vincent, next to Adelaide, South Australia. Along its shores lie the City of Holdfast Bay and the popular beach-side suburb of Glenelg.-European settlement:...
in the "John Renwick" around 7 February 1837, just seven weeks after Governor Hindmarsh. as missionaries with the Baptist Missionary Society
Baptist Missionary Society
rightBMS World Mission is a Christian missionary society founded by Baptists from England in 1792. It was originally called the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, but for most of its life was known as the Baptist Missionary Society...
of England.
Somehow his missionary ambitions failed to materialise. He found employment with the South Australian Company, keeping sheep at Brownhill Creek with Samuel Sleep. He leased a nearby property of 164 acres from the South Australian Company, which he farmed while living in a cottage in Adelaide. By 1853 he had built a substantial residence "Helenholm" (frequently "Helenholme"), named for his wife, and in 1855 converted his land title to freehold.
He was a member of Robert Cock
Robert Cock
Robert Cock was one of the first European explorers of the Adelaide region of South Australia following the establishment of the new colony in December 1836...
's 1937 exploration party that climbed Mount Barker
Mount Barker (South Australia)
Mount Barker is a mountain just outside of the town of Mount Barker in South Australia.The mountain is the home to a transmission tower that services SAGRN and mobile phone transmissions throughout the area.- History :...
and reached Lake Alexandrina
Lake Alexandrina (South Australia)
Lake Alexandrina is a lake in South Australia adjacent to the coast of the Southern Ocean, about 100 kilometres south-east of Adelaide.-Name:The lake was named after Princess Alexandrina, niece and successor of King William IV of Great Britain and Ireland...
. They were fearful of encountering the warlike Peramangk
Peramangk
The Peramangk are an Indigenous Australian people whose traditional lands are primarily located in the Adelaide Hills, but also in the southern stretches of the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia...
and Kaurna
Kaurna
The Kaurna people are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands include the area around the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. Pronunciation of the word "Kaurna" varies slightly by the background and origin of the speaker; the most common is English , sometimes , native or, less...
inhabitants, but never saw one, though no doubt their progress was being closely observed.
Adelaide's first Strict Baptist
Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
church meeting was held in July or September 1838 at his cottage in Rundle Street (later the site of Charles Birks' shop) with David McLaren acting as pastor.
He was one of the founding members of the first Congregational Church under the leadership of T. Q. Stow, then from 27 September 1857 acted as pastor (initially co-pastor) of Zion Chapel in Hanson Street (later renamed as part of Pulteney Street
Pulteney Street, Adelaide
Pulteney Street is a main road which runs north-south through the middle of the eastern half of the Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia...
), a position he held for 40 years. Jacob Abbott was co-pastor for some years before moving to the new church at Stepney 1860 to 1877.
He was, with Thomas Playford (1795 – 1873) and Thomas Mugg (1794 – 1880), a founding trustee of the Mitcham General Cemetery.
In October 1895, he donated around 2 acres of land at Mitcham for the benefit of the destitute elderly, on which the 'Andrews Homes' were built, using money left by Mrs E.W. Andrews of Glenelg.
Children
William Finlayson had nine children.- Jane Connell Finlayson, (ca.1837 – ca.1926) never married. Reputedly the first (white) girl born in the colony of South Australia. Another source has her born in Glasgow.
- Robert Kettle Finlayson (27 April 1839 – 27 March 1917)
- William Finlayson jun. (18 May 1841 – 20 August 1925) was educated at Adelaide Educational Institution, but did not figure prominently in the prize lists. He was employed at D & J Fowler's grocery warehouse and took over their retail outlet at 70 King William StreetKing William Street, AdelaideKing William Street is the part of a major arterial road that traverses the CBD and centre of Adelaide . It was named by the Street Naming Committee on 23 May 1837 after King William IV, the then reigning monarch, who died within a month...
when the company went strictly wholesale around 1870. He sold that business to Crawford & Co. around 1890 to concentrate on his mining interests.
- There was a first wife (ca.1842 – 8 February 1875), name and date of marriage yet to be found by whom he had two daughters.
- He married Emily Hambly Nickels ( – 1917) on 10 December 1879. by whom he had two sons.
- According to one report, his widow married William Burford and nursed him in his last years. Burford died in 1925. If true, this could only mean that he married a third time.
- John Harvey FinlaysonJohn Harvey FinlaysonJohn Harvey Finlayson , editor and part-owner of the South Australian Register, was born at "Helenholm", Mitcham, South Australia...
(3 February 1843 – 30 March 1915) - Helen Harvey Finlayson (11 September 1846 – 8 June 1890) married William Ambrose of Mannum She died after falling from a trap driven by her father.
- Ebenezer Finlayson (25 October 1848 – 2 October 1913) was also educated at Adelaide Educational Institution. He served as navigator on the River Murray with Captain Randell, then in business in partnerships Finlayson & Parsons and Finlayson & Gollin.
- Jessie Grace Finlayson (26 Sep 1850 – 3 August 1931) never married.
- Elizabeth Mary Christina "Bessie" Finlayson (26 August 1852 – 9 December 1946) m. Herbert Nickels of Forreston 27 September 1876
- Hannah Finlayson (8 Jul 1854 – 2 September 1928) m. Capt. William Beavis Randell (1856 – 1917) of Gumeracha
- John Harvey Finlayson
R. K. Finlayson
Eldest son Robert Kettle Finlayson (27 April 1839 – 27 March 1917) was born in North Adelaide and spent his younger days on their farm in MitchamMitcham, South Australia
Mitcham is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Mitcham.Created as a village separate from Adelaide , it was ancillary to a sheep station at Brown Hill Creek belonging to the South Australia Company. Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Kaurna aboriginal people...
.
He was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution and even while young was a keen church-goer. He ran a Sunday-school in George Street, Stepney
Stepney, South Australia
Stepney is a small triangular near-city suburb of Adelaide within the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters. Stepney contains a mix of retail, manufacturing, professional services and distribution outlets within a cosmopolitan population strongly influenced by post World War II immigration...
for the Rev. Allan W. Webb which became one of the most popular in Adelaide. He was appointed deacon of the Zion Chapel in Pulteney Street, Adelaide
Pulteney Street, Adelaide
Pulteney Street is a main road which runs north-south through the middle of the eastern half of the Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia...
and in 1871 was appointed co-pastor, serving the churches in Pulteney Street, George Street and another at Burnside
Burnside, South Australia
Burnside is a small suburb that is part of the City of Burnside in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide. It is primarily a residential suburb, and was one of the first suburbs of Adelaide...
. He followed his father as pastor of Zion Church in December 1897. (Attendance at the Zion chapel later fell away and was used by Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
then the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, where it served as a soup kitchen
Soup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
).
He was secretary of the Adelaide City Mission for more than 25 years.
He was a regular and prominent participant in YMCA midday prayer meetings for 35 years.
He married Elizabeth Cornish (1842 – 1880) ca. 1862 and moved to the city in 1877. They had eight children, one of whom, Frank Arthur Finlayson (1864 – 11 October 1895), a talented cricketer, was involved in a tragic cricketing accident in 1885 at the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
which resulted in the death of another player, Ernest A. Stow, a son of Judge Stow
Randolph Isham Stow
Randolph Isham Stow was an English-born Australian Supreme Court judge.Stow was born in Framlingham, Suffolk, England, the eldest son of the Rev. Thomas Quinton Stow and his wife Elizabeth, née Eppes...
and grandson of T. Q. Stow.
He married the widow of Charles Bowen (née Elizabeth "Edith" Burford (ca.1832 – 28 January 1900), eldest daughter of W. H. Burford
W. H. Burford & Son
W. H. Burford and Son was a soap and candle-making business founded in Adelaide in 1840 by William Henville Burford , an English butcher who arrived in the new colony in 1838. It was one of the earliest soapmakers in Australia, and up to the 1960s when it closed, the oldest...
) in 1884.
He died at "Helenholm" after several months' severe illness, and was buried at Mitcham cemetery.
J. Harvey Finlayson
John Harvey Finlayson (3 February 1843 – 30 March 1915), editor and part-owner of the South Australian RegisterSouth Australian Register
The Register, originally the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, was the first South Australian newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836 and folded almost a century later in February 1931....
, was born at "Helenholm". He was educated at George Mugg's school and Adelaide Educational Institution.
J.H. Finlayson joined The Register in 1861 and became head reporter 1866, a proprietor in 1877 and editor in 1878. He resigned in 1899 due to ill-health and went to England. There he was appointed resident reporter until retiring and returning to Adelaide in 1908, dying 7 years later. As an editor he was an outspoken supporter of female suffrage, free secular education, free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
between the Colonies, and Federation
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
. He was an active Congregational churchman, and was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1880.
He married Alice Shoobridge (ca. 1847 – 6 June 1933) on 20 March 1878. They had a son Harvey Pym Finlayson, and a daughter Katharine, ("Kate").
Further Reading
- Hughes, Rev. H. Estcourt Our First Hundred Years. The Baptist Church of South Australia S.A. Baptist Union, Adelaide 1937 cited in The Advertiser 16 October 1937 p.10 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/36379159
- Finlayson Book Committee Finlayson: a family of Scottish Pioneers of South Australia (Adelaide, 1987) cited by Rob Linn http://webjournals.alphacrucis.edu.au/journals/adeb/f/finlayson-william-1813-1897/
- Loyau, G. E. Notable South Australians (Adelaide, 1885) op. cit.
- Preiss, Ken and Pamela Oborn The Torrens Park Estate (Adelaide, 1991) op. cit.