William Finlayson (1813 – 18 December 1897) was a churchman and farmer in the early days of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, and father of nine children including two sons prominent in the early days of that colony.

Life

Born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, he and his wife, née Helen Harvey (born Edinburgh 1811 – 20 October 1884), arrived at

Holdfast Bay The Holdfast Bay is a small bay in Gulf St Vincent, next to Adelaide, South Australia. Along its shores lie the local government area of the City of Holdfast Bay and the suburbs of Glenelg and Glenelg North European settlement on Holdfast Bay ...

on the ''John Renwick'' around 7 February 1837, just seven weeks after

Governor Hindmarsh Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH (baptised 22 May 1785 – 29 July 1860) was a naval officer and the first Governor of South Australia, from 28 December 1836 to 16 July 1838. Family His grandfather William Hindmarsh was a gardener in Coni ...

. as missionaries with the

Baptist Missionary Society BMS World Mission is a Mission (Christian), 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 ...

of England.The Late Mr. William Finlayson
''South Australian Register'' 18 December 1897 p.7 accessed 24 July 2011 Somehow his missionary ambitions failed to materialise. He found employment with the South Australian Company, keeping sheep at

Brown Hill Creek Brown Hill Creek, also known as ''Willawilla'' in the Kaurna language, is a watercourse flowing from the Adelaide Hills through in the inner south suburbs of the Adelaide metropolitan area, in the Australian state of South Australia. It is part ...

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,Baptist Churches in Mitcham
Mitcham Local History Service and Heritage Research Centre, July 2006, last updated 3/12/2009, accessed 17 September 2011
"Helenholm" still stands at 1 Finlayson Street, Netherby and in 1855 converted his land title to freehold. He was a member of

Robert Cock Robert Cock (25 May 1801 – 23 March 1871) was one of the first European explorers of the Adelaide region of South Australia following the establishment of the colony in December 1836. History Robert was born in Dysart, Fife, Scotland in 1801, ...

's 1837 exploration party that climbed Mount Barker and reached Lake Alexandrina. They were fearful of encountering the warlike

Peramangk The Peramangk are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands traditionally comprise the Adelaide Hills, as well as lands to the west of the Murray River in mid Murraylands and through to the northern part of the Fleurieu Peninsula in the Au ...

and

Kaurna The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kaurn ...

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 Charles Birks & Co Ltd. was a South Australian department store founded by Charles Napier Birks in Rundle Street, Adelaide. His son Napier Birks took over the business in 1908. The business was acquired by David Jones Limited in 1954. History Ch ...

' 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 Thomas Quinton Stow (7 July 1801 – 19 July 1862), generally referred to as the Rev. T. Q. Stow, but also as Quinton Stow, was an Australian pioneer Congregational minister. Brian L. Jones,Stow, Thomas Quinton (1801 - 1862), ''Australian Dictio ...

, 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.Churches and Church Affairs
''The Register'' 9 August 1924 p.4 accessed 23 July 2011 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.

Family

William Finlayson married Helen Harvey (born Edinburgh 1811 – 20 October 1884) before leaving for Australia. They had nine children: *Jane Connell Finlayson, (c. 1837 – c. 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 with fellow-employee

George Brookman Sir George Brookman KBE (15 April 1850 – 20 June 1927) was a South Australian businessman who made a fortune from a gold discovery in Western Australia, and is remembered as a generous benefactor of the South Australian School of Mines and Ind ...

took over their retail outlet at 70 King William Street when the company went strictly wholesale around 1870. He sold that business to Crawford & Co. around 1890 to concentrate on his mining interests. :He married Sarah Anne Richardson (c. 1842 – 8 February 1875) in 1862; they had two daughters: :*Helen Mary Finlayson (1865–1915) :*Emily Laura "Emmie" Finlayson (1867–1956) married William Cormack Calder (c. 1870 – 2 November 1923) on 29 March 1898. Calder was with ''

The Register ''The Register'' is a British technology news website co-founded in 1994 by Mike Magee, John Lettice and Ross Alderson. The online newspaper's masthead sublogo is "''Biting the hand that feeds IT''." Their primary focus is information tec ...

'' then Hansard staff. :He married Emily Hambly Nickels ( – 1917) on 10 December 1879. by whom he had two sons: :*Frederick William Finlayson (1881– ) married cousin Dorothy Jean Finlayson (1893 – ) on 12 August 1914. Dorothy was a daughter of Ebenezer Finlayson (see below). :*Ronald Nickels Finlayson (1882 – 1 December 1945) :According to one report, his widow married

William Burford W. H. Burford and Sons was a soap and candle-making business founded in Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Gr ...

and nursed him in his last years. Burford died in 1925. If true, this could only mean that Finlayson married a third time. *

John Harvey Finlayson John Harvey Finlayson (3 February 1843 – 30 March 1915) was the editor and part-owner of the ''South Australian Register''. Employment and social advocacy He joined ''The Register'' in 1861 and became head reporter 1866, a proprietor in 18 ...

(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 The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest ...

with

Captain Randell William Richard Randell "Captain Randell" (2 May 1824 – 4 March 1911), was an Australian politician and pioneer born in Devon, England, who emigrated to the newly founded colony of South Australia in 1837 with his family. He was a pioneer ...

, then in business in partnerships Finlayson & Parsons and Finlayson & Gollin. He married Finnette Champion on 17 June 1885. Their children included: :*Ethel Mona Finlayson (26 May 1890 – 6 February 1977) Gordon Patterson Blackmore on 5 March 1913. Gordon was a grandson of

Archdeacon Farr The Ven. George Henry Farr, M.A., LL.D. (2 July 1819 – 7 February 1904) was a British born Australian Anglican priest; headmaster of St. Peter's College from 1854 to 1879. History Farr was born in Tottenham, London, a son of John Farr, and was ...

:*Dorothy Jean Finlayson (1892 – ) married cousin Frederick William Finlayson (1881– ) on 12 August 1914 (see above). *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 William Richard Randell "Captain Randell" (2 May 1824 – 4 March 1911), was an Australian politician and pioneer born in Devon, England, who emigrated to the newly founded colony of South Australia in 1837 with his family. He was a pioneer ...

(1856–1917) of Gumeracha

R. K. Finlayson

Eldest son Robert Kettle Finlayson (27 April 1839 – 27 March 1917) was born in

North Adelaide North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. History Surveyor-General Colonel William Light of the colo ...

and spent his younger days on their farm in Mitcham. He was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution and even while young was a keen churchgoer. 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 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. It runs north-south from North Terrace, through Hindmarsh and Hurtle Squares, to South ...

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 The Plymouth Brethren or Assemblies of Brethren are a low church and non-conformist Christian movement whose history can be traced back to Dublin, Ireland, in the mid to late 1820s, where they originated from Anglicanism. The group emphasizes ...

then the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

, where it served as a

soup kitchen A soup kitchen, food kitchen, or meal center, is a place where food is offered to the Hunger, hungry usually for free or sometimes at a below-market price (such as via coin donations upon visiting). Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoo ...

during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

). 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) c. 1862 and moved to the city in 1877. They had eight children, including: *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 is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby ...

which resulted in the death of another player, Ernest A. Stow, a son of Judge Stow and grandson of

. *Albert Clement Finlayson (1876–1920) married C(aroline) Ethel Fitch (1879–1958) on 25 April 1907. She was a daughter of J. T. Fitch. A. C. Finlayson was a prominent member of the

South Australian Literary Societies' Union South Australian Literary Societies' Union (1883–1926) was a peak or advocacy organisation of literary societies in South Australia. It organised competitions between the member societies and established a "Union Parliament" to debate issues o ...

. He married again in 1884, to the widow Elizabeth "Edith" Bowen, née Burford (c. 1832 – 28 January 1900), eldest daughter of W. H. Burford). He died at "Helenholm" after several months' severe illness, and was buried at the Mitcham cemetery.

J. Harvey Finlayson

John Harvey Finlayson (3 February 1843 – 30 March 1915), editor and part-owner of the ''

South Australian Register ''The Register'', originally the ''South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register'', and later ''South Australian Register,'' was South Australia's first newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836, moved to Adelaide in 1837, and f ...

'', was born at "Helenholm". He was educated at George Mugg's school and Adelaide Educational Institution.Finlayson, John Harvey
Love, J. H. ''Australian Dictionary of Biography online'' accessed 14 July 2011 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 Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

, free secular education,

free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econo ...

between the Colonies, and

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

. 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").Death of Mr. John Harvey Finlayson
''The Register'' 31 March 1915 p.8 accessed 24 July 2011

Bibliography

*Reminiscences by William Finlayson ''Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia : South Australian Branch'', 1902. (Manuscript annotated by Thomas Allen, Thesis (B.A. (Hons)), Flinders University, Dept of English, 2003)"Reminiscences by William Finlayson"
''Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia : South Australian Branch'' v.6, no.1902-1903, 1902, p.39-55 ()

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finlayson, William 19th-century Australian Baptist ministers Settlers of South Australia Protestant ministers and clergy in Australia