Finlayson.....

[Anne H]

Hi Maggie,

My research has more or less been on hold for a while (I’m trying to revamp my filing system and correct all those little errors in my database), but I needed a break from the Finlayson’s anyway.

I think we’re probably researching different families, but I’ll keep a note of your records and let you know if I come across any that might fit in with your names.

Regards,
Anne H

[helenwyler]

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for offering to look through your Finlayson records. I too am a Scot in exile for about 30 years now and don’t know if any of my Finlayson’s would have made it to U.S. shores. The information I have is very scant but here’s what I have…

Kirk Sessions in Stirling
Janet Finlayson from Larbert and Robert Hog from Dunnipace had an illegitimate child Peter Hog/Hogg dob 5 Jan 1793. Janet and Robert never married (he was already married to someone else at the time)
I don’t know her parents names but they were alive at that time. She had at least one brother, George and a sister (don’t know the sister’s name). Her father worked with “stones; Janet was employed as a servant at an Inn for a James Walker and his wife Marrion Balloch. She seems to have lived with them although her parent’s house seems to have been close by.

I had estimated Janet’s dob to be somewhere around 1773 – 1777 but the 1841 census doesn’t agree.

1841 Census – Larbert Village
George Finlayson Grinder 50
Janet Finlayson 60
James Hogg 20 (Janet’s grandson by son Peter’s first wife – he had another son John)

I haven’t seen this Census but apparently a “Y” was checked as being born in the county but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a Janet or a George Finlayson born in Larbert to the same parents that would fit with the ages…of course, Mr. Finlayson could have had more than one wife!

There were only three Janet's and two George's that I could find in the whole of Larbert for periods from 1553 to 1854, the dates for Janet were 1798, 1806 and 1845; the dates for George were 1817 and 1853, both with the same parents, George Finlayson/Mary Ferrier, but since Janet’s son Peter Hogg was born in 1793 this obviously wasn’t the right family.

I then searched the whole of Scotland from 1754 to 1785 and found 24 for Janet. I also found 25 for George from 1740 to 1808. The ages are a bit out again but there was a Janet Finlayson dob 18 April 1777 and George Finlayson dob 24 March 1781 born to John Finlayson and Elspet Creach in Thurso. There was also a George born on 10 April 1783 to John Finlayson/Elizabeth Creach, again in Thurso…this is probably the same family.

Trying to fit this family in with my Janet and George I hoped the Scottish naming pattern would help and further research found the following children to John Finlayson and Elspet Creach, all of Thurso, Caithness...Donald Finlayson, Born/Christened: 30 Sep 1771; Isabel Finlayson - 8 Jan 1774; Janet Finlayson - 18 April 1777; John Finlayson - 23 Jun 1778; George Finlayson - 24 Mar 1781. All of these names are also in the Hogg line except for Donald so maybe I'm way off with this thought. I haven’t tried to track this family back to Larbert as yet, so who knows if I’m anywhere close.

Sorry this is so long winded and it would be wonderful if any of this tied in with the records you have.

Regards,
Anne

(Note: Post moved here to more appropriate forum - Moderator)

[Anne H]

Hi Helen,
I just wanted to welcome you to Talking Scot…it’s a great forum with lots of friendly people. I received your PM and will respond in a little bit.

Regards,
Anne H

[Anne H]

Hi Anne
Probably no use to you, but a Donald Finlayson was witness to the baptism of my ggggranfather James Robeson [sic] in1794, Smerral(?) Bower, Caithness. As was a William Miller.
Happy Easter!
Helen

Hi Helen,
Thanks for the PM.

The Donald Finlayson you’re referring to might be related to the family I found in Thurso, Caithness, the time period is right … unfortunately, I haven’t managed to trace any of the Caithness lot back to Larbert which is where I need them to be. I don’t suppose you know what became of that Finlayson witness! I haven’t come across the name Robeson either.

William Millar was my gggrandfather and he was from Linlithgow, but he would have come a couple of generations after the Finlaysons, so there wouldn’t be a connection there.

One of these days, I’ll get back to the Finlayson saga, but whether or not I’ll ever find anything remains to be seen.

Happy Easter to you too and a warm welcome to Talking Scot.

Regards,
Anne

[AndrewP]

Hi Anne
Probably no use to you, but a Donald Finlayson was witness to the baptism of my ggggranfather James Robeson [sic] in1794, Smerral(?) Bower, Caithness. As was a William Miller.
Happy Easter!
Helen

Hi Helen & Anne,

Smerral is there on the current maps. See:

Ordnance Survey 1:50000 map of Bower

All the best,

AndrewP